Emily Wasserman

The brioche French toast with lemon curd at Brasserie by Niche.

Where: Brasserie by Niche (4580 Laclede Avenue; 314-454-0600)

When: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We Tried: The brioche French toast with lemon curd ($8) and the quiche du jour ($8)

The Verdict: To some, weekend brunch is an exclusively American pastime. We congregate to restaurants because we don't feel like cooking and indulge in one too many Bloody Marys. However, Brasserie by Niche puts a French twist on an American tradition, taking standard brunch fare to a new level.

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RFT photo

The fruit-stuffed French toast at Local Harvest Cafe & Catering.

Because it's Gut Check's preferred modus operandi to celebrate people by feeding them (and ourselves), we love making Mother's Day brunch plans. We love it so much, in fact, that we've compiled a list of our favorite places to treat Mom to this year on Sunday, May 13.

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Rease Kirchner

The Webster Skillet at Boardwalk Cafe.

Where:Boardwalk Café (600 E. Lockwood, Webster Groves; 314-963-0013)

When: Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m to 2 p.m.

We Tried: The "Webster Skillet" ($6.75) and French toast ($5.50)

The Verdict: From the outside the Boardwalk Cafe in Webster Groves looks small and unassuming, but do not be fooled. This little neighborhood hole-in-the-wall has some of the heartiest brunch menu items in town, and it serves breakfast all day long. The brunch menu is substantial and varied, offering both sweet and savory items. If dessert for breakfast sounds appealing, order a plate of French toast for only $5.50. You can also choose from other breakfast favorites such as pancakes, English muffins and bagels with cream cheese.

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Kristie McClanahan

Eggs florentine and kaşar cheese omelet, portions thoughtfully split between two plates.

Where: Aya Sofia (6671 Chippewa Street; 314-645-9920)

When: Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We Tried: Eggs benedict ($9.95), the mushroom and kaşar cheese omelet ($7.95), peynirli gözleme ($7.50), Istanbul, not Constantinople ($7)

The Verdict:To brunch at Aya Sofia is to keep the party rolling from Saturday night into a cheerful Sunday morning. The dining room is usually dark and mysterious, but in the light of day, the warm yellows and heavy curtains envelop guests like a lazy-day blanket. And the music! On the chilly Sunday we slid into our spacious booth, it was upbeat disco (think Cheryl Lynn "Got to Be Real"), which was an unexpected mood- (and hangover) lifter.

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Chrissy Wilmes

​Where: Winslow's Home (7213 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-725-7559).

When: Every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Breakfast served daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We Tried: Oatmeal, $6; rolled omelet, $8.50; fruit bowl, $5.

The Verdict: When we stopped by Winslow's Home on the busy Sunday of Labor Day weekend, we knew precisely what we wanted. Inspired by the sudden 30 degree drop in temperature, we were craving thick, sweet, hearty oatmeal.

It seems we weren't the only one. Luckily, we ran into some friends willing to share their table, as the entire patio and all but one inside table were occupied. And inside? On a beautiful, cool autumn day? We're not crazy.

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Chrissy Wilmes

Where: Ari's Restaurant and Bar

When: Every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Price: $6.95 for adults, $3.95 for kids. Tea or coffee included in the price.

We Tried: Everything. Scrambled eggs and an omelet, biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, fruit salad, french toast sticks, breakfast potatoes.

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Courtesy of Ann Hazelwood

Ann Hazelwood can tell you where to find a hamburger the size of a dinner plate, a two-pound order of fries and a pancake as big as a hubcap. The author of 100 Things To Do In and Around St. Charles, 100 Best Kept Secrets of Missouri, 100 Unique Eats and Eateries in Missouri and several other local-interest books found that one topic always left her audience craving more: food.

Rather than writing a sequel to her eatery guide, she opted to start at the beginning: breakfast. "If you talk to people about food, they always tell you breakfast is their favorite meal," Hazelwood explains. As she explored the breakfast food literary genre, she found little more than recipes. So, she took a different approach. "I interviewed places that I thought made a very good breakfast," she says. "There is a tip or hint from the chef or owner [of each restaurant]. We also interject a lot with breakfast food quotes from people like Julia Child."

Hazelwood visited restaurants, diners and bed and breakfasts while researching the book. She found that the good ole B&B is often underrated. "Bed and breakfasts are really competitive with great, great breakfasts," she says. "It's amazing how a lot of the B&B owners were once chefs or worked elsewhere in the food industry. So they really outdo themselves."

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Chrissy Wilmes

A bacon, mushroom and cheese blend frittata

​Where: Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, Maplewood; 314-241-2337)

When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

We Tried: A "build your own frittata," $7

The Verdict: When it comes to breakfast, Gut Check has trouble deciding. We want a little bit of everything, and we love having choices. Although Bottleworks' brunch menu isn't terribly large or innovative, there's enough variety to satisfy most, and even an ordinary breakfast item becomes exceptional when made with fresh, local ingredients, as they are here.

We opted for the frittata largely for the "build your own" part. For $7, you get:

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Chrissy Wilmes

Rooster's fried egg sandwich

Where: Rooster (1104 Locust Street; 314-241-8118)

When: 7a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat.-Sun.

We Tried: G.B.L.T. breakfast crêpe, $8.50; Fried egg sandwich, $5.95

The Verdict: Rooster serves seven varieties of scramblers (three eggs scrambled with various ingredients and served over breakfast potatoes), oatmeal, egg sandwiches and French toast. But the crêpe selection's the star of the menu, which features breakfast, along with savory and sweet crêpe. After lusting over the Crêpe Suzette (lemon zest, sugar and Grand Marnier set on fire) we opted for a more breakfast-appropriate option, the G.B.L.T.

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Chrissy Wilmes

Stuffed French toast with fruit

Where: Local Harvest Cafe & Catering (3137 Morganford Road; 314-772-8815 or www.localharvestcafe.com)

When: Every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

We Tried: Stuffed French toast, $8.50; Vegetarian Slinger, $8.50

The Verdict: Gut Check typically opts for the savory side of breakfast, but after looking through Local Harvest's brunch offerings, it seemed a shame to not step outside of our brunch favorites and try something different. Not that it was too adventurous -- after all, stuffed French toast isn't exactly an acquired taste, but it's not bacon and eggs, either.

After a brief conversation with the server about the vegetarian slinger a friend ordered (she admitted apprehensions about trying the monstrous mound of potatoes, eggs, chili and cheese) and a few cups of coffee, our food arrived.

Our slinger-shy waitress returned, bearing a hefty mound of French toast, topped with a dash of confectioner's sugar and a picturesque wedge of butter. Upon first sight, we nearly opted to make an a la carte addition -- of course, as they so often are at Gut Check International Headquarters, our eyes were bigger than our tummies, and the thick, soft bread slices drizzled with local maple syrup and stuck together with a sweet cream cheese adhesive proved more than enough to sate our early afternoon appetite.

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