It's around noon on a gloriously sunny October Saturday, and the tables on Masa's plant-filled sidewalk patio are filling up. The reasonably priced brunch at this Southwestern-influenced South End favorite has a dedicated following; the only problem is that everyone comes at once, between noon and 1, mostly on Sundays. So Masa (439 Tremont St., Boston. 617-720-8884. masarestaurant.com) recently introduced the enticing "Brunch Fiesta" ($7.95), served from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday and until 11:30 a.m. on Sunday to entice diners to come throughout the weekend.
Let's face it, the best way to begin a fall or winter weekend day is with a leisurely brunch. And thanks to all the new options around the city, there are more ways than ever to do just that.
The Masa bargain includes coffee and a choice of a fresh fruit cocktail, granola con leche, or the delicious homemade caramelized plantain empanadas served with molasses-sweetened cream cheese. Then comes the second course: huevos con chorizo and cojita (cheese) with home fries, huevos rancheros with tortillas, or Santa Fe eggs Benedict with green chili hollandaise and southwestern biscuits.
Need something stronger than coffee to get you going? Masa has the best eye-opener: A Bloody Mary ($7.95) painstakingly prepared with 22 ingredients, including horseradish and chipotle - and Stoli vodka - of course. Masa's main brunch menu ranges from an enormous breakfast burrito ($7.95) filled with rice, beans, soft scrambled eggs, Jack, and chorizo to a roasted poblano quesadilla topped with cream cheese and tequila- and cilantro-cured salmon ($12.95). This isn't the usual greasy, cheesy Tex-Mex queso - it's a tasty riff on lox and bagels.
If it's entertainment you're after, there are plenty of jazz brunches around, but the new disco brunch at Davis Square haunt
Lunch items are fine for brunch, but breakfast is king, and the most popular dish on the menu is undoubtedly eggs. At Somerville's Tu y Yo (Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 858 Broadway, Somerville. 617-623-5411. tuyyomexicanfonda.com) that means spiced-up huevos divorciados ($8.95) covered in green and red chili sauce and served with refried beans and a fried corn tortilla.
At Sel de la Terre (Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 255 State St., Boston. 617-720-1300 and 1245 Worcester St., Natick. 508-650-1800. seldelaterre.com), tasty organic eggs, which are lower in cholesterol, are whipped up to coat the pillowy brioche French toast, served with Black Mission figs, almond-vanilla butter, and Vermont maple syrup and berries ($12.95). Brunch at Mooo (Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 15 Beacon St., Boston. 617-670-2515. mooorestaurant.com) includes a frittata ($14) packed with wild mushrooms, topped with tangy mature Vermont cheddar, and finished with a perfect sprinkling of zesty green onions. The egg pizza at Avila (Sundays 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 1 Charles St. South, Boston. 617-267-4810. avilarestaurant.com) includes three poached eggs and all-natural Niman ranch bacon, mozzarella, and truffle oil ($12). Delicious? Oh yes.
Brunch can be as brief as a big sticky maple walnut bun ($4) at the Met Bar in the Natick Collection mall (Sundays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 1245 Worcester St., Natick. 508-651-0003. metbarandgrill.com), or as grand as Café Fleuri's (Sundays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 250 Franklin St., Boston. 617-956-8751.boston.langhamhotels.com) new feast. At "Sea, Garden, Forest & Farm" (adults $50, children $17.50, under 4 free), the buffet is divided into four stations. Sea is for seafood - everything from lox to sushi. Garden stands for veggies, including a hearty fall salad of roasted root vegetables sprinkled with mild blue cheese. Farm features spanakopita with a flaky poppy-seed crust wrapped around a soft filling of spinach and feta. Forest, well, we didn't even make it to forest, probably due to the chocolate buffet, which includes a Wonka-like chocolate fountain. The bright airy atrium, which has comfy padded chairs and a jazz trio playing standards, is the perfect place for idling away a Sunday.
If you're looking for a more casual place to linger over weekend brunch, consider J.J. Foley's new café (Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 117 East Berkley St., Boston. 617-728-9101), which opened this summer in a former storage space. This is the place to catch a game on the flat screen above the bar, where exuberant patrons let out mighty roars as the action heats up. The décor is in keeping with Foley's traditional Victorian bar ambiance: lots of cherry-stained wood and an embossed copper ceiling. Brunchers can slowly sip a creamy pour of Guinness or a poinsettia ($6), a mimosa made with cranberry instead of orange juice. The menu offers some diversity, such as the surprisingly appetizing bruschetta ($9), which piles the classic insalata tricolore - tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella - over buttery scrambled eggs. But mostly the menu is chock full of American standards like hash and eggs with toast ($8).
"How's the hash," she asks. "Good," he mumbles. "What does it taste like?" she prods. "Meat and potatoes," comes the satisfied reply. Meat, potatoes, sports on TV? Guy brunch heaven.
