Our very short trip to see the wildflowers in Death Valley had us in Bishop for breakfast a weekday morning in March. We stopped at Jack’s Restaurant because it was there, clearly visible from the road as we drove through the city. Alas, I think – I hope – there are better choices to be made.
Jack’s Restaurant is your typical coffeeshop/family restaurant. It has dinette seating and booths, and it’s decorated with huge taxidermy fish and other fishing gear. It did bring up the question of just how you preserve a fish. While it’s ran by Latinos, it features your typical all-American breakfast – or perhaps the cartoon version of one. It was affordable, but just not good.
I, as usual, ordered the French Toast ($9). It was made with white sliced bread and served with corn syrup. It was as average as it gets. It wasn’t bad, and the portion was filling, but it was what you’d expect a hurried mother to whip together in a few minutes.
I did also order a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice ($7), and while it really wasn’t large (more like 6 oz), at least it was fresh and quite good.
Mike had the Texas chili and cheddar omelet ($15), which was served with hash browns and your of toast & jelly, biscuit with gravy or muffin, he chose the latter. He was totally disappointed. The “chili” was anything but, it had no beans and no heat, it was just mildly spiced minced beef. Still, the beef did manage to block the natural flavor of the omelet, so the whole thing was just unpleasant.
The hash browns lacked seasoning, but were otherwise OK. The muffin, on the other hand, was a joke. It had the consistency and sweetness of a heavy cake, rather than of a muffin, and I very much suspect it was made with Jiffy mix – it brought me back to my college years when that’s all I could afford. I ate it for nostalgia’s sake, but everyone else passed on it.
My daughter had the pancakes ($7.25 for two). She said they tasted as if they were made from a dry mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were.
There are other breakfast places around, so I wouldn’t go back if we find ourselves in Bishop again.
Jack's Restaurant and Bakery 437 N Main St Bishop, CA (760) 872-7971 M-Su 7 am - 2 pm
For her birthday, my daughter wanted to go out for brunch. This seemed like a lovely idea except for the fact that her birthday fell mid-week, she didn’t want to wake up early enough for breakfast, and she didn’t want to go to a coffeeshop/chain restaurant sort of place. That didn’t leave too many options, so I was happy when a google search reminded me of La Note, a quaint French restaurant in Berkeley. Now almost four decades old, La Note has reinvented itself into a brunch place, serving breakfast and lunch from early in the morning to 2 PM everyday. Exactly what we needed.
I’d been to La Note several times over the decades, both for breakfast and dinner, though apparently the only review I wrote of the place was from my first visit back in 2006. The restaurant has a smallish but very cute and crowded dining room, and a busy and funky decore. It’s more low key than country French, but I like the vibe well enough – my daughter wanted something cuter. We got very lucky in that we were able to snatch a window table – they are elevated and you get to enjoy more light. During weekends, you can stare at the people in line to get in. There is also a patio, though it apparently doesn’t open until 11 AM. This was a rainy, somewhat cool day, so indoor dining was best anyway.
We had a reservation and were seated promptly. We got lemon water and were given adequate time to peruse the menu. We started by sharing a kouign amann ($5), and incredible Breton pastry. This was only the second time I’d had one, and we were blown away at how delicious it was. Unfortunately, they were sold out so we couldn’t get any more. It was so good that I think if we go back, we’ll just order pastries.
For breakfast proper, I had the Pain Perdu au Chocolat ($20), French toast filled with chocolate hazelnut spread (aka Nutella). It was served with butter and a little jar of lavender honey. It was just OK. The bread was just too dry. It probably needed more egg. The portion was very large, and half of it would have been plenty for breakfast. I don’t think I would order it again – or even make it, for that matter.
My daughter had the Brioche Pain Perdu ($20), a French toast made with cinnamon brioche dipped in orange blossom water and accompanied with the same lavender honey and butter. She really liked the bread but wasn’t crazy about the lemon water flavor. At least, this toast wasn’t as dry as the other one. She did decide that she likes cinnamon bread French toast, but would probably order something else next time.
My husband had the Cote Est ($22), a dish of scrambled eggs, choice of pancake and either home fries or bacon. He liked the eggs, they were light and fluffy and cooked perfectly. He was also very fond of the lemon gingerbread pancake he selected. It was served with three slices of poached pear and a little blueberry compote and the whole combination worked very well. It was probably the highlight of his meal. He chose the homefries (not pictured), and these were remarkably tasty. The herbed cubed potatoes might have been baked rather than fried, and they had an amazing consistency, crispy on the outside and melt-in-your mouth inside. They were very nicely seasoned and the portion was quite generous.
We also shared a side of bacon ($6 for 3 slices). It was very tasty, definitely high quality bacon, but it was a little too crispy for our taste.
Both my daughter and I had the mocha ($8.25) but we differed in our assessment. I thought it was pretty good, though I found it a little strong for my taste – though that dissipated once I mixed in the whipped cream. It’s served in a handle-less bowl, and I liked the primitive feel of drinking it. My daughter disagreed completely – she pointed out that even ancient pottery comes with handles and disliked having to use two hands to drink it. She also felt the mocha tasted more of hot chocolate than of coffee. She drank it, but wouldn’t order it again. I might.
Service was friendly and competent – but I was unhappy that a surprise 3% surcharge was added to the bill. Upon enquiring, we learned that it was a tip for the kitchen, as the waitress does not tip out. I guess this means you can leave the waiter 3% less than you planed to, though most people, like us, won’t. Thinking back, it leaves a little of a bitter experience. Just increase the price of each item by 50cents or a dollar and don’t try to deceive customers! I should note, however, that prices have gone up $1.50 to $2 per item (drinks included) vis a vis the menu posted on their website.
In all we had a lovely breakfast. If we returned, however, my daughter and I would probably just order a basket of pastries and eat bacon and potatoes off my husband’s plate.
La Note 2377 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA (510) 843-1525 M-F 8 AM - 2 PM Sa-Su 8 AM - 3 PM
I shouldn’t have bought these French Toast Sticks at Safeway. I was planning to get plain old frozen waffles to have as a snack mid-morning, when hunger finally hits me but I feel it’s too early to actually have lunch. But then I saw these and I was curious. Curiosity killed the cat.
These French Toast sticks are bad nutritionally. The serving of 4 sticks – equivalent to a single thick slice of bread, has 310 calories and 40 grams of carbs – and that’s before you dip them in maple syrup. They don’t seem to contain any egg. As far I can tell, they are made by dipping bread slices in soybean oil and then dusting them with a batter made of flour, sugar, water and other ingredients with caramel and turmeric for coloring. They are probably then fried once more. And they are expensive if you compare them with the cost of making French toast at home, even if you use now-expensive eggs and milk. The package of 12 sticks, equivalent to 3 thick slices of bread, is $4. And you can’t cook them in the toaster. When I got them, I thought I’d be able to cook them just like frozen waffles, but these have to be cooked in the oven, toaster oven, air fryer or microwave.
My first time, I tried them in the air fryer and God, were they good! They were crispy outside and melt-in-your-mouth soft inside. The perfect texture. Dipped in maple syrup (and you don’t need much of it, given how much sugar they have to begin with), they were just delicious. Alas, because they are mostly carbs I was left hungry not too long after. In all, I don’t think I’ll buy them again, but I enjoyed them when I had them.
The pancake choices are endless at this Falls Church pancake house.
For our last meal in the DC area, our friend Lavinia took us to The Original Pancake House (hereafter TOPH) for breakfast. This had been a favorite breakfast spot for her family for years, though they hadn’t been back for a while. Apparently, the same was true of many people. Once a very busy spot, it was half empty that Sunday morning. In an area home to federal workers and a time when these are being decimated by the Trump administration, perhaps that’s to be expected.
TOPH is a casual, old fashioned sort of place. It’s part of a small chain with locations in Bethesda and Rockville, MD, as well. Its main attraction are the endless variations of pancakes and other breakfast goodies it offers. Choosing among so many great sounding options was very hard.
I decided on the Croissant Cinnamon Nut French Toast ($14), which consisted of two croissants, sliced in half, dipped in egg batter and grilled. I came with sliced almonds and cinnamon sugar. There was corn syrup at the table, which wasn’t bad, but obviously not nearly as good as maple syrup would have been. The French toast itself was good, but nothing special. I think I actually prefer the texture of regular bread to that of the croissant. I’m not a big breakfast eater, so one croissant was plenty for me – fortunately Mike finished the rest.
Mike ordered the Two by Two by Two ($12.5) from the Senior Menu. It came with 2 eggs, 2 slices of bacon and 2 buttermilk pancakes. He found it unexceptional but satisfying.
My daughter had the carrotcake pancakes ($13.5), which came with six regular size pancakes (I was expecting them to be smaller!) with cream cheese frosting. She felt they tasted like carrot cake and were very good.
We also had a side of hash browns ($5), which were pretty average and of the raspberry filled beignets ($4.50 for 2). My daughter had never had beignets before, and she was curious due to multiple viewings of the Princess and the Frog when she was little. She was disappointed. She found the beignets to be heavy, and compared them to a denser, unglazed jelly doughnut. I’d learned during our trip to New Orleans the previous year that I wasn’t fond of beignets either, and these didn’t change my mind.
I don’t remember what Lavinia and her son had, but I think they were satisfied. i had a cup of pretty average coffee ($4.5).
In all, I’d go back because I’d be curious to explore more of the many, many options in the menu – and the prices seemed pretty reasonable.
This Foggy Bottom hotel restaurant offers solid food in a relaxing setting
During our trip to DC, we stayed at the River Inn in Foggy Bottom. The hotel has its own restaurant, Matera, which serves breakfast and dinner daily. It wasn’t particularly busy during our stay, but I imagine that is different during more touristy times and when there are events at the Kennedy Center, given that it’s one of the closest restaurants to the venue. Of course, it’s unclear that the Kennedy Center will continue existing as anything but a center for Neo-nazi rallies now that Trump has taken it over.
We dined at Matera twice. We had breakfast one morning with our friend Maximilian, who was in DC for work. And we had dinner another night when I was craving Italian (after an amazing pasta dish at The Hamilton) and we were too tired to go out.
The restaurant has a smallish dining room, and a pretty casual vibe. There are some interesting posters on the walls, and the candle and rose on the table give it a somewhat romantic atmosphere, but the tables are bare and the place is more utilitarian than special occasion. Service was attentive and friendly, but it’s what we experienced almost universally in DC.
I’m not usually much of a breakfast eater, so I only had a coffee that morning (perfectly acceptable), but Maximillian and Mike ordered food. I didn’t pay attention to what Max had, and we were too busy talking about politics (it’s Washington, after all) to discuss the food, but Mike had the western omelet ($22). It came with ham, onions, green and red bell peppers and American cheese and Mike pronounced it to be “just fine”. It wasn’t remarkable or something he’d order again.
Dinner the following night was tasty and relaxing. We skipped appetizers, but had plenty of bread before our main dishes arrived.
I had the gnocchi with Italian sausage ($28) and was very happy with it. The gnocchi were soft, airy and pillowy, the sausage was tasty, the grilled peppers soft enough and the whole thing came together with a nice tomato basil sauce. I wished there were more gnocchi, the other elements sort of overwhelmed them and I absolutely loved the texture the gnocchi provided, but overall I loved the dish. People (ahem, my daughter) who prefer hardier pasta might not be as enthusiastic, however.
My daughter’s dish, unfortunately, wasn’t as successful. She had the mushroom ravioli ($28) which came in a creamy pesto sauce and she was disappointed both with the flavor and the quantity. There were only four or five ravioli in the dish, and the sauce just wasn’t that tasty. She wouldn’t have it again.
Mike had the calamari ($22), as he felt he wasn’t hungry enough for a main dish and nobody would want to share this. It cam with both a cocktail sauce and an herb aioli. The calamari was perfectly acceptable, with good flavor and texture. The herb aioli, however, was out of this world delicious. I was sad we’d eaten all our bread and couldn’t dip it in it.
I had read in reviews that Matera had a great tiramisu ($12), and we just had to try it. I’m happy to say that the reviewers were right. It featured a very light and airy cake, and thick layers of light and flavorful creams. Even the chocolate was tasty – no Hershey syrup here. We’d definitely get this again.
In all, it was a nice dinner made better by the convenience of it being at our hotel. We’d eat there again.
This 85-year old Union Square fixture attracts tourists and old-timers
I love historical restaurants. Really, I love historical anything. There is a reason why I majored in history, after all. So when I came across Sears Fine Food, as I was looking for places to eat before a play at the San Francisco Playhouse (btw, don’t miss The Play that Goes Wrong), I knew I had to go. The reviews were mixed, but I was willing to put up with substandard food for the historical experience.
Sears Fine Food was opened back in 1938 by Ben Sears, a retired circus crown, and his wife Hilbur. They specialized on breakfast food, particularly the silver dollar Swedish pancakes made from a family recipe. Served with lingonberries, they are still on the menu today.
The restaurant is pretty small and it has less of a historical look than I sought, though it does have black and white photos on the walls of old patrons and an old-fashioned atmosphere.
I ordered the “Our World Famous 18 Swedish Pancakes” with lingonberry sauce and sausages ($27) for dinner that evening – both because nothing else on the menu really appealed to me that night and because I wanted to try them. Alas, they were pretty disappointing.
The pancakes themselves were abundant but generic. They didn’t have the metallic flavor of those made with a mix, but they didn’t have a particularly pleasant flavor either. They came with corn syrup which didn’t do them any favors. A few days later I had a similar dish of silver dollar pancakes with syrup at a local fundraiser, and the homemade pancakes were far, far superior.
I did like the lingonberry preserves, which did elevate the pancakes, but there were only enough for about half the pancakes. I could have ordered another serving ($3), I suppose, but there were too many carbs on the plate as it was. The sausages were fine, pretty generic breakfast sausages. In all, I don’t think I’d recommend this dish. And yes, it was ridiculously expensive for what it was. But I figure you’re paying for the location here.
Mike had the lobster risotto ($27) and that was a somewhat better choice. He liked that the lobster came on top of the risotto rather than mixed in, as that allowed him to control how much risotto he consumed. The risotto itself was a tad salty, but delicious. It had the creaminess you seek on risotto and a very balanced, umami flavor. The lobster, however, was in need of butter. Without it, it lacked moisture and richness. Mike probably wouldn’t order the dish again.
For dessert, he had the creme brulee ($10). It was just OK. The custard should have been more flavorful.
Service was very good, however, and I did enjoy our time there. Still, I can’t imagine I’d go back.
Sears Fine Food 439 Powell Street San Francisco, CA (415)986-0700 Daily 6:30am-9pml
Where my craving for IHOP was permanently satiated.
Ever since an IHOP opened in San Leandro, now several years ago, I’d been wanting to give it a try. Even though I’m fairly certain that our last experiences with IHOP had been disappointing, there is something pretty magical about those glossy menus with photos of delicious looking pancakes in all sorts of flavors. Truth be told, I’m not actually that big a fan of pancakes, and I seldom even end up ordering them, but they still fascinate me. Even now, as I think about them, I’m almost ready to head towards the door.
Alas, I’m not a breakfast-eating-person – I’m just not hungry when I wake up – so despite such cravings, I still haven’t made it to the San Leandro IHOP and might not had gone to an IHOP at all, if I didn’t find myself hungry and with low blood sugar as we approached the Grapevine during our last trip to LA. I saw the sign for it as we approached Lebec and there we went.
The restaurant itself, part of the Petro truck stop/travel center which also hosts a Wendy’s, a Baskin Robbins and a mini-mart, in addition to other facilities, was clean and pleasant enough. It seems to have taken the space of an Iron Skillet, so it doesn’t have anything that screams “IHOP” other than the name. It was fairly empty on a Saturday around 1 PM.
While I needed something to eat, I wasn’t actually hungry so I decided to get something light: the fresh berry crepes ($13.50). In the menu, they were shown rolled around some filling, sprinkled with berries and drizzed with chocolate sauce. In reality, the crepes were served folded into triangles, had some cut berries on top and a super-light dusting of powdered sugar. They were an extreme disappointment.
First, the crepes weren’t fresh. I don’t know if they make them there or the buy them in packages and then lightly heat them but they were clearly old and tough – you could barely cut them with the side of a fork. They were also very dry, and with no wet elements on the plate, hard to eat. I did ask for some whipped cream – which I think was probably whipped “topping” – and that helped some. The berries were fine, though not juicy enough to help the crepes. In all, it was a very disappointing dish. If I wanted old packaged crepes with plain berries, I could buy them at the supermarket.
Mike’s meal was more special, at least, by virtue of this being the first senior meal that he ever ordered. We are now officially old. He had the 55+ breakfast sampler ($11.30) which came with 1 buttermilk pancake, 1/2 a strip of bacon, 1 small slice of ham, 1 breakfast sausage, 1 egg (he had his over medium) and hash browns. He substituted the latter for wheat toast for an additional 80 cents (!).
He felt that was the ideal amount of food for his apetite nowadays, and was hapy he hadn’t over-ordered. Quality wise, the food was comparable to Denny’s. He did like his egg, however, probably because he seldom has them.
We had sodas, but they didn’t charge us for them – perhaps because the waiter realized just how disappointed I was with my meal. He did ask me whether he could bring me anything else, but there was no way to save those crepes.
In all, what I learned from this experience is to not go to IHOP.
IHOP Petro Travel Center 5821 Dennis McCarthy Dr Lebec, CA (661) 663-4341 Daily 6 AM - 10 PM
Trader Joe’s does many things well, but cheese blintzes is not one of them. These little crepes are sold frozen and meant to be warmed in a skillet or an oven, though I used the air fryer instead – which worked pretty well.
The crepes themselves were slightly sweet, soft and elastic, and I liked them. The problem was the cheese filling. They use a combo of farmer’s cheese and cottage cheese which tastes fine, but has an annoying, gritty texture. Both my husband and I hated it. The cheese is lightly sweetened, so you don’t need to add anything to them, but this actually bothered my husband, who would have preferred them less sweet. We wouldn’t order them again.
The blintzes are around 6″ long, they have 105 calories each, with 16g of carbs and 6g of sugar, all added. The box of 6 blintzes sells for $4.50. The package doesn’t indicate where they’re made, so I assume it’s in the US.
Our dear friend Charlotte was back in town for a holiday after moving abroad last summer, and she suggested we have brunch at Cafe Bliss, a little breakfast and lunch place in Belmont. It was a nice, relaxing place to have a bite in a quiet Sunday.
I had the creamy chicken crepe ($18), which comes with a choice of home potatoes or salad. I liked the salad, but I really loved the crepe. It comes with chicken, mushrooms, onions and jack cheese and is served with a wine creamy sauce. The sauce, of course, is what makes it. The only problem was that I was still a bit hungry afterwards, though I probably wouldn’t have been if I’d chosen potatoes instead of a salad. Still, given the price, I think the portion should have been larger.
Mike had the Pacific scramble ($18) which comes with smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese, dill and lemon zest. It came with home potatoes and toast. He was happy with it, but not more than one would expect.
Charlotte had the Bliss omelette ($18) which comes with bacon, avocado, jack cheese, bell peppers and caramelized onions and she was also happy with it.
Service was professional and it was overall a pleasant experience.
Cafe Bliss 2039 Ralston Ave Belmont, CA (650) 595-1520 W-M 8 AM - 2 PM
This chain sandwich store seems to have downgraded the quality of its sandwiches.
I discovered Panera during the pandemic, when I was looking for restaurants that offered family meals. I had heard, of course, of Panera before, but never felt compelled to try it. We had it several times during the pandemic, and I became a fan of their tomato soup and their steak and horseradish sandwiches. Still, after a while I forgot about it altogether until last week, when I got an e-mail with a free birthday pastry offer from them, and then saw them in the news for their literally killer drinks. So I got a craving and, after three years, I decided to order another family deal.
Panera has changed a bit since I last ordered. It still serves sandwiches, pastries, salads and soups, but the sandwiches themselves have changed. The prices have sort of increased as well, but it’s the quality going down that is the real problem.
Like in the past, I ordered a family deal. It’s now $36, up 24% from what it cost in 2021. It comes with 4 half-sandwiches, a salad, a quart of soup and a baguette. Pannera no longer has my favorite steak with horseradish sandwich, and instead they now sell a ciabatta cheesesteak ($15) that comes in a ciabatta roll and is served with Provolone cheese, caramelized onions, peppadew peppers and garlic aioli. Ciabatta is a very substantial roll which calls for a lot of filling for balance. This sandwich lacked it, which meant that the overall result was just too bready. Both the onions and the peppadews are served chopped and there were so many of the latter that they overwhelmed the sandwich, I could barely taste anything else. In all, I don’t think I’d order this sandwich again.
I liked the bacon avocado melt ($11) more, and it was probably my favorite of the four sandwiches I tried. It was also the one with the thinnest bread. The sandwich was very simple, but very tasty. It had bacon bits, melted cheddar and sliced avocado. It comes in sliced sourdough bread with chipotle aioli. It needed more avocado, but it was actually quite tasty.
The smokehouse BBQ chicken ($12) was just OK. The chicken itself had no flavor, so the sandwich tasted only of red onions and BBQ sauce. I liked the sauce well enough, but not enough to order it again. this sandwich also came in a ciabatta roll, and there wasn’t enough filling to balance all that bread.
Finally, we had the chicken bacon rancher ($14), which comes with pulled chicken, bacon bits, white cheddar and ranch sauce in a black pepper focaccia roll. The focaccia was good, but it really overwhelmed the filling. The chicken, again, was under-seasoned and while the bacon was able to carry the sandwich through, it wasn’t that exciting. I also wouldn’t order it again.
The tomato soup ($9.50 bowl/$26 quart) was just as good as I remember – but really not significantly better than the packaged Panera soup that you can get at the supermarket. Given that it’s just $10-12 for the 32-oz package at Safeway, it doesn’t seem worth it to get it at the restaurant (unless it’s part of a family deal as in this case). The baguette ($2.20) with a crunchy, hard exterior and a very chewy middle, is quite good.
Finally, both my husband and daughter really liked the Caesar Salad ($10.40). The vegetables are fresh and crisp and there is enough dressing to cover them all. In the past, the family meal included the more expensive chicken Caesar salad, but as my daughter prefers it without chicken, we are actually happy that they’ve removed it.
I might try the family deal again, but I’d probably try other sandwiches to see if any are substantially better.
I also got a cinnamon roll ($4.60) as dessert, given that I had a free pastry coupon. It was the end of the day, so it was hard, but after microwaving it, it loosened. It was quite tasty.
*Update*
A couple of days after this meal, Panera got me again by sending me a couple of big “rewards”. One gave me 50% off a single entree and the other gave me a free drink, treat or cup of soup with a $10 purchase. Of course, the two could not be combined – only one reward per purchase. But Panera still had its “get 15% off gift cards” promo, so I got that as an additional discount. In all, I spent $21 to get 2 sandwiches and a cup of food, which isn’t bad but not super great either.
For my sandwich, I started with the bacon avocado melt ($11) but I got it in focaccia bread, and added tomatoes and caramelized onions. The results were great. I liked it better than the original.
For my freebie, I got a cup of the French onion soup ($7.60), which comes with a piece of bread, a bag of chips or an apple – though they gave me both the bread and the chips. The soup was actually pretty good, it had a nice caramelized onion flavor which was deep but not too bitter. It did need more cheese. I would have added more, but I then would have had to warm the soup – which was barely warm by the time it got home. Still, it was quite satisfactory. In all, half a sandwich plus the soup was a satisfactory meal and left me stuffed, and considering that I have the other half of the sandwich for later, it was a great deal – but only because of the promo. I did read that promos become much more stingy the more you go to Panera, so this will probably be my last time.
I also use the 50% off promo (in a separate purchase) to get a ciabatta cheesesteak for my daughter and her boyfriend. I doubled the meat (and should have doubled the extra lettuce) and half a sandwich was sufficient for each one of them for a mid-afternoon snack. The discount didn’t apply to the extra meat, only to the original price of the sandwich.
While you can make up to five customizations on sandwiches you order by themselves, you can’t customize them in the family meal. So I think I will order Panera again if I get good coupons, but not otherwise.
Panera 24133 Southland Dr Hayward, CA (510) 732-0279 M-SU 7 AM - 8 PM
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