Rise and shine: Brunch at L'Adour

Who needs three meals a day? Brunch, that lovely combination of breakfast and lunch generally reserved for weekends, is the perfect meal for lazy, unstructured Sundays. And nobody does brunch better than L'Adour Restaurant Francais in downtown Syracuse.  

THE VIBE: Bustling and welcoming. Sunny and bright (if the weather cooperates), thanks to south-facing windows along the front. Relaxed and convivial. Couples and students, some with their parents, brush tables with families and babies in strollers. If a table isn't open, you're welcome to share space at the bar.

 

LIQUID ASSETS: Juices, teas and coffee (the house blend, $3 a cup, comes from Kind Coffee Co. on West Fayette Street). If you're after something festive, like Champagne or a Mimosa, you'll have to wait until noon.

 

THE MENU: Enjoy something as simple as a house-made almond croissant and coffee. Or, feast on crepes, poached eggs, omelets, galettes, quiches and sandwiches. You can even have escargots, if that's your pleasure first thing in the morning.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Who could resist sharing a basket of pastries and a trio of homemade jams ($12) with coffee before our main course? The basket contains a selection of five pastries worth splitting and sharing, including a French apple turnover, raisin Danish and almond croissant.

For my entree, I chose the Atlantique galette, a savory crepe topped with house smoked salmon and creme fraiche ($10). The salmon was moist, tender and mildly smoky in flavor. And the creme fraiche? Ooh la la -- can you say rich? Garlicky potatoes (the menu described them as sauteed, but they looked to be fried) and a Provencale tomato stuffed with bread crumbs rounded out the plate.

Robert set to work on a house specialty, the brunch plate ($18). The feast big enough for two features a poached egg Adourette (with ham, Hollandaise and toasted bread), Belgian waffle with maple syrup (and a hint of orange in the batter), smoked salmon, bacon, potatoes and Provencale tomato.

Do French people eat like this for breakfast? I don't think so, but the plate is a lovely combination of savory and sweet and Robert finished it (to the surprise of our waitress).

THE DAMAGES: $60 (including tip). Lucky for us we had a $50 gift certificate, a birthday gift from a thoughtful friend.

WOULD WE GO BACK? Mais oui! Even if we don't have a gift certificate. A visit to L'Adour is worth saving up for, we agreed the next morning, over leftover pastries.

 

THE DETAILS: L'Adour is at 110 Montgomery St., Syracuse, across the street from City Hall. Breakfast/brunch is served 8 to 11 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Check the website for dinner and lunch times.