Kate's Kitchen (San Francisco, CA)

Kate's Kitchen was a memorable mark on our trip to San Francisco. Thrown off by the cool days (and cold mornings) we kept gravitating towards hearty stick-to-your-ribs food. This is why we gained five pounds after three days.

Kate's did not disappoint. It's a small restaurant with mostly two tops and 1 or 2 four-tops with a open view of the kitchen in the back where a fully-kitchen was busy over the stove and juicing carrots and apples. Colorful and warm with a family and a young baby to our left and some couples to our left, we're struck by the giant mural of the United States on the main wall. 

We start with the hush puppies (which, if you remember, I had just introduced Chris to earlier this summer). Delicious, deep-fried cornmeal goodness was presented to us with homemade (crazy delicious) jam and "pooh butter" to dip- (honey butter). Dense, with a generous portion size, I could imagine myself coming to this place once a week just to eat these.

My entree was their biscuits with veggie gravy. I have to say that they were [almost] perfect. If there was just a dash more salt to bring out the flavors that had been developed, I think it would have been amazing, but I find that over-salting is a common fear of most restaurant these days. The biscuits texturally were between that of a typical biscuit and a scone (think hard edges and crumbly bits). With cheese and green onion inside, it was pleasant to eat on its own, but definitely improved by the veggie gravy underneath. I have no idea how they made the gravy, except to say that they must have used some type of wheat/flour with some stock, herbs, etc. Delicious- and something I wish that they bottled and sold so I could take it back home to the East Coast to eat with all of my meals. THIS is how you do a vegetarian breakfast. It wasn't just a non-meat version of something, but a legitimate menu item of itself.

I must say even as a meat eater I am impressed with how the west coast does vegetarian. It actually brings me down a little when there are no items on a menu tailored to my girlfriend's lifestyle. It's not like being a vegetarian is a new concept; the Mid-Atlantic corridor seems to vegetarians will be OK with asking for the same item on a menu, but with no meat, and paying the same price. Kate's Kitchen shows more than acceptance with a unique menu with variety of items, they also show creativity and an ability to cook. They do a pretty good job too.

With all of that said, I decided to appease my carnivore side. I ordered the Big Guys Breakfast, which unfortunately didn't make me feel like a "big guy" ordering it out loud. Eventually two plates were brought to me that consisted of two cornmeal buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, two slices of bacon, one sausage patty, and a side of homefries! Talk about using quality products. Kate's Kitchen nailed it with their eggs and bacon. The over medium eggs were super rich with velvety yolks and the bacon was the thick cut stuff. The strips had awesome marbleization, they were packed with flavor and had the perfect amount of salt. The sausage, which was a chicken sausage, was even delicious. It feel flat from a lack of fat leaving it a little dry, but it was still very delicious. The homefries had the low mark of the day. Even though their potato flavor was never in question (still clearly using top shelf ingredients) they were a little burned and I'm not sure anyone through some salt on them leaving them very under seasoned.



Back to the good stuff. The cornmeal buttermilk pancakes were pretty special. The extra sweetness from the cornmeal plus the texture will probably ruin other pancakes for the rest of my life. I might even swear off of pancakes that don't have cornmeal as an ingredient. They were that good.





P.S. Coffee in San Francisco is delicious. Does everybody use Peet's or do they just have extra-spectacular coffee presses? Also, Kate's Kitchen gives you a generous pitcher of (non-individually packaged, and actually containing dairy) cream.

Vic's (Fremont, Nebraska)

Vic’s is a hidden gem in a sleep section of town in Fremont, Nebraska (about 40 minutes outside of Omaha). The place from the outside looks unimpressive at best, almost sketchy, with its storage space exterior and lack of windows. However, inside, a solid and creative breakfast awaits. 

It’s bigger and (much) cleaner than you may think when compared to some of the diners back home in New Jersey. The atmosphere here is simple and uncomplicated, with large tables and furniture that don’t quite match anything, but are comfortable and sturdy. The walls are decorated with various Lincoln Highway and Huskers paraphernalia. The mugs for our drinks were all mismatched, as if the owners/staff have been collecting them for years. My only complaint would have to be about the prep refrigerator that was occasionally left open for all to see the backup food and premixed sauces.  It was right under the television!

There was one waitress who sat us, took our orders, and even helped prep food in the kitchen. She was a Super Waitress who knew the menu, could make recommendations, as well as bus tables and refill coffee without being asked to do so.

For my meal, I ordered the veggie scramble. Finally, a legitimate vegetarian breakfast dish that doesn’t seem like a forced alternative to appear sensitive to non-meat eaters!  It was $7.95 for a scramble of broccoli, peppers, onion, mushrooms, and cheese topped with 2 eggs however you’d like it. I asked for mine to be fried to over-medium. And of course, I asked for hashbrowns to be thrown in for an extra $.60.

It’s a hearty breakfast and not for those on a diet, but not so fatty that you feel awful about yourself after. The cheese was not overdone (as I feared) and the veggies tasted fresh and almost sweet against the salt that was present. Hashbrowns were thin and crisped all the way through (think Waffle House-style). It came out hot with the eggs cooked properly. It reminded me a bit of an American-style bibimbap Korean dish) without the rice. My wheat toast was yummy and they didn’t skip on the butter which made me happy. However, the butter was unsalted, which was strange at first but eventually became a nice change. Overall, it was a unique breakfast with just enough indulgence and excess you’d expect from a dive-y establishment. This meal gets bonus points for keeping me full for most of the day and for not giving me a stomachache when I visited the zoo later that day. Chris went in a different direction for his breakfast:

I'm apparently in the middle of a biscuits and gravy phase at the moment, and thankfully, Vic's carried it on their menu. I would have loved to go with the one of the Husker Skillets, but they were both already ordered by others at the table. Their biscuits and gravy had components that ranged from mediocre to great. Let's start with the aspects that did not shine. The gravy itself was so-so. It congealed very quickly and looked and felt like a paste more than a smooth, rich gravy. The flavor of the gravy was good and I'm sure a lot of that came from the delicious bits of bacon scattered throughout. The biscuits were a step up from the gravy. Even through the mountain of sausage gravy that they were covered in, you could still tell they were fresh, soft and flaky. On the second plate that came out I got two eggs over medium and two sausage patties. The eggs were cooked perfectly. They were also fresh, lightly salted and just tasted like a great egg (maybe my mind is biased from being in Nebraska and thinking everything must come straight from the farm). The sausages were by far the highlight of the meal for me. The amount of fat in these two morsels was out of this world. Each patty was so incredible juicy and tender. The meat wasn't over worked and spiciness that was incorporated was incredible. Vic's sausages were hot but not uncomfortable. Next time I'm in Fremont, I will make it a point to go back to Vic's to get their sausage and eggs, and hopefully a Husker Skillet.

Additional notes:

Rachel Ray’s cooking show was playing on the TV, to which Chris’s dad said, “Why?” Wouldn’t that create an unconscious need to compare your food to the glamorized meals on the screen? Perhaps it works because Vic’s doesn’t pretend to be more than it is- neither pompous high-class food nor low-class campy. If you’re just a little bit country, you’ll fit right in.

Rise & Shine: A Steak & Egg Place

Butter and Jam

On December 28th of last year I woke up in Las Vegas, Nevada absolutely starving. I usually eat breakfast at 6am on weekdays, so by the time I drive Chi and myself to the Smith's shopping center on Decatur Boulevard at 8am pacific time, we were famished. The shopping center (strip mall) was home to a sunny looking breakfast joint called Rise & Shine: A Steak & Egg Place. The name of the restaurant needs some work as does some of the decorating and uniforms, but the food (for me) was quite pleasant.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

I've been on a bit of a biscuits and gravy kick for the past month, so I thought it would be neat to try a southern standard in the great southwest. The meal consisted of two biscuits covered in sausage gravy, two eggs any style, and hash browns. Oh, and a pot of bread. "What is a pot of bread?" I inquired. I soon found out that it was essentially a cinnamon loaf biscuit baked in a tiny clay pot, fun. The entire plate was very good. I was surprised at how well they pulled off this regional dish. The gravy was thick and covered the biscuits like the Silver Coin's Hollandaise sause, except it was delicious. The gravy could have used a little more sausage, but what sausage was there offered a ton of zesty flavor. The eggs over medium were placed on top of the gravy and biscuits which made for a playful presentation that I have yet to see on the east coast. Also, the eggs were cooked perfectly. The hash browns were only kind of hash browns, but definitely good. Instead of shredding the potatoes, they made little potato pellets which created a high surface area to volume ratio and in effect crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The next time I'm visiting Sin City I'll make sure to stop by Rise and Shine.

A Potted Pot of Bread...

Now, let me preface this by saying that for the three years I lived in Vegas growing up, I hardly ever ate breakfast, and it was never impressed upon me that Vegas had any significant breakfast scene despite the famed $5.99 steak and eggs buffets at the casinos. So, to find a breakfast place that was so close to my family's house was a pleasantry in itself.

Inverted Flower Ceiling

Rise and Shine is a cute place, a bit too bubbly and funkily decorated for its own good, but perfect for a whimsical child at breakfast with his or her parent(s). I enjoyed the ceramic collage walls, even the umbrella flowers that made the ceiling of orange, pinks, purples. (Despite the fact that look kind of like jellyfish). A back wall occupied by an exposed kitchen and an organized prep bar was nice to see, but the cook did not work as fast as I would have expected a kitchen to run back home. (This being said, the restaurant was no where near being full).  I did NOT enjoy those uniforms- like a mix between pajamas and scrubs, and styled like the girls who wore them couldn't figure out what they were either.

Fluffed Up, West Coast Style

My Illy brand coffee was delicious, and for an extra fee they offered it double-pressed (!!) I made my own omelette, filling it with spinach, green pepper, avocado, etc. which came with a side of hashbrowns and a biscuit. These hashbrowns were not hashbrowns in the traditional sense, nor were they homefries...they were little somewhat crispy, greasy, highly flavored potato pellets that were unlike any potato breakfast food I've had before, but one that I would happily have again. My biscuit was entirely passable with its warm, somewhat dense softness, although not as tasty as the butter it came with. My omelette was also tasty- well done on the outside like I like it, although perhaps with too much avocado. The vegetables were a good size and were not overcooked. Overall, it tasted just as good as any veggie omelette I could have concocted back home, so nothing to complain about.

I would definitely try another dish the next time I'm in Vegas and need a breakfast near home (in Southern Highlands, Las Vegas). I will say, however, that Chris and I were definitely put off by how fast we were given our check. Even if you say "it's no rush", but you give us our check less than two minutes after you give us our meal, it's going to be rushed. Or, I may just get a side of those tasty potato hashbrowns and watch the young,awkward waitresses scuttle around. Total cost: $24.

By the way, the difference between breakfast on the East Coast vs. breakfast on the West Coast? The table settings:

Look at all that hot sauce!!

Somerville Diner

Getting to the Somerville Diner was much more complicated than it should have been. We started our journey from Pennsauken with every intent to head north into Hillsborough for our practice and lessons. We decided to use our trusty GPS once we got on the road to find a diner (hoping there would be another gem off of 295). I plugged our destination into the GPS in hopes that it would take me to 295, but instead Mr. TomTom decided our best bet to get to north Jersey would be to cross over the Walt Whitman and jump on 95 (without asking me if I would like to avoid toll roads), and make me throw away five dollars on the toll. The adventure continues when about halfway between Philadelphia and Trenton we decide to start looking for a diner.

Fourth Time's the Charm

At this point we still trusted TomTom so we plugged in "diner" and our first result was Croydon Family Diner in Bensalem, PA. Wonderful. We drive for twenty minutes off 95 through neighborhoods and back roads until we get to a dead end road with no diner at the end. Upon further research, the Croydon Family Diner cannot be found on Google Maps, it probably no longer exists. So now we're in a nice suburb area which means there's got to be a nice greasy spoon close by and TomTom tells us to go to the Blue Fountain Diner in Langhorne, PA. it's off the old Lincoln Highway and after a bit of driving we are once again taken to another dead end road (much creepier this time) with no diners to be seen. We then discussed the chances that something out of a horror movie was going to happen and we decide to get the hell out of Pennsylvania since they apparently don't have diners anymore (further investigation makes me believe that TomTom was under the impression that Blue Fountain was on a different Lincoln Highway). After getting into Jersey we decide to try one more time, and the nearest diner from the border on our way to Hillsborough (not including Red Oak and Hillsborough Star) was the Jersey Diner about a mile past our destination. Guess what? It doesn't exist. At this point we freak out, decide that Time to Eat Diner is up the road (we've been planning to eat there a while now) and on our way there the Somerville Diner pops up like a gift from God. We pulled into the parking lot scowling at TomTom.

Meatball Sub

I unfortunately do not have much to say about this diner and it is, sadly, quite forgettable. I decided to order something familiar and got a meatball sub (on a club roll served with fries) and upon ordering the waitress called me out asking me if that was even on the menu and the telling me that they probably don't even have rolls. Really? Upon showing her that I ordered a real entree, she admitted, "oh we must have the rolls then," facepalm. The sandwich itself was good. The bread was delicious even if it didn't hold the sandwich together (I ended up finishing with a fork and knife), the sauce was zesty and fresh, and everything was covered in melted provolone cheese. The meatball was definitely a step up from the Club Diner's meatballs but Somerville had it's shortcomings. Even though they had superb texture and decent taste, they were still over sized for the sandwich and altogether too dry (especially with the thick roll they used). My fries were served to me warm and even had an "I've been sitting around too long" texture. They were passable with a copious amount of ketchup.


This was a classic case of ‘should have quit while you’re behind’. At first I was completely enamored by the Somerville Diner, which seemed to appear out of nowhere to save us from our hungry, hungry fate. The décor made me feel welcome, and the hostess/waitress made me feel adored. But apparently, it was my stomach that must have overtook my brain’s capacity for perception because little did I know I was walking into a place that was just a little too-cute.

Florentine Omelette

In an attempt to expand my horizons, I ordered a Florentine omelette- spinach, sautéed onions, and feta cheese, folded into 3 fluffy eggs for a little under 8 bucks. AND, it came with toast and home fries! (Can you tell I’m still recovering from Marlton-diner sticker-shock?) Then, she came out with GIANT coffee mugs (which ended up costing $1.79 apiece), which we soon discovered to be filled with burnt-woody, dark coffee. I liked it more than Chris who barely took a second sip.

We’ll start with the good: My omelette was delish. I was afraid of the cook going overboard and loading my omelette with feta. I had imagined in my head some worst-case-scenario of not quite done eggs with cheese just spills onto everything after you cut into it. (This is why I don’t order cheese in omelettes usually). But, the feta was very light, and served only to enhance the fresh spinach leaves (left whole and un-mushy from being handled). Toast was lazily prepared with a disproportionate amount of butter on every piece. Also note that I got two pieces of toast physically on my plate and then a side of two more, leaving me with FOUR (or eight, depending on how you look at it) pieces! Ridiculous.

Clean, Homey Interior

But here’s the kicker: Chris had said it best when he said that this place looks like it’s in desperate need of a Tabitha Takeover (shameless plug for faboosh Bravo reality show). Clearly there are deep-set issues between management and staff. A manager, dressed not much better than the waitresses, was helicopter-parenting all around the floor looking at their actions, coming up to tables to monitor and seemingly find faults and someone to blame them on. Twice he came up to us to ask if we had needed anything, after our waitress had already been by to check in. I’m a firm believer of the management should work behind the scenes and not be seen too often, so it put me off when he asked us if “we ever got [our] water” when we had in fact, not ordered water.

It became clear that this distrust was mutual, because soon everybody’s demeanor did a 180 and I no longer felt like my dining experience was a priority. Our waitress turned into a Debbie downer, complaining about her boss riding her, and making excuses for her lagging service on his involvement. It was like watching a disgruntled father trying to handle angsty teenage daughters, except that they were too old to be doing this. And so were we.

Hotdogs?

I’m a firm believer that whatever went down in the back of the house should be left once you hit the dining area. You are on the same team, and if it’s not all smiles than it certainly shouldn’t be a room full of scowls. Nobody can digest Sunday Brunch on a stomach full of dysfunction.

FYI: This place doubles as a Nathan’s Hot Dog (um…strange) but I will say that for the 40-some minutes we were there, nobody came in to eat one. They advertise “Famous Texas-Style BBQ Ribs”- a daily special for $14.99 that includes a full rack, fries, soup de jour and choice of dessert.

Perhaps we just caught them on a particularly grumpy day, but since I’m not a meat-eater, I will not be revisiting this one anytime soon. We’ll be heading to the other diner near Somerville, The Time to Eat Diner, soon to compare. Stay tuned.

Marlton Diner

Flashy

The Marlton Diner's reputation precedes it with its multiple accolades as "Best of [insert location]" by a few local papers, including the Courier Post. One gets the sense that it knows just how popular and appealing it is, despite not being around as long as its competitors in the area. But just like the popular kids of our pasts, I felt the attitude to be complacent, vaguely shallow, and with a skewed sense of what things actually cost. It gleans off of Route 70 (in Marlton) like a prized baby blue convertible. (Yes, I quoted Santa Baby, but yes, it was kind-of teal).

French Toast, Eggs Over Medium

Chris's parents took us out for Saturday breakfast and since they paid, you would think I could just focus on the experience and critique the quality of food, but I can't. While breakfast meals cost about the same as they do at any other diner, many items didn't come in the popular combos that they traditionally do, or at those combo prices. For example, I ordered their french toast which came out to a little under $6, but as you can see, there's only the (3) pieces of toast, with butter and individual packages of syrup. I ordered a side of two eggs over medium, which cost me almost an extra two bucks. It wasn't terrible, just clearly not a bargain, which is something I've come to expect (perhaps unfairely) from diners. Plan your meals carefully and they can cost the same as they do anywhere else, but double check your sides, especially your meat-based ones.


I will say that the french toast was delicious with the pefect ratio of toast to egg. I think that I would been happier if they had just upgraded me to a bottle of syrup on the table instead of packets tacked on the side, but since I like my toast more buttery than sweet anyways, I can't really say it hindered my enjoyment. As usual by over medium eggs were runny and boring. But maybe ordering eggs over medium is boring...

Exhibit A

I wanted to order their french toast and eggs special (with coffee and juice) and then order a side of sausage. The combo of just french toast and eggs was eight dollars, a side of sausage was four dollars. Four dollars for sausage links. Four dollars. Until this diner, the most expensive side of sausage I've seen was two dollars and fifty cents. I guess having a building painted like a '50s Chevy made the Marlton Diner feel entitled to overcharge it's customers. Now that I've gotten that off my chest I must admit that they seated us rather quickly for showing up on a busy Saturday morning, and our waitress was very patient with our slightly indecisive party. The atmosphere was pleasant enough with classic diner feel and booths packed with families and old timers, the Marlton Diner clearly has their own set of regulars.

French Toast with Four Dollar Sausage

With good company at the table our food seemed to come out fairly quickly. Three pieces of french toast bordered by four sausage links. I'm a butter and syrup man, so I slathered up the slices and went to work. Let me tell you, this french toast was good enough to stand up by itself and I would go back to the Marton Diner just to order a short stack. There were three things that made this french toast better than other diners. The first key for yumminess is thickness of the bread. Most diners advertise super think slices of Texas toast. Well, that means the egg won't be able to get to the middle of the bread (there's a surface area to volume ratio theory that is important for diffusion) and that means half of what your eating is a core of warm bread. Marlton used more than Wonder Bread, but they didn't over do it, which made their french toast one hundred percent french toast. The second high point of their french toast was the perfection of "toasting." The Marlton Diner made sure that the outside reached it's nice golden brown exterior without overcooking the middle of the french toast remained soft, moist and delicious. The third golden start I'm going to give them is for not skimping me on butter. The amount of butter they gave us looked like miniature fluffy clouds. As for the sausage (the four dollar sausage) it was mediocre. Nothing about it screamed "I'm better than Jimmy Dean!" which solidified my previous statement, I would come back to get just the short stack of french toast.

Additional notes:
Apparently the Marlton Diner doubles as a museum and contains an antique cash register and jukebox, but don't touch them. Also, they sell giant, soft chocolate-chip cookies, buy one. The place was family-friendly full of Halloween decorations with clean, dry booths. If you can get over the $4.00 a side thing, might be worth a trip.

All Sides are Four Dollars

Like Mean Girls, being popular comes with rules. No subsituting your potatoes for fruit cups (waitress denied Chris's mother), or sharing (unless you want to pay $2.00 a plate), and always, always wear pink on Fridays.

Calorie Counting is No Way to Live

Maritsa's

Maritsa's? What's a Maritsa's?

Apparently it's a not-quite-together diner with a heart of gold. You want to like Maritsa's, and if you're a citizen of Maple Shade, NJ perhaps you need to love Maritsa's.

Home Fries done the Right Way!

The uniform here unofficially (or officially) is a Phillies Jersey; waitresses pick their favorite player and channel them by briskly taking and delivering orders fast and furiously. It's charming, even as the restaurant is in the middle of expansion. It doesn't quite look like a restaurant as there is mismatched flooring and furniture. I'm not sure they really know what they want it to look like once it's all done and paid for.

Veggie Omelette

Perhaps that it's just time for Chris and I to try break up our diner outings with some silver spoon entries and I'm just getting sick of veggie omelettes. But quite seriously, I hated this one. Have you ever experienced the phenomenon that is disgusting, not-cut-up kind of muddy mushrooms? Muddy mushrooms (you heard it here first!) and this time, muddy button mushrooms. The worst. The veggies in this thing were huge- so huge that it was a chore to eat. It tasted fine (besides the mushrooms) but the labor of chewing through it was ridiculous and caused me to not finish it. I only ate half. However, I will say that Chris and I were finally introduced to the idea of putting onions and peppers and gooey American cheese onto your home fries.

It was delicious. And, I don't even like American cheese.

For Chi and I the service was a little shaky, but it could be explained through misunderstandings instead of negligence or apathy. My biggest problem with the meal was the amount of time it took my family (that's right, we were accompanied by my parents for the first time) to be waited on. We were seated almost immediately (which is pretty good for a Sunday morning), but we were seated with an extra chair at the table. Our waitress then waited for around ten minutes for our "guest" to arrive. Eventually we called her over and she apologized profusely, explained herself, and ended up a bit embarrassed, which was never our intention.

Two Egg Breakfast with Sausage

My food was perfectly ordinary. Let me explain; there was nothing about my meal that was wrong, however, there was nothing that stood out or went beyond expectation. My mug was consistently topped off with piping hot java, my eggs were as medium as medium can be, the four sausage links we juicy, my toast was liberally buttered, and my home fries (probably the best part) were right in between sliced and shredded and cooked to crispy deliciousness. The super star of every meal on the table rested on my fathers plate. As Chi mentioned above, we were in the presence of home fries that were filled with onion and green peppers and topped with gooey American cheese. The ole' man let us each have a bite and to say the least, we were impressed. The onions and peppers created a natural, fresh sweetness while the cheese on top balanced out the vegetable with its saltiness. It also helps that the potatoes stayed crispy with the extra moisture.

Additional notes: There's no big sign-on-a-post out front, so you're going to have to keep your eyes open for the front of their building along East Main street in Maple Shade.