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Pick of the Brunch
By Alexa Beattie
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, April 7, 2003

Brunch can mean different things to different folks. It can be anything from a dressed-up post-churchy affair to a jeans-and-sneakers late-morning-after-late-night event. There are few meals more fantastically lazy, more plain and simply indulgent, than brunch. That's why we love it so, and why we've assembled this handy list of some of our favorites. We've grouped the brunches under different headings because we think brunch in a hotel differs in mood from a neighborhood brunch. We've also included a few brunches that involve a significant drive for those who really want to make a day of it.

Hotel Brunch   Southern Brunch   Unusual Brunch   Neighborhood Brunch   Country Brunch  

Hotel Brunch

Bistro Bis
French in flavor, this fixed-price brunch is $28.95 per person. Tomato tarts, quiches, steak and egg frites and three-egg omelets are among the set menu items. Brunch runs from 11:30 to 2:30 on Saturdays and Sundays.
15 E St. NW (in the Hotel George), Washington, DC,
202-661-2700,
Hours: Daily 7-10 am Daily 11:30 am-2:30 pm Daily 5:30-10:30 pm

Melrose
Melrose offers one of the city's best brunches. The combination buffet-a-la-carte extravaganza is $50 per person or $53 with unlimited champagne. Expect complimentary valet parking, live piano entertainment and, weather permitting, patio dining. Brunch runs from 11 to 2:30 on Sundays only.
1201 24th St. NW (in the Park Hyatt), Washington, DC,
202-419-6755,
Hours: Daily 11 am-5 pm Daily 5:30-10:30 pm Mon-Fri 6:30-11 am Sat-Sun 7-11 am

Seasons
The Seasons buffet brunch is $58 per person and runs from 10:30 to 2:30 on Sundays. Reservations are a must.
2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW - Four Seasons Hotel, Washington, DC,
202-944-2000,
Hours: Daily 6-10:30 pm Mon-Fri 7:30-11 am Mon-Fri noon-2:30 pm Sat-Sun 7:30 am-noon

Tabard Inn
When the weather is fine, having brunch in the Tabard's walled garden is our idea of bliss. This a la carte menu includes such choices as homemade sausage, the inn's own doughnuts and cheese grits. Brunch runs from 11 to 2:30 on Sundays.
1739 N St. NW, Washington, DC,
202-785-1277

Southern Brunch

B. Smith's - Union Station
On Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 to 3 feast on this all-you-can-eat buffet of Southern delicacies (breads, muffins, omelets, turkey, ham and cheese grits. The price is $20 for adults; $12 for children under 12.
50 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, DC,
202-289-6188,
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-4 pm Mon-Thu 5-10 pm Sat 11:30 am-11 pm Sun 11:30-9

Cafe Marianna and Charles European Pastries
This Southern-flavored a la carte brunch is served on Sundays from 10 until 3. In good weather, the pretty outdoor patio only adds to the mood.
1201 N. Royal St., Alexandria, VA,
703-519-3776,
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00am- 3:00pm Tue-Thu 5:00pm- 9:00pm Fri-Sat 11:00am- 3:00pm Fri-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm Sun 10:30am- 3:00pm

Georgia Brown's
On Sundays between 10:30 and 2, Georgia Brown's hosts a jazz brunch for $23.95 per person. It's an all-you-can-eat "breakfast-driven" buffet.
950 15th St. NW, Washington, DC,
202-393-4499,
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 am-10:30 pm Fri 11:30 am-11:30 pm Sat 5:30-11:30 pm Sun 10:30 am-2 pm (brunch), 5:30pm-9:00pm (dinner)

Majestic Cafe
On Sundays from 11 to 2:30, the Majestic serves an a la carte menu of such treats as corned beef hash, sauteed trout and cheese and ham souffles.
911 King St., Alexandria, VA,
703-837-9117,
Hours: Tue-Sat 11:30 am-2:30 pm Tue-Thu 5:30-10 pm Fri-Sat 5:30-11 pm Sun 5:30-10 pm

Unusual Brunch

Bombay Club
One of our all-time faves, this elegant Indian buffet is accompanied by live piano and unlimited champagne for $18.50 per person. It's Sundays from 11:30 to 2:30 and valet parking is complimentary.
815 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC,
202-659-3727,
Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30 am-2:30 pm Mon-Thu 6:30-10:30 pm Fri-Sat 6-11 pm Sun 11:30 am-2:30 pm

Cafe Atlantico
Served from 11:30 to 2:30 on both Saturdays and Sundays, Cafe Atlantico's dim sum brunch highlights the cuisines of Latin America and the Caribbean. Small plates are priced from $2.50.
405 Eighth St. NW, Washington, DC,
202-393-0812,
Hours: Daily 11:30 am-2:30 pm Fri-Sat 5-11 pm Sun-Thu 5-10 pm

Gabriel Restaurant
Yes, indeedy. This suckling-pig nuevo Latino brunch is famous in the city. The two Sunday seatings are at 11 and 1. The buffet is $26.75 per person and parking is complimentary.
2121 P St. NW (in Radisson Barcelo Hotel), Washington, DC,
202-956-6690,
Hours: Mon-Fri 6 am-10:30 am Mon-Sat 11 am-2 pm Tue-Thu 5:30 am-8:30 pm Fri-Sat 6 am-10:30 pm

Jaleo - Bethesda
This Sunday brunch is all about tapas, tapas, tapas. Jaleo offers its regular menu, but adds to it a host of eggy extras. Brunch is from 11:30 to 3 Sundays only at both the Bethesda and Penn Quarter branches.
7271 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, MD,
301-913-0003,
Hours: Tue-Thu 11:30 am-11:30 pm Fri-Sat 11:30 am-midnight Sun-Mon 11:30 am-10 pm

Perry's Restaurant & Catering
For $22.95 per person, this Sunday buffet brunch includes a live drag show. Brunch runs from 10:30 to 2:30 and the shows are at 11:15 and 12:30.
1811 Columbia Rd. NW, Washington, DC,
202-234-6218,
Hours: Mon-Thu 5:30 pm-10:30 pm Fri-Sat 5:30 pm-11:30 pm Sun 10:30 am-2:30 pm (brunch) Sun 5:00 pm -10:00 pm (dinner)

Neighborhood Brunch

Cafe Deluxe
All three branches of Cafe Deluxe -- Glover Park, Tysons and Bethesda -- host an a la carte brunch on Sundays from 10:30 to 3. Note that a limited version of brunch is also served on Saturdays during the same hours.
4910 Elm St., Bethesda, MD,
301-656-3131,
Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 am-10:30 pm Fri-Sat 11:30 am-11 pm Sun 11 am-10:30 pm

Chef Geoff's
From 10:45 until 3, both branches of Chef Geoff's -- New Mexico and Pennsylvania avenues -- serve an a la carte brunch of items like eggs Benedict, divers "scrambles" and breakfast pizzas. More lunchy entrees are also available. The patio at the New Mexico Avenue restaurant is one of the prettiest in town.
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC,
202-464-4461,
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30 am-11 pm Sun 10:30 am-11 pm

Colorado Kitchen
From 11 to 3 on Saturdays and Sundays, tuck into homemade doughnuts, buckets of holes, fried fish and shrimp over cheese grits.
5515 Colorado Ave. NW, Washington, DC,
202-545-8280,
Hours: Tue-Fri 7 am-11 am Fri 11 am-2 pm Sat-Sun 11 am-3 pm Tue-Sun 5-10 pm

Evening Star Cafe
A suburban favorite, kitschy family cafe serves Louisiana-inspired American food in a casual, fun environment. The biscuits are sensational.
2000 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA,
703-549-5051,
Hours: Mon-Wed 5:30-10 pm; Thu-Sat 5:30-11 pm Tue-Sat 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Sun 11:30 am-3 pm; 5:30-10 pm

Luna Grill & Diner
Between 10 and 3 on Saturdays and Sundays (and every holiday Monday), both the Luna Grill in Dupont and Shirlington serve an a la carte brunch, in addition to its all-day breakfast.
1301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC,
202-835-2280,
Hours: Mon-Thu 8 am-11 pm Fri-Sat 8 am-midnight Sun 10 am-10 pm

Brunch in the Country

Ashby Inn & Restaurant
A pretty drive ends at the Ashby Inn's opulent buffet table. For $24 per person, feast on seasonal soups and salads, made-to-order omelets, house-cured salmon and Virginia hams. Reservations are a must. Brunch runs from noon to 2:30.
692 Federal St., Paris, VA,
540-592-3900,
Hours: Wed-Sat 6-9 pm Sun noon-2:30 pm

Rail Stop
This quaint little outpost in The Plains, Va., serves an a la carte Sunday brunch from 10 to 3. Waffle, waffle, waffle.
6478 Main St. -- P.O. Box 337, The Plains, VA,
540-253-5644,
Hours: Wed-Sat 11 am-3 pm Tue-Thu 5-9 pm Fri-Sat 5-9:30 pm Sun 10 am-3 pm and 5-8:30 pm

Willow Grove Inn
The two-course prix-fixe menu ($22.95 per person) is offered on Sundays from 11 to 3. Belgian waffles, shrimp and grits, smoked chicken hash and lamb chops are among the selections often featured.
14079 Plantation Way, Orange, VA,
540-672-5982,
Hours: Thu-Sun 6:00pm-11:00pm Sun 11:00am- 3:00pm

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