Let it not be said that Washingtonians don’t enjoy their Sunday brunch. The morning-after social scene is simply an excuse to keep the festivities going under the pretense of chicken and waffles. When nursing a nasty hangover, I say just keep on truckin’.
Expand your horizons beyond mimosas and Bloody Marys and try one of these light pick-me-ups with beer, bubbles or refreshing fruit juices. Large doses of vitamin B-12 work well too, such as in seafood, beef and eggs. Which is why after a particularly rough night, I’ll drink a glass of Prosecco then stick my head in a bucket of fried tilapia.
- Pearl Dive Oyster Palace/Black Jack’s Pearl Cup will wake you up like a cold garden hose. A take on the Pimm’s Cup with freshly sliced cucumbers and gin, it is light, sweet and extremely refreshing. 1612 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. 202.989.5225.
- Immensely popular in New Orleans, where it was invented, the Ramos Gin Fizz ($14) at Founding Farmers is light and frothy, with egg white, sugar and soda. 1924 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC. 202.822.TRUE.
- The Strawberry Gulick ($10, pictured) at Cork is bright as a pink sunrise with gin, strawberry-mint syrup, Plymouth Sloe Gin and sparkling wine. 1720 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. 202.265.2675.
- The pomegranate mimosa ($7) at Kramerbooks & Afterwords is deep red, bright and fruity with Pama pomegranate liqueur and champagne. 1517 Conn. Avenue NW, Washington DC. 202.387.3825.
Photo courtesy of Kramerbooks & Afterwords
Mary was born and raised in New York City where her family owned restaurants. Instead of eating dirt on the playground, she ate duck blood, beef tripe and pork belly. She cut her teeth at The Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, working with Barbra Streisand, Vanessa Williams, Michael Stipe, LeVar Burton, Jane Krakowski and others. Mary founded Girl Meets Food in 2009 as a cover for her debilitating addiction to fried chicken and was named Washington Post’s “Favorite Local Foodie.” After 13 years in hospitality, she started freelance writing for USA Today, The Washington Post, Eater, Washington City Paper, and more. Today, she provides digital marketing for hospitality clients as a content creator who’s contently creating content.