Brunch is definitely an Edmonds kind of meal. Celebrating a special occasion? Need a reward for an early morning jog or bike ride? How about a great reason to roll out of bed on a weekend? Brunch meets all those needs, and I’ll bet readers could give me a few more choices, so please share!

Bar Dojo has committed to opening for brunch on weekends, beginning Saturday July 12. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

I was lucky enough to be at the restaurant and sample a few of the brunch offerings. Wow! My tasting started off with Ginger French Toast. Macrina’s Thick-cut Brioche, so tender and delicious, was a perfect platform to cover with orange ginger syrup and heap with seasonal fresh berries sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. So perfectly paired, I eschewed the side of maple syrup. I truly had to restrain myself knowing there was more to taste!

I appreciate a good lemony Hollandaise. My gold standard is the lemon velvet emulsion that covered the Eggs Florentine, served up on weekends at the old location of Shoreline’s Maddox Grille. Former owner Rick used to make his amazing sauce every weekend.

I’ve been searching …not just for the Hollandaise, but for a cozy place to recapture the ambiance of the former establishment in the A-frame across from the entrance to Innis Arden.

The Crab Benedict was covered with a mellow, creamy version that played nicely with the crab and arugula. Thank goodness for the crispy potatoes, used for swiping the very last drops of Hollandaise from the plates and saving me from a compulsion to lick the plate clean!

I’m from the Midwest. The Dojo — the eggs “any style” and bacon dish — is my ideal for breakfast any day of the week! Those crispy potatoes were perfect to scoop up my over-easy yolks and steamed greens.

My pallet craves citrus whenever I eat bacon, so the Blood Orange or Grapefruit Juice versions of the Mimosa are the perfect accompaniment. I was advised that “Infused cocktails, created at the bar right in front of the patrons,” are the newest offering. Please visit Bar Dojo’s Facebook page for updates on the newest offerings. Middle Fork Roasters coffee is served drip style on brunch days to keep everyone sipping happily.

If you need more reasons to try out Bar Dojo’s new brunch menu, remember my plea last time to patronize the restaurants located in the construction zone of the 5 Corners roundabout project).

My advice; get reservations soon. www.bardojo.com/reservations

Readers, if you get out to Bar Dojo this weekend, please share which dish made you want to come back again. Also let us know about your weekend brunch spot. Email restaurantnews@myedmondsnews.com

There are many great places that I have yet to sample, but will do my utmost best! So many delicious opportunities… only so many hours in the day to burn off those calories at the gym! Bon appetit!

— By Kathy Passage

A specialty gourmet food broker for over 30 years, Kathy Passage has in-depth knowledge on food and the special qualities of ingredients used in the exquisite products she helped bring to market. Kathy brings this unique perspective from the “other side of the plate” to writing about the food and restaurant scene in Edmonds. Email her at restaurantnews@myedmondsnews.com.