Illustration by Riccardo Vecchio

Alias
76 Clinton St., at Rivington St.; 212-505-5011
A toothsome all-American brunch with a few quirks (root-vegetable hash browns and goetta, the Cincinnati fried-pork-scrap specialty) and many refinements (Anson Mills grits, Fiddler’s Green Farm granola, and E. Guittard hot chocolate).

Five Points
31 Great Jones St., nr. Lafayette St.; 212-253-5700
Chef Marc Meyer wrote the book on brunch—literally (it’s coming out this September from Rizzoli). His weekend menu’s a mélange of comfort-food classics, the kitchen staff’s Mexican recipes, and a Mediterranean curveball or two (ricotta fritters with clover honey).

Tanoreen
7704 Third Ave., nr. 77th St., Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; 718-748-5600
Hummus mingled with hand-chopped lamb, pignoli nuts, and almonds, or ful medames seasoned with lemon and garlic, is the Middle Eastern antidote to the hegemony of waffles and eggs Benedict.

Prune
54 E. 1st St., nr. First Ave.; 212-677-6221
The menu reads as if written by a slightly bent bastard child of Barney Greengrass and Sarabeth: tongue omelettes, Monte Cristo sandwiches, spaghetti carbonara, and Bloody Marys galore

Westville
210 W. 10th St., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-741-7971
Why settle for eggs when you can have jumbo hot dogs, colossal burgers, and pie?

Related:

• Articles by Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Aug 8, 2005 issue of New York | Subscribe!