The local favorite in Charlotte is the avocado, bacon and pepper jack frittata. "This is our best-selling frittata because it combines health and sin, yin and yang, in one package," Edlund says. That it's served with oven roasted potato shreds baked with cream, cream cheese and scallions and a warm homemade blueberry scone doesn't hurt.


Skillets, 11324 N. Community House Road, Charlotte, N.C.; (704) 752-5885, http://www.skilletsforbreakfast.com

Chef Lou Cruz of CAV in Providence, R.I., scrambles his special egg dish with lobster, Thai chili cream sauce and toasted sweet bread. Why Thai? AV owner Sylvia Moubayed has an affinity for Thailand. "Every year for the past 10 years, I have come to this remote area of Thailand in Chiangsaen – where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Burma meet – to live simply, like the people, restore our spirit and come back to CAV renewed," says Moubayed. "Thus I wanted to have some Thai dishes on our CAV menu, to bring back a little of the spirit of Thailand."

CAV, 14 Imperial Place, Providence, R.I.; (401) 751-9164, http://www.cavrestaurant.com

In Santa Rosa, Calif., at Petite Syrah, chef/owner Josh Silvers and chef de cuisine Ben Davies prepare their Salad of 63 Degrees egg dish with grilled asparagus, toasted quinoa, rosemary and yogurt.

"We cook the egg ... has the most amazing texture, creamy and sexy," Silvers says. "The crispy quinoa adds another texture and then the yogurt is cold – you have hot/cold, crispy/soft, creamy-rich/tart."

Petite Syrah, 205 5th St., Santa Rosa, Calif.; (707) 568-4002, http://www.petitesyrah.com

Nearby at Zazu Restaurant & Farm, the Zazu Easter egg is available only on Easter and Mother's Day (May 13 this year). It is served with backyard sweet pea panzanella, goat cheese and a farm fresh egg.

Chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart say they grow the pea vines and mint and raise the chickens. Their dish is a twist on eggs and toast, with a side of bacon, which comes from their assortment of house-made, pasture raised meats, bacon and salumi that they produce under their own Black Pig brand.

Zazu Restaurant & Farm, 3535 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa, Calif.; (707) 523-4814, http://www.zazurestaurant.com

In Miami, being bad is good and being decadent is even better. The silver and gold egg at Azul in the Mandarin Oriental Miami is about as naughty as an egg can get. Chef de cuisine Joel Huff prepares his silver and gold egg with three types of eggs, plus Italian caviar, caramelized onions, potato and espuma (foam).

"What makes this dish so over the top is that it's three eggs in one," Huff says. "It's a quail egg inside of a chicken egg topped with sturgeon caviar eggs."

Azul, 500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami; (305) 913-8358, http://www.mandarinoriental.com/miami/dining/azul/

In Naples, Fla., at Lemonía (pronounced lemon-EYE-uh) in the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, chef Erik Autry of takes his time crafting his white asparagus and egg appetizer. Autry serves the organic egg with a potato terrine, white asparagus, fine herb crème fraiche and finishes it with black lava salt.

Lemonía, 2600 Tiburón Drive, Naples, Fla.; (239) 598-6644, http://www.lat.ms/Hj6L78

A few miles away on the water at the Dock at Crayton Cove, chef Corey Heath frequently sells out of his ropa vieja Cuban egg and steak sandwich on the restaurant's Sunday brunch menu. The chopped steak is served with two eggs over easy, a spicy tomato-pepper sauce and Manchego cheese pressed between two slices of Cuban bread.

The Dock at Crayton Covem 845 12th Ave. S., Naples, Fla.; (239) 263-9940, http://www.dockcraytoncove.com

About an hour east of Naples at the East End Brasserie at the Atlantic Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, chef Steve Zobel marries his signature egg dish with six pan-fried oysters — three for each muffin — for his fried oysters Benedict. What's not to love?

East End Brasserie, 601 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; (954) 567-8020, http://www.atlantichotelfl.com/dining/eastendbrasserie.cfm

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