Breakfast of Champions, Pop’s Sunset Grill
There’s a sign at the entrance to Pop’s Sunset Grill that reads: “Relax! You’ve found Pop’s, 150 feet ahead & 1,000,000 miles away…” This sign is on the side of a butter-yellow building in a parking lot that doesn’t even hint at the tropical paradise that lies ahead. It truly feels 1,000,000 miles away from the dull grey buildings and incessant traffic flowing a mere half mile away on Tamiami Trail.
Pop’s is a behemoth of a dining destination with three bars, a giant tiki, about six different dining areas, two kitchens, a gift shop (filled with things you’ll actually want to buy, thanks to the exquisite taste of co-owner Kristen Farrell), fire pits, music stages, a pontoon boat, and dock parking. The large team of cheery and dedicated hospitality professionals, led by exceptionally talented General Manager Stephanie Brown, keeps this unwieldy tropical compound running with the precision of a six-minute egg.
Which brings us to the point of this story: Pop’s is now serving breakfast! Remember the two kitchens I mentioned earlier? One was erected for the specific purpose of providing the masses with the opportunity to enjoy a visit to Pop’s from early in the morning until late into the night—just as nature (and visionary co-owner Joe Farrell) intended.
The first order of business for this new time slot? Create a perfect breakfast sandwich. Pop’s looked to Breakfast Chef Patrick Scialabba as well as the rest of the management team including Executive Chef Marcos Vasquez to research, source, test, and execute a breakfast sandwich worthy of this new venture. Did they kill it? They did! And, in classic Pop’s fashion, they topped themselves, creating not one perfect breakfast sandwich but three: The Classic, The Casey Key, and The Mother & Child Reunion.
My personal favorite is the cleverly named Mother & Child Reunion, which is both an homage to a Paul Simon song and a tongue-in-cheek play on words. The sandwich features two fried eggs, cheddar cheese, and a fried chicken tender dipped in spicy honey. This crispy, juicy, sweet, and savory delight is served on a fresh biscuit.
And then, in keeping with the aesthetic at Pop’s, there’s an item on the breakfast menu that begs to be shared and begs to be hoarded in equal measure: Cinnapop’s Pancake. This giant confection is gooey and crispy and airy and rich. Head to Pop’s for breakfast, make your way through the menu, wash it down with a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa, and save room for dessert. No need to rush, breakfast is served seven days a week. I like to sit at the tiki bar, staring at the turquoise water and looking for dolphins, while I enjoy my breakfast. I’m reminded of the line from the Beach Boys song “Kokomo”: “We’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow… “
Pop’s Sunset Grill: 112 Circuit Rd, Nokomis; 941-488-3177; popssunsetgrill.com
