Good Deal

The Place: Terrace On The Circle, 419A St. Armands Circle (above Columbia and Cha Cha Coconuts), Sarasota; (941) 388-2222.

The Fare: Terrace serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it has just become one of our favorite Sarasota breakfast spots, owing not only to
the well-executed standard American morning menu but also to the al fresco tables overlooking the park at the heart of St. Armands Circle from a breezy second-floor perch.

The Drill: It’s a pleasure to be seated outdoors here (the few inside tables are less inviting) at just about any time of day, but breakfast offers the added attraction of special pricing for early risers.

The Bottom Line: From opening time at 7:30 until 9 a.m., four breakfasts are offered at $4.50 each: eggs, bacon and toast; a pair of buttermilk pancakes; two slices of French toast, or a Belgian waffle. The menu offers much more for the day’s first meal (the BAT—bacon, avocado, tomato— omelet being a favorite at $9.50), but you won’t go wrong with basics at early bird prices. The eggs are large, fresh and cooked precisely to order, the bacon is crisp but still moist, the pancakes light and fluffy. Fortunately, the coffee is good, too. You’ll want to savor a second cup when the plates are cleared and you can concentrate on the treetops view.