Finally, you've nabbed an out-of-town Saturday morning to yourself, a weekend escape from laundry, yard work, and soccer games. Today, there will be breakfast, a real breakfast, a slow breakfast. Someone else will cook it for you, serve it, keep your coffee cup full, and do the dishes. It needn't be too fancy or expensive, but it should be special--as these casual picks across the South are.

Each offers more than the usual bacon, eggs, and pancakes, giving a real sense of place on the plate. In San Antonio, it's Mexican fare. In South Carolina's Lowcountry, it's shrimp and grits. On Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, crabmeat omelets welcome you to the waterfront. And whether it's your first or 15th trip to the French Quarter in New Orleans, you should linger over its original beignets and café au lait. So pack your bags, sleepyhead, and lazily greet the day all over the South with local morning flavor.

To my relief, waitress Dawn Pierce poured coffee as soon as I sat down and kept it coming. A few news pages later, a crab omelet--tall, puffy, and perfect--appeared before me, delivering nuggets of luscious crabmeat throughout. There were choices to make: type of cheese; white, wheat, or rye toast; and yes or no on the cocktail sauce. That last item seemed odd until I tried it--a spry kick to the otherwise gentle dish. Home fries were potatoes and onions cooked until soft and nearly sweet. I left a mess of butter, jelly, and creamer packets, but my plate was clean. And hunger didn't surface again until sundown. Exit 41 off State 50, south side of Kent Narrows Bridge; (410) 827-6717. Crab-cheese omelet plate: $8.70.