Blue Heron’s wildly popular Sunday Brunch is back and they’re piling on the good stuff

By Ken McEntee

You may think you’ve seen it all when you’ve experienced Blue Heron Brewery’s spectacular Hail Mary Bloody Mary.

Maybe not.

That’s because Ben Erjavec, executive chef and co-owner of the Medina establishment, can’t keep from pushing the envelope on fun and creative cuisine. And that he has done again with the re-introduction of the cocktail he calls a “feast in a mug”—just in time for the breakout of Blue Heron’s revised autumn Sunday Brunch menu.

“We kicked the Hail Mary up a couple notches this year,” Ben reveals.

The unique concoction features a skewered double cheeseburger slider topped with a Portobello mushroom and supported by a breakfast sausage, surrounded by a mozzarella stick, Italian meats and cheeses, peppers, olives, pickles and a boneless chicken wing, flanked by shrimp—all on top of a traditional Bloody Mary.

But save room because there’s more.

“This year we’ve added a tempura fried soft shell crab, a jalapeno and cheddar stuffed pretzel and deep-fried cheese ravioli,” Ben says. “We wanted to see how big and crazy we could get with it.”

The Hail Mary Bloody Mary costs $24, with $6 refills on the drink.

And it’s an ideal complement to the ample selection of the other culinary specialties served up at Blue Heron’s popular Sunday brunch. Ben’s spread—which is offered on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.—includes items like:

• Breakfast eggrolls stuffed with scrambled eggs, aged cheddar cheese, crispy bacon and ground sausage served with a chipotle aioli.
• Fluffy buttermilk pancakes stacked between layers of maple-glazed apple chutney finished with a house-made bourbon caramel sauce.
• Crispy breakfast flatbread topped with scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese, crumbled chorizo sausage and hickory smoked bacon finished with fresh pico de gallo.
• Deconstructed Eggs Benedict with a house-made sausage patty atop a toasted English muffin with a deep-fried hard-boiled egg drizzled with hollandaise sauce.
• Corned beef burrito featuring a jalapeno and cheddar tortilla stuffed with house-braised corned beef, Swiss cheese, diced fresh potatoes, caramelized onions and Thousand Island dressing.

“All of our breakfast items are served with our loaded hash browns,” Ben tempts.

Along with the brunch, Sundays at Blue Heron also are well known for the afternoon trinity of Browns football, wings and home-brewed beer. Wings may be in short supply at some places, but you’ll get all you can eat at Blue Heron, Ben promises.

“I was able to score a sizable supply at a good price,” he says. “That’s why we can offer all-you-can-eat wings, served with fresh-cut fries for just $18 all day on Sundays. The wings go down nicely with our $5 house pints.”

Mike Piazza, brew master and co-owner, says his anxiously anticipated Oktoberfest beer is now pouring from the tap. It’s among the new choices available on Mike’s eclectic beer menu.

“This is a time of year when we’re getting out of the paler, fruitier beers of summer and moving into heartier amber colors and big body stouts,” Mike explains. “Guests also may want to try our new fall Doppelbock and our imperial stout.”

As you delve into the brew pub’s new fall selections, Ben notes the holidays are not far away.

“This is a good time to start planning your Thanksgiving dinner,” he says. “Our take-and-bake holiday dinners provide gourmet quality feasts without messing up your kitchen. You simply place your order, swing by on the pick-up day and warm it all in the oven when your guests arrive.”

You can learn more about Blue Heron by visiting BlueHeronMedina.com or by calling 330-870-BLUE (2583). Blue Heron is located at 3227 Blue Heron Trace, in Medina. You can get the latest updates on parties and entertainment at Facebook: @blueheronmedina.