Sometimes the weekend is so hectic that it feels more like work than relaxation. Last Friday we got a jump-start on the weekend, and now there is no going back. Brunch is now served Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Max’s Wine Dive, meaning you can squeeze brunch in on your lunch break Friday, and hide out at home during the weekend.

Max’s Wine Dive is well known for the fried chicken, which is now served both in savory and sweet fashion, courtesy of an extended brunch menu. Chef Michael Pellegrino offers Jake cakes and wings — fried griddle cakes, wings and maple syrup — as well as huge pieces of Southern fried chicken served with collard greens and mashed potatoes. Also on the savory side is monstrous fried egg sandwich which both intimidated and thrilled our table of five. Three fried eggs drizzled with truffle oil and sea salt topped a stack of lettuce, tomatoes and bacon, and the entire bundle was crammed  between two pieces of ciabatta bread and surrounded by truffled house-made potato chips.

If you’re a sweet brunch fan, you’ll have to check out the red velvet pancakes. These don’t taste like a cupcake, so as long as you’re not expecting dessert, you won’t be too disappointed. The stack of ultra fluffy, beet red pancakes are topped with a cream cheese spread which had just a hint of lemony freshness, and wasn’t very similar to the coma-inducing cream cheese spread often found on red velvet cupcakes (shown at left). Someone with a sweet tooth might even request an extra sprinkle of powdered sugar to be added to the pancakes, but we preferred the accompanying maple syrup. More pancake-y, less like dessert.

If you’re a banana fan, which not all of our table was, then the Nutella and banana crepes are probably going to lure you in.  As one friend pointed out, Nutella is “hot” right now, and rightly so. The chocolate and hazelnut combination pairs perfectly with roasted bananas, which in this case is folded into smallish, individual crepes.

We were tempted by mimosas, but we passed. The office still calls after the lunch hour on Fridays, and one mimosa just leads to another. You tell us, do you think brunch is overdone? Would you eat brunch on a work day?

Max’s Wine Dive, 4720 Washington Ave. at Shepherd 713-880-8737 maxswinedive.com