Weekend Eats: Brunch in Austin at Foreign and Domestic

Yesterday, Nate and I had a fantastic brunch at Foreign & Domestic!

I hadn’t been there in several years. Last year, this cozy farm-to-table hot stop in North Loop switched ownership to chefs Sarah Heard and Nathan Lemley, so I know I had to stop in again sometime soon to try the new food. Although several itemes have stayed on the brunch menu (chicken biscuit and gruyere popovers) it’s mostly different. New food to try…I’m in!

In case you’re new around here, Foreign & Domestic is a small restaurant that’s been in Austin since 2010. While 8 years might not seem all that long, in restaurant years (especially in Austin) it might as well be a century! Restaurants turn over so quickly here, so 8 years is pretty impressive. F &D was at the forefront of the nose-to-tale, farm-to-table movement in Austin, and they’re all about sourcing locally and responsibly.

We started with the zuchini bread with lime creme fraiche, which honestly was my favorite thing we ate for brunch and I could have probably finished two plates of it! I love sweets for breakfast! The bread was sliced thick, like a piece of cake, and had a dollop of bright lime creme fraiche on the tip. I loved the crumbly, sweet top crust.

Next up, an order of the two gruyere and pepper popovers (and I couldn’t believe how huge they were!!), and the blackberry crepes. I’m not typically a fan of crepes. This is totally a personal preference, and nothing against how they’re made; I just don’t enjoy the eggy taste and the thick filling. But these were totally my jam! I kept eating them, and before long, I glanced down and realized the plate was almost empty. 😉 The filling must have been whipped for an eternity, because it was delicate and the entire dish was covered with a sweet glaze.

For entrees, I enjoyed the F & D Benny and Nate, who is still doing keto (bless his heart…2 month in and 20 pounds down!) picked the cast iron frittata. Both were beautiful, and the hollandaise on my benny was so rich and creamy, I wanted to eat a bowl of it like soup.

Just before we headed out, chef Nathan sent out the Olive Oil Cake with smoked plums, fenugreek ice cream, and cocoa crumble to our table. I’m so glad he did, because how gorgeous is that? (^photo at the top of post.) The mix of maple ice cream, charred plum, crunchy cocoa, and mint leaves was quite the finale to our Sunday morning!