I can vaguely remember the time period when weekend brunch became a thing. I think it was when I was in college…or not, but I definitely don’t remember hearing about brunch when I was in high school or earlier. Whoever decided to add a meal in between breakfast and lunch with all of our favorite breakfast and lunch menu items, will always be my kind of person. I love a good brunch but I have had my fair share of brunches that completely missed the mark. Yes, we want bottomless mimosas, yes, live music would be awesome, but most importantly, great food has to be the top priority. Ladies and Gents, the best brunch of the “First Coast” is Vernon’s Sunday Brunch inside of The Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra and it officially starts this Sunday!
So, you may be thinking, “Well Trice, how can you so confidently label it the best brunch if it hasn’t even started yet?”. I had a sneak peek a couple weeks ago and have been eagerly looking forward to the next time I can return to enjoy Vernon’s Sunday Brunch again!
First and foremost, the ambiance is perfect for brunch! The dining area faces the beautiful grounds and waterfall of the resort, giving diners a gorgeous view to behold while eating.
Every Sunday you can expect live music! There’s nothing like being serenaded by live music while dining!
The most exciting part is that the theme of the brunch will be different every Sunday.
We can look forward to these different styles of brunch throughout the month!
1st Sunday: Mediterranean Style Sunday Brunch
2nd Sunday: Soul Food Sunday Brunch
3rd Sunday: Jazz Sunday Brunch
4th Sunday: Farm to Table Sunday Brunch
5th Sunday: Chef Highlight Sunday Brunch
I got to experience the Farm to Table, Farmer’s Market Style Brunch and it was amazing! For starters we had drinks of course, because what’s brunch with out them. These bloody Mary’s were strong enough to wake you up if you were still sleepy!
The mimosas were great! Made with your traditional OJ and Champs, its pretty hard to mess them up! The “Man-mosas” on the other hand, might put a little hair on your chest. They are made with Calamondin’s which are a lot more tangy and sour than oranges, rosemary infused honey by Bee Hill Honey, and People’s Pale Ale by Intuition Ale Works Brewery. This drink is STRONG!
The most impressive feature of this brunch was the shrimp, scallops, and grits station. I’ve seen omelet stations, pancake stations, and bloody mary stations, but never a seafood and grits station. At Vernon’s Sunday Brunch, you can expect to dine on cuisine locally sourced in the North Florida region.
The Fisherman’s Dock supplied the amazing seafood used at the station and throughout the brunch and Congaree and Penn Farm supplied the grits. I got a plethora of delicious veggies with my shrimp, scallops, and grits and I love how the entire dish was prepared right in front of me.
It was easily one of the best seafood and grits I have ever eaten.
Other local fare used in this brunch included:
Corned Beef Steamship with Intuition Brewing Grain Mustard
Lake Meadows Farms Eggs Benedict
Emily G’s Apple Pie Cinnamon Buns
St. John’s Pee Wee Potatoes
Azar Sausage Gravy & Biscuits
Bee Hill Honey
and this is just to name a few!
Another cool concept is the Kid’s Corner! While you enjoy your brunch, you can send the kiddos over to the kid’s corner where they can enjoy fun activities and their own special version of brunch with all of the food kids love such as pig in bankets, chicken nuggets, and rice crispy treats!
There is something everyone can enjoy!
Like I mentioned before, this will easily be the best brunch in town! I’ve been to many and no body else is doing brunch quite like this. I spoke to Chef Jeff and Sous Chef Tanya and they both were very excited and spoke passionately about this undertaking. First impressions are usually the best impression and so far I am pretty impressed! Head on out this weekend for the new Vernon’s Sunday Brunch. Bring the entire family! You’ll be so happy you did!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!
