For 2017, we’re going to be featuring 3 new restaurants that have popped up in the ‘Burgh over the past year or so. But three restaurants are really *not* enough for us, so we found a way to sneak a few more in. In addition to our three new restaurants, we’ll also be reviewing three fabulous local brunches. Brunch is, of course, the most important meal of the week.
We kicked things off at an unlikely spot: Spirit Lodge in Lawrenceville.
Spirit is a former Moose Lodge that’s been converted into one of the top dance floors in the city. While our beloved Belvedere’s was undergoing renovations from their fire in 2015, we were dancing it up at the relocated 80s Night at Spirit. And our 10-year Upstage Reunion was held on the extra-spacious upstairs dance floor at Spirit. Sure, we’d eaten a bit more than our share of their delightful pizza slices at different dance nights, but brunch? Going to a dance spot during daylight hours? Oh. Hell. Yes.
On Saturdays, Spirit recently started hosting a weekly feature: the Pure Moods Health Brunch. From 11am-3pm, the buffet is open for you to gorge yourself on heavenly vegetarian and vegan treats.
I’ll take a moment to admit that, reading the Facebook event invite, I was doubtful that this brunch would be the food-coma-inducing type of brunch I love, which helps me catch up on lost sleep from the week. But we’re open-minded foodies, so we checked it out anyway. And then. Oh, AND THEN.
There’s a cold bar and a hot bar. On the cold bar you’ll find a variety of salad parts (there were THREE TYPES OF SALAD GREENS), hummus, babaganoush, fruits, lentils, farro, coleslaw, and granola.
On the hot bar portion, there were two kinds of potatoes (crispy home-fry-esque potatoes, and a dreamy curried softer potato dish), eggs, soft polenta, zucchini pancakes, eggplant and bean chili, crispy falafels, and biryani rice. Everything on the buffet is vegetarian, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options as well.
And of course, since it’s Spirit, there is a constantly-rotating selection of pizzas available. There’s even pepperoni for meat-eaters, and after this photo was taken, we even got to try smashed potato pizza, and white pizza slices with blue cheese. OMG.
I’m sure it’s pretty clear by now that we did *not* walk away from this brunch with empty tummies. We may have even gone up for a few servings. I mean. It’s *possible* that it happened.
In addition to freshly-made coffee that just keeps arriving at your table, there are a variety of breakfast cocktails, including mimosas (get the grapefruit mimosa and thank me later), and a bloody Mary bar.
To help you relax and enjoy your Saturday afternoon feast, the one and only DJ William Parham brings you the finest deep cuts of soothing ambient, ethereal sounds.
(And maybe some Enya, if you’re friends with the DJ and text him that you “aren’t coming to a Pure Moods brunch unless you’ll hear some fucking Enya.” Or so we’ve heard.)
So please, on your next Saturday off, try to be up by 11am so you can come down to Spirit and partake in this massive (and massively delicious) brunch. Plates are $13 per person, all you can eat (drinks available for an additional charge). It’s family friendly, so bring the babies down to expose them to polenta and the Cocteau Twins from an early age. Spirit is cash-only, but there’s an ATM on site.
Looks great!