What’s not to love about the oft-neglected meal called brunch? It’s the perfect start to a lazy weekend day, a chance to catch up with friends and a damned good excuse to have a cocktail with the day’s first meal. It’s also a relaxing time to enjoy some great grub, when time seems to just creep by at its own pace. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite neighborhood brunch spots:

Vee Vee
763 Centre Street
Brunch offered: Sundays, 10:30am-3pm

A sophisticated menu befitting brunch aficionados can be found at this Centre Street foodie fave. Here, scrambled eggs are tossed with cheddar, black beans, salsa verde and tortilla chips, and French toast is served with house-made ricotta and cider-poached Seckal pears. There are also house-made cod cakes with Boston baked beans, crispy potatoes with a toasted English muffin, as well as a smoked salmon plate with whitefish paté, horseradish beets, hard-boiled eggs and greens. Traditional grits are served with shrimp and Old Bay seasoning, andouille sausage and a warm biscuit. The menu is tweaked weekly, so expect something new with every visit.

The Dogwood Cafe
3712 Washington Street
Brunch offered: Saturday & Sundays, 10am-3pm

A Forest Hills neighborhood gem, The Dogwood serves up one of the staff-friendliest brunches in town. Whether grabbing a spot at the wide, gleaming hardwood bar, intimate hightops or roomy dining room tables, you’re immediately aware that brunch is taken pretty seriously here. Menu highlights include the Dogwood Scrambler—three eggs scrambled with peppers, onions, sausage and cheddar with homefries and toast; banana, blueberry or chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes; and the cafe's famed Huevos Rancheros—two warmed corn tortillas topped with homemade salsa, refried beans, crispy Applewood bacon, sliced avocado, cheddar and two eggs any style with homefries and sour cream. 

Dogwood is known for their creative brick-oven pizzas, so it’s no surprise to see the a breakfast pizza offered here—this one’s topped with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, Applewood bacon, homefries and Mozzarella cheese.

Doyle’s Cafe
3484 Washington St.
Brunch offered: Saturday, 9am-3pm; Sunday, 9am-4pm

Breakfast is the meal that the Irish do best, but surprisingly, this famous Boston pub’s menu doesn’t offer a traditional Irish breakfast (no black pudding, guys?) Still, there’s plenty of the classic American brunch favorites to enjoy like pancakes topped with seasonal fruit, French toast, eggs and all the expected morning meats—ham, bacon, and sausage. Two poached eggs on authentic Irish corned beef hash with dark rye makes for a hearty plate, and their spin on Eggs Benedict—“Eggs Astride’"—places poached eggs on a bed of mushrooms and spinach atop an English muffin with Hollandaise sauce.

The portions are large and the service is friendly and efficient. An accommpaning brunch pint or Bloody Mary is considered de rigueur here, and second rounds are regarded as customary.

Bon Savor
605 Centre Street
Brunch hours: Saturday, Sundays and Holidays 8:30AM- 2:30 PM

This cozy corner hotspot boasts one of neighborhood’s most popular weekend brunches. There’s plenty of the usual brunch-y fare—eggs, omelets, and French toast—offered up alongside French sandwiches (the popular Croque Monsieur is a grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with a French mustard twist and savory Bernaise sauce)  salads, burgers and, interestingly, Calentado, a Latin American breakfast dish of red beans, lentils and rice, chopped chorizo and crispy yellow plantains topped with two eggs.

Bon Savor’s signature brunch dish is the Egg Benedict—two poached eggs, topped with Hollandaise sauce placed on top of either Canadian bacon and toasted English muffins or a homemade crepe stuffed with ham and melted Swiss cheese.  The French Breakfast Combo with either Eggs Benedict or a custom omelet is served with a glass of champagne or wine, a French press coffee (French or Columbian) and a homemade croissant. The fried banana crepes beg to be ordered (it’s the owner’s Russian grandmother’s recipe), and are second only in popularity to the coveted Dulce de Leche or Nutella crepes.

Centre Street Cafe
6069A Centre Street
Brunch hours: Saturday& Sundays, 9am-3pm

Most weekend mornings you'll find a lengthy line outside this eclectic, hip Centre Street staple. Notable brunch favorites include the California Sunrise—three organic eggs scrambled to order with a "riot" of fresh veggies and Vermont cheddar. There's also the famed Cafe French Toast with local-beloved Iggy's sourdough bread dipped in organic egg batter and cooked to order, served with fruit and real maple syrup. Vegetarians revere the arugula salad—bitter greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with Westfield Farms's Capri goat cheese with organic tofu option add-on.

Due to CSC's popularity, guilt-free brunch lingering is tough here—you know there's always someone vying for your seat. 

Happy brunching, JP!