Best No-Wait Brunch

There's one thing about Bistro Yoffi you'll have to forgive right off the bat: The décor looks like the Swiss Family Robinson kids' treehouse decorated with hepcat jazz records. In other words, it's a little contrived. That turns out to be a good thing, though, because it's no doubt responsible for turning away the scores of Marina-dwelling yuppies who flock to Chestnut Street on sunny weekend mornings. Thus, if you're capable of looking past the campy furnishings, you can enjoy a no-wait brunch with excellent service on Yoffi's gorgeous back patio. What's more, the joint's take on California cuisine is pretty damn good. It includes breakfast-y items like andouille sausage omelets and French toast as well as lunch-y stuff like ham and brie on a croissant, bacon-wrapped prawns, Cajun bay shrimp pasta, and excellent calamari. And while the vinyl sleeves on the walls may be overkill, the jazz on the speakers is quite soothing, more so when you haven't waited 45 minutes for a table.