(Credit: Robin Oatts/Genre Creative)

(Credit: Robin Oatts/Genre Creative)

(content excerpted from Breakfast with Nick: Columbus, 2011)

Columbus is a brunching city. Our favorite eateries are packed on Saturdays and Sundays with everyone from hungover hipsters to college students spending the weekend with Mom and Dad. Brunch is that wonderful meal that combines the best of both worlds. If you’re an eggs-and-bacon person, you’re covered. If you’re the pasta-and-burgers type, you’re still in good company. Columbus’ brunch offerings run the gamut from super traditional to kooky and innovative.

For example, Due Amici exemplifies the modern brunch in Columbus. The downtown Italian restaurant welcomes weekend visitors with a relaxing vibe. You can sit up at the bar, enjoy a table in their bright, brick-walled dining room, or even enjoy a spot on the patio. The Due brunch menu features Italian favorites like beef carpaggio and antipasto for two, as well as breakfast classics such as eggs benedict and frangelica French toast. Their most unique brunch features include the Due Brunch Burger, a half pound of black angus on an English muffin with egg, bacon, cheese, and all the fixings. You can also order your breakfast in pizza form. The Breakfast Pizza layers bacon, sausage, cheese, and tomatoes, and tops it with a fried egg for dipping. Brunch at Due Amici is complemented by their signature Bloody Mary cart. A server rolls the cart tableside, and custom mixes your bloody mary. They start with house-infused pepper vodka, and build with all the standards: tomato juice, clamato, red pepper, horseradish, and the like.

On the other side of brunch, the Worthington Inn is steeped in tradition. You’ll find the Inn at the center of Olde Worthington, in a building that dates back to 1831. The old three-story house originally served as a stagecoach stop and a hotel, all the while operating as a restaurant. (It’s actually a few months shy of tying The Jury Room downtown for oldest continually operating restaurant in Columbus.) The rooms of Worthington Inn are cozy and ornately decorated. Eating brunch there feels a little bit like stepping back in time. On Saturdays, Chef Tom Smith and his crew prepare a farmers market brunch, complete with items like buckwheat crepes and smoked salmon bagels; it’s perfect for eating out on the front porch during busy market days. But the real feature of Worthington Inn is their Sunday brunch, which is often voted the best in town. This expansive buffet includes trays of eggs benedict, bacon and sausage, and chicken, plus a platter of shrimp and smoked salmon. You can also swing by the waffle and omelet bar, or eat slices of prime rib. Don’t forget the dessert table, too!

If you want to visit:

Due Amici
67 East Gay Street
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 224-9373 due-amici.com
@dueamici

Worthington Inn
649 High Street
Worthington, OH 43085
(614) 885-2600
worthingtoninn.com
@worthingtoninn

Other brunches on this list are scattered around the city. Many feature the standard brunch fare: eggs benedicts, breakfast platters, steak and eggs, seafood, and Bloody Marys, but you’ll find some more creative dishes in there, too.

Cap City Fine Diner and Bar
1299 Olentangy River Rd.
(614) 291-3663
www.capcityfinediner.com

1301 Stoneridge Dr., Gahanna
(614) 478-9999
www.capcityfinediner.com

As mainstays of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, the two Cap City Diners serve comfort food classics in a slightly upscale atmosphere. Brunch ranges from flatbreads and wings, to steak and eggs, breakfast burritos, and four-egg omelets.

J. Liu
50 W Bridge St., Dublin
(614) 718-1818
www.jliurestaurant.com

6880 N High St., Worthington
(614) 888-1818
www.jliurestaurant.com

Jason Liu owns two restaurants in Columbus – one in Dublin and one in Worthington – that serve elegant Sunday brunch buffets. Sample many of the restaurants’ Asian and Italian standards like sesame chicken, pad thai, or chicken Milanese. Or go the breakfast route with custom-made omelets and carved prime rib.

Lindey’s
169 E Beck St.
(614) 228-4343
www.lindeys.com

As one of Columbus’ continually top-rated restaurants, Lindey’s offers one of the more elegant brunches in town. The beautiful German Village location hosts customers in the dining room or out on the patio. Enjoy a brunch of rich salads, house-made pasta, or favorites like quiche, croque madame, and stuffed French toast.

Matt the Miller’s Tavern
6725 Avery-Muirfield Dr., Dublin
(614) 799-9100
www.mtmtavern.com

1400 Grandview Ave.
(614) 754-1026
www.mtmtavern.com

Matt the Miller’s Tavern is a newer edition to the Columbus brunching scene, but the comfy watering holes are drawing in loyal customers already. Sunday brunch buffets include everything from pasta to waffles to an omelet station. Diners can also try the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Let the bartender pour your vodka, and then customize your drink with tomato juice, lemon, celery, pickles, and spices.

94th Aero Squadron
5030 Sawyer Rd.
(614) 237-8887
www.94thaero.com

The 94th Aero Squadron offers a nice view of planes taking off and landing on the northeast side of Port Columbus International Airport. You can watch the planes while eating Sunday brunch. Sample everything from breads and desserts, to fajitas and stir-fries, to carved roast beef and biscuits with country gravy.

Polaris Grill
1835 Polaris Pkwy
(614) 431-5598
www.polarisgrill.com

Off Polaris Parkway in northern Columbus, the Polaris Grill has been serving up lunch, dinner, and brunch since 1997. In addition to catering and hosting banquet brunches, Polaris Grill offers a regular brunch at the restaurant. Try the range from green eggs and ham, wild berry waffles, a huge selection of benedicts, and a menu of Bloody Marys.

Sage American Bistro
2653 N High St.
(614) 267-7243
www.sageamericanbistro.com

It’s easy to miss Sage’s small storefront in Old North Columbus, but that tiny, brick-walled space serves one of Columbus’ highest-rated Sunday brunches. Split a pitcher of mimosas or sip a cup of coffee while you enjoy fried eggs and johnny cakes, creme brulee French toast, or smoked turkey sandwiches. Or go for the Sage Benedict, which pairs poached eggs with duck confit, spinach, red peppers, and sage hollandaise on brioche bread.

Spagio
1295 Grandview Ave.
(614) 486-1114
www.spagio.com

With more than 30 years in service, Spagio and its adjoining wine bar anchor the “downtown” stretch of Grandview Avenue, along with Stauf’s Coffee and Jeni’s Ice Cream. Sit out on their patio or in the colorful dining room for your weekend brunch. Spagio serves up unique items like the brunch calzone, stuffed French toast made with butter croissants, and potato cakes served with smoked salmon.

Third and Hollywood
1433 W Third Ave.
(614) 488-0303
www.thirdandhollywood.com

Created by the same team that owns Northstar Cafe, Third and Hollywood is named after its intersection in Grandview. The small weekend brunch menu includes blueberry scones, basil pesto omelets, chorizo and eggs, and French toast made with bananas, hazelnuts, and Nutella.