There are a bunch of new brunch options to add to your weekend roster, starting with the new Jammy Jam weekend brunch at MERKADO in SoMa. If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know about their brilliant eggs Benedict that comes in sopes filled with carnitas and spinach, topped with chile de arbol hollandaise (so good!), and some other Yucatecan-inspired dishes. Add in fun weekend vibey music and brunch cocktails and their comfortable back patio and you’re set. Round up your friends and book a table. Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. 130 Townsend St. at 2nd St.
Over in the Lower Haight, OTRA just kicked off weekend brunch, offering dishes like “suadero” hash (slow-cooked beef, potato, fresnos, charred corn, and bean salsa y poached eggs) and enfrijoladas de hongos con huevos (cheese-and-mushroom stuffed tortillas, topped with black bean, poblano crema, cotija, and fried egg). Take a first look at the menu here. They’re also featuring their new hot sauces, including fermented fresno and habanero chiles. Don’t forget: they have full liquor, so you can get your swerve on. Open Sat-Sun 10am-3pm. 628 Haight St. at Pierce.
If you’re near downtown and craving brunch on a Wednesday, check out the new daily brunch at BLUESTEM RESTAURANT & MARKET. The menu includes pork belly Benedict with housemade peppered pork belly and blood orange hollandaise; shakshuka with baked eggs, tomatoes, peppers, harissa, garbanzo beans, sourdough, and citrus labneh; steak and eggs; and blood orange ricotta toast with blood orange-Campari marmalade, pistachios, chives, and olive oil on toasted sourdough (that sounds amazing). Brunch beverages include three flavors of mimosas, a regular and a “free-spirited” Bloody Mary, and the Celery Rage with celery, apple, parsley, apple cider vinegar, lemon, and pepper. Brunch is available Tue-Sat. 1 Yerba Buena Lane at Market St.
Merkado’s egg-chiladas, filled with chorizo and chopped eggs and topped with pumpkin seed sauce, a play on the Mayan dish, papadzules. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
