A Bradenton Brunch Named Its Chicken and Waffles After Florida Man

Every Florida Man headline has the same structure. A guy, a bad idea, a surprising amount of commitment.

The one on the Bradenton Riverwalk this weekend checks every box, and nobody has to call anyone. It's a waffle.

Here's the dish

At the top of the weekend brunch menu at Mattison's City Grille on the Bradenton Riverwalk, in a section literally called Rockstar Breakfast, sits the Florida Man Chicken & Waffles, $21: crispy chicken tenders, hot honey, maple syrup and whipped cream.

Read that list again. Two syrups. Fried chicken. Dessert topping. Before noon. That is not a breakfast, that is a decision, and it's the most accurate name on any menu in Manatee County. Somebody in that kitchen understands this state on a spiritual level!

The rest of the lineup

If you're the friend who orders "something normal," the menu has you covered, and it has prices posted, which I respect deeply:

• Traditional Breakfast, $17: two eggs, cherry wood bacon, cheesy scallion potatoes and toast.
• Breakfast Club B.E.L.T., $21: a fried egg, Nueske bacon, lettuce and tomato with firecracker aioli on toasted brioche. A BLT that went to college.
• Eggs Benedict, $12 or $18, with Black Forest ham.
• Smokehouse Omelet, $18: cherry smoked bacon, cheddar and tomatoes, with those same cheesy scallion potatoes.

The drinks section is where the Florida Man energy really lives. Bottomless mimosas are $22. Bottomless Bloody Marys are $25. There's an espresso martini for $14 if you need to be awake and also not. Plain coffee is $5, for the designated driver, who is a hero.

The handoff at 3 o'clock

Here's the part I love. Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy hour starts at 3 p.m. and runs until 6, with a $5 martini of the day, a $5 boat drink of the day, and $5 house wines, well cocktails and domestic bottles.

So the restaurant just... hands you from one to the other. Like a relay baton. There is no gap in which a person could reasonably go home. Florida Man would call that a sign.

It's a locally owned, chef-driven spot from Chef Paul Mattison, with a big covered open-air patio right on the Riverwalk, so you can watch the Manatee River do nothing in particular while you eat two kinds of syrup. That's the whole Saturday plan, honestly.

If you'd rather go Sunday

Sundays at this location are the Blues Brunch, with live music. The music calendar lists Rick Berthod for the Blues Brunch on Sunday, Oct. 25, and the band Messenger on the schedule today, Saturday, Oct. 24.

Go

• Where: Mattison's City Grille, 101 Riverfront Blvd., Suite 120, Bradenton (on the Riverwalk)
• When: weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; happy hour 3 to 6 p.m.
• Call: 941-896-9660
• Order this: the Florida Man, obviously. Bring a friend who orders the omelet so you can feel healthy by association.

Planning the rest of the weekend? Brooke has this week outdoors, Sandy has the week ahead and the meetups, and the costumes are in the Halloween Finder.

It's the only Florida Man story where everybody involved has a good day.

— Marina