Breaking some eggs

Beverly Hills Grill 31471 Southfield Rd., Beverly Hills, 248-642-2355, $: For Sunday brunch, be prepared to wait at the bar for as long as a mimosa or two. But once you get your seat, you can choose from a half dozen scrambles, omelets and frittatas, from the humble vegetable scramble (mushrooms, leeks, tomatoes, spinach and garlic-herb chevre; can be made with egg whites) to the lobster Cobb omelet (smoked bacon, avocado, tomato, onion and blue cheese). No smoking.

Breakfast Club 30600 John R, Madison Heights, 248-307-9090, $; 38467 W. 10 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, 248-473-0714. This eatery is proud of its specialty breakfasts, such as eggs Florentine or a crabasparagus omelet with Hollandaise. Open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (until 2:30 p.m. in Farmington Hills) all week long. No smoking.

Café Muse 418 S. Washington, Royal Oak, 248-544-4749, $: You won't find "omelets" on the menu, as the kitchen has chosen to serve scrambled eggs instead. The "exotic mushroom scramble" is rich with truffle oil and a bit of Boursin cheese. Another scramble incorporates ammoglio, crushed garlic, basil and tomatoes. Breakfast available 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. No smoking.

Café Zola 112 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor, 734-769-2020, $$: According to Café Zola the perfect omelet is the mark of a great kitchen and a fine chef. And the results on the brunch menu are worth talking about, including "the Provençale" (caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and fresh garlic) and the smoked salmon omelet (Durham's Tracklements salmon, tarragon, scallions and a creamy mustard sauce). Eggs served till 3 p.m. No smoking.

Club Bart 22726 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-548-8746, $: In addition to the reasonable prices, terrific food and liquor license, Club Bart draws a breakfast crowd with its omelets. Most are $6-$7, and eggs Benedict is $8.95 (only available on weekends). Order a mimosa or a Bloody Mary, or what the hell, a boilermaker, with your over-easies, and life is sweet. Breakfast is from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Como's 22812 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-548-5005, $: On Sundays, stop in at their omelet-and- waffle station and have it your way. Omelets are made fresh and to order, with a wide array of potential ingredients, including feta cheese, spinach, portobello mushrooms, ham and bacon. Recently, breakfast pizzas have become all the rage with eggs instead of sauce, cheddar and mozzarella and all the toppings you can handle. Open 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Delmar Family Restaurant 1207 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, 248-543- 2773, $: All the omelets are less than $7.25, and they're all classics. You have your spinach omelet, your mushroom omelet, even your ham-and-cheese omelet. But the choices only get grander. There's the "meat lover's," with bacon, ham, sausage and cheese. There's the Southern, with green pepper, onion, sausage and sausage gravy. But, for $6.25, you can have the Delmar omelet, which has it all. Open 6 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 24 hours Friday and Saturday. No smoking.

Detroit Breakfast House & Grill 1241 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 313-961-1115, $$: The creators of Seldom Blues and Motown Soul Food Café serve downtown Detroit with the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Their omelets are named for local features, like the "Campus Martius" (steak, potato, mushroom and cheese) or the "Greektown frittata" (spinach, feta, peppers, olives, potato, tomato and oregano). Seafood and chicken omelets, as well as many Benedicts, are available. No smoking.

The Fly Trap 22950 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-399-5150, $: When clever, talented people make your meal, the tastes will be great but the names will be creative. For "blunch," the Fly Trap serves up fun egg dishes like "green eggs and ham" or "the boot," a Mussolini-themed "rumble" of eggs, mozzarella, fresh basil, tomatoes and black olives. Omelets have such amusing names as the "BLAT+C," the "slacker especial" and the "forager." Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. Closed Mondays. No smoking.

Frittata 236 S. Main St., Clawson, 248-280-2552, $: Named after the omelet's Italian cousin, Frittata has creative dishes without the smokers, noisy kids or fried food odors. Their knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff serves frittatas that are off the hook. The roasted wild mushroom frittata is a blend of wild mushrooms with fresh herbs, Gouda cheese and pancetta baked in a herb frittata. Frittatas are $7-$12. Open 7:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday.

Gest Omelettes 39560 W. 14 Mile Rd., Newberry Square Shopping Plaza, Commerce Twp., 248-926- 0717; 25906 Plymouth Rd., Redford, 313-937-3540, $: Eleven years in the omelet game means you're doing something right. Choose from omelets like the Coney Island (dogs and chili), Popeye's Favorite (with spinach) or the Greek-influenced "Opa!" Or select from the create-your- own options of 14 meats, 12 vegetables, seven cheeses and such extras as black olives, chili and shrimp. No smoking.

Granma's House of Pancakes 17275 Nine Mile Rd., Eastpointe, 586-445- 6100, $: Granma's offers 12 kinds of crepes, ranging from classic strawberry to hearty spinach-and- Monterey with Hollandaise sauce. Also features five choices of blintz and multiple egg specials that come with a choice of sides. For omelet lovers there are 13 choices from the plain to the Greek or the Spartan omelet (spinach, feta, mushrooms and tomatoes). If your breakfast partners eschew the egg, they can choose from 11 varieties of pancake.

Harvard Grille 16624 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Park, 313-882-9090, $: You can create your own omelet here, piling items on until you've created a 2,000-calorie breakfast bomb. Or, you can choose from the usual omelets. One interesting choice is the Irish omelet, with corned beef (natch), green pepper, onion and Swiss cheese. All omelets come with hash browns and toast. Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday- Saturday, and 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

Honest John's 488 Selden St., Detroit, 313-832-5646, $: This neonlit Cass Corridor bar is in the breakfast game too, offering a variety of omelets with names such as "the Oink" (ham, bacon, sausage and American cheese), "the Poor Richard" (spinach, mushrooms, bacon and Swiss) and "the Goyim" (corned beef, thousand island, coleslaw and Swiss). Breakfast served until noon Monday-Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Louie's Ham and Corned Beef 3570 Riopelle St., Detroit, 313-831-1800, $: A friend is fond of saying Louie's serves omelets as big as your head. Their showcase omelet is the $6.75 "piggy," which has ham, bacon, sausage links, green peppers, onions and both kinds of cheese, Swiss and American. For deli-heads, there's the pastrami omelet, which will set you back $6.25. There are 24 omelets to choose from, served with toast and jam. Open 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday- Saturday, and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

The Original Pancake House 33703 S. Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 248-642-5775; 20273 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods, 313-884- 4144; 19355 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, 248-357-3399, $: The OHOP bakes their omelets, which makes them extra fluffy. Expect large portions that fill up the entire plate. The "Spanish Omelette" is a specialty direct from Barcelona, filled with fresh mushrooms and smothered in a tangy sauce. A favorite is the spinach-and-cheese omelet, which comes with mushroom sherry sauce. No smoking.

Russell Street Deli 2465 Russell St., Eastern Market, Detroit, 313-567-2900, $: On Saturdays, don't let the usual line out the door deter you — it's well worth the wait for the Deli's Saturday breakfast. Eggs get combined with fresh ingredients including avocado, smoked gouda and caramelized onions. There's a different (huge) omelet or scrambled special every Saturday, often involving double-smoked bacon. The commitment to fresh food is so strong, the menu changes consistently. Breakfast served 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Monday- Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. No smoking.

This column was compiled with assistance from editorial intern Nathan Stemen.