A Sophisticated, Southern Sunday Brunch at Cask and Larder

We recently dropped by Winter Park’s Cask & Larder – run by James Beard Award nominated Chef-Owners James and Julie Petrakis – for a Southern style Sunday brunch.

Joining us for brunch was our dear friend and my high school classmate, Jachima of the divine Tampa food blog Pie’s Palate. She had just finished the Disney Princess Half-Marathon that morning and was looking for something tasty to try in town.

I suggested visiting Cask and Larder for their highly acclaimed brunch – and it turned out to be a rather truly splendid meal, with some of the best dishes I’ve had all year. Do visit for brunch soon as the menu does change often.

We spoke to Cask and Larder’s Chef de Cuisine Rhys Gawlak about the dishes to inquire more insight into the deliciousness:

*Smoked Sausage with Maple Bourbon Glaze – $6*

Cask and Larder Winter Park

Steak and “Huevos Rancheros” – chilaquiles, red beans, fried egg, cancha corn -$18

“For our Steak & Huevos Rancheros, the steak is a hanger cut, also referred to as a pillar steak, which we rub with a coffee rub. The coffee rub is of course the coffee along with orange, cinnamon, clove, garlic, and brown sugar. Next to the steak is the Rancheros part of the dish. Slow cooked red beans highlighted with herbs de provence act as a resting pool for the chilaquilles. For the chilaquilles we make a red chile sauce out of guaillo and pasilla peppers which is spread between layers of white tortilla and cotija cheese then baked. As if there were any more room on the plate for something, two fried eggs are nestled in there between the steak and chilaquilles. The final touch is a sweet and spicy brittle made from Peruvian cancha corn.” – Cask & Larder Chef de Cuisine Rhys Gawlak

Chicken and Waffles – Nashville hot chicken, cornbread waffle, cheddar, sweet relish, chive crème fraiche, smoked honey – $14

Cask and Larder Winter Park

“For the Nashville Chicken and Waffles, we took Bell & Evans chicken thighs that we brine, smoke, dredge, fry, and finally toss with a smoky spicy “Nashville Hot Chicken” rub. The rub was developed as an homage to the original “Hot Chicken” from Nashville, TN. If you have not youtubed “Prince’s Hot Chicken“, you should…it’s the real O.G. The waffles are a cornbread recipe that has been tweaked to cook in a waffle iron. There is white cheddar in the waffles as well as garnishing on the plate. On the bottom of the plate is a dill creme fraiche which is to cool you down from the spice. Also to cut the spice a bit and round out the dish, we finish it with a sweet and sour combination of house smoked honey and dill pickle relish.” – Cask & Larder Chef de Cuisine Rhys Gawlak