Culina Muttart retains the belt, winning this category for the second year in a row. What could be a better setting for Sunday brunch than being close to the pyramids, which shut out even the coldest of days? And the food only enhances that feeling of warm comfort. From the dense-but-wonderful potato toast to the decadent banana-bread French toast with goat cheese and wine soaked cherries, Culina’s carb-loaded dishes see elegance brought to the sweet side of brunch. While the excellent take on huevos rancheros is no longer on the ever-rotating menu, the breakfast burrito uses the same delicious tomatillo sauce and Edam cheeses. Culina uses free-range eggs and locally produced meat, making brunch like a culinary tour of what local producers have to offer. Some of the herbs are even sourced right from the Muttart. Brunch begins at 10:30 a.m. on weekends. Get there when the doors open – no one wants to wait for his or her banana bread.-Steven Sandor
9626 96A St., 780-466-1181, culinafamily.com
Brunch offers some of the hardest dining decisions: Do you go with the sweet option, French toast stuffed with bananas, cranberries and mascarpone cheese- maybe eggs or hash browns? Of course, the answer is … both. At Urban Diner, start off with poffertjes (only served on weekends), mini snack-size pancakes that can be dipped in house-made preserves, warm maple syrup or chocolate. Then finish with the breakfast burger, the decadent combination of bacon, ham and meatloaf – all on a kaiser. And, then, don’t eat for a week.-S.S.
12427 102 Ave., 780-488-7274, urbandiner.com
Under the High Wheel is as synonymous with brunch as cantaloupe. Whether waking up late with a hangover or stopping somewhere after church, its menu and naturally-lit cafe atmosphere (with coffee and espresso provided by artisan cafe Da Capo) offer the perfect segue into the early afternoon. Because a brunch at the High Wheel – comprised of sweet Belgian waffles smothered in berries and cream, or a cheesy croque monsieur paired with a glass of sparkling mimosa – can so easily run past lunch.-Caleb Caswell
8135 102 St., 780-439-4442, underthehighwheel.com
