Brunch Bites: The Dawson and Formento's

In this week's batch of brunch bites, The Dawson continues its monthly Market Mary series and Formento's adds to the West Loop's red-hot brunch scene.

 

In May, The Dawson raised the bar on Bloody Marys with its monthly Market Mary series, which featured a different Green City Market vendor each month paired with Reyka Vodka. As July comes to a close and summer reaches its produce-packed apex, there's no better time to partake in The Dawson's seasonal, locally infused Bloody Marys at brunch. This weekend marks the launch of the new August Market Mary, a peach-habanero version infused with cucumber, featuring peaches from Paul Friday in Coloma, Michigan. Up next to round out the Market Mary series is the September edition, a mole-spiced squash version with apples from Seedling Farm in South Haven, Michigan. 

Get ready to add another brunch destination to your itinerary in the perpetually red-hot West Loop. On August 8, Formento's launches its weekend brunch program, to be served Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The menu includes both American favorites and Italian creations, starting with pastries like cinnamon rolls and raspberry jam-filled bomboloni. Move on to scrambled eggs with straciatella, tuna coserva with runner beans and poached egg, a crab cake Benedict with fried green tomato, and an Italian-accented pannetone French toast with amaretti crust, banana, and maple. 

- Matt Kirouac