Food

Giant meatballs to legit Bloody Marys, Lavo brunch will spice up your Mother’s Day

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The classic Benedict at Lavo hits all the right notes.
Photo: Erin Ryan

Butter-bacon. That was the main course of my most notorious Mother’s Day brunch. I was about 9 years old, and I greased the hell out of the frying pan, adding more butter with every strip. And Mom ate my scary, heartfelt creation, cooing valiantly.

Last Sunday, I finally made amends. Not by attempting to cook—by taking her for a Mom’s Day preview at a Strip staple for mid-morning feasting. I’d heard about Party Brunch at Lavo, and as much as my mom digs popping bottles and dancing on tables, I figured “proper” brunch at the Palazzo clubstaurant was the ticket.

Lavo's patio is prime real estate. It’s right on the Strip, looking onto Señor Frog's and TI’s lagoon, the shaded dining zone wrapping around the restaurant like a sexy porch. Brunch demands that view. Mom and I soaked it up while we went over the interesting menu. This joint is Italian, after all, so at breakfast you can order a meatball the size of your head (no joke, this is 16 ounces of Wagyu) or a savory scramble on the most perfect pizza crust. Even the Bloody Mary has a tiny meatball on the garnish stick, the Mason jar rimmed with an “everything bagel” flavor bomb. But under that flash, the concoction is legit—strong, spicy, citrus-kicked and balanced.

A basket appeared, with two rustic mini muffins studded with berries and course sugar. They were tasty, but the croissant … Mom was so stunned by it she stopped telling a story mid-sentence.

“I forgot everything I wanted to say,” she said, picking up buttery flakes with her fingertips.

The menu ranges from mac and cheese with pancetta, fried eggs and truffled shells to lemon ricotta waffles with roasted apples, whipped yogurt and caramel. But Mom is all about the Benedicts. There’s a lobster option with bubbly-spiked hollandaise, but she went for the classic with Duroc ham ($17). I applaud the chefs for three reasons: 1. The English muffin was well toasted, meaning it held up to the sauce. 2. The sauce was gingerly applied, so as not to overwhelm the entire dish. 3. The Benedict was offset by a beautiful salad of arugula and pickled red onion dressed in a bright vinaigrette and topped with shavings of hard Italian cheese.

I had to try the breakfast pizza ($20). The price might seem high, until a meal the length of your arm arrives. The crust would be delicious with nothing, the bottom expertly charred and the top fluffy with those crispy air bubbles I love. A thin smear of goat cheese is baked on and then piled with scrambled eggs and caramelized onions, every slice topped with velvety smoked salmon, chive and fried capers that function like salty Pop Rocks. It’s damn good, the kind of dish you eat too much of on purpose.

We sat in the sun and let the goodness of the experience sink in, mom and daughter smiling the same smile.

Tags: Dining, Food
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