(Early-Ass, Weekday-Breakfast Reservations at) Balthazar (Soho)

I'm not a daywalker and believe the only winning move at NYC brunch is (à la WARGAMES) not to play, but a dear friend comes to town for work a couple times a year and is only available first thing in the morning; Balthazar, in turn, is one of the only spots in our overlapping neighborhood where you can make a reservation for 8AM. If you're up and social at 8AM on a weekday you deserve a pitch-perfect French omelette and the city's best home fries. I go straight home and go back to bed.