Sebastopol is Wine Country's most quirky, laid-back destination — and it's getting incredibly hip. Get ready for Roman-style pizza, lemongrass fried chicken and more….

Butter-poached shrimp croque madame at Blue Ridge Kitchen. Brian L. Frank / Special to The Chronicle

Morning

Brunch like you’re on vacation in NOLA

Butter-poached shrimp croque madame at Blue Ridge Kitchen. Brian L. Frank / Special to The Chronicle

Blue Ridge Kitchen’s elevated twist on Southern comfort food hits a high note during weekend brunch (11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday). The menu rotates frequently, but you’ll find the likes of a gussied-up croque madame — with lobster or butter-poached shrimp and a truffle-infused sauce — and a smoked pulled pork or fried green tomato eggs Benedict topped with chipotle hollandaise. Skip the standard mimosa for one of Blue Ridge’s colorful original cocktails (that menu is also constantly changing), and while one can’t go wrong with the classic beignets, the bruleed banana split with toffee cookie crumble should at least give you pause when choosing dessert. Reservations are strongly recommended; if you can, try to snag a table on the sunny patio.

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