Denver's ten best brunches

Lori Midson

The pancake flight at Snooze.

We're suckers for a good brunch, that long, leisurely meal that usually involves copious amounts of food and hangover-killing cures -- or enough daytime drinking to get a start on the next day's hangover. Many restaurants try to lure the brunch bunch, but some definitely do it better than the rest.

Here, in no particular order, are Denver's ten best brunches:

Lori Midson

10. Snooze
When Snooze first hit the Ballpark neighborhood five years ago, it revolutionized breakfast in the Mile High City. The most important meal of the day became one of the most creative meals of the day, with flights of pancakes, re-imagined omelets and Benedicts, and a morning-themed alcoholic beverage list. Snooze nicely filled a niche that Denver hadn't even recognized existed at the time, and the niche keeps growing, as evidenced by Snooze's expansions into other parts of this city and beyond, where the restaurant continues to draw huge crowds willing to endure monstrous waits.

Mark Manger

9. Gaia Bistro
Located in a quirky bungalow with a stunning patio on Old South Pearl, this charming spot floats a raft of breakfast and lunch options that change with the seasons, incorporating produce from Gaia's own garden when available. We adore the Benedicts, baked eggs and quiches, but we're especially enamored of the crepes, both sweet and savory. As a bonus, Gaia landed a liquor license this year, which means you can pair your choices with a Bloody Mary AND a French press of coffee.

Mark Manger

8. Jelly
You'll fight hordes of Capitol Hill hipsters to land a table at Jelly, which has boasted a weekend wait time of at least a half an hour since the place opened in early 2011. But once you make it through the crush and get a table, you'll forget your wait woes as you savor donut bites injected with housemade jam, Bhakti chai French toast, salmon Benedict and creative twists on biscuits and gravy. And don't miss the homemade drop biscuits -- just the thing to slather with Jelly's housemade seasonal jelly. A side of thick bacon is recommended, too. Still have jittery nerves? Calm 'em with booze in your coffee or a red beer.