Jose Mendin's Habitat at the 1 Hotel South Beach Serves Bottomless Brunch

Habitat at the 1 Hotel South Beach, the newest restaurant by the five-time James Beard Award-nominated chef Jose Mendin, is open for brunch. The experience — part buffet and part à la carte — includes Mendin's prized comfort food and a cocktail bar where diners can create their own brunch drinks.

The indoor-outdoor space, which offers a charming tree-canopied patio, allows guests to leisurely dine while diving into a seemingly endless selection of items. Begin with a raw bar stocked with oysters, shrimp, ceviche, and sushi rolls. Move on to warm plates, such as made-to-order omelets filled with glazed filet mignon or pincho de pollo, as well as self-serve taco and ramen stations.
Then comes the à la carte section, which is included in the $60 price. Choose from seven plates — which are intended to be shared at the table — and three different robata skewers, including chicken, shrimp, and beef. Eggs Benedict is served on a toasted English muffin with Serrano ham and a heap of creamy hollandaise, while chilaquiles come layered with Korean pulled pork, kimchee, black beans, a fried egg, salsa verde, and a generous drizzle of crema. There's also chicken and waffles, shrimp and scallion pancakes, and Parmesan-crusted French toast.

A section of the menu lists "enhancers" — six items for an extra cost. They include foie gras with tomato chutney ($27), black truffle risotto ($35), and a whole chilled lobster in a warm butter ponzu ($45).
Save room for sweets crafted by Mendin's corporate pastry chef, Maria Orantes; and Habitat's pastry chef, Patricio Larrera. Standouts are cinnabaos, a mashup of a cinnamon roll and a bao bun; a rotating doughnut bar; and filled croissants. Other options include Danishes, tarts, cookies, and muffins, which are all made in-house.

Sip bottomless brunch cocktails, including bloody marys, micheladas, mimosas, rosé, and champagne. Handcrafted flavored mojitos and caipirinhas ($12) are also available.

If you're a brunch lover, don't miss South Florida's ultimate brunch celebration — New Times' Out to Brunch — from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at Soho Studios, 2136 NW First Ave., Miami; 305-600-4785; newtimesouttobrunch.com. Tickets cost $40 to $70 through ticketfly.com.

Habitat at 1 Hotel South Beach. Noon to 4 p.m. Sundays at 2395 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-604-6700; 1hotels.com. Cost is $60 per person. Reservations are recommended and can be made via opentable.com.