Another favorite is duck & French toast—a confit duck leg is paired with thick cut, custardy French toast topped with blackberries and warm maple syrup— a taste sensation of savory, crunchy and sweet. Ross takes the same French toast to the islands with tropical fruit, toasted coconut, macadamia nuts and crowned with a picture-perfect scope of ube (purple yam) ice cream. 

Savory options include a luscious mushroom toast with soft scrambled eggs, tomato sofrito, crème fraîche, spinach and shallot vinaigrette. Try the unique salmon chilaquiles rojos—grilled salmon, avocado, black beans, chamomile pickled onions and a sunny egg—the unusual combo of grilled fish (textbook crispy skin) works well with the Mexican breakfast classic. 

Weber’s talents include that of baker: he personally makes his own buttermilk biscuits every morning. They’re used as the foundation for his take on strawberry shortcake with sweet cream, macerated berries and strawberry crunch. Chef’s favorite, though, is the eggs Benedict: The fluffy biscuits are topped with Fra’ Mani’s lightly smoked rosemary ham and just-poached eggs. For a Parisian touch, the hollandaise is laced with champagne. Hungry diners will dig into steak and eggs—a perfectly cooked and tender sliced Bavette steak, plated with eggs over easy that’s immensely satisfying.

Outpost Kitchen is the place to be weekends—the patio, dining room and bar are buzzing. Reservations are highly recommended. Mixology is a finely honed art here and a popular morning starter is the Mesa Michelada —India pale ale, bone broth-infused tomato juice with a rooster spice blend rim. A tribute to South Coast Plaza’s affinity for luxury is The Gucci– Luna azul blanco, campari, lime, agave, Italian blood orange soda. Something the Gucci family would agree on—è delizioso!

A head turner is the smoked salmon & shrimp Benedict—a towering plate of perfectly cooked seafood atop toast, poached eggs, hollandaise, pickled onion and whole grain mustard. Generous portions allow for sharing. A one-of-a-kind creation is the bangers & smash. It has it all—English pea pancakes, smoked cheddar mash, fried eggs, dolly gravy and BBQ Hungarian sausage—the lime keifer yogurt lends brightness to the indulgent dish.