Chefs are all about putting their stamp on the menu, and I love tasting their creations, especially at restaurants in my Colorado backyard. At Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria, Executive Chef Nick Swanson sealed his with a creative spin on brunch. I’m talking Captain Crunch French toast, wood-fired breakfast pizza, fried chicken, and waffles.
Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria
Table Mesa Shopping Center
627 South Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
http://www.mountainsunpub.com/underTheSun/
Weekend brunched served at Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria, in Boulder, Colorado.
Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria is part of the Mountain Sun Pubs & Breweries trio of locations in Boulder (30 miles northwest of Denver). It is located under its brew pub counterpart, the Southern Sun Pub & Brewery (clever name, right?).
Brunch would not be complete without $1.50 Mimosas at Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria in Boulder.
You can certainly pair your breakfast with one of their brews. But I’ll be honest — this Colorado eatery had me at $1.50 mimosas. Before heading out for Saturday brunch, I glanced at their online menu, scrolling directly to the second page of the brunch menu’s Morning Libations, which also included Bloody Marys.
Because weekend brunch is best paired with cocktails, I ordered my version of champagne mimosa with cranberry juice. Now that I had my mimosa, how would the brunch pan out?
But let’s start with French Culinary Institute-trained Chef, Nick Swanson, who uses distinctive seasonal ingredients that add to Under the Sun’s year-round favorites.
Under the Sun Executive Chef Nick Swanson dishes up his twist on classic dishes.
“It’s important that we stay true to Under the Sun’s goal of using local and seasonal ingredients,” says Under the Sun’s Executive Chef, Nick Swanson. “Our new brunch and dinner menus include seasonal produce like strawberries, asparagus, beets, garlic, carrots, and peas. Each dish is distinctive with a classic presentation.”
Chef Nick brings his exceptional credentials, beginning and ending with a Boulder restaurant; a stint at Michelin-starred Relais Villa D’Amelia in Italy; graduating with honors at French Culinary Institute;
Zeppole drizzled with chocolate sauce served complimentary to brunch guests at Under the Sun Eatery, Boulder, Colorado
and a dash of rubbing elbows and cooking with big-name celebrities such as Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Jim Carrey, and Calvin Klein. While all that is impressive, how is his execution of brunch comfort food at Under the Sun? One word: wow.
While a group of food writers and journalists gathered around a few tables on a Saturday, we were family-style served a sample of many of the brunch items.
From the first taste of zeppole with chocolate sauce (an Italian donut complimentary to all brunch guests), our taste buds were consistently tantalized with a blend of comfort and creativity by Chef Nick, made from scratch.
The following photos will have you salivating for brunch at the Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria.
I’m a classic benedict girl, and when it’s on the brunch menu, I’m all in. For the traditionalist, the new brunch menu also features a Classic Benny made with two poached eggs, seared ham, spinach and lemon hollandaise on an English muffin. Surprisingly, this was not my favorite (although very good), and you’ll see why when scrolling through photos of the other tasty brunch menu items.
Brunch wouldn’t be brunch without a Classic Benny at Under the Sun Eatery in Boulder, Colorado
The adventurous eater will get a crunch out of the Captain’s French Toast — and get a flashback of childhood boxes of CAP’N Crunch cereal with this very adult version and yummy for kids.
French Toast brunch creation at Under the Sun: Captain Crunch-coated challah bread with Chantilly cream and fresh strawberries.
A self-professed fried chicken connoisseur, my husband couldn’t get enough of the Fried Chicken. Chef Nick brought brunch to the chicken by serving it with waffles, house-made sausage gravy, and sweet maple syrup.
TIP: To all Fried Chicken Lovers, every Wednesday, Under the Sun serves fried chicken special, prepping 200 pounds of fried chicken, often running out before closing time. Get their early; doors open at 4 p.m.
Under the Sun’s most popular dish: Buttermilk battered fried chicken, and brunchified with waffles, house-made sausage gravy, and sweet maple syrup.
Vegetarian option at Under the Sun Eatery, the skillet “Birdie.”
Chef Nick creatively spun the skillet breakfast and served this sizzling dish called “Birdie.” Vegetarian skillet layered with breakfast potatoes, local heirloom tomatoes, organic baby kale, mozzarella, Grana Padano, and topped with two poached eggs and drizzle of arugula walnut pesto pleases even those non-vegans.
And oh my, the breakfast pizzas, fresh out of the wood-fired pizza. This was MY favorite brunch dish at Under the Sun.
What’s better than pizza? Wood-fried breakfast pizza at the Under the Sun Eatery, Boulder, Colorado
Tap into brews from Under the Sun’s sister brewpub, as well as guest craft beer options from local Colorado brewpubs.
Since Under the Sun is sister to a brew pub, feel free to pair an impressive lineup of award-winning beer with your brunch. Choose from 21 taps of Mountain Sun Ale and 8-10 rotating guest local craft brew options. And then there’s the sustainable wines on tap, as well as non-alcoholic drinsk.
But for me, I’ll stick with my cranberry mimosas, while a brunch at Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria will have you staggering out in a food coma.
Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria in Boulder, Colorado, is open daily for dinner from 4pm – midnight and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 9am – 2pm. Happy hour is offered every day from 4– 6pm and again from 9pm – close.
Disclaimer: Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria provided brunch and drinks for my review; opinions expressed are my own. Photos courtesy of Diana Rowe and Under the Sun Eatery & Pizzeria.
