Sometimes we forget about Sarasota's long-established restaurants until a tourist or visiting relative helps us to rediscover them. Newer, flashier pleasures come into view, and we lose sight of old friends. When a houseguest recently suggested Sunday champagne brunch at the Hyatt, I realized that I hadn't been there in ages but was absolutely eager to return.

Every few years, in accordance with Hyatt corporate policy, the dining room changes its name and makes a few décor alterations to keep things fresh. So when you go to the Hyatt now you'll have brunch at Scalini's (formerly Pompano Cay), on the lobby level. It's been several other names, too, since the hotel opened in 1975, but the brunch itself at $29.50 has pretty much remained the same: a long and pretty parade of breakfast and lunch, hot and cold foods concealed under big, rounded silver domes spread out both inside the dining room and outside in the immediate lobby area.

This is a brunch buffet composed to make a visual impact on the hungry and also to appeal to wide-ranging tastes and varied age groups-everything from eggs Benedict, bagels and lox and apple crepes to oysters Rockefeller, chicken and yellow rice, mahi-mahi, Asian pork, peel-and-eat shrimp, or simple croissants or muffins with jam. The coffee is always Starbucks. At several of the food stations, brunch experts are ready to customize your order, whether for an omelet, pancakes or waffles, roast beef or even made-to-order shrimp scampi. The fruit and dessert stations are bountiful and beautifully laid out, making choices that much more difficult. I always think people can learn a lot about home entertaining by studying how experienced brunch buffet professionals figure out traffic patterns and presenting platters of food in the most enticing ways. Hint: Vary the levels by making good use of footed trays, cake stands and even boxes or overturned bowls draped with a cloth.

The Hyatt dining room is divided into two levels, the lower one closer to the wide glass windows and views of the marina and Sarasota Bay beyond. The upper level features a mirrored ceiling, which enhances the room's lightness and brightness. Hotel guests and locals enjoying brunch tend to dress tropical casual, but the wait staff is formally attired and service is formal, too. When you get up to forage a new buffet station, your plate will be cleared immediately, your yellow cloth napkin folded and the table refreshed with necessary silverware. Coffee and juices are brought to your table. Tables are laid with starchy white cloths and the rattan armchairs are plenty comfortable enough for a long and leisurely meal. Note that if you intend to have a glass or two of champagne with your brunch, book your reservation for noon or after, because no bubbly can be poured before then.

The name of the Hyatt dining room may change periodically, but the Sunday champagne brunch abides as a dependable and enjoyable place to spend a few hours eating things you'd probably never cook at home on a Sunday morning.

Scalini's at the Hyatt

1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota
(941) 953-1234
Sunday Champagne Brunch: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Reservations suggested
Credit cards
Valet or self-parking
Wheelchair accessible