The Brunch Blog: Brunch Trends: Predictions for 2013

Photo: Alan Klim

Fried Eggs w/ Fried Kale, Central Kitchen, San Francisco

2012 was the year of fried chicken & waffles and other southern inspired brunch dishes. Even the classiest of brunch services had some variation of the Waffle Hut staple on their menu, including Bar Tartine's served on potato bread, Zero Zero's honey butter smothered and maple syrup-soaked waffle, or Farmer Brown's perfect execution of the archetype. This year, the southern trend tapers out.

In 2013, carb-laden dishes will generally be eschewed for dishes that center on the protein. Instead of benedicts on buttermilk biscuits, dishes like baked eggs that appeal to the gluten-free crowd will be showing up on menus. Fancy (and fancifully) fried eggs will make a resurgence for the same reason, so anticipate seeing luxuriously fried eggs, like Nopa's butter basted eggs, being served with crisped and fried greens like kale and brussel sprouts.

Pimm's Punch, Foreign Cinema, San Francisco

Cocktails will also be getting more of the spotlight. The brunch-time standards, the mimosa & bloody mary, will get some stiff competition from drinks crafted with an artisan touch. Aromatic bitters will make their way to the brunch table in creatively — not overtly — sweet, herbaly concoctions that are balanced to compliment brunch fare, not overpower it.

Pimm's, the British day-drinking staple, and punches will also be making their way from bars to the brunch table. At lower-brow brunch joints, Lemon Shandies, the beer and lemon soda European import, will gain in popularity. And the shandy will be a good alternative to mimosas, which are too often disappointingly proportioned with overly sweet sparkling wine — mimosa perfection is an art unto itself, one that is rarely mastered.

Pork Belly Plate, Zero Zero, SF

Pork will be the go-to meat, but not in bacon form. Traditional brunch dishes will get the pork the upgrade, like pork belly benedicts. Pork Sausage, pork rillettes, and braised pork will also be popping up everywhere.

Lastly, the trendy brunch item of 2013 (and this might be a gamble): brunch pizza. With the number of high-end pizza joints, expect to see some offering brunch services featuring egg and bacon covered varieties.