Find delicious food, top-notch service and a stylish setting at this destination in Bannerman Crossings.
Blu Halo, considered one of our premier fine dining restaurants in Tallahassee, is also one of the best places in the Capital City to have brunch on the weekend. It’s the whole package.
Keith Paniucki, a Tallahassee native, opened Blu Halo in 2016, aiming to raise the bar for dining and drinking destinations in the area. You could say that Paniucki, who also owns Hangar 38 and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, has done just that.
The food has remained exemplary, thanks in large part to chef Mike Powell. “Mike Powell is the head chef at Blu Halo and has been with the restaurant from day 1, which is now 6 years,” said Paniucki. “He has been the head chef for four of those.”
The space is also fun, something different. Tallahassee designer Catherine D. Baker created a whimsical but elegant look with hues of smoky blues and greys. Over the bar, there’s the restaurant’s namesake neon ring. There’s also a pleasant patio for outdoor dining and separate areas for private parties.
Service is another perk. Our server kept our meal well-paced, was helpful and offered the type of attention you’d get at dinner.
At brunch, you can savor delicious food, top-notch service and a stylish setting without paying exorbitant prices. Our choices were $14 and $15, with the most expensive item on the menu, the chimichurri steak (rib-eye) and eggs at $25.
Our Country eggs Benedict was an excellent rendition with a patty of Bradley’s sausage and perfectly poached eggs smothered in white pepper gravy atop a fluffy buttermilk biscuit, served with breakfast potatoes. These cubed potatoes or home fries, are usually an afterthought at most restaurants. These were probably the best I’ve had — crunchy, golden-brown exterior with a tender interior. They were so good I ordered an a la carte side as well.
Our fried chicken and waffles brought several pieces of flavorful and crisp buttermilk-brined chicken breast atop a vanilla bean waffle with separate servings of a maple bacon bourbon glaze, country gravy and regular maple syrup.
For breakfast, we picked a bloody mary, which was excellent, with a colorful garnish, and a summery Watermelon Agua Fresca with agave nectar, lime and sparkling wine. Other breakfast beverage options are mimosas (orange, grapefruit, cranberry, mango, pineapple or guava), Bellini and grapefruit sour.
A version of this story first appeared in Florida Politics.
— Details: Blu Halo, Bannerman Crossings, 3431 Bannerman Road, #2; 850-999-1696. Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Here’s the schedule for Blu Halo’s fall wine dinner series.
