Article & photos by Fitz
Lead photo- Streats Chinatown omelet
Special thanks to Melissa Baumann
I’ve become an avid bruncher in recent months. More out of spite than anything else, really. I wasn’t always available for brunch; my stereotypical Saturday night exploits dictated that my hangover had me buried under covers well past noon on Sunday. However, early in the creation of Southern Grit, a Richmond writer who had recently and reluctantly transplanted to Hampton Roads, had a conversation with me about brunch on the way to cover Harper’s Table in downtown Suffolk.
Well, more to the point, she had a conversation with herself. I think my purpose for her was more to sit there and watch her jowls wiggle as she cast brunch in Hampton Roads into the fiery pits of hell and praised Richmond from the pulpit as some kind of Messiah. Despite her smiling glee for her own voice and her Hillary-Clinton-esque cackle, I remember being suspicious of her broadbrush panning of brunch in the seven cities. It struck me that her lustful pining for the home town she recently vacated assuredly hindered her from an objective take concerning brunch here. Fast forward several months- and factor in a little less Saturday night drinking on my end- and I’m brunching my way across the 757 to try and objectively get a taste of what’s up with that part of dining in the seven cities.
Streats cook Emily
First off, I found tender omelets from the menu of one young budding chef, Sherry Burns and a citrusy mimosa from the hands of a rather snarky jester of a bartender, one Christopher Belcher at Streats. Streats is approachable for the casual bar goer but you won’t find the typical uninspired food options like some other lubricant joints. Nope, they got street food style fare that is refreshing, tasty and smartly contrasted against the standard and drab – Tostitos out of the bag nachos b.s. you will find from some other watering holes in close proximity.
Next to the big industrial windows I seriously tore into my substantially sized omelet at Streats recently launched brunch. Streats Sunday brunch features a rotating menu inspired by cuisines made famous by food-passionate cities across the country. On the Sunday I showed up they were offering a San Francisco inspired brunch menu. I have also heard good things about their Boston indebted brunch menu.
Bartender Belcher
The thin folds of egg, thankfully low on grease, paired with mounds and mounds of stuffing in my golden gate omelette. Highlighted by a rather nice interplay of fresh sprouts, mushrooms, and marinated pork I dare rank it up there with the many omelettes I’ve had at the Pancake House in Wards Corner- which is still, even after all the many years it’s been open, THE place to go for breakfast in Norfolk. Streats “Whiskey sauce” on their bread pudding dessert- which I couldn’t help but sample- was also seriously fatboy certified.
Around the bar a bit later, and blue-jean-button-undone satisfied, I snuck a peek into the kitchen to see young cook Emily, and cook/ kitchen manager, James Mcguffey, preparing dishes. It was a hustle-tastic sight to see. Part of the appeal at Streats is the younger verbose staff.
Streats coffee
The only thing lacking in Streats brunch game is their coffee. Though as mentioned before my nights of drunken hijinks resulting in intoxicated annihilation have been dialed back, those of us that aren’t hair of the dog’n it may still be in need of something with a bit more caffeinated character than just plain coffee. For those that are chasing a night of booze with a tad more booze, there are spiked coffee options in Bartender Belcher’s repertoire. The lack of virgin coffee options aside, I’ll be visiting Streats for brunch again shortly and hopefully get a taste of the Boston menu.
For more on on Streats visit them at facebook.com/streats21
Streats Brunch runs from 11am to 3pm on Sundays.
Check back for Vol. 2 as we hit up Stove’s once a month Sunday brunch.
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