Eggs Benedict piled high with Canadian bacon. Biscuits smothered in sausage gravy. Golden omelets dotted with diced ham. Bacon. It’s safe to say that that brunching in Denver is typically a pork-tastic culinary affair.

Not so at Ash’Kara, which is now serving its take on the festive weekend meal every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chef Daniel Asher, who helms the kitchen at the four-month-old LoHi restaurant, is staying true to Middle Eastern traditions—which means no pork. But you won’t really miss it when faced with options like Ash’Kara’s feather-light “sufganiyot” doughnuts, steak n’ latkes, a breakfast-y take on saganaki, and much more. The menu feels right at home in the colorful, plant-bedecked space, as do the za’atar-spiced Bloody Marys.

Here are some of the highlights:

Asher’s pillowy “sufganiyot,” or yeasted doughnuts, come stuffed with seasonal jams. These are filled with a spiced orange marmalade, but in the future, Asher plans to make jams using vegetable scraps from the kitchen; carrot and beet jams are traditional in Middle Eastern kitchens. The doughnuts will be a regular component in Asher’s weekly pastry basket, which will also feature the likes of rugelach, babka, and more. 
The spring fattoush salad combines crunchy snap peas, lettuce, shaved radish and carrot, red onions, fresh mint leaves, and deep-fried pita bread croutons in a creamy dill vinaigrette. (Expect to fight your table mates over the last bite.)
Asher’s brunch-only wood-roasted asparagus comes atop “muhamara,” a chunky red pepper and walnut dip. Break open the sous-vide egg on top so that each bite is bathed in yolk-y goodness.
The “Everything Spice Pita and Fish” is a fun—and delicious—play on a bagel and lox in which a wood-fired pita is topped with an everything spice blend, dollops of cream-cheese-esque labneh, pickled onions, capers, and silky smoked sablefish.
Saganaki for breakfast? Indeed. An entire mini-skillet of Kaseri cheese is flambéed with ouzo and then topped with an egg, slices of duck prosciutto, and onion microgreens. A side order of pita for scooping is a must.
Ash’Kara’s bistro steak plate features a grass-finished teres major cut from nearby Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe, Yukon gold potato latkes, and labneh for creamy acidity.
Ash’Kara’s shakshuka is built upon a hearty sauce made with tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, and other veggies. In addition to a runny egg, it’s topped with marinated feta and cilantro microgreens. Again, you’ll want to have extra pita at the ready to sop up every last bit.

Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.