Chef Craig Collier is a James Beard Award nomated chef for Best Chef: Southeast and Uptown Yolk is one of his restaurants in Charlotte, North Carolina.



Uptown Yolk is a "Southern Brunch & Dinner Restaurant" that "blends elevated classics with imaginative new dishes in an environment that's as sophisticated as it is modern."



I ordered the Benny Yolko: Two eggs poached and Canadian bacon on English muffins with hollandaise sauce with sides of mac & cheese and TN Fries, which are seasoned, diced potatoes. I also added dipping sauces: Hot Honey, Sorghum Mustard & Black Garlic.



Everything was done well. The eggs benedict had all the right notes and served a classic the right way. The sauces were able to add that special local flare.



The TN Fries were well seasoned and very lightly crisp on the outside. I'm glad I got the dipping sauces because I alternated between all of them to give each bite a bit more kick.



Grade: A

Blue Moon serves breakfast with a rock & roll attitude in the Fells Point area of Baltimore. This location was closed on my visit, so I went to the sister location: Blue Moon Too.



"Baltimore-based Conceptionista Sarah Simington has traveled the country honing her craft. In 1996 Sarah, and her mother Sherri- a diner veteran, opened acclaimed The Blue Moon Cafe in the historic Fells Point area of Baltimore, Maryland. Sarah's personal style is in every corner of The Blue Moon Cafe. From the bright and funky artwork, to the music; you know Sarah's rock and roll attitude goes into every bite of her food. Driven by the passion she has for mixing people and food, Sarah strives for every bite to invoke discovery and playfulness for anyone that tackles her signature breakfast. Adventurous as they may be, Blue Moon diners agree that you don't have to be a kid to get excited about diving in to her now-famous Captain Crunch French Toast. Sarah's love of food as a means of a personal connection comes from watching her mother serve up some of the country's best diner food. Sarah's classic diner exposure gave her a love for breakfast food, which is, as everyone knows, the most important meal of the day!" reads the website.



The design in here is like dark night sky meets galactic adventure. The menu has every version of eggs you could ask for, plus potatoes, bacon, sausage, etc.



The most-famous dish at the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore is the Cap'n Crunch-encrusted French toast — which I had to order. It is a blend of nostalgia and indulgence. I like the idea of the crispy bits on the outside, but the texture is tough here. It can eat a little too crunchy and dry without that necessary milk component. Drenching it in syrup makes it sickeningly sweet. I think my perfect compromise would be a creamy sauce that both add some moisture and completes that flavor profile.



Grade: B

My favorite Bloody Marys are full meals. Not simply a brunch beverage. There are so many garnishes that the drink itself is secondary. That is my kind of Bloody Mary. So, when I learned about a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, I was in.



Hash Kitchen in Chandler, Arizona, specializes in brunch and claims to have the original build-your-own Bloody Mary bar. From hashes and scrambled to benedicts and waffles - there are endless options here that all sound amazing.



I ordered the herb fried chicken benedict with two buttermilk biscuits, fried leeks, warm, maple reduction, hollandaise, two poached eggs, and served with hash potatoes. My favorite part of this dish was the fried leeks that gave it a little bit of a pungent flavor on top of what is otherwise a pretty standard flavor combo. I enjoyed the touch of sweetness, but this is a pretty heavy dish, so I put most aside in favor of the main event.



At the Bloody Mary bar, you start with a celery salt or bacon salt rim. Then, you get to choose what type of vodka: cucumber, jalapeño, celery, cilantro lime, dirty vodka or bacon. Next, it's the spice level of the mix: classic, tomatillo, chili, pepper or habanero. Finally, you can choose to upgrade from the house vodka and then it's on to the toppings.



There are over 50 craft toppings to create the ultimate Bloody Mary: Calabrian chilis, pickled red pepper, pickled jalapeno, cocktail onions, spicy pineapple, artichokes, pickled fennel, pickled green beans, celery, bacon, raviolis, meatballs, oysters, spicy mango, pickled eggs, blue cheese-stuffed olives, cheese cubes, beef jerky, pickles and more.



I tried to fit as many different toppings onto various skewers as I could. It was like an amusement park full of pickled and spicy goodies. I almost used the Bloody Mary itself as a dipping sauce for all of these fun, savory toppings. Plus, some were pretty creative. I love a fun, delicious, new way to enjoy a meal. This checked all those boxes.



Grade: A

The Tap is part of a revitalization of the main street area in St. Albans, in. my opinion.



There's coffee, ice cream and now, a tap house. "We are a local tap house in St. Albans, WV. We have a specialty food menu along with some of the finest craft beer, wine, ciders & seltzers from the state of West Virginia and the surrounding areas."



The space is lovely, but not too big. It's been packed each time I've gone. Because of that, I think, service has been hit or miss. 



Drinks have been decent - I had a house sangria, but I appreciate the variety they bring in from places like The Peddler and Weathered Ground.



When I've gone for brunch, I tried the chicken and waffles; the chicken cut itself could have been a better quality, but I did enjoy the waffle with the local syrup. 



Avocado toast (with goat cheese!) was pretty tasty and stacked with toppings, and the breakfast pizza was the winner of the group. 



It had that ooey, gooey cheese and comforting flavors that hit the spot on a Sunday.



Grade: B

Requirements for this brunch included something quick and near the interstate. She suggested Wild Eggs.

My great grandpa’s kitchen. By the time you came to his breakfast table, you were plenty ready to eat. Maybe you spent the past hour working the fields or gathering eggs from the henhouse. You might have visited your neighbor’s home for fresh milk or butter. 

Everything on your plate would have been made from scratch. And any meal, especially one made by my great grandma, would have included potatoes: home fries, hash browns, mashed potatoes, maybe even potato latkes. You were surrounded by family and friends at the table, sharing your plans for the long day ahead and having one more cup of coffee before heading to town. 

Life for my great grandpa revolved around work and family, making an honest living in a new land. Blessed with pristine streams, and rich soil, he began farming and selling potatoes and produce. He eventually opened the Zel Potato Company, selling his crops at the city’s farmers market. 

As the family grew, breakfast continued to hold its importance, serving as a touchstone between his life in the old country and his new life in America. 

My mother continued this tradition. She brought fresh eggs, stocked our refrigerator with the freshest locally grown produce, and fresh squeezed orange juice. And just like her grandpa’s kitchen, almost every breakfast featured potatoes. 

Wild Eggs believes it can start right where my ancestors left off- serving hard working people and their families with great wholesome food. This legacy will provide the breakfast inspiration for many years to come (Our Story).

Wild Eggs has a few different locations in bordering states to West Virginia, but none in state. The menu features all your breakfast favorites - eggs, waffles, french toast, pancakes, biscuits & gravy, and even salads and sandwiches.

In typical Candace fashion, I went for the stuffed toast (mmm): Stuffed Thick sliced sourdough, sweetened cream cheese, maple syrup, blueberries and strawberries, powdered sugar, cinnamon and whipped cream. These were good, if not a bit too much. They got a little soggy with all the toppings involved.

And, for a side, I got the potato latkes. Good, too! Just wish there was applesauce, as well. All in all, a pretty good meal! Plus, a little bit of everything for everybody.

Grade: B

While I was visiting the southern part of Indiana, I made the trip with my friends Maggie and BJ up to the state's capital. I'd never seen Indianapolis before, so YOLO, right?

If you look up good restaurants in Indianapolis, at the top of almost every list is Milktooth. Conde Nast even called it one of the best restaurants in the world! Bon Appetit also had great things to say.

Milktooth is the first restaurant of chef/owner Jonathan Brooks and his wife Ashley. It has grown from a passionate commitment to great local ingredients and an inspiration to connect childhood food memories with unconventionally creative morning fare. Daybreak meals became nourishing family time to Jonathan and Ashley after their son was born and Jonathan took over as Chef de Cuisine at Recess. With an ever expanding love and pride for Indianapolis they invite you to come enjoy a great cup of coffee, a cocktail, a pancake, or perhaps some sweet tea fried chicken (OUR STORY).

So, when we arrived, there was a line out the door and a very cramped entrance way - no surprise. They anticipate this and have a coffee bar open for those waiting.


There's no seating there, but you can at least get a drink or pastry to keep yourself occupied. I ordered a "gold front" which came with black tea, turmeric, ginger, coconut, cardamom, honey, steamed milk.

And, I also got a homemade poptart - strawberry and kumquat. How cool is that?

It took a little while to get my drink, but once I did, I went outside to the tables and precariously had a sip. It was very different, but light and smooth.

Most people would agree a great breakfast deserves an excellent cup of coffee. Milktooth boasts not only a staff of talented and dedicated baristas, but also, Indianapolis’ first ModBar espresso machine. In partnership with La Marzocco, Fort Wayne based ModBar, has created an espresso machine that is truly the pinnacle of style and technology. 

By placing almost all of the machinery underneath the counter, ModBar has created a no-barrier, espresso experience unlike any other. While most all espresso machines create a ‘curtain’ in which the barista is hidden behind, the ModBar opens up the ‘stage’ and invites patrons to witness and be a part of the hand crafting of every beverage. 

The ModBar has been engineered and outfitted with every luxury an espresso machine can be afforded. It is equipped with features such as a digital interface and adjustable pressure profiling. This allows our baristas to have full creative control, bringing out flavors in the coffee that would otherwise be lost. 

Milktooth is also Indianapolis’ premier multi-roaster coffee program. Just like a great bar would change the beers on tap, we are constantly searching for the best coffee beans from the best coffee roasters in the country. This commitment to the best roasted coffee, equipment and baristas is what makes every single cup special and unique. Whether its a Toddy cold brew, a crunch berry cappuccino, an authentic Vietnamese iced coffee, or one of our pour over options, your morning cup will be sure to please all the senses.

The poptart was cool - not overly sweet but more like a pastry and jam. I was into it.

Then, our names were called, so I brought my goodies back inside before being seated at a table near the back. The interior is "chic and airy" - bright, lots of white and hip succulents and foodie books line the wall.


Their menu has some phenomenal sounding items. Strawberry Dutch baby pancakes, house pastrami cured salmon on house rye bialy, fried chicken wings with coconut curry rice. And then there was this:

Cranberry walnut & TP Caerphilly cheddar grilled cheese with black truffle honey and a local sunny duck egg. The bread was thick, with a nice crunch to it, and the cheese was plentiful and just oozing out all over. It was all covered in this sweet, yet umami flavored honey that meshed that sweet and salty together beautifully. And, just to top it off, a sunnyside egg that just makes it more "breakfast-y." Easily one of the most creative, delicious grilled cheeses I've ever had.


Grade: A

Morgantown has no shortage of great brunch places these days, but there's something to be said about a place that churns out homemade bagels on which to consume cheesy eggs, crisp bacon and smoked salmon.

00Bagel, the homemade bagel company, has been hosting brunch on Sundays at 123 Pleasant Street for quite a while now, and I just recently had the opportunity to stop by. It's a rare thing for me to see 123 during the daylight but it's also pretty cool to see the old brick, the neat colored glass and plants surrounded the piano.

Walk to the back, place your order (the menu changes weekly), pay and find a seat. I walked up toward the window so I could people-watch as I chowed down. I stopped at the bar to get a water. After just a moment, they delivered a picture perfect bagel.

So, I had ordered their 00Breakfast Bagel with bacon, egg and cheddar. If their specialty is bagels, I gotta let that show through, right?

This was piled high with thick-cut bacon, tons of oozing, melty cheddar and egg on an everything bagel. And, it was pretty damn good. These bagels are even better than I remember them, so I was very pleasantly surprised with my sandwich.

Good proportions, the bagel had so much "everything" on it, that I'm pretty sure I had poppy seeds in my teeth for the rest of the day. But, I am not complaining. Worth it.

They have a lot of other cool options, too, especially if you're a bit adventurous. And, the next time I see a bagel + lox on the menu, I'm getting my butt there ASAP.

Have you been? What's the best thing you've ordered?