Bolsa's Bloody Good Brunch

Photos by Andrea Grimes

Chilaquiles: crispety, crunchety, brunchety.

​Sunday brunch was likely a bigger deal than usual for the multitude of music-loving Dallasites who came out to the DOMA showcase this weekend in Deep Ellum -- the whole thing had the feel of a holiday street party, and the drinking was done with this in mind. Surprisingly, when I peeled myself out of bed shortly after noon on Sunday, however, I didn't head straight for the ibuprofen. I felt clear-headed. I craved classy, not greasy, sustenance. And since the Man O' The Hour and I risk buying La Grange entirely out of their Bloody Marys and eggs Benedict, we headed southward on the highway to Oak Cliff's now-trendy, someday-classic Bolsa.

We got kind of a crap table on the patio, where it was like, either one of us sits on this little bench thing and the table goes up to our chin, or I sit next to Man O' The Hour in a chair, making us look like total jerks, because couples who sit next to each other at restaurants are gross, and if you disagree, you need to seriously reevaluate your worldview and throw away your Lifehouse CD's while you're at it. Believing thusly, we were much shamed as we faced the street in our appropriate-height chairs, watching a complimentary screening of Parallel Parking 3: Curb Cactus Gets Screwed, and bonus feature: In Yo' Face, starring the most powerful fan-mister in the business.

However, all was made well by two things: Bloody Marys mixed with Zing Zang, the finest of all the pre-bottled 'Mary bases, and the presence of chilaquiles on the brunch menu, a treat rarely seen outside of Austin, in my experience.

Bolsa's Bloody Mary, with egg sandwich backup.

​Similar to migas, but without the part where you wrap 'em up in a warm tortilla, chilaquiles is a particularly excellent food pile dish featuring crispy tortillas, fluffy eggs and pico de gallo. Man O' The Hour, however, won the brunch battle handily with his pick of, of all things, a fairly simple egg sandwich. When asked for comment, MO'TH described it as "a folded sheet sort of setup," wherein there were "bacon chunks embedded WITHIN THE EGG." (Emphasis his.) A buttery spread was involved, with an excellent spinach salad and balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the side.

The Bloody Marys passed muster -- if you're not going to make your own mix, Zing Zang should be close at hand. Our first Marys were a bit watery, though the addition of bread-and-butter pickle slices balanced out the usual 'Mary tang, adding a surprising, sweet flavor contrast. Bolsa got things right on the second try, with thick, tomatoey goodness and limes, too.

Bolsa's calling card is their use of fresh, local ingredients each day --and most everything was under about $15. The menu changes frequently as a result, but that awesome egg sandwich appears to be a staple. And unless Zing Zang goes out of business, at which point I will begin intense counseling and join some kind of yurt-dwelling cult, I'm betting the Marys will be there waiting for you, too.