The art of champagne brunch

Waking up at noon and going to eat French toast, smoked salmon, Eggs Benedict and a fruit breakfast while sipping champagne and Bloody Marys was once an exotic frill. But with the rising popularity of the Sunday Brunch, restaurants in Bloomington are making those indulgences more a part of local custom. \n"There is nothing better than sitting on the patio when the weather's nice and having a mimosa," said Irish Lion bartender and server Jeremy Forcier. \nThe Irish Lion, 212 W Kirkwood Ave., where Forcier works began its Sunday brunches about two years ago, and many other area restaurants are catching on as well. The Story Inn in Nashville, Ind., Michael's Uptown Cafe, 102 E. Kirkwood Ave., and Scholars Inn Gourmet Cafe & Wine Bar, 717 N College Ave., are just a few of the restaurants also offering specialty foods, champagne and Bloody Marys on Sunday mornings.\nStill, though many Bloomington restaurants have only recently added the Champagne Brunch to extend menus and give their growing customer base options, the Sunday Brunch has been around for a long time. \n"The idea of drinking champagne on Sundays is very French but the big breakfast is not," said Matt O'Neill, chef at the Runcible Spoon. "They would have champagne at breakfast and have a brioche or a croissant, but the English would have a big breakfast, and that is where eating a big breakfast comes from. \nAnd though the pieces of the champagne brunch's origins come from Europe, O'Neill said brunch itself is a very American phenomenon.\n"Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch," O'Neill said. "They are built around getting up late and eating breakfast on Sunday mornings." \nThe Runcible Spoon, 412 E 6th Street, has a tradition and reputation of serving breakfast locally for more than 30 years. Despite the strong customer base, O'Neill said the champagne brunch buffet at the Runcible Spoon was added out of necessity.\n"The buffet has been introduced in the last month," O'Neill said. "Our business had tripled in the last three years, and it was a way to handle our business and give our customers an option." \nThe Irish Lion's brunch menu also capitalizes on providing options. Forcier said their brunch gives the restaurant a chance to offer items that aren't normally served, allowing patrons to order the mimosa for two, which is a half bottle of champagne mixed with orange juice. \n"It's just another day where they can switch it up a bit and order something different," Forcier said. "We make the Eggs Benedict with a special twist: We put spinach on ours and it has a good flavor." \nThe Irish Lion also has a special offering called the Donegal Egg and Cheese that is a quiche-like dish with spinach, tomatoes, sauteed peppers and onions all covered with melted cheese. Most of the restaurants that offer the champagne brunch have taken the opportunity to put a creative spin on more traditional brunch foods of French toast, bacon and eggs. \nAt Michael's Uptown Cafe, the offerings include French toast with a grown-up flare. The Creme Brulée French Toast is made up of slices of baguette baked on a layer of custard spiced with Grand Marnier and vanilla. Michael's Uptown Cafe also offers variations of the champagne cocktail such as the Poinsettia, which includes cranberry juice, and the Bellini, which features peach nectar. \n"I think it's a good occasion for people to drink champagne," said manager Jared Cartmell. \nThe Scholars Inn offers Eggs Benedict with prosciutto, bacon, sausage, salmon and spinach. Crepes are available with caramel, chocolate, berries or bananas. There are also 11 different variations of the champagne cocktail served at the Scholars Inn, which are offered at half price for the buzzing Sunday crowd.\n"Our most popular champagne cocktail is the Kir Royale," said Scholars Inn server Robyn Reeves.\nThe Kir Royale is a champagne cocktail made with creme de cassis. Returning freshman Inathe McCrea, who identifies the Kir Royale as her favorite drink, said Sunday brunch at the Scholars Inn appeals to her because of the atmosphere. The restaurant has balcony dining and an à la carte menu bearing a plethora of colorful dishes.\n"(Champagne) is a nice addition to a meal," McCrea said. "It makes the day more relaxing."\nJudy Drew, the manager of the Tudor Room in the Indiana Memorial Union, agrees, but the dry campus policy keeps her from serving champagne at brunches in the Union. \n"We would love to serve champagne," Drew said. "We are trying to be respectful of the University's policy."\nThough Drew feels her menu, which includes prime rib, shrimp, homemade waffles, Cherry Jubilee and Bananas Foster, is good enough without champagne, she feels the sparkly stuff would be a great addition. \n"I think it would a special touch on occasions like Mothers's Day and Easter," Drew said, "but only limited to those holidays." \nOnly about 10 percent of the Tudor Room customers are students, and even IU President Adam Herbert comes in to brunch on Sundays, Drew said.\n"A lot of faculty members bring their families in on Sunday," she said. "Usually the Little 500 winning team will come in for brunch." \nChampagne brunches are a ritual of spring, popular because of holidays like Mothers' Day, Easter and graduations, O'Neill said. \n"Sunlight is a big part of brunch," O'Neill said. "Brunch comes along in the spring; it is a ceremony to be able to catch up and relate to other people."\nO'Neill said brunch is something people look forward to because it's about socializing and creating an atmosphere.\n"Sunday is the last space in time that hasn't been invaded by work or study," he said. "Sunday morning still has that hold on people of a lifestyle that used to be."\n-- Contact Asst. Arts Editor Patrice Worthy at pworthy@indiana.edu.