The big difference between Sunday brunch at Equinox and at many of the restaurants competitors is not immediately apparent. Like other sources of the weekend ritual, the downtown fixture owned by chef Todd Gray pours its share of bloody Marys, sets out a colorful buffet and even serves live music, most recently reggae.

Closer inspection of the occasion reveals whats missing from the meal: bacon and eggs. Thats because in July, Equinox took over the vegan brunch it made popular at the Muse Cafe within the Corcoran Gallery of Art. (After years of financial and other woes, the Corcoran is being merged with George Washington University and the National Gallery of Art.)

Gray is happy to be on home turf. Unlike Muse, Equinox has fire power in the form of a grill and gas stoves, he says. So no more heating food on a panini press. The relocated brunch also gives the restaurateur a chance to talk up the vegan tasting menu Equinox offers at dinner. To make Muse regulars comfortable in his upscale dining room at Farragut West, the chef uses the branded coffee mugs and the pale green plates from the previous brunch site.

Gray presides over the scramble station near the entrance. What looks like scrambled egg is tofu tinted with turmeric, curry and (local) saffron and cooked with a choice of vegetable fillings, including eggplant tapenade and caramelized cauliflower. Other main dishes pear-stuffed french toast crackling with a veneer of house-made granola, a cassoulet built with lentils, beets and Brussels sprouts call from the bar counter. I found myself going back for seconds of the wrinkly string beans tossed with red pepper, toasted cashews and fragrant Thai basil, as well as a comforting squash soup made with almond milk and pecan bits. On the sweeter end: gingery muffins and macaroons.

No stranger to meatless ways, the chef, a carnivore, has a reliable sounding board in his wife and business partner, Ellen Kassoff Gray, whom he describes as vegan 80 percent of the time. She still puts cream in her coffee and enjoys a local oyster.

Earthy-crunchy this brunch is not. While theyre in season, fresh white truffles from Alba, Italy can perfume any dish for $20 a shave.

818 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-331-8118. equinoxrestaurant.com. Brunch served Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Buffet $30 for adults, $15 for children under 12.

Weaned on a beige buffet a la Fargo in Minnesota, Tom Sietsema is the food critic for The Washington Post. This is his second tour of duty at the Post. Sietsema got his first taste in the 80s, when he was hired by his predecessor to answer phones, write some, and test the bulk of the Food sections recipes. Thats how he learned to clean squid, bake colonial cakes and distinguish between nutmeg and mace.

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Vegan brunch at Equinox satisfies an omnivores appetite

NEGAUNEE -- Who says vegans can't enjoy a Thanksgiving meal too? The Northern Vegan club met today at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Negaunee for the 8th annual vegan Thanksgiving potluck.

All of the food was made without any animal ingredients. They had a variety of dishes and some Thanksgiving favorites like vegan mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and even pie. They also had tofurkey, and non-traditional foods like quinoa salad and tabouli .

"It's a chance for vegans to get together and have an all vegan Thanksgiving which is kind of a unique thing," says Jeff Plummer, a founding member of Northern Vegan. "We do it at a time where it still allows them, if they need to go to a traditional family event after, they can still go, but they've already been fed."

The Northern Vegans meet monthly at local restaurants to share a meal together to find out where they will be in December, you can go to their website, http://northernvegans.com/, or go to their facebook page, Northern Vegans.

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A vegan Thanksgiving