The luxury of brunch: Here are places to indulge in a delicious, decadent midday meal

Source: Detroit Free Press
Breakfast is pancakes and juice, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast -- basic, workaday food.

Brunch is breakfast plus lunch times 10 -- decadent, delicious and indulgent: French toast, bubbly mimosas or Bloody Marys, quivering eggs Benedict bathed in hollandaise, baskets of flaky croissants and tender scones. Often, it's also smoked salmon, carved roast beef and more.

Maybe brunch feels like such a treat because we get to sleep late -- or because it's so blatantly unnecessary. After all, if all we wanted was food, we'd just fix cereal.

But it's much more luxurious to graze from a vast buffet, find an elegant restaurant with tuxedoed waiters or just take the Sunday paper to a friendly cafe.

Metro Detroiters adore brunch. That was clear from your enthusiastic response after we asked readers to recommend great brunch spots.

We dropped in to sample a cross-section of the diverse suggestions. And for many of the places we couldn't visit, we offer snippets of your lively letters.

Where do Free Press readers go for Sunday brunch? You name it.

They certainly did, in letters and e-mails recommending a wide variety of dining spots, including several that our reviewers visited. Here are excerpts from some reader letters:

Portofino's ( Biddle Street, Wyandotte). "Wonderful brunch. The food is great and employees are very nice.... You can sit and watch the Detroit River flow by." Shirley Yipe, Lincoln Park

"Don't miss Sunday brunch at the Common Grill (Main Street, Chelsea). We drive an hour and 20 minutes to get there.... Wonderful stuffed French toast. On the third Sunday of the month, a jazz trio plays from noon to 3. Just wonderful!" Blanche Sahijdak, Warren

The Gandy Dancer (Depot Street, Ann Arbor) is "$17 each and an excellent buffet, from eggs, pancakes with special sauces to chicken, ham, sausage, roast beef, bacon, shrimp, pasta, potatoes and all kinds of desserts and orange juice. Even a live combo playing. Delicious!" Joanne Bunker, Farmington Hills

"I would like to recommend Fox Hills Country Club (North Territorial, Salem Township).... My husband and I have tried many local brunches but none match up to Fox Hill's food, scenery or service." Kathleen Walser, Livonia

"We nominate the historic Holly Hotel (Battle Alley, Holly) for Sunday brunch. Built in 1891, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.... The atmosphere is real, not like so many places where everything looks like it was ordered out of a 'what's cool today' catalog." Paul Reda Jr. and Georgene Sutton, Berkley

In the downriver area, "my favorite place for brunch is Kate's Kitchen (W. Huron River Drive, Flat Rock). They make their own bread and pies and the cinnamon French toast is sky high. Terrific! There is usually a line but it moves fast and it's worth the wait." Carol Stout, Trenton

"My favorite place to eat brunch is at Shula's Steak House (Marriott Hotel, West Big Beaver, Troy). I don't like the fancy atmosphere but the food is great. I liked the prime rib, Belgian waffles with fresh whipped cream, jumbo shrimp and great desserts." Chris Bonkowski, age 9, Troy

"Lily's Seafood (S. Washington Ave., downtown Royal Oak) has the Landis family's vote for 'Best Brunch.' ...My jazz band, the Sheila Landis Trio, performs often on Sundays during the brunch. The focus is on seafood but egg dishes and quiches (and full bar) are also available. We love the food and the superlative hospitality." Sheila Landis, Rochester Hills

"Good unique breakfasts and brunches are really kind of hard to find.... The Beverly Hills Grill (Southfield Road, Beverly Hills) is the best! If you have readers that profess to have a good spot, please fax it to me and I will check it out!" Edson Gallaudet, Madison Heights

"I hope you will see fit to include Jumps Restaurant (Kercheval, Grosse Pointe Farms) in your Sunday brunch feature. They are the best eatery on the east side -- a well-kept secret! Every dish is made to order.... but well worth waiting for." J Chapper, St. Claire Shores

Mac & Ray's (N. River Road, Harrison Township). "A wonderful meal, by the water, with good company and for a mere $22.95, which includes beverage and dessert.... Buffet tables host a variety of coffee cakes, pastries, muffins and fruit. A long table boasts eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and other tasty chef specialties.... crab legs, carving station and other meat entrees ...a sinful dessert buffet. Enjoy!" Cynthia Spencer, Redford

Boodles's (11 Mile, Madison Heights). "The place isn't very large, so make reservations. The dessert table alone is fabulous and a nice ending to a lovely meal. They offer everything from salmon to Belgian waffles to omelets made to order ..." Kim Kozian, Warren

"Our vote for best brunch is the Breakfast Club (Main Street, Clawson).... signature oven-baked French toast, as good to look at as it is to eat. To-die-for omelets, crepes loaded with fresh berries, banana pancakes (with bananas inside and out) and crab cakes Florentine. It's cozy inside but we like to eat outside under the umbrellas.... Every diner gets a delicious hand-dipped chocolate-covered strawberry to finish their meal." Todd and Beth Vince, Royal Oak

"Our family favorite for brunch is Charley's Crab (Crooks Road) in Troy.... Food and service are always great. We keep trying other brunches and keep returning to this one." Leslie McFarland, Rochester

"A wonderful family brunch is served every Sunday at Fox Hills Golf Course (North Territorial, Salem Township), a public course very well run. Large selection, good service and clean. Well worth checking out for west siders." Bob Kazanowski

Baker's of Milford (South Milford Road, Milford) "is very unpretentious ...however, the food is very, very good ...always very fresh with a variety of breakfast and lunch offerings. Atmosphere and service is also welcoming. This is a place where one feels comfortable in jeans or church attire. In its class, it is excellent." Ferol Tanner, Milford

"If you crave a deli breakfast, the Stage & Company Deli (Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield) is unparalleled. You can get your heart's desire at the Stage, from a poached egg to real oatmeal to lox and smoked fish platters to egg-white omelets to blintzes -- and on into infinity. The Stage makes food like your mother or grandmother used to make (if she was Jewish)." Marilyn Krainen, West Bloomfield

Cherry Creek Golf Club (24 Mile Road, Shelby Township). "We have eaten at other buffet brunches, but we have never been as impressed as we are with Cherry Creek. The food is fantastic ...and you never have to wait in long lines.... Service is wonderful. It is mostly young people, high school and college age, very courteous, very proper, all dressed in the uniform black and whites.... Banquet rooms are well-appointed and the view of the golf course is lovely all year around." Jan Verschaeve, Utica

From outstate:
"Up Petoskey way, there's one and only one brunch worth driving for -- Sundays at Stafford's Bay View Inn. Not only are there more items to choose from than you can shake a plate at, but the old inn ambience is wonderful, with some tables overlooking Little Traverse Bay. Most Sundays, your meat carver at the end is Stafford Smith himself." Kendall Stanley, Petoskey

"Why not enjoy the champagne brunch at Stafford's Perry Hotel in northern Michigan? The Perry overlooks the Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey. My husband and I brunch there every Sunday.... (His) favorite saying while we have brunch is, 'How did we get so lucky?' We are serenaded by Marty Ward on the sax...." Mary DeVirgilio, Petoskey

"I think the best brunch going is the one at the Thomas Edison Inn in Port Huron.... Not only is the food selection and quality excellent, but you also have a very nice atmosphere, plus a beautiful and scenic area to enjoy while you are dining." Henry Spacil, Port Huron

"A great place for brunch is the River Crab in St. Clair.... The kids enjoyed the traditional breakfast fare.... They also serve a variety of seafood.... It's a nice atmosphere overlooking the water, and they have musicians who move throughout the restaurant. The service was good. Food was replenished often so it was always hot and fresh. We ate and talked with our family for nearly two hours." Scott and Grace Bordeau, Shelby Township
Source: Detroit Free Press