Dining Out: Best Brunches in Rhode Island

Dining Out: Best Brunches in Rhode Island

May 2, 2018 at 4:12 pm

Airy omelets, fabulous French toast, wonderful waffles, perfectly poached eggs, clever cocktails, hot doughnuts and house-cured bacon. These are a few of my favorite brunch things.What makes a stellar brunch? It must be delicious, but it should also be fun. That’s what you’ll find at these 11 spots, which brought fabulous food -- and fun with a capital F. - GAIL CIAMPA, Providence Journal Food Writer

MILK MONEY, Providence

Providence’s Milk Money brings clever versions of favorites to the brunch table. If you enjoy a good clam cake, you will adore Andouille fritters with Halloumi cheese and pepper aioli for dipping. It’s spicy comfort food at its best.

Like French toast? You will love, love, love these French toast sticks. They’re a little crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and have powdered sugar for good measure. [The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach]

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The menu here offers the Andouille fritters and French toast sticks as First Bites. Options under Eggs and Things include Quinoa “Fried Rice” with a farm egg, bok choy and mushrooms. Other must-haves include executive chef Marisa Walachy’s Creamy Polenta and Chicken ’N Biscuit.

Even the green, purple and blue mason jars used as water glasses are fun here. And Milk Money handles big parties beautifully. [The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach]

Details: Milk Money, 566 South Water St., Providence, (401) 649-4667, milkmoneyri.com

ROGUE ISLAND, Providence

Nestled in Providence’s Arcade, Rogue Island Local Kitchen & Bar had my allegiance before I tasted a single bite. When you make reservations (mine was made by my husband, using his name), your table is adorned with a chalkboard bearing your name. What a simple, but lovely and fun, way to begin brunch.

So too was the suggestion of Irish coffee, which was perfect and served in a big mug. It went perfectly with the homemade doughnut of the day. Mine was yummy strawberry. [The Providence Journal, file / Sandor Bodo]

Brunch is served on a bonus day, Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Don’t miss the breakfast sandwiches, which are excellent, and I may have had the best one of all during my brunch tour: It starts with a homemade bagel, and layers on fabulous housemade sausage, two eggs, honey mustard, arugula and Cabot cheddar cheese.

The menu also features a unique Tater Tot Poutine. Cool. [The Providence Journal / Gail Ciampa]

Details: Rogue Island Local Kitchen & Bar, 65 Weybosset St., Suite #108 in the Arcade, Providence, (401) 831-3733, rogueislandgroup.com

BAYBERRY BEER HALL, Providence

They may be new to the Providence scene and specialize in beer, but Bayberry Beer Hall gets brunch. Big time. What a delight to start with a Nitro Stout. This drink starts with Nitro Cart creamy cold-brew coffee, which is mixed with a rotating beer and Amaro, and then topped with whipped cream and crushed nuts.

But that’s only the beginning. Choose from small bites that range from fresh fruit to slab bacon drizzled with a maple bourbon glaze. I did not choose the fruit. The bacon was a meal, and a perfect sweet and salty one at that. [The Providence Journal / Gail Ciampa]

Brunch is served Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Then there are handheld options, like a breakfast sandwich or a chicken schnitzel sandwich, and savory platters, including a seasonal frittata, shakshuka and huevos ranchero.

If you choose the sweets category, and I did, you might get an amazing fresh-baked pastry, like this cinnamon bun that filled a dish and served two or three easily. [The Providence Journal / Gail Ciampa]

Details: Bayberry Beer Hall, 381 West Fountain St., Providence, (401) 383-9487. Bayberrybeerhall.com

Owners Natalie and Tom Dennen at their new restaurant on West Side.

Communal tables make this a perfect place for big gatherings. [The Providence Journal/Sandor Bodo]

Details: Bayberry Beer Hall, 381 West Fountain St., Providence, (401) 383-9487. Bayberrybeerhall.com

PERSIMMON, Providence

Brunch at Persimmon is everything you’d expect from chef Champe Speidel. The food is beautiful to look at and twice as delicious. The menu is small but ranges from smoked salmon to a spaghetti Bolognese. This is a place where you really could start with breakfast and end up ordering a lunch dish if you sit visiting with friends long enough, as I did. The service is always so stellar it’s hard to say goodbye. Brunch here is served only once a month, making it even more special. [The Providence Journal, file / David DelPoio]

Brunch is usually served on the first Sunday of the month, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. In May, it will be served on Mother’s Day instead of the first Sunday. In June, it will be served on the first Sunday, plus on Father’s Day.

The surprise here was the perfect vanilla sugar doughnuts, so nice for a table to share. They were as light as air. The elegance of the drinks, a virgin coffee milk martini included, matches the elegant dishes. The French omelet with Gruyere created an omelet texture I’ve never had, so light and airy. But I wouldn’t pass up the dark rum and vanilla waffle with banana and caramelized walnuts even for the eggs covered with a beautiful classic Mornay sauce that a dining companion enjoyed. [The Providence Journal / Gail Ciampa]

Details: Persimmon, 99 Hope St., Providence, (401) 432-7422, persimmonri.com

AVENUE N AMERICAN KITCHEN, Rumford - East Providence

Brunch at Avenue N in Rumford comes with the best bonus: You can shop at the Avenue N Pantry afterward and stock up on the best from Rhode Island’s artisan food producers.

But first you must eat, drink and be merry. That’s what the crowd does in the lovely rustic dining room. [The Providence Journal, file /Kris Craig]

Brunch is served on Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Spring cocktails are light and balanced and feature beautiful combinations of fresh juices, liqueurs and sparkling wine. The bloody mary is one of the best you’ll ever have anywhere.

This dish of sunchokes, leeks and bacon hash was beautiful and deliciously unique, as many of chef Nick Rabar’s dishes are. [The Providence Journal / Gail Ciampa]

Farm-fresh eggs made an omelet shine, and these lemon ricotta doughnuts with creme anglaise for your sweet tooth. I wish I had one now.

I loved the pace of the brunch here as much as the food. Service is fast and warmly efficient. You aren’t rushed in any way, but the food comes out at a perfect pace. It allows those on the go to enjoy a delightful brunch and then do other things with their day.

OCEAN MIST, Matunuck - South Kingstown

To some, Matunuck’s Ocean Mist may be a dive bar — and an excellent one at that. But I see beautifully prepared breakfast dishes, created with imagination by chef Chris Olivo. And to think that they come with an ocean view worth a million bucks, well, it’s a hard concept not to embrace. [The Providence Journal, file / Frieda Squires]

Breakfast is served Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

They call it breakfast at Ocean Mist, but it’s very much brunch. On the day of my visit, while I enjoyed Kahlua French Toast, another diner was having fish and chips. We both had an ocean view. I’m pretty sure she enjoyed her meal as much as I did mine. This French toast dish offers moist, tasty slices of Texas toast dipped in a Kahlua batter and served with two eggs any style. I suggest poached as they do a beautiful job with eggs.

Brunch with a water view is what you get in Matunuck at Ocean Mist. This Mexican Omelet is made with avocado, beans, fresh tomato salsa and pepper-jack cheese served with homefries and English muffin. [

Take a look at the California Benny, two poached eggs on an English muffin with fresh avocado slices, tomato, crispy bacon and chipotle hollandaise. It’s pretty as a picture.

Best of all, you can have your brunch seven days a week at Ocean Mist, and never break the bank, all while having that perfect ocean view. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]

Details: Ocean Mist, 895 Matunuck Beach Rd., South Kingstown, (401) 782-3740, oceanmist.net

TROOP, Providence

If you are hip, or want to feel hip, brunch at Troop in Providence is calling your name.

The Laughing Gorilla catering team of chef Jason Timothy, manager Leigh Vincola and Revival brewer Sean Larkin and two other partners earlier this year took over the Valley Street space that had been the cavernous Cuban Revolution restaurant. They shared a concept with Kyla Coburn, who created a homage to ’90s hip-hop and skateboarding culture with murals, boomboxes and so much more. [The Providence Journal / David DelPoio]

Brunch is served Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

But what you want to know is that they make an excellent Hangover Burger, with a fried egg, bacon and cheese. [The Providence Journal / David DelPoio]

I first ordered a Revival White Electric Stout, but then a frozen drink caught my eye: the Magical Unicorn. Like everything about Troop, it’s not what it seems. This frozen pink drink is hardly as harmless as it looks, since it’s made with Bacardi rum paired with Bailey’s Strawberry and Cream (and strawberries). But what fun it is to imbibe as your senses overload with the music, the décor, the food and the drink. [The Providence Journal / David DelPoio]

I liked the crowd, too, which was diverse in every way. I think there was even a birthday party going on in one corner. Everyone is welcome to the party. [The Providence Journal

THE DISTRICT, Providence

I thought my favorite thing about brunch at The District, in Providence’s Jewelry District, would be the chicken and waffles. I was wrong. It was the Bloody Mary bar that enchanted me, in every way. They bring you a glass with ice and vodka and then it’s your turn to build your drink. All the fixings are there at the bar: tomato juice, horseradish, Tabasco, olives, celery, and on and on. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

They also offer a bottle of sparkling wine for $20 for mimosas. But I will say that chicken and waffles is today’s quintessential brunch food. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig]

OCEAN HOUSE, Westerly

It’s hard to argue with the views at Watch Hill’s Ocean House. They are stunning. As for the Champagne Brunch at the hotel’s Bistro each Sunday morning, it’s almost overwhelming, with a seemingly endless lineup of food. There’s the raw bar and the fruit bar and the soup and salad bar. There’s a crepe station, an antipasto table and a dessert table that includes macarons in many colors. Brunch is served Sundays, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Then a server brings a menu for guests to order their plated main course from selections that include seafood en croute, a corned beef panini and assorted egg dishes.

The cost is a hefty $62 a person, but they don’t skimp on a thing. The Champagne or mimosas keep coming as long as you like.

I think Ocean House is a great choice if you have a multigenerational family gathering, or as the start of a day in lovely Watch Hill. [The Providence Journal, file / Steve Szydlowski]

Details: Ocean House, 1 Bluff Ave., Westerly, (401) 584-7000, oceanhouseri.com

DUCK AND BUNNY, Providence

Brunch is served in cozy elegance seven days a week at the Duck and Bunny in Providence. In the winter and spring, you can be warmed by the fireplace.

The Duck and Bunny also serves the best latkes, pictured. You just don’t see potato pancakes at every brunch — and after eating these, I think we should. [The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo]

Brunch is served daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In summer, you can sit out back in their secret garden. You just can’t lose here. [The Providence Journal, file / Sandor Bodo]

The menu also features many unique, delicate and beautiful crepes. They fulfill the promise to be light whether filled with salmon or veggies. [The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo]

Details: Duck and Bunny, 312 Wickenden St., Providence, (401) 270-3300, the duckandbunny.com

COOK AND BROWN PUBLIC HOUSE, Providence

Providence’s Cook and Brown Public House does all the little things well. They make a great cup of coffee. They mix a perfectly balanced bloody mary. They make the best blueberry scones. All this adds up to a lovely brunch experience. [The Providence Journal, file / Sandor Bodo]

And — drumroll please — they have a killer dessert. The Brown Butter Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich comes with bacon ice cream and maple syrup for dipping. It is, simply put, awesome. And meant for sharing.

The Chocolate Babka French Toast isn’t bad either, but it doesn’t have bacon ice cream.

The search for the best brunches in Rhode Island was thoroughly enjoyable, with some of them served seaside and others run by some of Rhode Island’s most talented chefs. Most of the best places are in Providence, where chefs elevate the most common of brunch dishes. Details: Cook and Brown Public House, 959 Hope St., Providence, (401) 273-7275, cookandbrown.com