10 must-try Twin Cities brunch spots

A brunch for the record books can be found at Tongue in Cheek, where chef Leonard Anderson lights up East Side weekends with one unexpected gem after another. Seemingly out of nowhere, shrimp and grits has become all the rage on Twin Cities brunch menus, and Anderson's version is one for the ages, teasing that ultra-creamy coarsely ground corn with North African accents and a pair of perfectly poached eggs. Another winner piles fried eggs, avocado and zesty chorizo on a grilled pita, flatbread-style. Gravlax can only be described as "lovely," and sandwiches include a fried egg wonder and a memorably delicious cheeseburger. But best of all may be the half-dozen or so "teasers," little two-bite noshes of impressive complexity that run at just $2 a pop.

989 Payne Av., St. Paul, 651-888-6148, www.tongueincheek.biz. Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend brunch menu at the Copper Hen Cakery & Kitchen doesn't cover a lot of ground, but it doesn't need to. Here's the drill: Before being seated, peruse the bakery counter (if you spy any doughnut muffins or spiraled cinnamon rolls, order them, immediately) and consider opting for the daily special. It's usually a doozy, along the lines of a salmon fettuccine carbonara (using house-made pasta, naturally) with a poached egg. Start the meal with a beautifully composed parfait of farmers market-fresh fruit, tangy house-made yogurt and crunchy granola. But anyone with a big appetite should stick with the kitchen's farmer's brunch, a platter piled with luscious French toast, fully loaded scrambled eggs, a hearty carrot-potato hash and a rustic pork fennel sausage patty. It's served with orange juice or coffee for $12. The sake Bloody Mary is garnished with — what else? — one of baker/co-owner Danielle Bjorling's blueberry-bacon cupcakes. Another plus? There's a handy (and free) parking lot across the street.

2515 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-872-2221, www.copperhenkitchen.com. Saturday and Sunday.

My ongoing search for the chilaquiles to end all chilaquiles just might end at Sonora Grill. On Saturdays and Sundays, chef/co-owner Alejandro Castillon seasons crispy tortilla chips with his lively salsa verde, plenty of juicy, chile-simmered grilled chicken (or the mouth-melting pork that goes into the kitchen's excellent tacos) and a pair of pepper-dotted sunny side-up eggs, their runny yolks oozing into those crunchy tortilla chips. Truly, I could eat it every weekend and never tire of it. Aside from a few other a.m. basics — pancakes, French toast, a kind of omelet-fritatta mash-up — the rest of Castillon's menu is pretty much a greatest-hits rehash of his lunch service, but when the tacos and bocadillos are this good, you won't catch me complaining.

3300 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612-722-2500, www.sonora-grill.com. Saturday and Sunday.

Four-star Heyday greets Saturdays and Sundays with contemporary spins on huevos rancheros, biscuits and gravy, fruit-topped Dutch pancakes and other favorites. But the real draw is the work of baker Jo Garrison, who makes weekend magic with melt-in-your-mouth biscuits and fruity (and hyper-seasonal) jam, pecan- and pine-nut-studded (and marvelously not-too-sweet) caramel rolls and to-die-for scones.

2700 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., www.heydayeats.com. Saturday and Sunday.

At Craft Kitchen & Bar, owners Steve Wagenheim and Dean Vlahos — between the two of them, the longtime restaurant vets have connections to Champps Americana, Redstone American Grill and Granite City Food & Brewery, among many names — have handsomely repackaged the former Sunsets Woodbury and serve a brunch that's notable for its hefty portions, moderate prices (most steer south of $11) and weekend basics menu: smoked salmon eggs Benedict, eggs-hash browns-bacon-toast, fried ham steak with eggs. The biggest lure? Not one but two patios, both appealing.

700 Commons Dr., Woodbury, 651-735-1997, www.craftkitchenbar.com. Saturday and Sunday.

The coffeehouse brunch can be totally satisfying. Witness the all-waffles-all-the-time menu served daily at Black Coffee and Waffle Bar, which veers from savory (ham with Swiss cheese) to sweet (berries and bananas with almond butter) to over-the-top (chocolate chips, marshmallows and graham crackers), plus build-your-own combinations.

1500 Como Av. SE., Mpls., 612-436-0719, www.facebook.com/mudds.fans. Daily.

In Apple Valley, the former Enjoy! is now enjoying a vibrant new life as Vivo Kitchen. The remake is the work of Break Bread Hospitality (the folks behind Zelo in downtown Minneapolis and Bacio in Minnetonka), and for the restaurant's Sunday buffet brunch ($19 adults, $8 children) company chef Jason Gibbons keeps things fresh and frequently local (the Minnesota-made bacon and sausage, for example), and doesn't forget that while some weekenders are hungry for breakfast (scrambles, bread pudding French toast), others have a hankering for lunch (a feisty chicken-andouille étouffée, velvety house-cured smoked salmon with all the right accompaniments). Meanwhile, Paul Connors, the company's pastry chef, steers his crew into fresh-baked muffin and coffee cake territory. There's a Bloody Mary bar ($5), too, stocked with all kinds of house-made mixes and infused vodkas.

15435 Founders Lane, Apple Valley, 952-891-8808, www.vivomn.com. Sunday.

There are plenty of doughnut makers in the Twin Cities, but when I feel an a.m. deep-fried craving, my brain immediately conjures up thoughts of the brioche doughnuts at Bogart's Doughnut Co. Some sport a brown butter glaze, others are filled with vanilla buttercream or Nutella. All are fabulous.

910 W. 36th St., Mpls., 612-886-1670, www.bogartsdoughnutco.com. Tuesday through Sunday.

I get a lot of "what's your favorite brunch?" queries, and the answer depends upon a bunch of factors: Where I want to be in the city, what I feel like eating, and who's paying. While it's not a new restaurant, a response I find I keep returning to is Crema Cafe, in part because the intimate setting, both indoors and out, is so appealing, and because chef/co-owner Ron Siron's menu emphasizes local and frequently organic ingredients and puts them together in such compelling ways at such affordable prices. Case in point: the beautifully composed croque madame, a little bit of tried-and-true open-faced sandwich genius for $10.95. Oh, and the ice cream? Spectacular.

3403 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 612-824-3868, www.cremacafeminneapolis.com. Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Corner Table chef/co-owner Thomas Boemer clearly found inspiration in the breakfast/lunch crossover, offering spectacular Benedicts, category-killing biscuits and gravy and a dazzling sweet potato Long John when the restaurant moved a few blocks down the street earlier this year. Boemer and co-owner Nick Rancone are promising to return to brunch — Sunday only — when they open Revival, their fried chicken (and other Southern classics) spot in the former Corner Table home, "hopefully by the end of October," said Rancone.