Brunch alert! Jollity preparing to launch Saturday-only service

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

A new Fire Block’s District restaurant that opened in May is stepping into brunch business at the request of some of its first loyal customers.

Jollity, located at 127 E. Third St., will begin its first brunch service Saturday, Sept. 4. There are already about 30 lucky guests on the books for the restaurant’s inaugural service.

Reservations will be Saturdays-only from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Walk-ins will be available from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., offering nearby residents who live in the surrounding neighborhood a chance to walk-in before reservations get started for the day.

Jollity chef and co-founder Zackary Weiner said the brunch menu will be smaller and particularly feature a couple of vegan and vegetarian options. Guests already familiar with Jollity’s cuisine can be extra excited about brunch, as the restaurant will be taking its popular Shokupan milk bread and turn it into French toast.

In fact, the specialty French toast will be soaked in a miso custard and served with koji butter and a savory maple syrup.

“So, same concept as behind our (dinner) menu — trying to make things that are very approachable, with some foreign techniques and some foreign ingredients,” Weiner said.

Upon opening just a few months ago, Jollity was anticipating beginning a brunch service around October. However, with the apartments above the restaurant being completely full and other businesses opening close by, the timing was opportune.

“Me and Chef Brandon, who will be cooking brunch every week, (arrive) here at 8 a.m. on Saturdays, so we might as well be open and serve people because so many people come to the door every Saturday (saying), ‘Are you open?’” Weiner said. “And it’s like, ‘No, no, we don’t open till 5 p.m.’ So, after three months of doing that every Saturday it was, like, let’s just be open.”

Due to a desire to have at least one full day off along with his staff, Weiner said there are no plans for Jollity to begin Sunday brunch service or lunch service any day of the week, though it’s been requested by numerous guests.

“We figured this would kind of help appease the downtown crowd that really wants us to either open earlier or be open for lunch — and I like cooking brunch,” Weiner said.

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

Credit: CONTRIBUTED

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