Champagne brunch on Sundays in Munster offers an all-you-can-eat option for hungry customers.
“You have the best of both worlds. You can pick and choose. There’s quite a bit,” said Joe Trama, chef and owner of Trama Catering, which hosts the brunch at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts.
Here is the dish on the brunch, which takes place in the multipurpose facility that also is home to Theatre at the Center, South Shore Arts and Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra.
On the menu: Breakfast items include Belgian waffles and cinnamon toast. Other selections include lox and bagels and vegetable and pasta salads. Luncheon offerings include carved roast, chicken and pasta.
Desserts include angel food cake, apricot squares, carrot cake, cheesecake, fruit, fudge brownies, pecan pie and strudel.
About the chef: Trama has been with the Center for Visual and Performing Arts since it opened in 1989 and began offering the champagne brunch. “I started as a chef. In 2010 I took over the catering and in 2017 I took over the total catering operation for food and beverage,” he said.
Trama began in the food business in 1972 in Florida, was certified by American Culinary Federation in 1988, and has worked in states including Illinois and Wyoming. He also spent 10 years as an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech Community College.
The team for Trama Catering, the exclusive caterer for the Center for Visual and Performing Arts, includes head chef Hugo Perea of Lansing, Illinois, and bar and beverage manager Kerry McGuire of Highland.
A mission statement: “We want quality. We want consistency,” Trama said. “We have a lot of people that come regularly. We always want to make things look fresh and tasty.
“We’ve got a lot of waitresses who have been here over 20 years. They make you feel like family.”
Decor: Taking place in what the Center for Visual and Performing Arts describes as an “elegant dining room,” the champagne brunch features buffet tables featuring silk flowers and can accommodate approximately 300 diners weekly and up to 425 on holidays, according to Trama.
Specialties: “People like our baked ham and selection of sweets,” Trama said.
“People definitely like our duchess potato, which is a mashed potato with sour cream, chives and Romano cheese. It’s piped into a chafing pan and baked.”
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Blintzes also are popular. “We make our own crepes and cheese filling. A lot of people like that. We have toppings to go along with those,” Trama said.
We’re different because: “We have live piano music” by Walter “Waz” Lisek of Valparaiso, who performs weekly, said Trama.
“He’s a very good piano player. Having a live person that will take requests and play live music, that’s special.”
The brunch can accommodate special events including birthday or anniversary parties, bridal or baby showers, and family reunions.
Prices: Sunday brunch is $24 for adults, $12 for ages 4-11 and $4 for ages younger than 4. Holiday brunch on Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, Easter and Mother’s Day is $30 for adults, $15 for ages 4-11 and $4 for ages younger than 4.
Prices do not include gratuity but do include champagne, coffee, tea and iced tea. Soda and other alcoholic beverages are available at an additional cost.
The Center for Visual and Performing Arts is at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. Champagne brunch seatings are available from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays. Dining room closes at approximately 3:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended for Sunday brunch and required for holiday brunch. Call 219-836-1930 or go to www.cvpa.org/brunch.