The winter holidays are known for Ugly Sweater parties, silly gift swaps and copious amounts of drinking. The biggest culprit of the latter, of course, is New Year’s Eve.
Not only do party-goers imbibe a few-too-many in anticipation of the calendar rolling over from one year to another, a giant silver ball coasting down a New York City pole and an un-earned kiss from a complete stranger, they also tend to consume so especially headache-inducing libations.
A beer here, a Moscow Mule there and a splash of bubbly at midnight is the perfect recipe for one hell of a hangover. That’s why restaurants all over cater to recovering partiers on New Years Day with gluttonous (and more booze-filled) brunches. Here’s a rundown on where to best secure a hangover reprieve this year in the Tampa Bay Area.
Red Robin, a fairly new addition to St. Pete, is offering a “Cure Burger” to will away the DTs with the ultimate calorie-fest. This burger includes a fire-grilled gourmet patty topped with chili, cheddar cheese, bacon, mushrooms and a fried egg.
According to Red Robin, the by-request-only burger combines all of the hangover essentials reported in a study conducted by the restaurant chain. That study found 51-percent of respndents prefer eggs to alleviate a hangover, 49-percent like breakfast meats and 45-percent love to eat a greasy burger. The “Cure Burger,” like all of its over-indulgent brothers and sisters includes bottomless fries.
“Sometimes the cure for too much – is more. More indulgence, more deliciousness, more of what you love. The Cure Burger includes all of Red Robin’s most popular toppings in one amazing burger, guaranteed to treat what ails you,” Red Robin’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer Denny Marie Post wrote in a press release. “We want to do our part to help guests in-the-know recover from the holidays in a delicious way.”
This hair of the dog, diabetes and obesity-contributing mentality runs from January 1-7. Red Robins are located in Tyrone Mall, Countryside Mall, Citrus Park Town Center and Brandon Town Center. Better run in because you might have to be wheeled out.
It was a while ago, but in 2011 a user on tripadvisor.com claimed the Dome Grill on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete was awarded best hangover breakfast. I’m not sure what award this, who it’s from or if it’s even true, but the fact remains – the menu is a morning-after drunk’s dream. It contains things like a fat Gyro Omelet that comes with home fries and toast, a breakfast sandwich on a flaky croissant and a variety of quiche. All of the favorites mentioned above are dripping with alcohol-absorbing grease.
Beverly’s La Croisette on St. Pete Beach is so perfect for hangovers it even contains an omelet called “the Hangover.” Order this and you’ll get 3-egg omelets filled with corn beef hash, cheese and tomatoes topped with Hollandaise sauce.
If that doesn’t seem to do the trick, there’s also the “leftover” omelet filled with spinach, ham, mushroom, onion, green pepper, tomato and bacon topped with Swiss cheese.
If your liver is calling for it, there’s also Mimosas and Bloody Marys.
A reviewer on Yelp refers to the St. Petersburg family-owned Kissin’ Cousins as “where did my hangover go.” This menu contains all of the breakfast, post-drinking musts including oh-so-fat-laden biscuits and gravy, eggs swimming in butter, greasy breakfast meats and hearty omelets. Don’t worry, though, you don’t have to kiss your cousin to get in. The restaurant is located on 34 Street North just north of 5 Avenue.
Munch’s on 6 Street South just north of 38 Avenue is a hungover partier’s dream. The hole in the wall diner was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives no too long ago. Larry Munch’s fried green tomatoes will cure just about any hangover. As will Edna’s platter which serves just about everything but the kitchen sink atop a biscuit. Order ahead for a giant breakfast that includes a dozen eggs, a pound of bacon and a loaf of toast.
For those rising later than normal breakfast hours and opposed to breakfast for lunch, there’s The Burg. This teeny-tiny bar and grille has limited seating both inside and out, but its menu contains plenty of greasy burger options for the newly sober. Topping the list of ultimate hangover burgers is the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger. This is literally two grilled cheese sandwiches used as a bun for a bacon cheeseburger. Most normal people can barely fit their mouths around it. If it doesn’t cure your hangover, you can rest assured it will probably kill you instead. There’s also a Black and Blue burger topped with blue cheese and one of the best Gyros in town. If you’re ready to load up your liver again, The Burg also has a pretty robust menu of craft brews.
If your hangover is feeling a little fancier, check out the brunch menu at Cassis American Brasserie. The brunch is typically only open Saturday-Monday, but will open for patrons hungover or otherwise on New Year’s Day with drink specials on Mimosa’s and Bloody Marys. The menu includes some ultra-yummy dishes like Crab Cake Benedict, Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Ragout and homemade pastries.
Wherever your hangover belly takes you this New Year’s Day, remember, the only real cure for a hangover is time. But, go ahead and use it as an excuse to consume meals you may otherwise consider off-limits.
