New Year’s Day lands on a Tuesday this year, so we figured you’d need a little guidance
figuring out what’s open, what’s closed, etc. Hence this list of stress-free brunch
spots to celebrate the New Year. Whether you’re trying to recover from the celebration
or ready to take on 2013 with a can-do attitude (if so, please do that quietly, the
rest of us are trying to have a hangover over here), there are options galore. Below,
brunches for every state you in which you may find yourself on the first of the year.
You’re: Ready for brunch on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Destination: Firefly
Deal: Brunch lovers can hit up this Dupont dining room twice in a row for dishes like
deviled eggs or fried ones over cheese grits with bacon and hollandaise. Another draw:
$2 mimosas.
Details: Monday, December 31, and Tuesday, January 1, 9 to 2; à-la-carte menu
You’re: Still dressed from the night before.
Destination: Jackson 20
Deal: Turn the walk of shame into the walk of awesome at this Alexandria hotel spot,
where diners in day-old dress receive a lucky 13 percent off their checks (exclusive
of tax, gratuity, and booze).
Details: 9 to 3; à-la-carte brunch menu
You’re: Ravenous and thirsty on 14th Street.
Destination: Masa 14
Deal: Unlimited drinks and small plates are yours from Masa’s menu,
which means as many lychee bellinis and
bánh mì burgers as you can stomach.
Details: 10 to 3; $35 per person (à la carte is also available but clearly not as
fun)
You’re: Ravenous and thirsty in Penn Quarter.
Destination: Zengo
Deal: This sister spot by Richard Sandoval offers a similar all-you-can-eat-and-drink
deal on its small-plates menu,
this one filled with the likes of sushi rolls, dim sum, and plates such as short-rib
hash with poached eggs.
Details: 11:30 to 2:30; $35 per person, $10 for children under ten
You’re: Wearing pajamas.
Destination: Mon Ami Gabi Reston
Deal: The French cafe invites diners to
show up in their jammies, and rewards them with a gift certificate equal to the price
of their meal (before tax and tip) for doing so.
Details: 10 to 4; à-la-carte brunch menu
You’re: Still in the mood to dance.
Destination: Bar Dupont
Deal: DJ Philipz spins while you down bottomless mimosas and Bloodys and graze from
an appetizer buffet
(main courses are à la carte).
Details: 11 AM to 4 PM; $45 for buffet and drinks, $25 for buffet exclusively
You’re: Unhappy on dry land.
Destination: The
Odyssey
Deal: Hit the deck of this cruise ship for a brunch buffet
accompanied by live entertainment and watery views.
Details: 11:15 board time until 2; $60 per person
You’re: Looking for rowdy fun.
Destination: Perry’s
Deal: The famous drag queen brunch makes a special Tuesday appearance, meaning weekday
sequins and Streisand for all.
Details: 10 to 3:30; $24.95 per person for a buffet menu,
the show, and one complimentary cocktail
You’re: In need of hydration.
Destination: Nage
Deal: Gatorade cocktails like “electrolyte lemonade” with lemonade-flavored ’rade,
lemongrass, and citrus vodka are on offer in the newly redesigned dining room.
Details: The regular brunch menu, plus $14
for bottomless mimosas or Bloodys
You’re: Seeking normalcy.
Destination: Founding Farmers DC,
Founding Farmers Potomac, and Farmers Fishers Bakers
Deal: Thankfully for you, none. You’ll find brunch, lunch, and dinner at the District
and Potomac
locations of Farmers, and the same at Fishers in Georgetown.
Details: Brunch 9 to 2, lunch and dinner 11 to 11.
You’re: Feeling kinda fancy.
Destination: The Lounge at Bourbon Steak
Deal: Things aren’t too much beyond the norm, but you can feel festive amongst the
holiday decorations in the Four Seasons while sipping cocktails and eating the regular-yet-delicious
menu.
Details: Open noon to midnight
You’re: Thinking surf ’n’ turf.
Destination: Hank’s Oyster Bar
Deal: All three locations of Hank’s are offering their regular brunch menu, plus a
filet mignon and eggs special. Pajamas are welcome.
Details: À-la-carte brunch menus, 11 to 4.
You’re: A fan of the Black Restaurant Group
Destination: Pearl Dive,
Black Market,
Addie’s,
BlackSalt,
Black’s Bar & Kitchen
Deal: All five of Jeff and Barbara Black’s restaurants in Maryland and the District
are open, most for business as usual (meaning lunch, happy hour, and dinner). The
exceptions are Pearl Dive, which is running the brunch menu
from 11 to 3, and Black Market, which has some brunch-y specials like our favorite
French toast.
Details: Check the individual eateries on the group’s page
for details.
You’re: Craving pig.
Destination: Trademark
Deal: The newly opened Alexandria pub offers a pork-heavy menu—think pork belly pancakes—as
well as themed cocktails like the Walk of Shame Bloody Mary.
Details: $32 for an appetizer and dessert buffet, plus choice of one entrée
You’re: Craving unlimited hummus.
Destination: Tel’Veh
Deal: An endless parade of dishes—with a two-hour limit—like
htipiti with roasted feta, hazelnut-Nutella crepes, and crab Benedict, all washed down with
bottomless mimosas, Bloodys, and house liquor.
Details: 11 to 3; $29.95 per person for the menu
(or à la carte if you must)
You’re: Feeling no-frills.
Destination: Stoney’s
Deal: None, but that’s the point. You’ll find the regular brunch menu, with a good
ol’ fashioned grilled cheese sandwich that we’re partial to, as well as tasty wings
and pizza.
Details: Doors open at 11.
You’re: Rolling out of bed in time for happy hour.
Destination: Lyon Hall
Deal: The Clarendon spot offers the usual brunch menu,
as well as the happy hour menu,
which starts at 3.
Details: Brunch 9:30 to 3; happy hour 3 to 7; dinner starts at 5
You’re: Dreaming of a buffet.
Destination: Liberty Tavern
Deal: We’re fans of this bountiful all-you-can-eat buffet
that won’t set you back mega-bucks. Expect everything from shrimp cocktail to grits
and ham.
Details: 9:30 to 2:30; typically $20 per person (the holiday price tag may be higher;
call the restaurant to confirm)
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
