One of NOLA’s most popular breakfast spots, Willa Jean is located in the Central Business (CBD) District, and offers playful twists ON Southern classics. The menu changes constantly but the chocolate chip cookies are a staple and are served warm and salty with a Venetian vanilla infused milk. Frosé is not my thing but it comes highly recommended. The restaurant just won a James Beard Award for its baked goods which are now available on goldbelly.com (a specialty foods shipment website). While you probably need a reservation for a weekend brunch, the two hour wait without one may still be worth it.

This eclectic New Orleans breakfast eatery resides in the Bywater area. Unfortunately, I was unable to get here often, but the few times I did were memorable. The restaurant is famous for Bloody Marys. Many of their dishes are dramatic twists on brunch classics, including an Eggs Florentine with oysters, a French Toast Burrito, and an Eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes. Each dish was superb, the drinks were essential, but the biscuits could be better. The wait can be very long but very worth it.

A classic diner, seasoned with a NOLA kick. There is typically a long line for a table, but you can use the No Wait feature on Yelp to secure a spot. They serve several different types of Eggs Benedict, many with a NOLA twist. As a Benedict connoisseur, I enjoy the Trifecta, which offers the Eggs Cochon (benedict with pork debris over a biscuit), Chicken St. Charles (fried chicken over a biscuit), and Shrimp Boogaloo (shrimp over a fried green tomato over a, you guessed it, biscuit). And if that doesn’t give you a heart attack, Ruby Slipper also serves a ridiculous Bananas Foster French Toast. Not to mention, they serve French Truck Coffee and some alcoholic “Eye Openers.”

This is my favorite place for brunch in the city (also serves dinner, as you will see later down the list). They have a famous build-your-own Bloody Mary bar for which I am willing to swallow my pride of not liking Bloody Marys. You basically order a hefty shot (or three shots) of alcohol and head over the buffet of Bloody Mary accoutrements and have at it. The menu is seasonal, but two of my all time favorite items are the eggs atchafalaya and the duck hash with berries. I salivate whenever I think  of these two delectable meals.