Mother’s Day brunch? Here are 5 favorite eggs benedicts in Virginia Beach.

Brunch is wonderful throughout the year, but it seems that if there were brunch season, spring and summer would be it.

Different from breakfast, brunch usually starts a little bit later in the morning, and lasts a little bit longer, too, often stretching into the afternoon. Plus, cocktails are typically frowned upon at breakfast, but at brunch they are embraced.

Brunch seems to be the favored meal on Mother’s Day, which comes on May 14 this year. There’s lots of offerings to enjoy around the table with mom, but one dish immediately comes to mind.

Perhaps the most stalwart of brunch offerings, over the years, I’ve enjoyed many classic egg benedict dishes, and variations on the classic. I’ve also told you about many of these in this column during the past two-plus decades.

Benedicts have had more than a century to become part of our collective palate. Although there are several stories about how this relatively simple dish came about, my pick gives its origins to the iconic Delmonico’s in New York City, sometime in the 1860s.

Chef Charles Ranhofer created an offering of poached eggs, ham, and hollandaise on an English muffin with truffles. His “Eggs a la Benedick” seems to be the first published recipe of such in 1894.

Here are five fabulous places to check out.

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Buoy 44 Seafood Grill

The crab cake Benedict at Buoy 44 is a seafood-centric take on the classic. Atop an English muffin are the eatery’s signature crab cakes, then capped with lightly poached eggs and a rich hollandaise sauce. Patrick Evans-Hylton/freelance

The brunch: Served weekends.

The eat: The Crab Cake Benedict is a seafood-centric take on the classic. Atop an English muffin are the eatery’s signature crab cakes then capped with lightly poached eggs and a rich hollandaise sauce. The golden brown cakes were flavorful, and just the right size for brunch. Hashbrowns and a blueberry muffin come on the side. I first told you about this eat in this column in March 2019.

The drink: The Pineapple Crush is fresh and refreshing. Here, the bright, tropical punch of pineapple was prevalent, accented with vodka and set off with a dash of lemon-lime soda. I first told you about this drink in August 2016.

Buoy 44 is at 4536 Ocean View Ave., Virginia Beach. Call 757-464-4400 or visit www.facebook.com/Buoy44.

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The Egg Bistro

Benny & The Grits is a delicious offering of grits cakes topped with Cajun-grilled shrimp, smoked Surry sausage, onions and roasted red peppers, On top of that are two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and a sprinkling of house made Cajun seasoning. Patrick Evans-Hylton/freelance

The brunch: Served daily.

The eat: Benny & The Grits is a delicious offering of grits cakes mixed with a blend of three cheeses and sausage. They are topped with Cajun-grilled shrimp, smoked Surry sausage, onions, and roasted red peppers. On top of that are two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and a sprinkling of housemade Cajun seasoning. An order of shredded hashbrowns on the side, grilled with the addition of onions. We first told you about this eat in April 2021.

The drink: Splurge for the table and enjoy a Mimosa Pitcher that includes a 1.5 liter bottle of Spumante (an Italian sparkling wine, akin to prosecco) and a choice of juice and three crushed fruit flavors. Juices include the traditional orange juice, pineapple, cranberry, grapefruit (our pick) or lemonade. Our crushed fruit favorites are strawberry, forbidden fruit, and tropical sunshine. Others are mango, peach, pear apricot, and apple orchard.

The Egg Bistro is at 1033 Independence Blvd., Virginia Beach; call 757-524-5488. There is also a location at 2129 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach; call 757-689-6312. Also, look for a location in Chesapeake. Visit www.TheEggBistro.com.

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Margie & Ray’s Restaurant

The bloody mary at Margie & Ray’s is a bracing mix of vodka and a housemade mix that is heavy on a cocktail sauce flavor, giving the drink a decidedly seafood feel flavor to it. It’s presented in an Old Bay-rimmed cup. Patrick Evans-Hylton/freelance

The brunch: Served Tuesday through Friday.

The eat: The Soft Shell Benedict consists of two beautiful, fluffy, cloud-white poached eggs are presented, precariously perched on gently-fried soft shell crabs. The crabs, in turn, rest atop an English muffin. The dish is served with hollandaise and choice of side; I picked sliced tomatoes. Call the restaurant to check for availability/seasonality. I first told you about this eat in June 2022.

The drink: The bloody mary is a bracing mix of vodka and a housemade mix that is heavy on a cocktail sauce flavor, giving the drink a decidedly seafood feel flavor to it. It’s presented in an Old Bay-rimmed cup. The imbibe is garnished with olives, pickles, and lemon and lime wedges, as well as a generous sprinkling on top of dill, garlic powder, onion powder, and other seasonings. All of the components worked in union to make one delish drink. I first told you of this drink in June 2022.

Margie & Ray’s is at 1240 Sandbridge Road, Virginia Beach. Call 757-426-2397 or visit www.MargieAndRaysCrabhouse.com.

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Rockafeller’s Restaurant

Buoy 44’s pineapple crush is fresh and refreshing. Here, the bright, tropical punch of pineapple was prevalent, accented with vodka and set off with a dash of lemon-lime soda. Patrick Evans-Hylton/freelance (The Virginian-Pilot)

The brunch: Served Sundays.

The eat: It’s hard to beat tradition, and that’s what is served up with the Classic Eggs Benedict. Here a split, toasted English muffin is crowned with Canadian bacon and poached egg, then enrobed in a decadent, rich housemade hollandaise sauce. Brunch potatoes are addictive.

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The drink: Keep with tradition with either a mimosa of orange juice and sparkling wine, or a spicy bloody mary; brunch drink specials start at just $3.99.

Rockefeller’s is at 308 Mediterranean Ave., Virginia Beach. Call 757-422-5654 or visit www.Rockafellers.com.

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The Rustic Spoon

The brunch: Served daily.

The eat: One of my favorite culinary calling cards of Coastal Virginia gets center-of-the-plate in this Fried Oyster Benedict. Here plump, flavorful Eastern Shore oysters are lightly fried, and take their place atop an English muffin with a poached egg and a host of complimentary flavors. Green tomato brings a slightly tart piquancy, and capers add a salty punch. Hollandaise sauce pulls it all together. Home fries come alongside.

The drink: Celebrate spring with the light and lovely flavor of the Rustic lemonade. Here a double pop of citrus pucker comes from Deep Eddy Lemon vodka and lemonade. A gorgeous floral note comes from the addition of lavender simple syrup, and the lily is gilded with the addition of raspberry sorbet. A splash of club soda adds effervescence.

The Rustic Spoon is at 1658 Pleasure House Road, Virginia Beach; call 757-937-8930. There is also a location at 2133 Upton Drive, Virginia Beach; call 757-301-2329. Visit www.TheRusticSpoonVB.com.

Patrick Evans-Hylton, PatrickEvansHylton@gmail.com