8.5. Chez Ma Tante. These are the best pancakes in Brooklyn. They're fried in a cast-iron skillet, so they have a heavy char on them, and they come topped with some magical type of extra-buttery ...

The menu sticks to classics, but there are some updates — great diner coffee, and pancakes, for one — and they have after-school specials for school children in the area.

Balthazar 80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Balthazar is a tried-and-true NYC favorite, right in the heart of SoHo.

The restaurant is open starting at 8 a.m. on weekdays, and half an hour earlier on weekends, with a menu that has breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, grits, and excellent pastries.