Is there anything more fun than a drag brunch to kick start your weekend?
Sydney’s stunning Mexican venue Santa Caterina are hosting a string of Oaxacan-style bottomless feasts over the next few months, hosted by some very big drag queen names you would recognise from Rupaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Joining drag legends Maxi Shield and Coco Jumbo are some of their friends who will swap in and out each session. Did we mention that there are also endless cocktails?!
My plus one and I hadn’t been to Santa Catarina before, so walking into this beautifully designed room we were swept away at the attention to detail and wonderful style of the venue. Think huge ceilings, intimate booths, big group tables (to share with your best friends) and a cool cocktail bar that we know we’ll be back to visit again soon.
The friendly team welcomed us in and put our group into a prime position to watch the drag shows that would happen throughout the lunch. Looking at the way the venue is setup, I doubt you’d have a bad view wherever you sit. With a welcome glass of champagne in hand, we were keen to chat amongst ourselves about what kind of food and show we’d likely see.
It wasn’t long before a huge bowl of fresh guacamole and blue corn chips arrived at our table along with our first margarita of the day, we knew the food was going to be delicious when we found out that even the corn chips were made in-house. My plus one tried the traditional margarita, where as I’m obsessed with a spicy version (with a chilli rim) which the bar staff shook up to perfection.
Santa Catarina is known as a great agave and mezcal bar. Not all tequila and agave based drinks are created equal, and the very passionate venue manager spent time with us to share some knowledge about how these were created and what kind of flavours we could expect. We found out that Milpa Collective, the group that Santa Catarina is part of, only stocks tequila brands made by producers who respect the agave plant and the tequila-making process, all sustainably sourced and family-owned so that when your are drinking it at their bars you can appreciate what this spirit is really capable of. Who doesn’t love to learn something when they drink!
To begin we shared a Blue Swimmer Crab Sope which is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a fried corn masa base with crab, refried beans, mango, habanero, and guacachile. A super tasty and light start to the meal.
Vegetarians are well catered for with a delicious main consisting of a cauliflower steak with eggplant purée & chimichurri. It was cooked to perfection and even our table’s carnivore enjoyed a few bites. For the meat eaters, the Roasted Lamb Shoulder Barbacoa was super tender and had a very generous serving (so come hungry). The sides included chilli broccolini with peanuts and pine nuts, and some super crispy potatoes tossed with rosemary, confit garlic and ancho mayo. Yum!
The Santa Catarina drag brunch is a delicious three-course set menu with a glass of something truly special on arrival, plus two hours of bottomless margaritas (spicy or classic), plus wines if you prefer.
As the saying goes, “For everything bad, mezcal, and for everything good mezcal as well”. If you’re looking for a great boozy drag brunch then expect only good things at Santa Catarina. Make sure to check their website for the next drag brunch seating and book ahead to avoid disappointment.
– The Plus Ones
Santa Catarina will be hosting drag brunch from now until December 10 (hopefully longer!). Bookings on their website are essential.
