Bar Dough Enters the LoHi Brunch Fray

"Italians don't do brunch," says chef Max MacKissock of Bar Dough. But fortunately for Denverites, this LoHi Italian eatery is putting its stamp on the traditional weekend meal, launching brunch service this Sunday, August 14, beginning at 10 a.m.

The mid-morning menu, designed primarily by chef de cuisine Blake Edmunds, encompasses a wide range of sandwiches, skillets, salads and small plates in both sweet and savory preparations. You'll find traditional brunch dishes given an Italian twist — the French toast gets dollops of whipped Nutella and the fried chicken (waffle-free, thankfully) turns spicy-sweet with a drizzle of Calabrian chile honey — along with old-world classics like bucatini cacio e pepe (with just a hint of citrus from a lemon beurre fondue) and a fluffy frittata with tomato, leek and miticrema cheese. Size options range from a simple plate of dressed-up castelvetrano olives to a hearty sausage-and-egg casserole sizzling in a cast-iron pan and swimming with beans and potatoes. If you're not feeling eggy, Bar Dough's lineup of nine wood-fired pizzas are also part of the program.

Brunch beverages include Italian spritzes (flavored with bitter amari, basil, rosemary and other palate-refreshing ingredients), mimosas and a couple of specialty cocktails along with espresso and cold-brew coffee. For big groups, Bar Dough has created its own red-wine blend (currently a 50/50 mix of Sangiovese and Petite Syrah) available on tap or — get this — by the box. For $80, you can purchase a three-liter box of the blend and take home whatever you don't drink (that comes to about $5 a glass).

Keep reading for photos of a few of the new dishes.