Leon's: A Legend Reborn

Leon's was apparently a New Haven landmark when I was just a twinkle in my mother's eye. Years after closing its doors on Howard Avenue (originally opened in 1938), it has found a new home on the Long Wharf waterfront. Though it's not listed on their website, my stylist tipped me off to the fact that Leon's has an elaborate Sunday brunch buffet for only $25/person, including tax, tip and your choice of brunch cocktail. So, though the day was overcast and a little chilly, James and I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Our reservations were for 11:00, and we were nearly the first ones there. A liveried waiter was putting the finishing touches on the coffee station and the buffets were still pristine. The restaurant has an old-school, understated elegance to it that I recognized from parts of Wooster Square; the wooden tables were fittingly simple, adorned only with crisp ivory napkins and basic white plates. After the hostess put us at a table for two in front of a full-length window overlooking the water, a waitress immediately came over to take our cocktail order (I went with a Mimosa and James had a Screwdriver). It's a good thing we got an early start, because we needed serious digestion time in between trips to the food stations.

While I'm not usually a huge buffet fan if only for the reason that I don't eat enough to make it worth my while, this one was something to marvel at. Hot items served on one side of the room included a manned omelet station; carving station; baked scrod with an olive sauce; a light pasta primavera; Chicken Cacciatore; Leon's trademark Panne Cotto and a breakfast selection of mini waffles; french toast; fresh fruit toppings; whipped cream; home fries; bacon & sausage and, of course, scrambled eggs. The cold selections were even more impressive, especially an artisan cheese display, jumbo shrimp cocktail and salads featuring various combinations of fresh salmon, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, pasta and vegetables.

As if that weren't enough to keep us munching for hours, there was an additional dessert and pastry display at the bar. Beyond the expected assortment of croissants, breads and jams, scones, mini-muffins and a delicious coffee cake that I suspect was made almost purely of butter, there were some more interesting fruit tarts and an array of cookies and cheesecakes that I just couldn't muster the appetite to sample. There was a surprise birthday party happening off the main dining room, and I sincerely hope that they had the good sense not to bring their own cake.

The ambiance would naturally have been aided by some sunlight, but even on a cloudy day, we were content to watch the sea birds bask and dive outside our window. Mystic, CT the New Haven waterfront is not, but there was a large ship coming into port and there is a brick area with benches and lights to have a rest in after chowing down inside. Provided that you're not expecting a bustling esplanade or Caribbean breeze, I'm sure that Leon's outdoor patio would be a pleasant and unique spot to have brunch al fresco (and we would have had weather permitted). That said, I was irked by a couple of minor things that may speak more to my own hang-ups than to the restaurant's failings: the music--top 40 of yesterday (I heard 90s Bon Jovi and Britney Spears)--didn't match the care that had gone into everything else. I could also have done without ESPN on the big screen in the bar, but James tells me that some people watch sports on Sundays. Who knew?

I wouldn't choose Leon's over the best of the smaller brunch spots in the area (Bella's in Westville or even Pond House in West Hartford), but what it does it does well. The service was prompt and attentive, the buffet was kept clean and God knows there was ample selection, and the water views are pleasant. Some of the things I sampled were really top notch, such as the Panne Cotto and a few of the salads, and the more run-of-the-mill breakfast items were still perfectly tasty. I'm glad that we went and I may well go back, but on most Sunday mornings, I'm just not quite hungry enough to make Leon's my go-to brunch choice.

The Pond House Cafe: Brunch in Full Bloom

The Pond House Cafe in West Hartford, CT would probably be booked solid on Sunday mornings even if the food were re-heated in a microwave and served on paper plates. Its bucolic location in Elizabeth Park makes it well worth a trip from New Haven (it only took us 45 minutes), particularly when the country's oldest municipal rose garden is in full bloom just steps from the restaurant's entrance. Fortunately for us, the gardens and duck pond are but a pleasant addition to a seriously awesome brunch menu.

By that I don't mean only that the entrees are well prepared, though ours were. The menu is designed around ideal (in my mind, at least) and surprisingly elusive breakfast-to-lunch and sweet-to-savory ratios. Before we had even tasted anything but the coffee, I was ready to give the place five stars for range of selection alone: omelets ran the gamut from an artichoke/red pepper/spinach/fresh chevre combo to an interesting mix of spinach, apple and brie. The Pond House manages an appealing balance of cute and gourmet in both atmosphere and cuisine, cozy and festive without making me wonder if I took a wrong turn straight into the "American Girl" store. One case in point is the pair of Benedict options, one traditional and one with a characteristic twist. The second ditches the English muffin and Canadian bacon in favor of a fluffy, trademark Pond House crab cake atop fresh cornbread, and both are served with a side of spicy roasted potatoes.

The classic, carb-fest brunch fare that I usually opt for also gets the Pond House cute-but-not-cutesy treatment. A pancake special was filled with strawberries and raspberries instead of the same old blue mush, and a stuffed french toast (with apple-ricotta and a brown sugar ginger sauce) had just been updated to a tropical version with cream cheese, pineapple, macadamias and toasted coconut with a side of caramelized banana. I was hesitant to order it for fear that the fruit would be overwhelming--there was pineapple in the bread and on top--but with an assurance from the waitress that it had been a hit so far I went for it. I was more than happy with my decision, particularly because the presentation was so fun: the french toast was two slices with the cream cheese filling in between, rather than one large piece of bread folded and pinned more messily.

More to the point, the plate it was served on has become one of my must-have household items. Unlike anything I had ever seen, it was a sleek, modern oval design (think kind of an upscale Ikea look) with a small dipping hole for the syrup and a lip to keep food from sliding down into it. The waitress tipped me off that it was by Rosenthal, a German porcelain maker. I haven't managed to track down the specific dish yet (pictured), but here is a link to the company's website: http://www.int.rosenthal.de/

If I had a single misgiving about the Pond House, it would be only that the plate was in a different league of design than the rest of the place. By that I mean only that the rugs, wall paneling and chairs could use some updating to match the quality of the food and service, but it's not surprising that this hasn't emerged as a major concern since the flowers would upstage any possible refurbishing.

So, though you may not have found sufficient reason to journey to Hartford before (New England's rising star though it is), the Pond House will be my excuse for at least a day trip each season. Stroll around the park, eat outside by the pond if weather permits, and bring a bottle of champagne to take advantage of the BYOW policy. The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe house museums are all under a ten-minute drive away, and if yuppies are more your style, West Hartford center is its own kind of upscale suburban shopping destination. Roses, french toast and "Five Centuries of European Masterworks,"--why not?