text: Food nAmbiance nFoodPrice brunch and lunch hour DinnernnPros Fresh Ingredients Expert Execution Serene Unique AmbiancenCons Dinner PricesnnHalcyon is a restaurant that can do no wrong A sleek modern terrace abutting the Mint Museum in downtown Charlotte it seems that nothing on Halcyons menu is anything less than excellent nnI recently went with a group of nine people during their brunch hour and was able to try a wide variety of what they offernnHighlightsnnPork Belly BLT An open faced pork belly sandwich topped with crispy bacon avocado slices and herb aioli The pork belly was rich and velvety the bacon cooked to crunchy perfection and the marriage of avocado and aioli added a slightly tangybuttery character to expertly balance out the meatnnCinnamon Apple French Toast French toast on steroidsNo joke this toast is comically large and fluffy Our waiter told me it was once normal bread that got angry after being zapped with the gamma radiation machine Halcyon keeps in the back But this plates transcendence is not solely in the heft and consistency of the bready goodness The cinnamon and apple blended seamlessly with the butter and syrup to make what I can unironically but totally pretentiously describe as the platonic ideal of French toast Every French toast I have ever had has wished it was this French Toast If you like shitty music this is the Beyoncue of French Toast If you like shitty TV shows this is the How I Met Your Mother of French Toast And if you like shitty restaurants this is the Olive Garden of French Toast If you ever get to Halcyon do the responsible thing and order the French Toast I have only eaten three things that I consider to be bucket list meals Rons Biscuits and Gravy at Nosh in Durham The Brisket at Franklins in Austin and now the French Toast at HalcyonnnThough I did not order any for myself I was able to try most of the tables cocktails and can say they were consonant with the quality seen in the dishes though perhaps even more uniquennAnd all this without a mention of cool modern organicy feeling duecor that somehow makes you feel both avantgarde and cozily local nnThe only downside is that once the dinner hour strikes Halcyons prices jump precipitously but if you can get there in the morningafternoon your money will be very well spent