Brunches satisfy all palates

"Brunch" and "buffet" go together in Las Vegas like "casino" and "gamble"; it's difficult to imagine one without the other.

But buffets also usually mean crowds, and lines -- long lines, in most cases. And in all but a handful, they also mean mass-produced steam-table fare that isn't quite what you and your sophisticated palate had in mind.

So here we present a selection of some of the more noteworthy breakfasts/brunches in Las Vegas. Note that in most cases, you'll want to be sure the size of your wallet is equal to your palate's sophistication.

Bouchon, The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South: Bouchon features French toast made bread-pudding-style, with layers of brioche, custard and apples, which is pretty special in our book. In case you want something else, though, there's baked eggs with Mornay sauce, sourdough waffles and a croque madame; brunch includes such dishes as steak frites and pan-roasted trout. Breakfast entrees range from about $12.50 to about $25.95, pastries from about $3.25 to $4.25. Oh, and they have beignets, too. Breakfast is served on weekdays, brunch on weekends.

Medici Cafe and Terrace, Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, Henderson: It's clear from the get-go that this one will cost you -- but also that the quality is high: a French press portion of coffee is $8, but then again, it is French press. And you can follow that up with some truly offbeat breakfast dishes, most of them in keeping with the Ritz-Carlton's Florentine theme, such as Italian breakfast polenta with poached eggs, sun-dried tomato and pancetta; the Medici omelet with heirloom tomato, Italian sausage and fontina cheese; a frittata with roasted tomatoes and asparagus -- even Italian yogurt (although they have Irish oatmeal as well). And you'll be dining either in the Medici Cafe's airy Florentine-style dining room, with accents of yellow and gold, or on the sunny terrace when the weather is pleasant. Most breakfast entrees (served daily) range from $14 to $21.

Society Cafe Encore, Encore, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South: You can keep it simple at Society with the XL Sticky Bun with caramel and pecans ($6) or get a little fancier with the mini quiche trio, which involves Lorraine, smoked salmon and chive, and asparagus and goat cheese, or maybe pumpkin waffles with pumpkin-pecan butter, or pair your hair of the dog with the Hung Over Fried Egg Sandwich with country ham, Gruyere and breakfast potatoes. Breakfast entrees (served daily) run $12 to $21, and the cafe is right off the new resort's casino.

The Cafe, The Hotel, Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South: Your basic breakfast offerings aren't so basic at The Cafe, where yes, you can get a couple of eggs, but where your breakfast meats include Parma ham, English bangers, Portuguese sausage and Irish white sausage; cheeses include Manchego, feta, brie, Gruyere and goat; and starches include Parmesan grits, shallot hash and truffle fries. If you can't put together something from those, there's always the baked apple pancake with creme fraiche and strawberries, or a waffle with maple-mascarpone cream and warm fruits. And you'll be eating it all in the hippest atmosphere in town. Breakfast plates range from $11.95 to $19. Breakfast served daily.

The Country Club, Wynn Las Vegas, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South: On Saturdays and Sundays, brunch is served in the sunny dining room of The Country Club, which overlooks -- what else? -- the country club at Wynn Las Vegas, so you can watch golfers (and a few duffers) or maybe just revel in all of that green space in the desert. Most of the brunch selections are as rich as the surroundings would lead one to expect, such as lobster and crab eggs Benedict, or brioche French toast, although there are basic breakfast plates as well, such as eggs and breakfast potatoes with bacon, ham or chicken sausage. In a nod to the "unch" part of the brunch equation, you also could get a hot dog or filet mignon. Most breakfast entrees range from $14 to $24; the hot dog's $10 and the filet $48.

Verandah, The Four Seasons, 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South: The Verandah serves regular breakfast during the week and a buffet on weekends, although you won't experience the crush-of-humanity of most Las Vegas buffets. Weekday fare includes everything from a standard breakfast platter (plus low-fat selections) to cheese blintzes with wild cherry-cinnamon compote or huevos rancheros with black beans and chorizo. The highlight of the weekend buffet is the make-your-own-doughnut machine, a station that also enables you to add a choice of glaze, flavored sugar and topping. Other buffet dishes include eggs Florentine and roasted potatoes, and it's also possible to order off the regular menu, which includes cinnamon-raisin French toast, corned beef and pastrami hash, house-cured salmon and an array of fresh baked goods. And in pleasant weather, you can dine on Verandah's verandah. Or patio, actually. Breakfast platters run from about $13 to $17; the weekend brunch buffet is $35 per person, $42 with a mimosa or bloody mary.

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.