Place: Pier Top.
Address: Hyatt Regency Pier 66, 2301 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale.Rating: *** (Very Good)Contact: 954-525-6666, PierTop.com.Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays.Prices: $65 with unlimited champagne and Bloody Marys, $42 with nonalcoholic beverages. No kids' discount; 18 percent gratuity automatically added.FYI: Parking free with validation. Reservations recommended.It all revolves around the view. The iconic Pier Top restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 is again open to the public -- this time for Sunday brunch, a new venture for the Fort Lauderdale landmark.
For decades, Pier Top was a romantic, loungey setting with the novelty of a glass-elevator trip (66-second ride), rotating floor (one revolution every 66 minutes) and a dazzling 360-degree panorama. It closed in 2005, and, after renovations, was available only for private events until brunch service began in March.
If you want to show off South Florida's splendor to your company from Cleveland, you can't beat the wow factor when you walk into the room. From every angle, there's an eye-grabber out the floor-to-ceiling windows: Yachts gliding along the Intracoastal. Cruise ships docked at Port Everglades. Marinas and mansions. Miles of coastline and a glimmering sea.
Patrons dine on the outer, carpeted rim that rotates around a stationary buffet area. If that table across the way looks like it has a better view, just wait -- you'll get there. It's a bright and airy space with simple decor: white tables set with brown and turquoise place mats that match the carpeting. The focus is on the grandeur outside.
The brunch -- $65 with unlimited champagne and Bloody Marys, $42 with nonalcoholic beverages -- features more than 30 items. Don't expect chafing dishes filled with bacon, sausage and other breakfast staples. Instead, you'll find martini glasses filled with Pacific salmon tartar; eggs Benedict with lobster; ceviche and sushi; a pasta station and dozens of lavish desserts. Portions are small, but you'll overindulge anyway.
There's a tendency to pig out at any brunch because, well, you can. Besides, you want to get your money's worth. At Pier 66, that may require a designated driver. The champagne is Veuve Clicquot, the Bloody Marys are made with Belvedere vodka, and servers circulate with trays of blood orange, tangerine or traditional orange mimosas.
The menu changes every two weeks, but there's always a pasta station -- on our visit, tortellini with shrimp, steak, chicken and/or veggies. I didn't want to fill up on pasta, so the cook fixed me a tiny batch.
Cooks grill items like lamb chops, seafood and chicken on the observation deck, where couples once gazed at the stars. Our perfectly cooked sea bass fillet arrived hot in a small cast-iron pan with creamy mashed potatoes and corn. We could have stopped there, but of course we didn't.
At the pancake and waffle station, we piled on fresh fruit and tufts of whipped cream. We dived into imported cheeses, chilled asparagus, mussels ceviche. And we savored delicious beef tenderloin at the carving station.
A sushi chef prepares lovely rolls, but we were disappointed in the soggy fried shrimp that emerged from one piece. At another station, the whole, chilled shrimp were tasteless.
Pier 66 still has start-up issues to resolve. The biggest was a 30-minute wait for the check. With no computer system yet on site, staffers had to go 17 floors down to the lobby to process bills. A manager says restaurant computers will be up and running by Sunday.
Pier 66 does a good job of pacing reservations, with no crowding or long lines at any stations. Despite the upscale fare, plenty of families dine here -- even without discounts for the kiddies -- and Mother's Day is already booked.
A gorgeous array of desserts surrounding a sculptured-ice seashell send you out on top. Savor truffles and tropical fruit tarts, dainty portions of crème brlée and tiramisu, cheesecake and panna cotta, plus mini chocolate fountains with fruit and marshmallow skewers. It's a sweet ending and a new beginning for Pier Top.
