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The Arcadia News features restaurant reviews each month.
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Sunday Brunch

This is that time of year when Sunday Brunch can be so useful. It can be a great escape from the cooking duties at the house while treating some of your Midwestern houseguests to some of the culinary delights in our hometown. It can also make for a simple “day of rest retreat” from all the lunacy leading up to the holidays. Either way, there are numerous possibilities in our area so we recently sent out two crews to check out the details on a couple brunches.

T. Cook’s at the Royal Palms Hotel
5200 E. Camelback Rd.
602-840-3610

T. Cook’s serves an elegant Brunch with choices from the buffet spread as well as a menu. The Mediterranean Market Buffet ($29) starts the line of patrons with an assortment of fresh breads and pastries from their kitchen, fresh fruit, berries and eggs du jour which happened to be scrambled egg quesadillas with ham and green peppers. I liked the quesadilla so much I made it part of my second round.

The next section of the Buffet was a variety of cold salads anchored by a large plate of prosciutto. If you are the type of person who moves through a buffet and carefully builds your plate based on a certain palate or style, now is your chance. Olives, hummus, Tuscan style baguette toasts and roasted red peppers round out a great Mediterranean theme. Also available are smoked salmon, chilled prawns and crab claws.
The Buffet is really just half of the show at T. Cook’s. There is a complete menu of items from the kitchen as well to be considered—perhaps the Oven Roasted Monkfish with Red Pepper Cream, Lentils and Chorizo ($15).

My advice when you brunch at the Royal Palms is to saunter along at a luxurious Sunday pace. Not so that you can get away with eating more but so that you can spend more time enjoying the atmosphere and the coffee and your company.
T. Cook’s brunch is $29 per person and is available each Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Happy Cooker
3629 E. Indian School Rd.
602-955-7808

The Happy Cooker’s “First Sunday of the Month” brunch has the feel of a family pot-luck smorgasbord. Everything is homemade and the owner, Al Kraemer, is a gracious and accommodating server. A fine spread of dishes are laid out on the expansive surface of the bar, with items like shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, several great salads (the broccoli salad is fantastic), deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, an assortment of breakfast sausages, two different lasagnas, soups, fresh fruit and several other dishes that space limits us from listing.

An omelet station is set up in the corner, and a variety of fresh ingredients like ham, cheese, salsa, fresh veggies, and other items are available with the only limit being your imagination. Put in your omelet order early, as it gets very busy.

The dessert table is towering with chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, and a chocolate-caramel turtle pie that is a knock-out. Coupled with that bottomless cup of coffee, it can be challenging to get up and leave the place.

At the Happy Cooker, it’s a deal that you just can’t beat—all you can eat for $15 (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations are a good idea if for no other reason than the nice touch of the tent card that has your name on it, proclaiming your table for you when you show up. It’s good to feel important, and it’s nice to feel like you’re having brunch with family and friends, which just comes naturally when you’re dining at the Happy Cooker.

Happy Cooker’s brunch is available the first Sunday of each month (except January) starting at 11 a.m.

Some other area Sunday brunches:
· The Phoenician, 6000 East Camelback Road, 480-423-2530. Every Sunday with first seating at 10 a.m. and last seating at 12:45 p.m. This classic, luxurious brunch is $55 per person, including champagne.

· Vincent’s Market Bistro, 3930 East Camelback Road, 602-224-3727. Every Sunday, this brunch buffet is available from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The cost is $25 per person.

· Wright’s at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, 2400 East Missouri, 602-955-6600. Every Sunday, this lighter buffet is served in addition to one of the main items off the breakfast menu, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The price ranges from $25-$38, depending upon the menu selection.

· Marriott’s Camelback Inn, 5402 East Lincoln Drive, 480-948-1700. A local classic and favorite, the Inn’s Sunday brunch is from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Cost is $49.95 per person, including champagne; $47.95 without.

· El Chorro Lodge, 5550 East Lincoln Drive, 480-948-5170. Sunday brunch is served from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m., and is a combination of their breakfast and lunch menus. It’s not an all-you-can-eat affair, but is mentioned here for El Chorro’s retro feel and those incredible homemade cinnamon rolls.