Brunch at Max Court (Closed)

You may wonder, “Is it still possible to get a satisfying brunch in Brooklyn for $4.95?” I must inform you that the answer is a resounding yes!

Yesterday, a friend and I were hungry and hot, walking around Carroll Gardens. We weren’t having any luck finding brunch; Panino’teca 275 was inexplicably closed, and Copper was being renovated. But I knew that an oasis of yumminess was right around the corner, so I smiled knowingly when my friend wondered if our final destination would be worth the journey.

Enter Max Court, the charming restaurant that seems as though it were your Italian best friend’s apartment. Our host showed us to a lovely garden festooned with Danesi parasols. Although the temperature was in the 90s, several fans cooled things off in the garden.

My friend gasped at the low prices on the menu. A frittata of potato and white onion went for $5.95, while our choice, the mozzarella in carozza, cost only $4.95. The rich egg toast, oozing with melted mozzarella, was accompanied by a large portion of rosemary-roasted potatoes and a big mesclun salad with plum tomatoes. Other items on the brunch menu included eggs scrambled with pancetta, mozzarella and parmigiano, and uova ripiene, hard-boiled eggs stuffed with sardines, olives, capers and mustard.

We lingered enjoyably over our cappuccino and tiramisú, as no one rushed us.

(My friend remarked that Rosewater charged twice as much for brunch while delivering half the amount of food. And recently, I have found the service at Rosewater particularly inhospitable, especially when I am dining alone. So for a tranquil, equally tasty Sunday brunch, I recommend going the extra mile to Max Court!)

Max Court: 395 Court St., Brooklyn. (718) 596-9797. Delicious brunch available Sat.-Sun. 11-4.