What’s up ICT!?!?! It’s your boy Big Klotz and I’m bringing you on another journey as I eat through the best places Wichita has to offer!

I grew up in the restaurant business and my favorite part is the FOOD! Hospitality and service are important, no doubt, but that can be subjective and my goal is to celebrate the EATS! I get the pleasure of checking out local favorites in the (3YUM6) and give you My Keys to a solid experience. Menu items you can’t go wrong with, hidden gems, far out combos and anything that will guide you to a SUPER-FANTASTIC FOOD EXPERIENCE! #SFFE

Typically, your boy will hit up a joint and order everything off the menu and knock out this review in one shot…that’s why it’s BIG KLOTZ! However, this time I went two rounds at this daytime eatery…you see they had a seasonal item that I just missed the first time and had to come back to make sure it was a knock out…just you wait! LETS GET AT IT!

HomeGrown is a daily brunch spot open from 6:30am – 2:30pm with 3 locations in Wichita! If you are on the West side, you can check them out at 2835 N. Maize Rd. Or let’s say you reside out East you can satisfy your brunch fix at their 1900 N. Rock Rd, Suite 108. ORRRRRR if you wanted to settle the beef, unlike Biggie and Tupac, you can meet up in the middle at their downtown location 645 E. Douglas, Suite 102. HomeGrown has planted their flag in the ICT and they leave you no excuses to not check them out!

Besides, who only wants to wait until Sunday afternoon for brunch? Erroneous! Erroneous on all accounts! Brunch should be served daily. Brunch is a beacon of gathering, celebrating or shaking off the cobwebs from the night before. HomeGrown does brunch and does it to the highest degree. Now let’s get into MY KEYS!

Right out of the gates the first key her is developing a solid foundation on the table. With that, the Croissant French Toast and Homemade Pop-Tarts accomplish just that! The buttery, flakey-ness of a fresh baked croissant is elevated when it is smashed flat, dip in a creamy French toast batter and seared to crispy perfection. NOT TO MENTION the powdered sugar topping and warm syrup that **BANG** kicks it up a notch.

Then, after you’ve plunged into that gold mine, you emerge and have yet another flakey, warm and gooey pastry that is the Homemade Pop-Tart. The icing is just right and the sprinkles take you back to being a kid again. The brown sugar cinnamon is the staple flavor here or you can check out the seasonal flavor. During our first visit, tail end of spring, we ordered one of each pop-tart flavor: brown sugar cinnamon and strawberry. (Ordering two of anything is a BIG KEY for BIG KLOTZ)

Let’s move on to the entrees with a MAJOR KEY ALERT!!!!!! This was the reason for the second visit. This was the hold up for this blog…and MAN OH MAN was it worth the wait! The Chilaquiles Verde Bowl!!! Crispy, homemade tortilla chips lay as a structurally sound foundation to two perfectly poached eggs (over medium is the Big Klotz way) with HomeGrown’s scratch made salsa verde cascading over for a refreshing kick. Shredded jack cheese, a dollop of sour cream, fresh pico de gallo and cilantro to garnish and really brighten both flavor and presentation. Just when you thought the flavor train pulled into the station, crumbles of queso fresco (literally translates to ‘fresh cheese’) slowly melt away and join the flavor party. Fork? Knife?

NOPE! It’s nachos for breakfast people! Get yourself some extra napkins and dig in! Now, this dish is served as a vegetarian option…however…**AIR HORN** KEY WITHIN A KEY…IT’S A KEYCEPTION!!!! You can opt to add chicken or pork and Big Klotz will almost ALWAYS go pork! It’s perfectly shredded and in each and every glorious bite. Okay, now that you read this, go to HomeGrown and order the Chilaquiles…you can finish reading this later. Because if you don’t, then you will more than likely be waiting until next summer…this dish goes away in the fall…YULLAH!!! (Literally translates to ‘hurry’…HI SITO!!!)

“Hey Big Klotz, do you think a side dish is a good idea for brunch?” GREAT QUESTION! I will answer with another MAJOR KEY ALERT!!!! Biscuits and gravy are a breakfast staple and can be a drag if they aren’t done right. Well, I PROMISE YOU HomeGrown does it RIGHT! We got these bad boys on both visits. Fresh, warm and flaky, these scratch made biscuits will melt in your mouth on their own. But everything is better with a companion…why not top them with a sausage gravy made using local sausage from Yoder?! Perfectly spiced and balanced, this essential breakfast dish is done right here. You can order the entrée that comes with expertly seasoned rosemary potatoes and 2 eggs (which I did) or you can get them as a side for the table (which I also did…**shoulder shrug**).

Some other keys that unlock a #SFFE at HomeGrown:

- The playfully named Friends with Benedicts options are spot on. The biggest key is the fresh hollandaise, the chef made it a point to tell you it’s fresh on the menu because they are probably proud of it…and gosh darn it the absolutely should be! My beautiful wife went with the traditional option with shoulder bacon; two perfectly poached eggs on top of two toasted English muffins and smothered in that golden, creamy hollandaise sauce.

- Bring the kiddos! The kid’s menu is playful (literally, there are activities on the menu) with fun pancakes and other perfect options for the little ones. Not to mention, you now have an excuse to order another round of those pop-tarts….

- Or DON’T bring the kids and dive into the extensive Bubbles, Bloodys & Booze menu. We were celebrating 11 years of marriage on our second visit and did just that! I never thought tequila would make sense at 10am but it totally does! My outrageously loving wife had the HG Mimosa while I took a dip in the Mimosa Rising…GOOD MORNING TEQUILLA!

Look, I honestly should have waited for the third visit to write this thing…I haven’t even explored the ‘unch’ part of brunch at HomeGrown!!! Don’t worry, I will do my part and make that happen…That BLT just sounds like it will be obnoxiously delicious!

HomeGrown takes pride in what they do. It’s reflected in their menu, their recipe and their service. If the food and service doesn’t impress you enough, a majority of HomeGrown’s ingredients, architecture and design is made part by local Wichita vendors! C’MON!!!! That’s what it’s all about people…support local!!!

There you have it, MY KEYS to a #SFFE at HomeGrown….whichever side of Wichita you may be on!