Where to brunch in St. Louis: morning rooms worth the queue.
Where to brunch in St. Louis. the morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Chef Cassy Vires's Washington Avenue brunch spot builds its menu around specialty crepes and European comfort plates, with a second South Grand branch.
Order: A savoury crepe and a Bloody Mary.
Tip: The savoury crepes and the breakfast cocktails are the orders. Weekend mornings draw a wait, so go early.
Mike Randolph's Clayton brunch room pairs a focused coffee programme with scratch cooking, from flat-iron hash to blueberry pancakes. The grown-up brunch.
Order: Blueberry pancakes cooked in bacon fat.
Tip: Ask for the pancakes cooked in bacon fat, a house move. Long weekend waits, so put your name down and walk Clayton.
Lassaad Jeliti's Egg plates a Tunisian and Mexican-inspired brunch in Benton Park, from shakshuka to spiced scrambles, a break from standard pancake fare.
Order: Shakshuka and the Tunisian-spiced plates.
Tip: The shakshuka and the North-African-spiced dishes set it apart. A second location runs in Midtown on Locust.
Since 2012, Southwest Diner has served New Mexican breakfast in a small Dogtown room, known for cornmeal pancakes, green-chile huevos and house biscuits.
Order: Huevos rancheros with red and green chile.
Tip: Order the chile Christmas-style, red and green. The cornmeal pancakes are the local cult order; expect a weekend wait.
A century-old house turned all-day breakfast cafe, Benton Park Cafe plates omelets, breakfast pizza and eggs Benedict in cosy south-side rooms.
Order: Breakfast pizza or eggs Benedict.
Tip: The breakfast pizza is a local quirk worth trying. Weekend mornings fill the warren of rooms, so go early.
The South Grand branch of Rooster pours the same crepe-led European brunch as downtown, a roomy spot among the international restaurants of Tower Grove South.
Order: A sweet crepe and a brunch cocktail.
Tip: It is roomier than the downtown branch and on the South Grand strip. The crepes and breakfast cocktails are the orders.
The Crow's Nest in Maplewood runs heavy-metal-themed weekend brunches with refined bar food, pinball and a back patio, a quirky alternative brunch.
Order: The brunch burger and a Bloody Mary.
Tip: The themed brunches and pinball set the mood; come for the burger and a cocktail. The patio is the prize in warm months.
A hand-painted Art Deco room in Grand Center, The Fountain on Locust pairs brunch sandwiches and salads with ice-cream martinis and big sundaes.
Order: An ice cream martini with a sandwich.
Tip: The ice cream martinis are the signature, even at brunch. A good stop before a Grand Center matinee.