Photos by Sam Nalven Rita's Kitchen

The perfect brunch spans many foods and flavors. Dig in to these delicious choices.

Rita’s Kitchen
5402 E. Lincoln Dr.
(Camelback Inn, JW Marriott Resort & Spa),
Paradise Valley
480-948-1700
marriott.com

Brunch is blissfully peaceful at Rita’s. If you eat inside, light pours in through picture windows, washing against rustic brick and red chili-colored walls. If you dine outside, flowers explode in colorful riots over every patio inch, fountains dance and live jazz competes with birds for the best songs.

The food delights. Eggs Benedict nestle on crispy muffins with custard whites and steamy yolks, artisan antipasti insists on overindulgence, and the endless ocean of crab claws, shrimp and ruby red ahi may make you feel like a thief. There are thick slabs of carved-to-order prime rib and turkey, and for those really trying to gain weight, there’s an entire dessert room laden with pies, cakes, cookies, flaming bananas Foster, made-to-order churros and a chocolate fountain. The $59 price tag includes free-flowing champagne and mimosas. Champagne Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Casino Arizona Eagles Buffet

Casino Arizona Eagles Buffet
524 N. 92nd St., Scottsdale
480-850-7777
casinoarizona.com

The food is – in the words of a hurried hostess who nods at the buffet entrance filled with hungry guests – “American, and a lot of it.”

That may be over simplified, and to get to this brunch, you have to wind your way through the smoky din of Casino Arizona. But once inside the expansive buffet hall, it’s a good bet you’ll be impressed by the lavishness that $17.50 brings.

Get things started with a complimentary glass of champagne, then let the ceiling guide you. Above the buffet, a copper ceiling accent imitates a river in motion, snaking over an array of eats like briny, iced oysters on the half-shell, excellent slow-roasted carved ham, omelets to order, and weekly-changing specialties like well-executed fillet of salmon Oscar or roasted pork loin stuffed with apples. We like the crisp edges of the waffles, the hearty biscuits with country gravy, and the cheesy blintzes swaddled in fruit sauce. Champagne Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Great Wall
3446 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix
602-973-1112

Part of the fun of dim sum is the endless stream of dishes brought to your table via a rolling trolley that empties its goodies like a clown car.

Siu Mai ($2.25)? Beef rice noodle roll ($3.35)? Or, in keeping with the authentic offerings of Great Wall, it might be chicken feet ($2.25), stuffed bitter melon ($4.95) or soya duck tongue ($4.95).

Don’t focus on décor: The cavernous West Valley space oozes campy chinoiserie, with fringed lanterns, a stage still decorated for New Year’s and tanks of live fish. And your server likely won’t speak English, but there’s a helpful printed menu to guide you through 54 choices. Har gow ($2.25) are big, moist shrimp bonnets, and squid ($4.95) is admirably spicy. Roasted duck ($6.25) has a dark, burnished glaze and crackly skin and is delicious if often dry. Another delight of dim sum? The rock bottom bill. Dim sum Sunday brunch: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.