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The Morning After

Russian Benedict at Betty's. (photos by Jill Greenberg)

The best part about Saturday night is Sunday morning dining. Whether you’re nursing a hangover, trying to recall last night with your friends, meeting up with your parents, or just looking to try something new, Artvoice has tested and approved the best bets for morning after dining.

Betty’s

370 Virginia Street, BettysBuffalo.com, 362-0633

Sunday brunch 9am-3pm

Far away enough from Allen to escape the scene of your night-out gallivanting but close enough to stumble to, Betty’s offers a cozy atmosphere and heaping portions. The menu items are comfort food dishes with an eclectic upscale twist. They have plenty of unique vegetarian options, such as smothered cornbread made with scrambled eggs, black beans, Monterey jack cheese, fresh salsa, and sour cream. They also offer vegan options: Try the scrambled tofu hash made with tofu fried with caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, roasted red peppers, black beans, grilled pita bread, and home fries. They have several omelet choices as well as poached egg pillows (try the Russian Benedict—poached eggs on an English muffin with smoked salmon, dill sour cream, red onion, and tomato). Betty’s makes their mimosas with Bouvet Brut signature champagne and they also offer poinsettias (made with cranberry juice) along with a wide selection of sparkling juices and Boylan’s sodas.

jill greenberg

Smoked Salmon Scramble at Cole's

Cole’s

1104 Elmwood Avenue, ColesBuffalo.com, 886-1449

Sunday brunch 11am-3pm

You’ve been to Cole’s for their impressive beer selection and pub-like atmosphere and their brunch menu matches that standard. Their three egg omelets are just as creative as their burgers. Try the Araxi (Whistler, British Colombia Portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and feta cheese) or the smoked salmon scramble (scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and green onions served over a potato pancake and topped with hollandaise). If you’re craving something on the sweeter side, choose the orange cinnamon French toast (lightly battered with a hint of orange and cinnamon, served with butter and maple syrup). And when it comes to mimosas, Cole’s offers one of the best deals in the city. For $8 you can have bottomless mimosas. If you think that sounds too good to be true, stop by for yourself and watch in amazement as they just keep on coming.

jill greenberg

Bagel Jay’s

2130 Delaware Avenue, BagelJay.com, 874-1800

Bagel Jay’s offers the kind of delicious consistency that is perfect if you’ve overslept, forgot to make reservations, and everywhere else is packed. It also helps that it’s location on Delaware Avenue is off the beaten path, which reduces the chance that you’ll run into someone you know while looking like something the cat dragged in. Any bagel-egg-cheese breakfast sandwich combo will give you the energy you need to go home and shower…or fall back in bed. Try any of Jay’s Classics: tuna melt, egg salad, veggie delight, and the can’t-go-wrong choice, a pizza bagel. For extra flavor, chose a sundried tomato pesto bagel that has all the flavor of a gourmet pizza with any of the many spreads (veggie, scallion, lox, red pepper jalapeno, and more). Bagel Jay’s is also located at Hopkins at Klein Road in Williamsville and Millersport at North Forest in Getzville.

jill greenberg

Classic Steak and Eggs with a mimosa and a bloody mary at JP Bullfeathers

JP Bullfeather’s

1010 Elmwood Avenue, JPBullfeathersBuffalo.com, 886-1010

Sunday brunch 11am-3pm

(full menu also available)

This is the best place to go when you wake up after a night of hanging out at the Pink until last call and the only thing you want to do is drink more to forget how hung over you feel. That’s possible at JP Bullfeathers, even if you are on a limited budget (did you really need that sixth shot of Jaeger last night?). During Sunday brunch, mimosas are only $1 each. That’s right, champagne and orange juice for only $1. Not only do they let you order five at a time, they also will serve you a carafe for $3. If mimosas are not your style, JP. Bullfeathers also has award-winning Bloody Marys that can be made hot, medium, or mild, just like your chicken wings. Their brunch covers the basics with eggs and toast, omelets, French toast, and pancakes. There is hardly ever a wait for a table unless you insist on sitting upstairs—but when recovering from a night out, the darker basement seating might be the best choice. Don’t expect to get a great seat at the bar, especially if there is a sporting event on. The bar fills up fast with a mixture of dads drinking beer and watching football and a younger crowd looking to extend the night before into Sunday afternoon. For an all around good brunch experience without going broke, JP Bullfeathers is a great bet.

rachel good

Trattoria Aroma

307 Bryant Street, PobleteOnline.com/aromabuffalo, 881-7592

Sunday brunch 11am-3pm

Trattoria Aroma is the perfect brunch place to take your parents. The prices are on expensive side, but you’ll get what you pay for—an upscale vibe, great food, and quality service. They also use seasonal ingredients from local farms and businesses. The best part about brunch here is the pastry and coffee station. As soon as you are seated, you are able to immediately enjoy coffee, tea, and a variety of pastries. An exceptional choice on their brunch menu is the Aroma Benedict, a poached egg, buttermilk biscuit, and hollandaise—try it with asparagus or house-made bacon and smoked salmon. Other interesting menu choices include granola and yogurt and the grilled quattro formaggio, which is a fancy grilled cheese made with four different cheeses and house-made bread. Along with mimosas and Bloody Marys that you can order for the table (the “make your own mimosas” comes with a bottle of champagne and a pitcher of orange juice), they also have specialty Bloody Marys, Bellinis, Italian 75s, and pitchers of St. Germain cocktails.

rachel good

Kostas

1561 Hertel Avenue, KostasFamilyRestaurant.com, 838-5225

Open Sunday 8am-11pm

If you are not really into the whole brunch thing but still feel like getting out of bed on a Sunday morning, you should try Kostas. Located on Hertel, you can escape the usual Elmwood crowd. Kostas is a Greek diner style restaurant, one of many that Buffalo is blessed to have, which is also perfect for family dining. They offer breakfast all day, so you can wake up past 3pm and still enjoy some great food meant for hours before noon. Although if you get there on the earlier side you can try the delicious Belgian waffles. They serve mimosas for $5 and of course some of the best coffee in town. Is there anything better than diner coffee?

rachel good

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