Brunch. It can mean a sprawling buffet, a fancy five-course feast or simply an amazing plate of pancakes. Whatever the definition, it's always delicious at these restaurants.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. • a la carte menu served 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef Stephen Trojahn's three-course ($28) menu does the posh contemporary setting proud. South Beach dieters will be all over a Japanese-inspired option, which includes a beautiful piece of grilled salmon, miso soup, a poached egg, wilted spinach and pickled mushrooms.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Lucia Watson's engaging staff really does brunch right. The menu changes weekly, but it always includes well-stuffed omelets, a beautiful salad -- where does Watson find such pristine produce in subzero Minnesota? -- as well as variations on eggs and pancakes or French toast. Do not pass up the pastry tray's incredible scones and muffins.
9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Love the prices: nothing over $9. Love the simplicity: a perfect spinach salad tossed with chicken, bits of butternut squash and a vibrant tarragon dressing; baked eggs with bits of ham, brioche and truffle oil; a scrambled egg platter; sausages with polenta. Love the room. And love, love, love the baked goods.
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Chef William Baskin puts out great-tasting twists on traditional a.m. fare, along with some welcome surprises, including perfectly smoked trout, creamy grits, a boffo lobster-egg salad sandwich and a long list of I-want-to-order-that cocktails, starting with "Wake-Up Beer," a glass of Guinness socked with a shot of espresso.
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sun. For some, brunch isn't brunch unless it's a buffet, and Wolfgang Puck's Walker Art Center outpost does it better than most, boasting poached eggs over pastrami-laced hash, little smoked salmon pizzas, a chicken salad of the gods, made-to-order omelets, cute little fruit smoothies, well-made pastries and a champagne cocktail, all for $28 per person.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Don't miss the superb buckwheat crepes filled with cool smoked salmon and dill-flecked creme fraiche, the crispy chicken quesadillas topped with a sweet-tart cranberry coulis, the well-composed charcuterie plate, the juicy lamb burger and pastry chef Carrie Summer's exceptional sweets. Oh, and the bar pours a fabulous passion fruit Bellini.
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. There's so much to like at this laid-back neighborhood gem, especially the big blueberry-pocked buttermilk flapjacks, the rib-sticking corned beef hash and the this-could-feed-two-people huevos rancheros platter. The coffee cake, still warm from the oven, is also a winner.
