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Best chai

Common Grounds

What's a coffeehouse doing making such a great cup o' tea? That's what we wanted to know, and here's the answer: Mary and Lisa Rogers, the owners of the two Common Grounds coffeeshops, are tea lovers at heart. After doing some research on the origins of chai, an Indian and Middle Eastern drink made from spiced tea and steamed milk, they decided that the only way to do it was the right way. And so Common Grounds's barristas don't reheat bottled chai syrup as they would at most places, but instead custom-make each cup. That way, tea lovers can order their tea cardamom-sweetened or cinnamon-spiced, made with whole, skim or soy milk, flavored with honey or apple cider, served hot, cold or even frozen. If at first you don't succeed, chai, chai again.

Best restaurant when you're on the see-food-and-eat-it diet

World Buffet

World Buffet won't go belly up as long as it keeps putting out a spread like this one. For $5.49 at lunch and $7.99 at dinner, diners can stuff themselves with no fewer than a hundred items. There's a staggering collection of Asian dishes -- everything from egg rolls to sweet-and-sour pork, sesame chicken and orange beef, fried rice and lo mein, and even sushi rolls -- as well as barbecued spareribs, snow crab legs, carved-to-order ham and roast beef, spaghetti, a full salad bar, an ice cream station and, if you must, fresh fruit. Amazingly, not only is all this stuff edible, it's downright tasty. Knock yourself out.

Best restaurant when you're on the see-food-and-eat-it diet

World Buffet

World Buffet won't go belly up as long as it keeps putting out a spread like this one. For $5.49 at lunch and $7.99 at dinner, diners can stuff themselves with no fewer than a hundred items. There's a staggering collection of Asian dishes -- everything from egg rolls to sweet-and-sour pork, sesame chicken and orange beef, fried rice and lo mein, and even sushi rolls -- as well as barbecued spareribs, snow crab legs, carved-to-order ham and roast beef, spaghetti, a full salad bar, an ice cream station and, if you must, fresh fruit. Amazingly, not only is all this stuff edible, it's downright tasty. Knock yourself out.

Best cheap breakfast

Breakfast Palace

The waitresses wear Sturgis T-shirts, the customers are gossiping about who owes whom money at Broadway's dirtier businesses, and no one takes any crap. We'd be willing to pay extra for such atmosphere, but Breakfast Palace serves it up free, along with the cheapest, heartiest breakfasts in town. For a measly $2.99, you get gritty realism as well as two eggs your way, tasty hash browns, toast and your choice of ham (thick slab), bacon or sausage (three each). The meaty items are quality, maple-cured pig; the eggs are perfectly prepared (they'll even poach them for you); and the hash browns are the fluffy, half-mashed, half-hashed kind that wear a crunchy, fat-flavored crust courtesy of their time on the grill. Ante up a little extra for a glass of O.J. that tastes like the actual fruit, and know that it doesn't get any cheaper -- or better -- than this.

Readers' choice: Pete's Kitchen

Best cheap breakfast

Breakfast Palace

The waitresses wear Sturgis T-shirts, the customers are gossiping about who owes whom money at Broadway's dirtier businesses, and no one takes any crap. We'd be willing to pay extra for such atmosphere, but Breakfast Palace serves it up free, along with the cheapest, heartiest breakfasts in town. For a measly $2.99, you get gritty realism as well as two eggs your way, tasty hash browns, toast and your choice of ham (thick slab), bacon or sausage (three each). The meaty items are quality, maple-cured pig; the eggs are perfectly prepared (they'll even poach them for you); and the hash browns are the fluffy, half-mashed, half-hashed kind that wear a crunchy, fat-flavored crust courtesy of their time on the grill. Ante up a little extra for a glass of O.J. that tastes like the actual fruit, and know that it doesn't get any cheaper -- or better -- than this.

Readers' choice: Pete's Kitchen

Best Sunday brunch buffet

Garden Terrace at the Inverness Hotel

Other places may do it bigger, and some may even offer a few better individual dishes, but for price and quality, no Sunday brunch beats the blowout at Garden Terrace. At $21.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids (those under four eat free), this could be the deal of a lifetime. In addition to the usual roster of breakfast items -- Belgian waffles, omelette station, eggs Benedict, bacon, sausage, baked goodies -- Garden Terrace also offers smoked fish, pâtés, terrines, oysters on the half-shell, peel-and-eat shrimp, a dozen cold salads, two dozen hot dishes (such as chicken marsala and pasta primavera), a cheese board, carved-to-order meats, and a plethora of decadent dessert options, including a chocolate fondue station. The atmosphere is lively and casual, upscale but not so fancy that kids are frowned upon, and the overall quality of the food is unbeatable. Spread the word.

Best Sunday brunch buffet

Garden Terrace at the Inverness Hotel

Other places may do it bigger, and some may even offer a few better individual dishes, but for price and quality, no Sunday brunch beats the blowout at Garden Terrace. At $21.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids (those under four eat free), this could be the deal of a lifetime. In addition to the usual roster of breakfast items -- Belgian waffles, omelette station, eggs Benedict, bacon, sausage, baked goodies -- Garden Terrace also offers smoked fish, pâtés, terrines, oysters on the half-shell, peel-and-eat shrimp, a dozen cold salads, two dozen hot dishes (such as chicken marsala and pasta primavera), a cheese board, carved-to-order meats, and a plethora of decadent dessert options, including a chocolate fondue station. The atmosphere is lively and casual, upscale but not so fancy that kids are frowned upon, and the overall quality of the food is unbeatable. Spread the word.

Best a la carte brunch

Strings

The dining areas are bright and cheerful and so is the staff, which makes for a happy way to start off a leisurely Saturday. For brunch, Strings keeps it simple -- a pasta dish or two, a half-dozen egg items and a smartly assembled smoked-salmon salad -- but it's all simply delicious. The shrimp hash over potato pancakes comes topped by a poached egg and smothered with hollandaise; the prosciutto-and-chive potato terrine is so hefty you won't have to eat again for the rest of the day (especially if you start out with the gazpacho, garnished by a ball of tomato sorbet). And your standard lox and bagel will never look as good once you've sampled that smoked-salmon plate, a flavor frenzy of sweet, rich, peppery and tart: oily, supple, good-quality slices of smoked salmon; creamy, chive-scrambled eggs, arugula, tomato slices, fresh basil, fresh strawberries and Belgian endive. Throw in a few of Strings's super Bloody Marys, and you may be able to face the fact that the weekend's just about over.

Best a la carte brunch

Strings

The dining areas are bright and cheerful and so is the staff, which makes for a happy way to start off a leisurely Saturday. For brunch, Strings keeps it simple -- a pasta dish or two, a half-dozen egg items and a smartly assembled smoked-salmon salad -- but it's all simply delicious. The shrimp hash over potato pancakes comes topped by a poached egg and smothered with hollandaise; the prosciutto-and-chive potato terrine is so hefty you won't have to eat again for the rest of the day (especially if you start out with the gazpacho, garnished by a ball of tomato sorbet). And your standard lox and bagel will never look as good once you've sampled that smoked-salmon plate, a flavor frenzy of sweet, rich, peppery and tart: oily, supple, good-quality slices of smoked salmon; creamy, chive-scrambled eggs, arugula, tomato slices, fresh basil, fresh strawberries and Belgian endive. Throw in a few of Strings's super Bloody Marys, and you may be able to face the fact that the weekend's just about over.

Best French toast

jou jou at the Teatro Hotel

There's no better way to start a downtown workday than with breakfast at jou jou, the more casual but still classy Kevin Taylor eatery in the Teatro (the higher-priced spread, Restaurant Kevin Taylor, is but a doorway away). The lighting is soft, but the classic breakfast menu is a real eye-opener. For starters, just feast your eyes -- and then your mouth -- on the super-sweet French toast. The kitchen takes a dense, spongy brioche, slices it thick, batters each piece with a custardy egg mixture, and then fries everything in butter; the pile of golden goodness that results is decorated with caramelized sliced bananas and sided by a top-grade maple syrup. Toss in some of jou jou's melt-in-your-mouth maple-cured bacon, and you're ready to greet the day.

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