Best of Boston

Jetting off to the Italian Riviera may not be in the cards just yet, but brunch at Via Mare — Italian for “by the sea” — is nearly as exciting. Showcasing honey-hued shiplap walls, cozy sofa seating, and vintage coastal décor, the restaurant offers American classics dressed up with Italian gusto: Take, for example, the deviled-egg starter prepared with daily-changing ingredients like pesto and pickled shallot, or the breakfast sandwich on a house-made kaiser roll topped with seared mortadella. Sail away at the end of the meal with the budino topped with toffee caramel and decorated with lightly torched triangles of meringue.