For a new twist on Sunday morning, try brunch in your Bloody Mary.
The Bloody Royale at Franklin and Co., a Franklin Village restaurant, is the usual drink with a traditional celery stalk and green olive, but it also has a pickle spear, bacon-wrapped roasted jalapeño, pickled tomatillo, fried onion ring, pepper jack cheese, roasted Brussels sprouts and a seasoned mini-burger – all on top.
“Its outrageousness markets itself,” said Jeremy Fraye, an operating partner at the eatery.
However, he noted that the signature concoction does not make anywhere close to a healthy 20 percent or 25 percent profit despite a sale price of $16. What it does do is help with marketing the restaurant and getting people in the door.
“To tell you the truth, it’s also fairly labor intensive in the middle of brunch to create the slider,” Fraye said.
He’s not the only one betting on a crazy variation of the Bloody Mary.
“Things go in and out of style, but it is a thing,” said John Keel, a manager and server at Cole’s in downtown Los Angeles.
Keel estimated that he sells more than 200 of Cole’s own Bloody Mary creations on a typical weekend morning, making it one of the most popular items on the menu.
The ingredients there?
A spicy pickled egg, chunk of Monterey jack cheese, an “atomic” pickle with cayenne and jalapeño seasoning, and celery, all in a salt-rimmed glass.
– Natalie Schachar
