Dunedin North Park

I'm always telling myself that we need to brunch more. Hectic work week leads to sleeping later on weekends (especially for this night owl) but admittedly, good food is worth getting out of bed for. We were invited to check out Dunedin, a New Zealand inspired restaurant in North Park. After lucking out with street parking a block away, we walked into the bustling establishment and were quickly seated by the host.

At the bar, we noticed our first perk of the morning... $1 mimosas! Those all you can drink deals work if your stomach is "bottomless" but seriously, I can only handle 2 or so drinks. This was perfect! We went for the flavors of blood orange (Dennis's fav) and pineapple (my fav) but there's also the choice of the standard oj and champagne. Keep 'em coming!

Shrimp and Pineapple: grilled shrimp & pineapple, peppers, arugula, avocado, peri peri

From the "grown" section of the menu (available between 11am-2pm), I passed on a beet salad and instead ordered the next item with shrimp. Apparently it was NOT a salad like I was thinking. Oops, I was still waking up that fine morning! Luckily the dish was full of great grilled shrimp that soaked up the juices, giving it a pleasant spice without the burn. The grilled pineapple was also subdued by that same juice so it wasn't too acidic or sweet. We felt a slight kick in the roasted bell peppers as well. The harmony of the slightly contrasting flavors was well received.

Portabella Fries - rosemary dipping sauce (large only)

These appeared next in an upright cup which we emptied onto our plate for easier access. The outer crust was catfish cornmeal style while the insides were hearty cuts of mushroom. The fantastic dipping sauce reminded me of honey mustard dressing. Next time I'll make sure to ask for a second sauce to help finish it off! This side didn't leave us feeling heavy like the version at Encontro (but that one has its own set of deliciousness traits).

Wild Boar Burger - wild boar patty, mozzarella, roasted peppers, pesto aioli, fresh basil

After debating between the multiple burger options, we finally settled on the wild boar burger. Dennis remarked that the meatball-like patty was leaner yet retained its juiciness and flavor. The gooey cheese and roasted bell peppers were subtle flavor add-ons but blended well all together. The house chips were a bit too stiff for our liking though, perhaps a little overfried.

Chicken Biscuit - fried chicken, cheddar, bacon, biscuit, gravy, roasted potato

There's some deliciousness hidden under that pile of gravy and bacon! The fried chicken stayed crunchy despite being covered with gravy but our hands got crazy messy while devouring it! The bottom biscuit started soaking through yet it held up for the first half. The cheddar had me thinking of those cheesy biscuits from Red Lobster too! Goodness gracious! I'd been craving a "glorious morning" fried clucker for over a year and this one hit the spot! The side of potatoes were roasted to the right tenderness and helped fill us.

During our meal, we studied the surrounding decor. Above the beer taps were orange signs specifying what was on tap that day. The concept was cool but it was a little harder in terms of reading them! At least our server Cordell could help us out if we needed anything. By way of his shirt, we found out that the restaurant's name was pronounced "dun-ee-din". Good to know.

Off to the other side, succulents and other plants were hanging from the ceiling as well as displayed in various spots. I especially liked the feeling of open space due to the big glass windows in the front of the restaurant. Let that sunshine in!

Tables were already filling up at our 10:30am arrival and the house was packed on our way out. Could it be those $1 mimosas and the yummy food's fault?

I did stop by again for burger week to try their queenstown fav burger and some splendid sweet potato fries with bleu cheese. So far, so good, so this place sounds like a keeper. Hope it sticks around the neighborhood!

Disclaimer: We were invited to dine here and our meal was complimentary. We were not otherwise compensated and all opinions stated are our own.