Those carefree days of roaming blissfully through life are a thing of the past if you are a mom. Date nights are hard to plan, and by the time you make it to your second glass of wine, all you can think of is your bed and the fact that your kids will be wildly awake by sunrise.
My motherhood journey began during my husband’s Internal Medicine residency in New York City. We both literally had night-float shifts – him at the hospital (+85 hr weeks) and me at home (24/7) with a sleepless and fuzzy baby. The extreme exhaustion we both suffered did not leave much energy for romance or family outings. The misery brought back the nostalgia of my carefree and single past life while living in Chicago, which reminded me of going with my roommates to delightful Sunday brunches.
It was a less expensive way to eat out at a local restaurant and have bubbles with the popular Bottomless Champagne specials.
The Culinary industry in NYC is like no other, and no matter your price point, you are bound to find amazing food. Even 99 Cent Fresh Pizza, found all around the city, is GOOD! So, we went for our first Brunch to Arte Cafe on the Upper West Side, which my BFF, an NYC local, had recommended. We made reservations for 10am, which was my daughter’s nap time, and we enjoyed the most wonderful meal we ever had as new parents. My baby girl slept for two hours in her stroller while we enjoyed great food and a few glasses of Champagne.
This was technically a date!
Brunch has been our ‘thing’ ever since. Every weekend we either go out for brunch as a
family, or I serve brunch at home. Pensacola has reinvented itself in the culinary world in the past 10 years, and brunch has become a common trend. There are some great restaurants where you can even enjoy a Champagne Brunch any day of the week, like in one of my favorite spots, The Leisure Club.
Don’t let the Mommy Blues get the best of you and drag your family or your girlfriends out to Brunch!
I have listed my favorite spots below to make your weekend brunch planning easier. Most restaurants accept reservations.
BRUNCH ALL WEEK
Adonna’s Garden St Cafe and Bakery: 811 W. Garden St., Pensacola (closed on Sundays)
Another Broken Egg Cafe: 721 E. Gregory St., Pensacola
Aunt Katie’s – Welcome to Breakfast : 3005 E. Cervantes St., Pensacola
Buenos Dias Cafe: 911 Gulf Breeze Pkwy, Gulf Breeze
Cafe Single Fin: 380 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola
Coffee Cup Restaurant: 520 E. Cervantes St., Pensacola
First Watch: 1670 E. Nine Mile Rd., Unit A, Pensacola
Hub Stacey’s at The Point: 5851 Galvez Rd., Pensacola (Perdido Key)
Native Cafe: 45A Via de Luna Dr., Pensacola Beach
Neomaya: 35 Via de Luna Dr., Pensacola Beach
Perdido Key Breakfast Club: 13700 Perdido Key Dr., Pensacola
Polonza Bistro: 286 N. Palafox St., Pensacola
Ruby Slipper Cafe: 509 S. Palafox St., Pensacola
Scenic 90 Cafe: 701 Scenic Hwy., Pensacola
Taylor’s Breakfast and Lunch: 7175 Davis Hwy., Pensacola
The Bodacious Café: 407 S. Palafox St., Pensacola
The Dog House: Palafox St., Pensacola (closed on Sundays)
The Leisure Club Coffee & Brunch Bar: 12th Ave., Pensacola
True Grit American Bistro: Pine Forest Rd., Pensacola
SUNDAY BRUNCH SPECIALS
Atlas Oyster House: 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola
Casino Beach Bar & Grill: 41 Fort Pickens Rd., Gulf Breeze
Coastal County Brewing: 3041 E. Olive Rd., Pensacola
End Of The Line Cafe: 610 E. Wright St., Pensacola
Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar: 400 Quietwater Beach Dr., Pensacola Beach (Live Jazz)
Five Sisters Blues Cafe: 421 W. Belmont St., Pensacola (Live Jazz)
Frisky Dolphin Sunset Oyster Bar & Grill: 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach (Saturday and Sunday)
George Bistro + Bar: 6205 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille: 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola
Jaco’s Perdido: 12700 Gulf Beach Hwy., Pensacola
Lucy’s In The Square: 301 S. Adams St., Pensacola
Taco Agave: 200 S. Palafox St., Pensacola
The Grand Marlin: 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach (Live Calypso)
The Restaurant At Lost Key: 625 Lost Key Dr., Pensacola
The Sandbar: 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach
BOTTOMLESS CHAMPAGNE WEEKEND BRUNCH
Agapi: 555 Scenic Hwy., Pensacola (Saturdays only)
BAR515: 4495 Chumuckla Hwy., Pace
Big Top Brewing Company Pensacola: 21 W. Romana St., Pensacola
Cafe Nola: 400 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach
Calvert’s in the Heights: 670 Scenic Hwy., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
Casks and Flights Wine Tasting Room: 121 Palafox Pl., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
Crabs on the Beach: 6 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Pensacola Beach
Dharma Blue: 300 S. Alcaniz St., Pensacola
Fin & Fork: 601 E. Gregory St., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
Flounder’s Chowder House: 800 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach
H20 @ The Hilton: 12 Via de Luna Dr., Pensacola Beach
McGuire’s Irish Pub: 600 E. Gregory St., Pensacola
Nick’s Boathouse: 455 W. Main St., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
O’Brien’s Bistro: 4350 Bayou Blvd., Pensacola
O’Riley’s Irish Pub Downtown: 321 S. Palafox St., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
Restaurant NOLA: 523 E. Gregory St., Pensacola (Saturday and Sunday)
Rodizio Grill: 605 E. Gregory St., Pensacola
Sammy Barker’s: 875 E. Nine Mile Rd., Pensacola
Scenic Hills Country Club: 8891 Burnin Tree Rd., Pensacola
South Market: 905 E. Gregory St., Pensacola
*Disclaimer: Don’t drink and drive! If you plan on enjoying a Bottomless Champagne Brunch, there are many transportation options to safely chauffeur you and your family. Plan in advance and fit in a stroll on the beach or around the area of your favorite Brunch spot to let the champagne wear off if necessary.
Chauffeured Transportation in Pensacola:
Uber, Lyft, Z Trip, Sunshine City Taxi, Royal Taxi and Shuttle, Lucky Limo, Liberty First Taxi Svc, Bowtie Limo
