Winners For

Best Brunch

Everyone does Sunday brunch. But you're not everyone. You're sexy, confident, and a little dangerous — just like James Bond. But even agents of Her Majesty's Secret Service need eggs and a mimosa once every now and then to keep up their strength. Which is why you should do brunch at Vesper Brasserie. On Saturday (which, of course, is designed to...

Who needs to go to Vegas when you can get Sunday brunch at Hugo's? The Sunday all-you-can-eat brunch consistently offers an excellent sampling of regional Mexican cuisine that is the staple of Hugo's trademark. Beautiful shrimp and octopus salads, hearty rich seafood soups, rack of lamb and roasted pork ribs, along with traditional brunch fare o...

There's one obligatory St. Louis brunch spot that Mom is sure to love: Mike Randolph's Half & Half. Sure, the wait might be a little longer than elsewhere, but here, the breakfast, lunch and brunch options more than make up for it. The menu ranges from riffs on classic favorites to more experimental before-3 p.m. fare, including mouthwatering ma...

Maybe Mom's noticed the tables and chairs dotting the grounds around the Piper Palm House on the north side of Tower Grove Park. If not, there's no time like the present. Here French-inspired dishes side alongside soups and tempting pastries, including the café's signature dessert, a traditional French madeleine. She's earned a relaxing and clas...

Positioned in a stunning, modern space above the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, Bixby's offers all the elements of a successful brunch experience: a seasonal buffet of food options for the adventurous eater, an al a carte menu for the decisive diner and booze for everyone -- no seriously, the bar selection at Bixby's is serious business...

Brought to us from the fine folks at Steven Becker Fine Dining, Nadoz Café serves delicious European-style treats seven days a week, but on Sundays the Coronado location delivers a special gift to St. Louisans: brunch. Guests can choose treasures from the regular menu, including waffles and omelets, or feast on the buffet. All the perennial brun...

On the one hand, the brunch found in the Chase Park Plaza features an upscale setting and an exceptional omelet station. On the other, unlimited mimosas. Back to that first hand, which is holding fresh seafood, smoked meats and decadent housemade desserts, sure to delight. And back to that second hand: It's throwing back unlimited bloody marys. ...

Rooster, culinary multitasker Dave Bailey's beloved creperie, offers a profusion of possibilities for your crepe-composing delectation, mixing and matching from a variety of fillings (cheeses, vegetables, meats, sauces). If you prefer a more protein-based approach, any crepe can be prepared as an omelet instead. Or you can opt for pancakes or an...

At Home Wine Kitchen chef Cassy Vires cooks up classic brunch choices with an upscale twist. Here, pancakes aren't just pancakes. These pancakes include lemon, ricotta and vanilla. Feel like some French toast? At Home it's bread-pudding French toast with figs, tea, coffee, brown sugar and maple. Other delicious dishes include biscuits and gravy,...

Maybe you're vegetarian, vegan or has specific dietary needs -- or maybe you just love delicious food. Local Harvest Cafe and Catering has all that covered. Brunch menu items at Local Harvest range from savory -- such as biscuits and gravy, local slinger, vegan chorizo burrito -- to sweet -- think regular or vegan stuffed French toast, Dutch bab...

Adobo Grill Restaurant Review: Adobo packs them in with its festive setting, lively bar and creative menu. Almost everyone starts with the guacamole, which is made tableside, down to the pitting of the avocado. The ceviche is first-rate, and the ensalada de jícama is most refreshing. We never pass up a good mole, and Adobo's version is solid (ev...

Allium Restaurant Review: Allium has opened in the reconcepted Seasons space in the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. The menu features dishes such as pork neck agnolotti with jus and green olives and suckling pig flatbread with Prairie Breeze cheese, courtesy of Kevin Hickey.

Eleven City Diner Restaurant Review: Vintage-cool décor and a hip diner vibe pervade this space, which fills with business people and kids from Columbia College next door. Start with mini Reuben sandwiches, followed by The Woody Allen, a triple-decker sandwich from Carnegie Deli in New York that alternates corned beef and pastrami on soft rye. I...

Feast Restaurant Review: Chef-restaurateur Debbie Sharpe continues to attract a forward-thinking crowd to her global eatery, which features a menu of specialties from India, Italy, Cuba, Morocco and America. Among them are bites like seared sesame tuna on a bed of soba noodles; black bean and jalapeño ravioli with roasted poblanos in creamy blac...

John's Place Restaurant Review: This neighborhood restaurant has become a magnet for young, urban parents --- many of whom head straight for the chopped salads. The fried calamari is fine; so is the gumbo. You’ll also encounter diverse dishes like Mayan skirt steak, fish tacos and seared chicken in a spicy peanut sauce, so it's ideal for the who...

Shaw's Crab House Restaurant Review: Far from both the Atlantic and the Pacific, Chicago still manages to get its fair share of fresh seafood --- especially here. The showiness of this place reels us in, in large part because Shaw's deals with only quality stuff --- much of it sustainable. The crab cakes are first-rate, as are the oysters and ev...

Bistrot Margot Restaurant Review: Chicago certainly is flush with bistros. Unfortunately, we have mixed feelings about this one. The atmosphere is pure Parisian, but the food doesn’t always feel (or taste, for that matter) authentic. However, all the standbys are here: French onion soup, classic coq au vin, a duo of duck and steak frites. We've ...

Cafe Selmarie Restaurant Review: This small combination bakery-pastry shop-café is a busy place at lunchtime and on weekends. It’s understandable --- fresh flowers and white tablecloths make for a charming daytime sojourn. The menu features light continental fare: pasta, salads, Brie and tuna salad croissant sandwiches, potpies, soups and all so...

House of Blues Restaurant Review: A thumping trilogy of food, entertainment and blues makes this one of downtown Chicago's obvious go-tos. That’s in part for the food---catfish bites, crawfish cheesecake, ribs, pecan tasty, jambalaya and the like---which is a good precursor to music. Not your cup of gumbo? Snag mac ‘n’ cheese that’s baked in a c...

Salpicon Restaurant Review: This is a family affair: Priscila runs the kitchen and her husband, Vincent, runs the front of the house. And while many an upscale Mexican restaurant have come and gone over the years, this one forges on. We enjoy the inviting, stylish surroundings as well as the top-rate selection of tequilas and wines. But the real...

American men in the mid-1950s dreamed of sultry Sophia Loren more than they did homegrown Debbie Reynolds. And all these decades later, it's still more exciting to roll out of bed and feast on a plate of lemon-ricotta pancakes than a short stack of buttermilk flapjacks dripping with melted margarine — a preference that isn't just metaphorical at...

Fork Restaurant Review: Fork’s creative American fare includes homemade charcuterie and satisfying contemporary dishes like seared Viking Village sea scallops with artichoke purée, pickled salsify, black truffles and Meyer lemon gelée, or pan-roasted rack of lamb with red onion thyme marmalade and local wild mushrooms. This hip but tasteful spot...

Marathon Restaurant Review: This dressed-up offspring of the locally-owned eatery offers consistently good food, big windows for people-watching, a late-night happy hour and brunch on the weekends. We recommend the baked mac ‘n’ cheese, and the locally-inspired cheesesteak spring rolls. Try the updated chopped salad, with Gorgonzola, endive and ...

Square 1682 Restaurant Review: Chef Guillermo Tellez has hit his stride at Square 1682, the sleek restaurant in Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, the Kimpton property in the former Art Deco American Institute of Architects building. The restaurant is a convivial spot, as ideal for power lunching as it is for a cozy dinner for two. But it’s Tellez’s ad...

Bridget Foy's South Street Grill Restaurant Review: The bistro atmosphere of dark green banquettes, surrounding mirrors and marble tables is relaxed and casual. The windows are large enough to bring the outside in if you don’t want to sit curbside to view the passing parade. Nearly everyone comes by this busy corner, including horse-drawn carria...

Morning Glory Diner Restaurant Review: On weekends, locals line up for breakfast at this sweet spot, with its frittatas and homemade biscuits. Proprietor Samantha Mickey and her crew deliver one of the best breakfasts in town, along with comfort food for lunch, from the Guinness beef stew to the five-cheese mac ‘n’ cheese and seitan “cheesesteak...

Jones Restaurant Review: Comfort food dominates the menu at Jones, a handsome, rough stone and warm wood trip back to the ’70s in a setting reminiscent of The Brady Bunch. Settle in by the fireplace for some macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and waffles, and beef brisket, or keep it simple with grilled cheese and tomato soup. It's open all day,...

White Dog Cafe Restaurant Review: This American eatery situated in three adjacent Victorian brownstones next to the University of Pennsylvania has benefited from owner Marty Grims' solid restaurant management pedigree. Grims is also behind Moshulu restaurant on the waterfront, and has a second White Dog in the Main Line. Focusing on seasonal, lo...

Beau Monde Restaurant Review: Everything old seems new again with crêpes back on the scene. There is no more pleasant place to have them than in this restored house in Queen Village. Crêpes are a Breton tradition and these are “le vrai” articles, made with buckwheat or plain flour. Onlookers can watch them being made on imported cast iron griddl...

London Grill Restaurant Review: A busy bar leads to a brightly modern dining room at this pioneering neighborhood restaurant. Since the development of the Fairmount district in the '70s, London Grill has set a warm, friendly backdrop for the cuisine of Michael McNally. The chef’s food ranges from down-home favorites to something a bit more on th...

Cashion's Eat Place Restaurant Review: It’s Sunday morning, and it looks as though everyone in Washington has turned up for brunch at Cashion’s. It’s usually a hip and friendly crowd sharing boisterous laughter, although solo patrons also seem to feel at ease as they enjoy their morning paper and coffee. The small dining room and bar fill up fas...

Brasserie Beck Restaurant Review: Beautiful people cluster at the door, at the bar, and on every available inch of floor space, drinking, nibbling, chatting, and possibly waiting for their seating. What’s the draw? Robert Wiedmaier’s cooking, a delightful and beguiling composite of Belgian and French flavors served forth with American sparkle. T...

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana Restaurant Review: Dressed up in its corner location in Penn Quarter, José Andrés’ Oyamel takes you heart and soul across the border down Mexico way. Revising and enlarging its earlier menu, Andrés has added such crunchables as crispy grasshoppers in a taco, but the kitchen sticks mainly to things that most Yankees will ea...

Georgia Brown's Restaurant Review: Southern cooking appeals to the child in us who loves crunchy fried chicken and mashed potatoes splashed with a rich brown gravy. Of course, Georgia Brown’s---a downtown Southern-food mecca---is really for sophisticated adults, with its upscale décor, bar area and menu; just check the place during cocktail hour...

Floriana Restaurant Review: Dupont Circle’s old-timer, Floriana (formerly known as Floriana Mercury Grill, and before that, Mercury Grill), has come into its own with the addition of a young chef whose idea of eating well is to load plenty of flavor onto each plate. Take his short ribs (please keep these on the menu forever, chef), which are bon...

The Bombay Club Restaurant Review: One of DC’s first---and the country’s foremost---Indian restaurants, The Bombay Club continues to play host to many of the world’s most powerful leaders with elegant food that is befitting its smart, classy décor. Designed to resemble a colonial club during the period of the Raj, the restaurant maintains its un...

The Colonnade Restaurant Review: With its many windows and garden views, The Colonnade is a pretty site for brunch. The food is attractively displayed on tables arranged on and around a raised dais. You'll find a variety of offerings, including a fine selection of Asian dishes, waffles, pastries and typical American breakfast fare. A pianist pla...

Birch & Barley Restaurant Review: This pub-plus-eatery features a dynamic husband-wife cooking team downstairs and a brewpub, Churchkey, upstairs, one for which people wait in line for hours to access. There’s even a “bouncer” out front checking IDs for under-agers. The obvious draw, of course, is the food-brew combo. What you eat downstairs can...

Old Ebbitt Grill Restaurant Review: When it comes to busy, bustling restaurants in the nation’s capital, there is none more vibrant than the grand dame of the Clyde’s Restaurant Group: Old Ebbitt Grill. The interior invokes images of a late nineteenth century saloon in its Victorian décor and use of rich mahogany wood. While the historic memorab...

Firefly Restaurant Review: With an edginess that seems fitting for a restaurant in this boutique hotel domain, the contemporary menu appeals to all ages and to all taste buds, with such appetizers as chopped chicken liver, old-timey stuffed hard-boiled eggs (a must-order dish), and matzoh ball soup. Follow with a dandy roasted organic chicken an...

Henrietta's Table Restaurant Review: In a spacious setting with a Crate & Barrel-meets-New England farmhouse feel, Henrietta's Table transcends its hotel-restaurant reputation. Chef Peter Davis was a champion of local products before it was trendy, allowing the menu to speak for itself with straightforward presentations of distinctly American di...

Craigie on Main Restaurant Review: Chef/owner Tony Maws entices diners with his prix-fixe menu at this rustic neighborhood restaurant in Central Square. There is a bustling dining room that always seems packed along with a more intimate bar area for quieter conversation. The menu tempts well-heeled Cantabrigians with offerings like chicken sausa...

East Coast Grill Restaurant Review: Chris Schlesinger and his funky bunch of cooks helped put the fun back into fine dining. His flagship restaurant, East Coast Grill, is a stage for his rock-and-roll version of global cooking. The theory here is that the closer one gets to the equator, the more flavor there is in the food. Expect the chile-fuel...

Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen Restaurant Review: Owner Darryl Settles has turned the former Bob the Chef's location into a sleek, Southern-inspired restaurant. Area students and South End hipsters flock to Darryl's for the live jazz, R&B and reggae that plays every night. Start with a whiskey smash to wash down an order of fried catfish strips o...

Mooo.... Restaurant Review: The understated elegance at Mooo…. certainly shines through the moment you step into the Beacon Hill steakhouse. A favorite among politicos, who populate the bustling after-work scene at the bar, this hotel restaurant situated in XV Beacon is modern and upscale. The à la carte menu ranges from the classic New York str...

Harvest Restaurant Review: Tucked away in Harvard Square, Harvest initially made its name as the pit stop on the way to stardom for some of the city's top chefs --- Frank McClelland, Chris Schlesinger and Lydia Shire, to name a few. While the kitchen churns out talented chefs, the restaurant as a whole has maintained a remarkably stable identity...

The Bristol Restaurant Review: The Bristol features everything from soups and salads to steak frites and the famous Bristol burger. Power players dine center stage in a room featuring plush couches and mahogany tables, and with tuxedoed waitstaff and live piano music. The menu, too, takes a luxe approach to casual fare. For breakfast, you will f...

The Beacon Hill Bistro Restaurant Review: Though nestled in a posh section of Boston, The Beacon Hill Bistro, owned by Peter and Cecilia Rait, is entirely devoid of attitude. The long, slender, bright restaurant is lined with torch-like sconces and has a cozy eight-seat bar; a rather reasonable wine list is available, too. While you will find ne...

The Cafe Restaurant Review: Executive chef Michael Mandato is at the stoves of this Taj Boston restaurant, turning out classics like Stilton glazed beef tenderloin and Colorado lamb served three ways, grilled Scottish salmon and chicken potpie. The menu’s international flair extends to a selection of Indian specialties, such as lamb rogan josh a...

Cafe Fleuri Restaurant Review: Café Fleuri is known for its famed Saturday Chocolate Bar, a September through June sweet tooth's extravaganza. Imagine a room filled with every kind of chocolate concoction imaginable --- from cakes and pies to ice cream and fondue. The Sunday jazz brunch is the more adult (and savory) equivalent of the Saturday s...

Dishes like the Green Eggs and Ham, Red Flannel Hash and the Cowboy Curtis helped launch the Fly Trap to the top of the brunch heap. The cozy eatery bills itself as “The Finer Diner,” and that it is.

Our mission is to keep the fun in food while pulling from the experiences of farm fresh agriculture, live stock, and old recipes with a twist. Also to maintain a level of excitement and entertainment within the dining experience while ensuring the excellent service each and every day of the week.

Crown Room Restaurant Review: Sunday brunch at the Hotel del Coronado’s Crown Room is quite the event. Whimsical crown-shaped chandeliers were designed by The Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum, no less, and the high-domed, sugar-pine ceiling was constructed without nails. The buffet itself is a feast for the senses, with over seven action statio...

Flavor Del Mar Restaurant Review: Flavor Del Mar has two distinctive personalities. First is the lively bar scene bathed in blue light, where patrons enjoy sophisticated plays on bar food and ingredient-driven cocktails like the "chipotle cilantro," with Hangar One chipotle vodka, pineapple, agave nectar, lime, cilantro and a smoked paprika-salt...

JRDN Restaurant Restaurant Review: Pacific Beach's JRDN (pronounced Jordan) has officially earned its place as a San Diego hot-spot and is leading the charge to transform PB from frat boy enclave to a seaside dining destination. In the casual space, executive chef David Warner oversees the Cal-fresh-meets-steakhouse menu which offers good value,...

Searsucker Restaurant Review: There’s a fetching party happening at Searsucker, the latest incarnation of chef Brian Malarkey’s magic. Set in a 7,000-square-foot warehouse in the middle of the Gaslamp, with a compelling design from Thomas Schoos, diners and imbibers gather for cocktails curated by the Snake Oil mixology team. The Treaty of Paris...

Urban Solace Restaurant Review: Urban Solace teams up the talents of chef Matt Gordon, who brings Northern California wine country panache, and GM Scott Watkins, who takes a “comfort service” approach, hoping guests will feel like they are dining at a friend’s home. Go straight for the Sonoma goat cheese and butternut squash dip with cornmeal cr...

Market Cafe Restaurant Review: Market Café is the most casual of the Loews resort offerings; guests and savvy locals will enjoy dining al fresco on salads, sandwiches, pasta and pizza. On Sundays, it offers one of the best brunches in town. Don’t miss the homemade waffles or the variety of meats grilled before your eyes. After your meal, wander ...

Humphreys Restaurant Restaurant Review: Chef Paul Murphy, who hails from The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix, offers a contemporary California menu spotlighting seafood. The beautifully decorated venue hosts hotel guests, locals and yachties who enjoy the nightly jazz or blues entertainment. Humphrey’s also boasts a separate concert venue. Murphy’s coasta...

The Grant Grill Restaurant Review: The historic US Grant hotel was opened in 1910 by President Grant’s son, Ulysses Jr., and fast became the toast of San Diego. Today, after a $52 million makeover, the hotel has regained its former glory. The Grant Grill’s old-world charm is accented with modern flourishes such as white leather banquettes, sleek...

The Grant Grill Restaurant Review: The historic US Grant hotel was opened in 1910 by President Grant’s son, Ulysses Jr., and fast became the toast of San Diego. Today, after a $52 million makeover, the hotel has regained its former glory. The Grant Grill’s old-world charm is accented with modern flourishes such as white leather banquettes, sleek...

City Cafe Restaurant Review: When this casual Mt. Vernon eatery added an airy dining room and full dinner menu to its original quick-service café, it brought a much-needed venue to midtown, with great appeal for neighborhood residents and theatergoers alike. The redecorated dining room is a winner, with modern styling, mid-century accents, and l...

There’s nothing more aggravating to a hangover than waiting around for a table. This doesn’t happen at McCabe’s, which looks enough like a hole in the wall to be free of the weekend-breakfast horde. Even better, there aren’t any enormous windows filled with splitting-headache-inducing sunlight. You can sit in a dim but well-kept bar and enjoy an...

Gertrude's Restaurant Review: With tan, dusky brown and bronze appointments that evoke the spirit of late afternoon along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, Gertrude's interior is a thing of beauty, befitting its home in the Baltimore Museum of Art. Outdoor tables overlooking the glorious Wurtzburger Sculpture Garden are among the most prized sea...

Petit Louis Bistro Restaurant Review: The Charleston crew did it again. They went and opened a restaurant that rose to the top of its class in the blink of an eye. This time, however, it’s as good as a trip to your favorite Parisian wine bar, complete with escargots, confit de canard, truite amandine, steak frites, and country-style pâté maison....

Kali's Mezze Restaurant Review: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Kali’s Mezze, which adjoins its parent, Kali’s Court, has inherited its crowd-charming ways, its coolly elegant décor, its Mediterranean focus, and its wizardly way with seafood. But Mezze is Kali’s in a more casual mode: all of its offerings are served in appetizer-size p...

The Wild Orchid Cafe Restaurant Review: The Wild Orchid Café went uptown, in both senses of the word. Once lodged in a cheerful remodeled bungalow in residential Eastport, the popular dining spot moved into larger, sleeker quarters in the heart of the Downtown Annapolis Arts District. We miss the unpretentious charm of the old place, but the cur...

The Oregon Grille Restaurant Review: The horsy set of Baltimore County travels over hill and dale to dine at these tables. Yes, it’s the luxe surroundings, all dark-wood paneling, fireplaces, and intimate booths with a pianist jazzing around the standards. A collection of equine memorabilia, including vintage posters and colorful jockeys’ silks,...

Papa Haydn Restaurant Review: Portland’s original dessert café offers oversize portions of dozens of elaborate confections, such as autumn meringue, boccone dolce, and St. Moritz German chocolate cake. But the menu also includes enticing bistro lunches and dinners. Savory choices on the frequently changing menu may include ravioli stuffed with b...

Beast Restaurant Review: Chef Naomi Pomeroy creates a new six-course meal each week and offers that, and only that, at two seatings for four successive nights. Carefully selected wine pairings may (and should) be added. All meals are served in an intimate, attractive dining room with two long, dark wood tables, so expect to engage in conversatio...

Irving Street Kitchen Restaurant Review: Bold décor and bolder flavors make Irving Street Kitchen one of the Pearl District’s most exciting and urbane dining destinations. Opened by the California group that manages Anchor & Hope, Salt House and Town Hall in San Francisco, Irving Street Kitchen features modern American cooking that is both famil...

The Veritable Quandary Restaurant Review: This quaint brick restaurant has long clung to its own park-like setting as tall office buildings have grown up around it. In warm weather, the pleasant garden with lofty oak trees and stone tables offers a lovely way to feel part of downtown and simultaneously commune with nature. The dining room offers...

Jake's Grill Restaurant Review: While the two-martini lunch has pretty much gone the way of the smoking section, this is the sort of place where you can imagine having one. Anchoring the handsome old Governor Hotel, this classic steak and seafood house features traditional dark-wood furnishings and crisp white tablecloths. Like all McCormick & S...

Gracie’s Restaurant Review: There’s a theatrical theme to the house restaurant of the retro Hotel deLuxe. The elegant dining room pays homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood with fine architectural details such as a gold-leaf ceiling and glass chandeliers. The dinner menu is divided into “Introductions,” “Center Stage” and “Featured Attractions,”...

The Heathman Restaurant & Bar Restaurant Review: Executive chef Michael Stanton has smoothly filled the large shoes left by Philippe Boulot, a seminal Portland chef with broad experience and impeccable culinary instincts who maintains a consulting role at this dining icon. The Heathman’s menu---striking renditions of classic French bistro dishes...

Hudson's Bar & Grill Restaurant Review: As the hotel restaurant for The Heathman Lodge, this dining spot on the north shore of the Columbia offers a menu well worth a weekend outing. The building’s entrance features a portal of enormous cedar logs, and a totem pole carved with figures from North Coastal Indian mythology. The dining room is equal...

Three Square Grill Restaurant Review: For a small restaurant in the midst of a suburban strip mall, this neighborhood eatery has a surprisingly ambitious menu. It emphasizes comfort food, with a strong focus on local purveyors. The décor is casual---blond-wood tables, crisp tablecloths, large windows, and interesting art---and the servers are fr...

Three Degrees Restaurant Review: This expansive downtown restaurant boasts a Willamette River view. Diners may see a bald eagle soar past in the morning, and at the end of a day, they can reflect on the city's sparkling lights. The menu is a tribute to fresh regional ingredients prepared with laid-back, Pacific Northwest flair. Fresh catches are...

Tower Cafe Restaurant Review: Tower Café, with its global menu and eclectic décor, has been popular with locals and tourists alike for more than two decades. The interior is loaded with artwork and handicrafts from around the globe, while the outdoor patio is a tropical oasis in the heart of the city. Dinner features a number of small plates dra...

Ink Eats & Drinks Restaurant Review: After hours, Ink is a popular spot for edgy hipsters seeking creative cocktails and DJ music. During mealtimes, it is a local's favorite for reasonably priced comfort food classics, most with an updated twist. Starters include Sloppy Joe sliders and buttermilk crusted chicken strips, while mains include a fri...

The Firehouse Restaurant Review: With its elegant setting, American cuisine and professional service, The Firehouse is one of the top choices for a celebratory meal in Sacramento. Located in a converted nineteenth-century fire station, the interior is awash in period charm, with Victorian antiques, sparkling chandeliers and gilded paintings. Als...

Rubicon Brewing Company Restaurant Review: Rubicon remains a favorite among locals for its hand-crafted beer and quality food. The menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches and full-size entrées, all at reasonable prices and without the pretension of other places. Starters include chili-cheese potato skins and a sausage sampler, while mains i...

Rio City Cafe Restaurant Review: This riverfront restaurant is one of the few upscale choices in Old Sacramento. Designed to replicate a turn-of-the-century steamship warehouse, Rio City Café maintains its historic charm while providing a rustic elegance. It is a good choice for an upscale meal after a day of sightseeing, and the outdoor deck of...

Roxy Restaurant and Bar Restaurant Review: Describing itself as "where Paris meets the West," this suburban restaurant features home-on-the-range décor with a continental twist. Cowhide upholstery sits beneath a sparkling chandelier, and surprisingly, the cultured cowpoke theme works well. The menu follows suit, featuring updated versions of Ame...

Fat City Restaurant Review: Although aimed at the tourist crowd, this longstanding Old Sacramento staple is a good choice for locals as well. Housed in a Gold Rush-era building, the interior is awash with charm, from the original brick walls to the stained glass windows to the wooden bar dating back to 1876. The menu features American classics a...

Latitudes Restaurant Review: Located in the Sierra foothills, this restaurant aims to bring cultural diversity to the community by featuring cuisine from four corners of the globe --- from Greece to Africa to the Caribbean --- all served up in a restored Victorian. Dishes include German cider chicken, East Indian curried tofu, and gingered prawn...

Tuli Bistro Restaurant Review: With its cozy atmosphere and well-crafted, seasonal food, Tulí truly is a midtown gem. The quarters are tight, with only a handful of tables, but the place is friendly and inviting. An outdoor patio doubles the space, and even in mid-winter the windshields and heaters make sitting outside a viable option. The menu ...

Hawks Restaurant Restaurant Review: With its New American cuisine and high-end design, Hawks is more likely to be found in one of the world's best cities, not a small-town suburb. The cool blue-grays, velvet-swathed bench seats and glistening chandelier are far from the local norm. Hawks focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients, many from local pr...

You'll find more than great music at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern — and we're not just talking about Saturday-morning punk yoga. The kitchen composes a mighty Sunday brunch, full of homemade dishes crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. That includes buttermilk biscuits made from scratch and smothered in homemade sausage gravy, bu...

There’s a theory in certain foodie circles that suggests hole-in-the-wall joints serve up the best grub. And at the quaint Christo’s Café in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood, the theory is supported at each brunch. Be sure to check out the sausage biscuits and gravy.

Sterling Brunch Restaurant Review: A good place for beef each night, Bally's Steakhouse is transformed every Sunday into one of the most luxurious brunches in town and reborn as the Sterling Brunch. The glittering silver of the title holds sturgeon caviar, and the Champagne is vintage. Visitors and locals alike flock to the abundant offerings of...

House of Blues Restaurant Review: House of Blues’ music menu is legendary, complemented by the restaurant’s down-home Southern dining experience and the two big TV screens over the bar. The accent is on home-style Creole-Cajun favorites such as the breakfast bananas Foster french toast, lunch-dinner appetizers of pan-seared voodoo shrimp with Di...

Hash House A Go Go Restaurant Review: A sophisticated take on comfort food might best describe this cheerful restaurant's cuisine. Hash House A Go Go's San Diego-based founder calls it twisted farm food. Favorite breakfast items are House Hashes such as house-smoked salmon and cream cheese tossed with crispy potatoes and topped with two scramble...

Feast Buffet Restaurant Review: With an entrance that features water walls and Dale Chihuly-style blown glass, ceiling murals and hand-painted ceiling beams, this palatial buffet emporium ranks among the most beautiful in the valley. Among breakfast favorites are eggs Benedict and french toast. The colorful Farmers Market offers appealing bread,...

Feast Buffet Restaurant Review: With an entrance that features water walls and Dale Chihuly-style blown glass, ceiling murals and hand-painted ceiling beams, this palatial buffet emporium ranks among the most beautiful in the valley. Among breakfast favorites are eggs Benedict and french toast. The colorful Farmers Market offers appealing bread,...

Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill Restaurant Review: As the name might suggest, Moonshine is all about downhome fare and good drinks. However, much to the owner's credit, the restaurant still places a premium on food quality, service and ambience, and also offers a good Sunday brunch. The beautiful grounds feature a historical carriage-house-turned-ba...

South Congress Cafe Restaurant Review: Every town has one: the cool, almost-undiscovered spot where celebs and visiting VIPs convene, hoping to be noticed despite their disguises. In addition to the hype and the hip white banquettes, concrete floors and bright orange dangly lights, South Congress Café has some fine---and surprisingly affordable-...

Chez Zee American Bistro Restaurant Review: With its fanciful décor and dressed up American comfort food, Chez Zee draws diners from all walks of Austin life. Twilight happy hour specials, glimmering lanterns, and live piano music make dinner a romantic but festive affair and addictive appetizers like fried dill pickles and chicken beignets with...

Green Pastures Restaurant Review: Peacocks strolling through the seven tree-shaded acres enliven this Victorian mansion turned intimate and romantic restaurant. The kitchen, armed with the difficult task of trying to match the dramatic ambience, succeeds. The French-inspired cuisine is enhanced with fresh, regional ingredients, the results of wh...

Enoteca Vespaio Restaurant Review: Buzzing like a beehive, this offspring of Vespaio reminds us of the small, charming cafés in Italy. Order the vibrant antipasti on display, or one of the traditional wood-fired pizzas topped with fresh local ingredients, including house-made sausage. Our favorite starter might be the suppli --- crispy risotto b...

Eastside Cafe Restaurant Review: Take in a leisurely meal at this cozy 1928 bungalow with little rooms painted in peaceful hues of slate blue and vanilla. The menu of home cooking demonstrates flair with seafood and meat, richly sauced pastas and vegetarian specialties. Several specials have hooked us, including grilled ruby rainbow trout crowne...

TRIO Restaurant Review: Austin's landmark hotel restaurant, perched on sparkling Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake), is a vibrant space with contemporary lines and the striking colors of the sunset. The remake of the former European-style menu by veteran executive chef Elmar Prambs is anchored by the classics: fresh seafood, Prime steaks and fi...

Fonda San Miguel Restaurant Review: In this striking hacienda, lush with towering foliage and Latin American art, you'll experience authentic interior Mexican cuisine. Our mandatory appetizer is the queso asado (baked cheese) with smoky poblano strips and chorizo made with Swiss chard. We also like such regional classics as the dark, deep-flavor...

Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar Restaurant Review: Boasting perhaps the most inviting, tree-shaded deck in Central Austin, Perla’s brings a carefree, beachfront ambience to the middle of Texas. But success hinges squarely on the fare; after all, Austin has no surf---but does have winter. Thankfully, Perla’s hits the mark. Fresh selections change ni...

Just hand the Lifetime Brunch Achievement award to chef/owner Derek Wagner. It's clearly no secret that Nick's serves the state's best brunch (late weekend mornings are jam-packed year-round). It's worth waiting for perfectly poached eggs atop savory bread pudding, sauteed tofu with veg-gies, cornmeal-crusted skate and fluke, and the tastiest fr...

Table Six is the consummate neighborhood hang, the kind of place where, at least on Sunday, you can wear your mismatched PJs and fit right in with the rest of the smitten disciples — many of them local chefs — who converge in droves for dashing dishes that stretch far beyond pancakes and eggs Benedict. Chef Scott Parker's eccentric menu is a fan...

You can load up a buffet with all the sad, flat pancakes and ham carving stations you like, but we all know that does not a good brunch make. What we truly want from that blessed Sunday late-morning meal is to gather together and discuss the previous night's activities, cram in all varieties of sweet and savory carbohydrates, and, of course, enj...