Nothing shouts “It’s the weekend!” like brunch: mimosas and Bloody Marys, food laid out in an eggs-to-mousse obstacle course, the pleasure of lingering for hours over a meal. It’s the time of the week when our food rules change and it’s acceptable—encouraged, even—to pile bacon, waffles, salad, cantaloupe, cheese, prime rib and three kinds of dessert on a plate, dive in, then return for seconds and thirds. Alternatively, it’s okay to tuck into an a la carte pile of syrup-drenched French toast slices with a side or two. If happy hour is about the buzz and dinner is about the “experience,” then brunch is our weekly multigenerational clan gathering, a time to take stock, reflect and rejuvenate.
Brunch in our area comes in many flavors, from elegant to fast casual. We’ve chosen 11 restaurants that are worth the trek and the wait (that is, if you haven’t made a reservation). For the places that don’t have a buffet, we suggest ordering plates to share. Brunch is a group endeavor, after all.