Having lived in Santa Monica for less than a year, I’ve already become somewhat of a connoisseur of brunch places in the area.

My personal favorites:
1. Urth Caffe (for ambiance, and a nice, healthy variety)
2. World Cafe (for slightly more chi-chi)
3. 3 Square (technically in Venice, but worth the slightly longer drive)
4. Swingers (for price and ambiance)

While I suggested that an out-of-town guest pick #1 or 2 above for today’s Sunday brunch, my friend – who was at that moment craving a big, fat omelette – opted instead for the “Omelette Parlor” (for the same reason that if you’re in the mood for a big, juicy burger, you’re going to want to go to Fatburger, just because the name hits the hunger sweet spot).

So, we tried OP for the first time. Since we showed up at the ungodly hour of 7:45 am on a Sunday, the place was nearly deserted, and we certainly didn’t have to wait in line. We selected a choice spot in the window, rather than out on the patio, as it was a cool and cloudy morning.

Our waiter showed up promptly with a pot of coffee and pitcher of OJ, one in each hand, asking “would you like anything to drink?” Talk about skillful product placement! We both opted for coffee, which was undistinguished, but nice and hot.

While there were some entertainingly quirky menu options, apparently named after friends of the owners or staff, I opted for the standard Eggs Benedict. It arrived very quickly due to the scarcity of customers at that hour. The typical thin sliver of Canadian bacon was replaced by a thicker slab of actual ham, which was unexpected, but fine. The egg was poached nicely.

The hollandaise, however, tasted like it had been reconstituted from a powdered hollandaise mix. It was cheesy and buttery, rather than nice and tangy and creamy and lemony. So that was a bit of a disappointment.

The accompanying potatoes were pretty good – little crosswise slices, rather than the typical ubiquitous chunks. But I didn’t eat them all, because I was stuffed.

As for ambiance, that’s one reason I really liked the place. It has an old-timey, neighborhood feel, which makes a stark contrast from the other brunch places in the area, which seem to be falling all over themselves to be edgy, stuffy or pretentious. This is the kind of place I would bring my family, rather than my snotty friend from Manhattan Beach.

All in all, this was a pleasant experience. But if you’re in the mood for healthy, edgier, or slightly more worldly fare, I’d recommend sticking to the other brunch places on my list above.