5th Tavern

FOOD

The omelet station deserves an early look at 5th Tavern’s weekend brunch. Eggs are cooked in pans by a member of staff, with the fillings laid out nearby: diced ham, mushrooms, red onion and tomatoes are among the choices. Pick a combination that interests you rather than treating every compartment as an instruction. Ham and mushrooms make a perfectly sensible breakfast; adding everything is a separate ambition.

Bacon and sausage links give that egg plate its familiar companions, with potatoes among the other breakfast staples. Scrambled eggs offer a simpler alternative to the staffed station. Either way, there’s room to keep the first plate firmly in breakfast territory before considering the lunch dishes.

Waffles make a persuasive case for the sweeter side of brunch. A waffle with strawberries, whipped cream and a generous drizzle can become a dessert-sized undertaking all by itself. Those toppings are a good reason to give it a plate of its own, rather than finding a spare corner beside sausage and eggs.

Crepes and pancakes broaden those breakfast choices beyond the waffle station. The crepe offers a thinner alternative, while pancakes keep things comfortably familiar. This is the sort of spread where the pancake enthusiast and the savory-breakfast loyalist can each have a proper meal without negotiating one shared order.

The carving station is the clearest invitation to treat brunch as lunch. Carved roast meat brings a more substantial option alongside the eggs and sweet breakfast dishes, with potatoes and vegetables available to make a complete plate. Prime rib is among the advertised brunch selections, though the carving choice and wider spread can change. Give that part of the buffet a look before deciding that breakfast has already settled the matter.

Chicken piccata and salmon Florentine add to the hot-food selection, with pasta providing another accompaniment or a plate in its own right. They give the meal more range than a succession of breakfast meats. A little fish, some vegetables and potatoes make a different sort of brunch from an omelet and bacon, and that difference is useful when a group arrives with several ideas about what sounds good.

Fruit and salad deserve a little attention between the richer dishes. Watermelon, melon and pineapple bring straightforward choices to the fruit spread; a green salad can sit alongside the hot lunch plate. They make straightforward accompaniments to the richer hot dishes.

The dessert table supplies a final choice of sweets, with small cake portions and frosted bars among the possibilities. It’s also worth remembering that crepes, pancakes and waffles have already given brunch several possible sweet endings. Choose what appeals when you see the day’s selection. There’s no need to turn every station into a personal assignment.