NEWS: Brunch Bites: Fall Brunch at The Bristol and Brunch Beats at Howells & Hood

In this week's batch of brunch news, The Bristol launches a new fall brunch menu, while Howells & Hood adds tunes to the weekend ritual.


One of the most solid brunch programs in town can be found at The Bristol. The restaurant has a way of pushing brunch boundaries in a subtle way so as to dazzle the diner without clobbering them over the head with outre flavors. Even the standard stuff, like eggs and pancakes, are dutifully accounted for by executive Celebrity Chef Chris Pandel. The man breathes invigorating life into the weekend pastime in every way, making it a reputable destination any Sunday. But now you've got extra incentive, what with The Bristol's new fall brunch menu. It includes housemade everything bagels with smoked whitefish salad, beer bread with burnt sesame butter, and apple cider doughnuts (you guys, this) with stout-apple butter (and this) and preserved raspberries. Pandel is doing something amazing with pancakes too, skewing them in a savory autumnal direction by serving whole-wheat pancakes with maple-roasted spaghetti squash, roast pumpkin whipped cream, and spicy pumpkin seeds. Eat this and satiate your pumpkin quota for the season.



(Get your brunch with a side of blues at Howell's & Hood. Photo: Chelsea Ross)


Things are getting groovy over at Howells & Hood. The mammoth Michigan Avenue restaurant has been doling out crowd-pleasing brunch fare for a little while now, but it just added live music to the equation. And as we know, there are no instances in life not drastically improved by the presence of live music. It's the perfect addition to Howells & Hood's soulful Sunday Blues Brunch, because duh, blues music is a thing. Matt Hendricks serves as the resident acoustic blues artist, curating a toe-tapping set of tunes on weekends. As a reminder, Howells & Hood stocks gourmet buffet stations, with everything from charcuterie and seafood to waffles, griddle cakes, cornbread muffins, and chilaquiles.


 

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