AOC's Brunch Menu | Mid-City, Los Angeles

The meal starts with a sparkling wine aperitif, then moves to duck confit and wild mushrooms with a glass of Chilean Pinot Noir, or Prosecco paired with brioche topped with prosciutto, Gruyère and egg.

Oh, and a cup of coffee too. The meal you're eating is brunch, after all.

This oenophile's brunch is served at Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne's AOC. The new menu, launched last month, brings the restaurant's beloved cooking into the daylight hours.

With pastries and breads from Goin's Tavern and plenty of eggy delights baked in AOC's wood-fired oven, this is a weekend morning's meal more than capable of holding its own in a very brunch-heavy neighborhood.

We loved the custardy, wood-fire-tinged pain perdu ($14), which could easily pass as a bread pudding on the evening's dessert menu. Smoky chunks of bacon hide alongside caramelized apples amidst the bread, adding salt and texture to the dish.

The most unexpected offering, chilaquiles (pictured; $14), is arguably the best. Based on a recipe from the mother of chef de cuisine Javier Espinoza, the stale tortillas are drenched in a smoldering chile sauce and topped with chorizo that's green with cilantro, and a poached egg.

AOC, 8700 W. 3rd St., Mid-City; 323-653-6359 or aocwinebar.com