Ciao in Louisville offers a stacked brunch menu. See what we tried
Tiramisu pancakes, Cacio Egg Pepe, roasted potatoes and a bellini flight. Here’s why Ciao is a must-try brunch location in Louisville.
Several Louisville restaurants have recently added or expanded their brunch offerings.M. Peppers, The Hen House Cafe & Provisions, and Ciao Ristorante are among the eateries with new brunch menus.Ciao Ristorante is rolling out an “Italian food made brunchy” menu, featuring items like Tiramisu pancakes.
Brunch options might be heating up in Louisville.
In mid-August, M. Peppers, a French bistro at 1306 Bardstown Road, added brunch on Saturdays and Sundays with menu items such as a brunch burger, croque monsieur, smoked salmon tartine, and two types of French toast.
Earlier in November, ata Restaurant from chef David Danielson went through a major rebrand and reopened as a brunch and lunch eatery called The Hen House Cafe & Provisions. It officially opened Nov. 11, serving cinnamon rolls, a fried green tomato with shrimp, salads, biscuits and gravy, and a fried chicken “sammy,” a sandwich topped with honey butter sauce and served on a brioche bun or buttermilk biscuit.
A few days after The Hen House’s opening, The House of Marigold, a brunch favorite in Middletown, announced it will open a second location in NuLu at 624 E. Market St. in early 2026.
Ciao Ristorante, 1201 Payne St., has slowly been rolling out a brunch menu for the past few months, with the goal of offering “Italian food made brunchy,” according to its website.
Owner Emil David, also of Perso, Segreto and the Filipino restaurant, Maynila, that’s set to open in 2026, took over Ciao in late 2024. Soon after, he and his wife, Liz began dreaming up a brunch menu.
“Liz came up with the idea of making an Italian brunch, but fun,” David told the Courier Journal. “We had a great time writing this menu thinking how can we make this as fun as possible?”
Among the first joyful ideas? Tiramisu pancakes.
The stack comes with four pillowy cakes, which are each so soft that they almost wiggle on the plate. Made with mascarpone (the soft Italian cream cheese), dulce de leche (caramelized milk), lots of cocoa powder and shaved chocolate, the pancakes also come with a side pour of espresso syrup, which brings to mind an after-dinner slice of tiramisu and coffee.
“It’s like a breakfast loaded with fun and calories on a plate,” David said. “It will always catch someone’s attention because of the size.”
Other shareables include a carbonara pizza with pancetta, egg, and parmigiano reggiano, roasted potatoes and a panzanella salad with marinated tomatoes, arugula, bread rusks and parmigiano reggiano.
Among the seven main dishes offered, a standout is the Cacio “Egg” Pepe, a take on the classic pasta dish.
David’s wife also came up with that idea.
“The name is so catchy,” he said. “When she said that, I was like, ‘I think I married the smartest woman.’”
Presented in a cast iron skillet, the pile of scrambled eggs are served with black pepper, freshly-shaved pecorino cheese and crostini slices for dipping.
Other entrees include Denver steak and eggs, eggs Benedict, a 10-ounce meatball sandwich, a giant vegetable frittata sandwich and a dish called “Uovo En Purgatorio,” with spicy tomato sauce, eggs, mozzarella, crostini slices and the option to add pancetta or sausage.
For fun drink options, Ciao offers a Bellini flight with honey lime, prickly pear and blood orange flavors. If you’re a fan of Beergaritas, then you might enjoy the interactive nature of the Peroni Negroni, in which the customer is in charge of pouring a Peroni, a type of Italian lager, into the cocktail.
David says he hopes to expand Ciao’s brunch menu in the coming weeks, including with some American-inspired dishes.
“Every week, the brunch is picking up,” he said. “We’re seeing an increase every week and we’d love for it to be that vibey, fun Italian brunch.”
Ciao offers brunch from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
We featured Ciao in the latest installment of our series, “Best Thing I Ate This Week.” You can follow along by visiting Instagram.com/courierjournal.
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.
Dining and Cooking