Think Globally, Brunch Locally

By Lizzie Wilcox

November 2019

There is a seemingly endless list of great brunch spots in Coral Gables. Giralda Plaza is home to a handful of those, notably The Local, where we dined recently for a laid-back brunch. Like many restaurants on Giralda, it offers outdoor seating on the pedestrian walkway, where most of our fellow brunchers were enjoying their Sunday afternoon mimosas. If you’re dining around kickoff, you can sit at a table or at the bar inside to catch the game.

While brunch for the most part is associated with heavy day drinking that can leave you hungover for work on Monday, The Local is a safe haven for those who just want a good meal. Okay, and maybe a drink or two.

The menu here is replete with mouthwatering plates, small and large. We turned to the French Melt to satisfy both our savory and sweet needs. In The Local variation, short rib is sandwiched between two slices of French toast, and topped with melted gruyere cheese. Incroyable! Locals know that The Local has some of the best fried chicken in the city, so don’t scoff at having the Fried Chicken Sandwich for breakfast.

The large piece of breast meat is also paired with gruyere cheese and dill pickles, all sandwiched in a hamburger bun. Their drinks are listed under the “Easy Like Sunday Morning” portion of the menu, but picking just one is not. Unlimited mimosas are $25, and the rest of the craft cocktails are priced between $12 and $16. The runner up was the Summer Sangria, made with vodka, Aperol, lemon, raspberry syrup, and mango Falernum (a syrup liqueur) topped with your choice of red or white wine.

But The Local MicheLOUda was the winner in the game of What-Do-I-Want-To-Drink- Today. A simple combination of Bloody Mary mix and draft beer, it’s an unusual twist on a brunch classic. Just don’t ask us how to pronounce it.