If you'd like to try an affordable and somewhat unconventional Sunday brunch, MoKaBe's may be the place to visit. This South Grand Avenue neighborhood coffeehouse offers up an array of mostly vegetarian dishes at its all-you-care-to-eat brunch buffet.

The Scoop

MoKaBe's first opened in Kirkwood in 1992 and was named for its trio of founders, Mo, Kathy and Becky. Maureen Costello, the original Mo, still owns the popular spot at its present location on Arsenal Street. Two years ago Costello teamed with Patrice Mari, former owner of the Delmar Loop's La Patisserie, to offer Sunday brunch. Mari has been preparing MoKaBe's increasingly popular brunch ever since.

The Scene

MoKaBe's Arsenal location is just around the corner from South Grand's vibrant mix of restaurants and shops. Inside the small coffeehouse there's a pleasant clutter of mugs, menu boards and photos covering the walls. Outside, a large outdoor seating area faces Tower Grove Park and provides a pleasant place to linger when the heat index permits.

It's a haunt — a place to enjoy a solo coffee stop, grab a sandwich or hang with friends `til the wee hours. It's also kind of an unlikely place for brunch, with indoor tables that are a little small and crowded for the usual Sunday multi-dish, buffet graze. Nonetheless, a diverse mix of folks have made MoKaBe's brunch a Sunday morning must. When we visited, the snug coffeehouse was filled to overflowing; we were fortunate to wait less than 10 minutes for a table (MoKaBe's doesn't take brunch reservations).

The Spread

MoKaBe's brunch buffet is served at the back of the coffeehouse from big, disposable aluminum pans kept warm over sterno. The brunch costs $10, including coffee and fruit juice. While nods to both vegans and meat mavens are included in the spread, vegetarian offerings are the real stars.

The dishes vary each week, but quiche, French toast, scrambled eggs or tofu and an ethnic specialty dish are usually among the choices, along with fruit and baked goods. Most of the dishes we sampled were very good; only a few missed the mark.

The unusual French toast was delightful (a memory of La Patisserie). A smooth cream cheese filling was hidden between two soft slices of nicely battered and fried bread. Intensely-flavored raspberry sauce was the perfect topping. The veggie quiche was wonderful, too, with less custard and more cheese than many versions. A simple and fresh green salad worked nicely with it.

We loved the earthy Moroccan curry of chick peas and zucchini with cumin, coriander and other North African spices. A little finely grated coconut and baba ghanoush (eggplant condiment) added to the stew's complex flavors.

The ``mushroom bacon'' was intriguing. Mushrooms were sliced very thin and fried until crispy in this tasty meat alternative. Regular bacon was available, as well, but this meat offering wasn't MoKaBe's strong suit. Scrambled eggs were fine for a buffet offering, but I much prefer them straight from a hot frying pan. Unfortunately, the cold sesame noodles were too bland; they needed more zing and more sesame flavor.

We couldn't resist sampling the chocolate bread pudding at the end of our brunch. Mari's version of this dish was made with croissants and semi-sweet chocolate. The result was dense, chocolaty and very satisfying.

The Score

We enjoyed MoKaBe's Sunday brunch and thought the $10 price was very reasonable. Pay a visit if you'd like an affordable, all-you-can-eat brunch in a busy, alternative, city coffeehouse. Or if you're searching for a vegetarian brunch spread. You'll find a friendly, casual and off-beat place to enjoy some good food.

– Dru Thomas