Category Archives: breakfast

Flying in for Breakfast, and Maybe Some Pie at Courtyard Cafe in Fallon, Nevada

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Owner Deborah Nelson displays breakfast plates at Courtyard Cafe & Bakery in Fallon, Nevada

Owner Deborah Nelson displays breakfast plates at Courtyard Cafe & Bakery in Fallon, Nevada

I’m at the Courtyard Cafe & Bakery, in Fallon, Nevada for breakfast. But they’re already tempting me with dessert. That’s because inches in front of my counter seat is a thick apple crumble pie, elevated on a pedestal, calling my name. Only the protective lid is preventing me from reaching over for an unobserved nibble or two.

Tempting deep-dish pies line the counter

Tempting deep-dish pies line the counter

My simple breakfast sandwich quickly returns me to mid-morning reality. It’s just fried eggs, crispy bacon and melted cheddar, enveloped in wonderful sourdough toast. Ironically, the sourdough is one of the few breads, baked goods or pretty much anything else that owner Deborah Nelson and her friendly staff don’t make themselves.

As I’m chatting with Deborah, the cook, Anna, keeps putting delectable egg scrambles, Benedicts and other breakfast treats up on the deck. It’s almost enough to keep my mind off deep-dish pie.

"Order up!"

“Order up!”

Note: Fallon is a sprawling city (a half-hour detour off the I-80 northeast of Reno), noted for the naval base where “Top Gun” pilots train.

The Courtyard Cafe & Bakery
55 East Williams Avenue, Fallon, Nevada
Daily 7:30 am-2:30 pm
The Courtyard Cafe & Bakery on Urbanspoon

No Shorts but Great Short-Order Cooks at The Griddle in Winnemucca, Nevada

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The Griddle is a colourful, go-to place for breakfast in Winnemucca, Nevada

The Griddle is a colourful, go-to place for breakfast in Winnemucca, Nevada

Maybe The Griddle‘s gone corporate. A friend tells me of servers in short skirts and a cook in an apron-covered bikini during long-ago visits.

Things are much more sedate when I roll in recently at 6 am, met with a friendly greeting and a display case of bottled jams and salsas for sale. (The Griddle has expanded beyond this flagship location to three others in Nevada and California.) Still, there’s sufficient character in the green vinyl booths, the big horseshoe counter and the gleaming wood-panelled ceiling.

And the Griddle delivers where it counts—on the plate. I swear my Caribbean French toast arrives in under three minutes. It’s two thick slices of Texas toast dipped in a coconut batter and grilled till the little coconut slivers are slightly crispy. A good, refreshing take on a standard, though a little pricy at $8.30.

A Caribbean take on French toast, featuring coconut

A Caribbean take on French toast, featuring coconut

The Griddle obviously knows what it’s doing at breakfast. By the time I’ve licked my plate clean at 6:20, seven tables are full.

The Griddle
460 West Winnemucca Boulevard
Daily 6 am-2 pm
Griddle on Urbanspoon

Going Off the Breakfast Map at Bacon & Eggs in Walla Walla, Washington

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Bacon & Eggs in Walla Walla, Washington looks after all the details

Bacon & Eggs in Walla Walla, Washington looks after all the little presentation details

It’s just five minutes after the 8 am opening of *Bacon & Eggs, in Walla Walla, Washington. Already, 10 tables of people are tucking into brimming breakfast plates at this popular locavore eatery. Obviously, they know how to keep folks happy.

As the name suggests, I order…. Texas eggs? I like a switch from the usual, especially at breakfast, and this dish delivers: Cumin-spiced black beans, brown rice, shavings of sharp white cheddar, fresh pico de gallo and a wedge of excellent, crumbly jalapeño cornbread. Oh, there are a couple of eggs, too, over easy to nicely moisten all the goodness in my deep bowl.

A delicious, healthy bowl of Texas eggs

A delicious, healthy bowl of Texas eggs

I eschew a long list of eye-opener cocktails for a bottomless cup of the “best coffee for 243 miles,” meaning Stumptown beans from Portland.

Bacon & Eggs
503 East Main Street, Walla Walla, Washington
Thursday to Tuesday 8 am-2 pm. Closed Wednesday
Bacon & Eggs on Urbanspoon

Though I might have found better coffee five miles away, beside the local airport no less. There, amidst a collection of small buildings hosting wine-tasting rooms, sits Walla Walla Roastery. I grab a lovely patio table, flanked by lawn and tall shade trees, and enjoy a flavourful, smoky espresso. Before hitting the road (not the runway), I pick up half a pound of freshly roasted beans.

Walla Walla Roastery, near the local airport, is a great place to savour a coffee

Walla Walla Roastery, near the local airport, is a great place to savour a coffee

Walla Walla Roastery
290 A Street, Walla Walla, Washington
Weekdays 7:30 am-5 pm, Saturday 9 am-4 pm. Closed Sunday
Walla Walla Roastery on Urbanspoon

A Bread Trail Leads to Fabulous Crumb Brothers in Logan, Utah

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Fresh-from-the-oven bread at Crumb Brothers Artisan Bakery in Logan, Utah

Fresh-from-the-oven bread at Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread & Cafe in Logan, Utah

How do you build the perfect breakfast sandwich? You start, as you must, with fabulous, fresh-baked bread.

Obviously, *Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread & Cafe, in Logan, Utah, has this covered with an ethereal, slightly chewy ciabatta bun. But then chef Robert kicks things up a notch with two airy, pan-fried local eggs and some good bacon. For a creamy touch, he adds avocado slices, melted provolone cheese and a swipe of lemon aioli. The final, artistic note is a stacked swirl of thinly sliced apple on the side.

Breakfast sandwiches don't get any better than this

Breakfast sandwiches don’t get any better than this

It’s simple, and simply the best breakfast sandwich I’ve perhaps ever eaten, on bended knee, and for a token $6.50. (It’s a perfect comeuppance to people who suggest you have to spend a small fortune to experience the divine).

Indeed, it’s more souffle than sandwich, something to make you consider giving up the same-old egg-and-bacon breakfast forever. The only thing missing is a better name than Ciabatta Fried Egg Bun.

Of course, Crumb Brothers has a lot more to offer, including all-day sandwiches (try the artichoke tapenade with fresh mozza) and a savoury bread pudding. Most important is a baker’s dozen roster of rotating breads, highlighted by the five-seed Decker loaf, named after the California breadmaker who taught bakery founder and co-owner Bill Oblock many of his yeasty tricks.

The daily bread and food menu

The daily bread and food menu

Crumb Brothers has a nice indoor cafe, with a lovely jazzy playlist chosen by a local musician. But the patio is where you want to be on a sunny day, surrounded by a fantastic garden of drought-tolerant plants. You may never want to leave.

Crumb Brothers' fabulous garden patio

Crumb Brothers’ fabulous garden patio

Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread & Cafe
291 South 300 West, Logan, Utah
Weekdays 7 am-3 pm, Saturday 8 am-3 pm. Closed Sunday
Crumb Brothers Artisan Bread on Urbanspoon

A Hearty Pancake Sandwich and a Gigantic Meat Sandwich in Salt Lake City

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They're rightly called "Heavenly Hotcakes" at Penny Ann's Cafe. These have bacon and eggs in the middle

They’re rightly called “Heavenly Hotcakes” at Penny Ann’s Cafe. These have bacon and eggs in the middle

After eating a tofu scramble in Salt Lake City the day before, I’m ready for some real eggs and bacon, better yet piled between two pancakes. At *Penny Ann’s Cafe, they’re called “Heavenly Hotcakes”, with good reason. Yes, they’re platter big but fluffy and flavourful, thanks to the use of sour cream in the scratch-made batter. So good that even after I’m full and the remains have cooled, I can’t help nibbling. Though I must draw the line when I’m offered a slice of one of the many pies baked in the kitchen each day.

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Salt Lake City Goes Funky and Vegetarian

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This colourful flea market in downtown Salt Lake City coincided with the weekend pride festival

This colourful flea market in downtown Salt Lake City coincided with the weekend pride festival

It might be time to correct some misconceptions about Salt Lake City. Yes, it’s still a Mormon stronghold, though that grip is weakening, given only half the residents are practitioners of the faith. The weekend I visit coincides with a massive pride festival, in part celebrating a landmark court ruling that allows same-sex marriage in Utah; the decision is being appealed. There’s also great coffee and beer being brewed here, and poured down non-Mormon throats, plus more good taco shops than you can throw a sombrero at. One sure sign Salt Lake City has come of culinary age is the presence, in the city’s south, of a funky vegetarian cafe. Vertical Diner is in a casual, slightly grungy space, with stucco walls, old cement floors and a pulsing, industrial soundtrack.

Vertical Diner is a funky vegetarian place on a south Salt Lake City industrial street

Vertical Diner is a funky vegetarian place on a south Salt Lake City industrial street

My plant-based breakfast is La Mesa, a bountiful, colourful plate of hash browns, black beans and rice, melted cheese, guacamole and, a first for me, a tofu scramble. The fact the food is on my table by the time I return from a bathroom freshening indicates the tofu isn’t quite “scrambled” to order, but it’s nonetheless a nicely spiced and textured dish. Good enough that I might forsake eggs and bacon, well at least for a couple of days.

A colourful plate, featuring black beans and a tofu scramble, at Vertical Diner

A colourful plate, featuring black beans and a tofu scramble, at Vertical Diner

If a vegan breakfast seems a step too far, you can always order pancakes, which start at a bargain $1.75 each (a buck more if fruit is included). Of course, they can also come gluten free.

Vertical Diner
2280 South West Temple, Salt Lake City
Weekdays 10 am-10 pm, weekends 9 am-10 pm
Vertical Diner on Urbanspoon

Continuing the vegan theme, the Barbacoa Burrito at Buds is highly recommended. Unfortunately, the little sandwich place is closed for renovations during my visit. Next time.

Buds
509 East 300 South, Salt Lake City
Monday to Saturday 11 am-5 pm. Closed Sunday
Buds on Urbanspoon