There are some days where brunch should just be an $8 plate of pancakes and a bottomless mug of coffee. There are other days when brunch calls for champagne. On those days, you should check out Puritan, especially if you like pastries. Why? Because the reason to go to Puritan is to have their pastry basket. And to drink champagne.

The Puritan pastry basket is a rotating gallery of cream, sugar, and butter. Orange cinnamon monkey bread. Strawberry coconut danishes. Chocolate hazelnut croissants. Pick four and tear them apart at your table. I was not a believer in the hype around the croissant/doughnut hybrid known as the ‘cronut’ because I think that’s a terrible name, and I am still skeptical, but I will happily devour Puritan’s lemon lavender doughnut croissants whenever they appear on the menu.

The rest of the brunch menu is pretty solid. I’m a fan of the salmon plate, and I’ve loved their hash. To be fair, the Puritan brunch is an expensive indulgence and you can get better value meals at Tupelo across the street or the S&S. Similarly if you’re looking for dinner, there are a lot of other great places at the $ 30/entree level with better or more interesting food. But if you do want to start your day with precious pastries and champagne then Puritan is the best in town.