Today we were in Champaign early (for us) and decided to try brunch somewhere. We parked in the new downtown deck and headed out to try our luck. We first stopped at Jim Gould’s, but when the brunch menu on the sign inside the door does not include the price, you have to figure it’s high. I’m one of those people who cannot justify $20 for brunch when I can barely finish a single plate at that time of day. So we moved on. We ended up at Radio Maria, which is always one of our favorite go-to places for lunch. Their brunch menu is, like all their menus, interesting, to say the least. Several different ways to enjoy your eggs, many with a strong Mexican influence. You can also get more traditional omelets and non-breakfast entrees.  They offer a few different mimosas as well as a variety of juices and coffee. I gave in to temptation and ordered a Mango Mimosa. It was tasty, but I’m not sure I’d spend the $6.50 for it again.

Sarah ordered the Masa Boat Surprise, which is a cornmeal boat filled with scrambled eggs, peppers, onions, cheese, and choriza sausage and topped with salsa. It came with black beans, potatoes, and tortillas. I stayed more traditional and had a steak tip omelet with cheese and tomatoes. Mine also came with potatoes. I thought the potatoes were delicious. Nicely salted and spiced. My omelet was quite good, but it’s hard to mess up an omelet. Still, the steak was lean and tender and plentiful. Very tasty. Sarah really liked her Masa Boat, although it wasn’t as spicy as she’d expected. She brought half of it home. All in all, a very enjoyable meal, and at $23.50, about the cost of one buffet brunch elsewhere.