As soon as we were just seated, our waiter explained that the Sunday brunch at Vue 24 at Foxwoods Resort Casino would not be the typical breakfast-lunch-cocktail smorgasbord.

Yes, there was a buffet table with cocktail shrimp, a variety of salads, vegetables, fruits, parfaits, yogurts, and breads that we could select from as often as we liked, and another table laden with Valentine’s-themed desserts, because we went the Sunday after Valentine’s Day, where we could gorge on sugary confections to our hearts’ content.

But the main dishes — the entrees — would be ordered off the menu, our waiter explained, as often and as many as we liked.

“Small Plates,” that’s how they’re described at Vue 24, are big in variety, sophistication and taste. There were 10 of them on the menu the day we went, and although there were just two of us, we managed to conquer seven.

We consumed, or at least tasted, a lot of very good food that day, and I’ll do my best to describe as much of it as I can in this limited space. But here are the particulars first. The Sky Brunch at Vue 24 — the restaurant is located on the 24th floor of the casino’s Grand Pequot Tower, with sweeping views of the Great Cedar Swamp and new High Flyer Zipline — is $40 per person, plus tax and tip. If you add unlimited mimosas or Bloody Marys, it’s another $20 per person, or $15 for each diner for refillable signature cocktails such as the Pomegranate Screwdriver (Grey Goose, pomegranate liqueur, and orange juice) or the Peach Bellini (champagne and peach puree). We opted to focus on the food.

For starters, we ordered two of the small plates, and while we waited for our Steak Frites and Stonington Lobster Omelet, we headed for the cold buffet. There was cocktail shrimp there, a big heaping bowl of them, but our favorites were two of the salads — the Chopped Caesar and the Beet, Turnip and Feta. The Caesar was perfectly dressed and prepared with a generous portion of shaved parmesan and just the right mix of crunchy croutons mixed in. It was so good, we both went back for seconds. The beet and turnip salad had arugula and feta and was lightly dressed and satisfying.

But our small plates deserve all the attention. The prime tenderloin steak tips with a green peppercorn glaze in the Steak Frites sliced like warm butter and tasted even better. And the fries were hot and crispy on the outside, delicious, but after indulging in a just few, we agreed to push them aside and save room for other entrees. It wasn’t easy.

The Stonington Lobster Omelet was a soft pillow of eggs with a dollop of lobster meat on top, served with crème fraiche and a dab of Hackleback caviar. The dish was good, but not our favorite.

It’s hard to narrow the best small plates to one or two, but if we were forced to, at the top of our list would be the Hash, which was nothing like the hash I remember and avoided as a kid.

This was a generous portion of pulled beef from a short rib resting on top of an over-sized slice of a skillet potato, caramelized onions, and Vermont cheddar and topped with a poached local hen egg. Oh my gosh. It was really good, and we could have stopped there, but the assignment was to taste what we could and report back, and we had only tried three of the 10.

The Roasted Salmon was also sensational, prepared with tarragon, tomato couscous, and preserved lemon gastric. The plate was so pretty, the pale pinkish salmon, pearls of couscous, roasted tomatoes, and a smattering of colorful salad greens on top. We ate every last bite of it.

I’m sure the waffles with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffles were delightful — folks at a table near us ordered a second, double portion of just the waffles — but we opted to focus on the chicken. It was boneless, crispy on the outside and tender and moist inside. Yes, we’ll order it again.

We will do a redo on the Bacon Steak, too. It was two thick-cut slabs of brown sugar, applewood-smoked bacon served over charred cauliflower and pickled onion. With just the right amount of sweet, juxtaposed with the crispy, tender, flavorful bacon and onion, it was a mouth-watering sensation.

Every time our waiter brought new small plates, we were asked if we wanted to order again. We were in no rush, needed time to digest, and of course, there was always the cold buffet with the shrimp, fruit, salads and smoothies. On one of these breaks, we scouted out the dessert buffet to gauge how much room we should save, and while everything there looked delicious, we agreed to forge on and order one more small plate.

We got the Eggs Benedict, which was shaved Canadian bacon, spinach, a poached egg, and tomato hollandaise served on half an English muffin. Like everything else, it was a delightful mix of textures and flavors, and a beautiful presentation. The tomato hollandaise on the white of the egg with green spinach peeking out made it almost too pretty to eat. But, of course, we did.

The three plates we couldn’t try, only because we were too full, were the Stuffed Brioche French Toast with bourbon maple syrup, fruit compote and candied pecans, Roasted Mushroom Frittata with Vermont cheddar and charred green onions, and the Crepes, which in hindsight, we regretted not ordering. As we left, we saw the plate delivered to another table — crepes with shaved ham, roasted mushrooms, Gruyere, and three-cheese fondue.

The desserts included gluten-free cookies, sticky buns, chocolate-dipped strawberries, parfaits, miniature macaroons, cakes, cupcakes and more. It was a heck of a lot of food.

We visited on a winter day, in the early afternoon, and made our meal a late lunch and early dinner. A DJ was spinning Motown hits, and the dining room was a little more than half full. We wondered when we first arrived if we could really order as many small plates as we wanted, and yes, we could. Some tables kept them coming one after another, but we required breathing room. It was all good.

Vue 24 Sky Brunch

24th floor of the Grand Pequot Tower, Foxwoods Resort Casino 

(800) 369-9663

www.foxwoods.com/Vue 24

Cuisine: Creative American food with a sophisticated flair, taking traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner standards to another level.

Service: We initially thought maybe the service wouldn't be good, but soon realized our team of waiters and bussers would allow us as much or as little attention as we wanted. They didn't rush or ignore us. They also didn't pester us.

Hours: The Sky Brunch is served 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

Atmosphere: Located nearly at the top of the Grand Pequot Tower on the 24th floor, this is a special occasion restaurant, although it looks a bit dated these days. The room overlooks the Great Cedar Swamp and the casino's new zipline, which wasn't operating in February when we were there. It's quiet and comfortable.

Prices: The buffet is $40 per person, an additional $15 or $20 for refillable alcoholic beverages depending on what you choose. 

Credit cards: Accepted

Reservations: Yes, and it's a good idea to make one.

Handicapped access: Yes. The most convenient parking is at the Grand Pequot self-park and valet, located off Grand Pequot Boulevard.