This weekend, pre-game Christmas dinner with a champagne-fueled brunch. Miami restaurants are stocked with everything from red bean and chocolate babka French toast, to fried green tomato Benedicts, avocado and caviar toast, coffee banana pancakes, and all-you-can-drink Whispering Angel rosé. Here are five brunch experiences that are sure to impress your out-of-town relatives.
No Name Chinese. Feeling a little hung-over? No Name Chinese's dim sum brunch with bottomless Riesling just might make you feel alive again. The menu offers brunch-specific items such as a unique take on fruits and nuts, with house-made crunchy granola and tofu almond yogurt finished off with mint, basil, and Florida honey ($9). Other noteworthy contenders are a cold buckwheat noodle salad crowned with crab, shrimp, cucumber, scallions, trout roe, and spicy peanut dressing ($18) and red bean and chocolate babka French toast ($12). Vegetarians are covered with options such as smashed cucumber salad ($9), shaken eggplant with maple and black bean sauce ($11), and veggie fried rice. Save room for the frozen whipped honey ($9) with grapefruit, pavlova, and sesame cracker, and maybe another glass or two of Riesling. 7400 SW 57th Ct., South Miami; 786-577-0734; nonamechinese.com. Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Soul Tavern. Sunset Harbour's long-awaited vegetarian gastropub opened this past summer. Now the restaurant is behind a unique brunch. A small selection of vegetarian breakfast and lunch plates is available Sundays. Try a fried green tomato Benedict topped with poached eggs, tomato jam, and sweet plantains and drizzled with a smoky vegan saffron hollandaise ($17); avocado toast with heirloom tomatoes served with either scrambled or sunny-side-up eggs or a tofu scramble ($14); or coconut yogurt parfait packed with seasonal fruit, flax and oat granola, golden raisins, and coconut shavings ($12). For something sweeter, banana and almond butter pancakes come garnished with blueberry compote and banana crème ($16). As you dine, sip bottomless mimosas for $25, sangria by the glass for $9 or pitcher for $26, or a rotating Sunday speciality cocktail ($14). The restaurant’s 37 herbal elixirs are also available. 1801 West Ave., Miami Beach; 305-925-0799; soultavern.com. Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Etaru. At Etaru, a new modern Japanese robatayaki concept in Hallandale Beach, Sunday brunch comes with a welcome cocktail and all-you-can-drink Whispering Angel rosé for $65. Included in the price is a buffet-style selection of hot and cold items such as sushi, sashimi, salads, sweet potato pancakes, and robata-cooked dishes, followed by a choice of main course and a dessert platter for the table. Main courses include spicy glazed pork ribs, shredded-filo-wrapped tiger prawn tempura, and salmon teriyaki with sansho salt and lemon. 111 S. Surf Rd., Hallandale Beach; 954-271-3222; etarurestaurant.us. Sunday noon to 3 p.m.
Lobster Bar Sea Grille. Lobster Bar's brunch is more formal than others in South Beach, so the unique experience is worth a try. Priced at $49 per person, entrées include a whole butter-braised lobster Benedict, which is served with enough meat to fill two diners; avocado and caviar toast topped with slow-cooked eggs; and steak and egg bernaise, which includes a petite filet mignon and crisp potato pancakes. End the meal with profiteroles smothered in chocolate sauce and served with vanilla ice cream and sugar-roasted almonds, or a mango and tonka bean mousse accompanied by mandarin sorbet. 404 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-438-9200; buckheadrestaurants.com. Saturday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Phuc Yea. Weekend brunch at Phuc Yea can be enjoyed in a quiet outdoor courtyard and includes an assortment of dim sum offerings, such as cripsy tofu and PY noodles showered in Parmesan and oyster sauce. Larger plates include "brekky" nachos — a spinoff of traditional breakfast nachos — made with sesame rice crackers, salsa, crème fraîche, bird's-eye chili, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg ($10); sticky rice croquettes with eggs ($12); and coffee banana pancakes with bourbon maple syrup ($12). For an additional $15, sip rosé, mimosas, or white wine coolers. 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sundays at 7100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-602-3710; phucyea.com.