Drunk Brunch: The Whitney House

Walking into The Whitney House is like walking into a home – granted, a home with quite a few more tables than one usually finds in a residential dining room – but it’s rustic and inviting, with minimal decor other than the old-world brick and tile accents and dark wood furnishings.

We ponied up to the counter and were entertained watching Executive Chef Maxwell Avon command the line cooks in a beautiful brunch ballet. It’s the best seat in the house, so if you’ve got a small enough party to enjoy your meal there, do it.

Nine cocktails comprise The Whitney House’s drink menu. I ordered the citrusy beer-based cocktail The Lorraine: gin, orange juice, cointreau, lager and orange bitters, garnished with an orange peel. My date had The Rosemary, made with vodka, pimms, lemon juice, basil, lemon, cucumber and poblano pepper. It was a great balance of refreshing and heat, perfect for starting the day. The Whitney House also offers a haldful of craft beers on draft and over two dozen wines, most offered by the glass or bottle.

The brunch menu offers up 10 entrees and sandwiches, mostly on the savory side. I opted for the one sweet offering, the French Ohio Toast, topped with chunky apple-honey butter, Ohio maple syrup and served a side of crispy bacon. The star dish of the meal was what my date ordered, though – the Fried Bologna Sandwich. Thick, juicy bologna with fried green tomato, house aioli, fried egg, served with thick cut potato wedges and more aioli for dipping. I spent the entire meal jealously eyeballing his dish – and stealing bites at every opportunity.

Brunch at The Whitney House is served Saturday and Sunday from 9am-3pm. The Whitney House is located at 666 High Street in Worthington.

Read about other Drunk Brunch spots in Columbus.