My Month of Brunch

Walking into The Chapman, the vibe hits you immediately — polished, professional, almost a little businessy. Think less “lazy Sunday morning” and more “power brunch with a dress code.” The space is beautiful, no question. But the energy is best matched if you’re someone who loves a sophisticated dining experience with your eggs.

I ordered the Crème Brûlée French Toast, which sounds absolutely dreamy on paper — and I wanted to love it so badly. In reality, it was almost entirely sugar crust with very little actual French toast underneath, and there was no way to modify or remove the pecans, which was a bit of a bummer if nuts aren’t your thing. My mom’s Avocado Toast was elevated and well-executed, but just know going in: this is not your basic avo toast. It’s more deconstructed and intentional than what you might be picturing.

The undeniable star of the table? The pull-apart Focaccia rolls. Honestly, order those immediately — no hesitation. Warm, perfectly pillowy, and exactly what you didn’t know you needed. I left thinking about those rolls more than anything else on my plate.

The Chapman didn’t fully win me over for brunch, but I’m genuinely intrigued enough to go back and try it for dinner — I think that might be where it really shines.

Okay — this was my favorite of the three, and I’m not even close to being neutral about it. From the moment we sat down, the energy was different. Our waitress was warm and genuinely wonderful, and before we even had a chance to mention it was our first visit, she brought us out a round of free beignets just because. No prompting. Just pure hospitality. That’s the kind of thing you remember.

I ordered the Cinnamon Roll French Toast — and if you’re a French toast person, stop what you’re doing and add this to your list immediately. It was everything. My mom ordered the Lemon Blueberry Goat Cheese Pancakes and was just as obsessed as I was with mine. Both dishes came with the option to add two eggs and bacon or sausage, which I love — because you can make it as indulgent as you want.

But the real sleeper hit of the morning? The Blueberry Lavender Refreshers. I’m not exaggerating when I say it might be the best drink I’ve ever had at brunch. Floral, fruity, stunning to look at — absolutely order one (or two).

Another Broken Egg is the perfect balance of traditional and elevated — familiar enough to feel comfortable, but creative enough to feel like a treat. It’s the spot I’ll be bringing everyone who visits.

If you live in or around Orlando and you haven’t been to Briarpatch — first of all, what are you doing? This place is arguably the most beloved restaurant on Park Avenue, and for very good reason. Fair warning though: They don’t take reservations so plan ahead,and just know that the walk-in wait, while real, moves faster than you’d expect once you’re in the queue.

The portions at Briarpatch are generous — like, genuinely impressive. I ordered the classic pancakes with fruit and they were impossibly fluffy. The kind of pancakes that remind you why pancakes exist. My mom went for the Raspberry Lemon Cream Pancakes, and — okay — those might have actually stolen the show. Sweet, bright, perfectly balanced. She was raving about them the entire drive home.

I also tried the Tiki Twist Mocktail, which was fun and tropical and had a good vibe… though I’ll be honest, it gave slight sunscreen-at-the-pool energy. Charming, but maybe not a repeat order for me personally. I’d try something else on the drinks menu next time.

Briarpatch is the kind of place that feels like it belongs to Winter Park. It has character, history, and food that holds up to the hype. The wait is completely worth it!