Brunch At Dish

by Steven Doyle

Brunch is a high priority in Dallas and with so many options for the mid-day weekend activity it is important you make the right selection of restaurant, and more so, the right dish. That is why we set our sites on Dish this weekend. Chef Garreth Dickey has quietly been plating some special brunch items, and he couldn’t possibly think we wouldn’t take notice.

Dish might be more famously known for its drag brunch. The restaurant turns its tables three times during the last weekend hurray drag-fest, and it is not just the friendly gayborhood patrol in for a looksee; this brunch attracts a full range of people looking for a fabulous Sunday Funday.   

For the rest of the month of Sundays guests quietly file in to plant themselves on the breezy newly updated patio and sup on crispy fried potatoes and creamy eggs served up in their own special fashion. The ingredients are all locally sourced and cared for by chef Dickey who is known for his keen quality control.

This particular Sunday a few us Cravers decided to over-indulge just a tad, all in the name of research. The best way to secure your table is to make a reservation which is as easy as a phone call. You will be sent an email confirmation and a reminder the day of the brunch (or any meal for that matter).  It is nice to wake up from a particular night of hijinks only to be reminded that you have a great brunch in wait. Those tall chalices of mimosas aren’t going to drink themselves.

As with most menus we approached the brunch looking for something unusual, and we found a few choice items along with a standard or two that have been kicked up in honor of the day.

The most guilt-free items you can order are those that are sharable, so you can taste without a full on commitment to the dish. You will definitely wish to take on the Sunny Side Up Flatbread which is chockfull of applewood smoked bacon, sliced potatoes, rosemary, chipotle cheddar cheese and a fried egg for good measure. A potatoey egg does not necessarily sound like a good pairing, but on closer inspection the flat bread tastes more like a superb bacon-laden picadillo. You know its Mexican cousin which comes in breakfast taco form. Fight for the last slice while awaiting your entrée or next mimosa.

When chatting up our server we were told about an off-menu item that will make its premier in about a week with the addition of a few new brunch items. This was Dickey’s play of traditional shrimp and grits. The play is the addition of gravy instead a creole sauce. He grits are cheesy and rich, and the shrimp are mammoth U3’s that taste more like buttered lobsters that shrimp.

The menu also has a section devoted to Dish Skillets which are large sizzling cast iron skillets that are devoted to scrambled eggs topped with a whole host of ingredients such as bacon, goat cheese, chorizo, grilled chicken and even short ribs. We selected The Dish which is grilled chicken, avocado, tomatoes, bacon, and scallions.

The Breakfast Tacos are an excellent choice and are filled with chorizo, scrambled egg, avocado salsa and cotija cheese. Dickey uses locally made Luna’s tortilla which are sourced just a few miles from the restaurant, and made fresh each day.

Back to the sharables, any table would be pleased to finish off their meal with a platter of the Stuffed Brioche French Toast. The large bricks of brioche are feathery light and surrounded with banana and toasty Texas pecans. The French toast is surrounded with a light drizzle of strawberry compote, and the additional Maple syrup isn’t actually necessary. For those needing a sugar rush, the syrup is served on the side.

There are additional items we simply couldn’t order because the table wasn’t large enough, but we will soon be back to indulge in the chicken and waffles or perhaps the steak and eggs which has a side of red eye gravy.

Look for a full and unique cocktail menu on the ready, and sit back to relax with this very special Sunday repast.

Dish | 4123 Cedar Springs, Dallas | 214-522-3474