Wild Eggs: Brunch, Branding, and a Recipe
Special to the Courier Journal
I have a confession to make: I'm a brunch person. Usually, I'll skip the typical breakfast and lunch and instead opt for a midday meal around 1 or 2 p.m., followed by dinner later on. But when the weekend rolls around, I can't resist going out for brunch. Luckily, Louisville has no shortage of brunch restaurants, including one of my favorites: Wild Eggs.
Founder JD Rothberg, corporate executive chef Robert Tyler, and vice president of marketing Michelle Heffernan recently sat down for an interview with The Courier Journal to discuss the restaurant's new spring menu, upcoming branding overhaul, and famous pancake recipe. Here's what we learned.
The Return of JD Rothberg
Wild Eggs was founded back in 2007 by JD Rothberg and his business partner. Over the years, the company changed ownership a few times, and Rothberg stepped away from his role at the breakfast eatery. But now, he's back. "It's almost four years now that I've been gone," he told The Courier Journal, "(but) it just so happened that recently I made a move, and this was the right fit — (so) I'm back." As the senior vice president of operations, he will oversee management and all operational decisions. "We're really trying to (offer) some unique dishes," he said. "We'll be doing a lot of R&D. There will be a couple of menu changes, I'm sure."
The Famous Pancake Recipe
Wild Eggs' pancakes are a must-try, and for a good reason. The recipe has been around for generations and is made from scratch using heavy-fat buttermilk, which gives them a luscious flavor. Rothberg received the recipe from a friend decades ago, who got it from his grandmother. When opening a breakfast restaurant was just a dream, Rothberg received permission to use the recipe if he ever opened an eatery, as long as the dish was dubbed Frank's Cakes. "It was called 'Frank's Cakes' on the menu for almost 10 years," Rothberg recalled with a laugh, adding, "he should have said he wanted a nickel for every one I sold."
A New Spring Menu
This week, Wild Eggs released six new limited-time menu items for the spring season. These include a bourbon chicken sandwich, The Laredo (a southwest take on a classic cheesesteak), a blueberry crepe, and a chicken florentine crepe. Two new cocktails were also added to the menu, the Flamin' Hot Bloody Mary, and a blueberry margarita. All items are made from scratch, with the mornay sauce in the chicken florentine crepe and blueberry compote in the margarita being made in-house. "We're really a scratch kitchen," Tyler said. Looking ahead, the restaurant plans to introduce six limited-time-offer menus a year, each lasting about six to eight weeks, depending on the time of year.
A Branding Overhaul
Wild Eggs is in the process of refreshing its branding, with the Westport Village location being the first to receive updates. "Our designer (has) shown us some preliminary plans, but we're in the stages of going back and forth and changing them at this point," Heffernan said. "(The space) has gotten older, (and) we want to elevate it." In addition to revamping the look and feel of the restaurant, Wild Eggs plans to introduce a separate cocktail menu by this summer, featuring a wider variety of drinks, including wine.
Recipe: Loco Hash
For those in the know, Wild Eggs carries all the ingredients to make their famous Loco Hash, an original creation featuring slow-roasted pork carnitas, bell peppers, jalapeños, onions, potatoes, and Mexican spices, all topped with two eggs, queso, sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, and green onions. To recreate this fan favorite at home, try the following recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. pork carnitas
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 2 tsp. Mexican seasoning
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup pico de gallo
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
Directions:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add pork carnitas, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, onion, potatoes, and Mexican seasoning to the skillet. Cook until potatoes are golden brown and crisy, and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add four eggs to the skillet and cook to your preferred doneness.
- Divide the mixture into four bowls and top with queso fresco, sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, and green onions.
Enjoy!
Originally Post From https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/dining/restaurant/2024/03/19/what-to-order-dishes-to-try-at-wild-eggs-restaurant/72641540007/
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