Hangover Remedy

A few things about city living make it all worthwhile. One of them is kicking back at a sunny outdoor table on a Sunday morning, sucking vodka and Tabasco-laced tomato juice through a straw, touching up your tan, and watching the gorgeous carousel of life spin by. The ritual called brunch is one of the great inventions of Western humankind.

Gays and lesbians, of course, are passionate brunchers -- a glass of o.j along with the juice on who slept where last night is as good as it gets. To meet, eat, and eviscerate last night's trials and triumphs -- what could be sweeter than a long, vicious gossip over a plate of filet mignon Benedict or a stack of Grand Marnier French toast? Both these dishes, not to mention the dish on your so-called friends, are available at Boulevard Café (1301 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-467-3266). Or if you gave up dissing your exes for Lent, you can just shut up and listen to the cool jazz guitarist playing inside, where things are a little darker, a little quieter, and a little more perfect for nursing that fierce hangover.

Boulevard is situated next door to Cathode Ray nightclub on the corner of SE 13th Avenue, so chances are you'll be returning to the scene of the crime. It's got one of the most varied and inventive brunches in town. Particularly good are the Bahamian conch chowder ($3.75), a chewy, spicy powerhouse of a soup that will knock your jock off, and the rare tuna wontons ($10), a half-dozen tender bites of seared tuna, Asian slaw, fried wonton chips, and a head-clearing dash of wasabi.

Rounding out the Sunday menu are: a sharp lineup of Benedicts -- tomato/spinach, smoked salmon, filet mignon, crab cake ($9.50 to $13), French toast ($6.75), salads, pizzas, and, for all you bears out there, pot roast with pan gravy and bliss potatoes ($14.95). Then there's the complimentary mimosa, champagne cocktail, or Bellini (the champagne- and peach-infused nectar invented at Harry's in Venice).

Café tables outside are prime cherry-picking seats. And the pristine blue-and-white tiled bathrooms, with their magic mirrors, are way cool. So what if you didn't score last night? They're the perfect antidote to a bout of low self-esteem. Try this and see if you don't feel better: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"