Whatever your reasons for Sunday brunch, one thing is for certain: it has to be good.  Portland has boundless opportunities for the weekend brunch, but it still strikes me that the most reliably fabulous one is found at Caiola’s.  Oh, yes, I’ve sung their praises often, but there’s something about their brunch specials that are truly amazing.

Pulled pork eggs Benedict

Consider this inventive dish: pulled pork eggs Benedict:  Studded with house-made pickles in a very sweet but not cloying barbecue sauce it’s loaded with fall-off-the bone-tender shreds of pork shoulder.  Add two poached eggs on top and a rich Hollandaise crowning the dish and for the final fillip a side of the best home fries in town.  There they are: those little cubes of potato—utterly crispy brown on the outside and creamy within.

Caiola’s,  58 Pine St., Portland, ME   207-772-1110  www.caiolas.com

Rating: 5-star brunch

Service: personable; waitstaff has been there for years

Ambiance: neighborhood cool

Tables: very comfortable and great dining bar always filled with regulars

Noise: lively

$$$: moderate