As someone who considers herself a brunch enthusiast, I’ve tried all of the big name brunch spots on Michigan’s campus during my 4 years here. Though of course Angelo’s, Afternoon Delight and Leo’s are a perfect hangover cure, at this point I prefer to go places that have more unique offerings that I couldn’t cook for myself. Savas has been a long-time favorite for this reason, but I’ve been craving something new. Vinology is exactly what I have been searching for.
Photo by Tomer Elkayam
“Wait since when does Vinology serve brunch? How did I not know about this?” you might be asking frantically. Trust me, I had the same reaction. When I heard that Vinology started serving brunch I knew I had to try it. Turns out they’ve only been doing it since April 2015 and it’s the most underrated Ann Arbor brunch of all time. I was so impressed when the chef told me that they make 99% of their food from scratch including curing their own smoked salmon on site and making fresh hollandaise sauce each morning. Bougey af.
Photo by Tomer Elkayam
I ordered the shrimp and grits that came with plenty of jumbo shrimp, herbed polenta, braised greens and was topped with creole hollandaise sauce. While they were super flavorful and savory, the dish was very heavy and a large portion. I recommend sharing it. My dining buddies ordered the smoked salmon omelet which was rated as fantastic, and the shakshuka, which may be the only slight disappointment of the meal. The shakshuka has more of an African influence than the Israeli version we were anticipating, so it was full of lentils which we weren’t super into. But hey, maybe that is totally your bag baby.
Photo by Tomer Elkayam
The star of the meal, in my opinion at least, was the bananas foster French toast. When I say I don’t think anything so delicious has ever been in my mouth, I mean that it was literally one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. It was the right amount of sweet, with perfectly caramelized bananas and a blueberry syrup that could debatably induce a foodgasm. My friend noted that the side potatoes that came with each egg dish and the pita that came with the shakshuka were also fantastic and should be offered as a dish in their own right.
Photo by Tomer Elkayam
I was really surprised by how not crowded the place was. Who needs to wait an hour for a boring omelette when you can be seated at Vinology immediately and get a way better meal. Seems like a lot of people must not know about this brunch and frankly, that’s gotta change.