One of the oft-overlooked benefits of working at home? Brunch. Anytime.

For those who aren’t inclined toward whipping up a home-cooked California omelet midway through the week, hit Lucile’s Creole Cafe at 252 S. Logan (Alameda and Logan , across from the Twist & Shout record store). It’s the newest branch of the successful breakfast and lunch spot that started out in Boulder back in 1980, where good Southern cookin’ turns eggs and biscuits into massive piles of heavenly brunch options. They serve breakfast and lunch all week; Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We went for the first time last Saturday, not sure what to expect. The location is walking distance from my house, but it’s been at least three different restaurants (most recently, Intrigue) since we’ve lived in this part of town, none very successful. But now I think we’ve got a hit on our hands. At 11 a.m. on Saturday, the wait was running about 2o minutes, and the place was hopping. Parking is a bit tricky, so there were plenty of bikes and scooters lined up out front, but the smells wafting from restaurant toward the cozy waiting area – littered with magazines and newspapers to help while away 20 minutes with a cuppa joe – left us feeling pretty hopeful.

Soon we were seated, and we loaded up. First, fresh squeezed OJ for me, and the strong-but-tasty house cafe au lait for hubby. We ordered fresh bananas in cream to nibble on, and then sat back to really check out the menu. I ended up with the Carlin County – a massive pile of fluffy buttermilk biscuits piled with spicy sausage gravy, served with red beans (with plenty of tender pulled pork) and cheese grits. Hubby ordered the Eggs Rockefeller – scrambles eggs with delicious, crunchy fried oysters, steamed spinach and Rockefeller sauce. Others we considered; Eggs Jennifer, a veggie Benedict with spinach, tomato, and avocado, and Eggs New Orleans – fried eggplant slices with creole sauce, poached eggs, and hollandaise. They also serve up fresh, hot beignets and chicory coffee, so we’ll be popping in for lighter fare on weekday mornings, and they offer gumbo, red beans & rice, etouffee, po’boys, and other New Orleans-style favorites for lunch.

I’m getting hungry now. Might have to roll down the street for a little pre-Thanksgiving feasting.