The Never Ending Breakfast Adventures

Just when it seemed like I had exhausted all of Ann Arbor’s breakfast places, there was one more left that needed exploring (I know that once this article is published, I’ll somehow manage to come across another). The perfect fit for a snowy Ann Arbor morning, Northside Grill provided Jessie, Julie, Jordan, Sam and I with an amazing breakfast before heading off to a Michigan basketball game.

Here’s our take on a Northside Grill breakfast:

Vegetarian. Egg white omelet with onions, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and mozzarella-cheddar cheese mix (the hash browns were key, but ask for them well-done)

Our food was great, however, I found that our omelets weren’t anything out of the ordinary and that we didn’t give Northside Grill the justice it deserves. I definitely want to go back soon and try the skillets (a mish-mosh of hash browns, veggies, meats and eggs) or the breakfast sandwiches.

Cost? Although omelets and skillets were on the more expensive side ($9-10), the portions were very generous.

Atmosphere? A cozy breakfast and lunch eatery that is reminiscent of a place you would find in a small New England town.  

Northside Grill is located at 1015 Broadway St in Ann Arbor, MI.

If you want to check out their full menu before heading over:

http://web.me.com/northsidegrill/NORTHSIDEGRILL/Breakfast_Menu_and_More.html

Continuing the Breakfast Adventures...

With an eight-day break between exams, I figured there was no better way to enjoy the downtime than by exploring more of Ann Arbor’s restaurants. Looking for a way to unwind from a morning exam and catch up on the semester, Lisa and I decided to check out The Broken Egg.

The Broken Egg is located 221 N. Main Street and has successfully been added to the list of “must-go” breakfast places in Ann Arbor after today’s dining experience. After eating at both Afternoon Delight and Angelo’s, I have come to realize that each of Ann Arbor’s breakfast places distinguishes themselves by the way they prepare their omelettes. As someone who is a personal fan of having their omelette add-in’s cooked into the eggs instead of separately, I was extremely happy with the way my eggs turned out and can safely say that there are enough omelette options to please any meat-eater or veggie lover.

Here’s what Lisa and I ordered:

We both went for the Greek Fetish Omelette: A jumbo four egg omelet sauteed with fresh baby spinach, feta cheese, red onions, green and red peppers, mushrooms and calamata olives. Served with hash brown potatoes and toast or english muffin.

And of course had to split the Banana Walnut Cakes: Three fluffy buttermilk pancakes filled with sliced bananas and walnuts, topped with a splash of whipped cream and served with warm maple syrup.

So how does The Broken Egg rank against the others?

Cost? Fairly reasonable, for a coffee and omelette with some substitutions the bill came out to $12. Pancakes, waffles and French toast range from $5.50-$8 and omelettes are $8.25

Atmosphere? Simple, cozy with a mom and pop feeling. Definitely a good place to go if you’re looking for a casual breakfast that’s away from the chaos of State Street.

Best dish? The Greek omelette was the better of the two dishes, though after going to all the different breakfast restaurants I would still say that Angelo’s omelettes are the best I’ve had yet. A great balance of toppings and egg, the omelettes are definitely the dish to get when eating there.

If you want to check out the menu before heading over yourself:

http://www.allmenus.com/mi/ann-arbor/274897-broken-egg/menu/

On An Island Down South...

Although I created the ‘Jersey Diner Series’ with the intention of exclusively visiting New Jersey’s finest, I couldn’t help but to write about an amazing diner experience I had this past weekend while on vacation.

Harold’s Diner, located on Route 278 in Hilton Head Island, SC, proudly flaunts their motto “Eat here, or we both will starve” and is a place coveted by locals and lucky tourists alike. Take a seat at the counter with caution…you’re likely to be criticized and ridiculed for your inability to order properly off of the “fill-out-your-own-card” style menu. But not to worry, there is not a single thing on the menu that is not worth trying.

The experience was definitely something different. Dining with my grandparents, dad and brother at a loud, hearty place was different than any of the gourmet meals we had throughout the trip. But, being the chatty and curious bunch that we are, we attempted to make friends with the tough-to-please owner while laughing over the many funny and crude bumper stickers that lined the walls (my favorites being “raising children is like nailing Jello to a tree”)

Of all the breakfast foods ordered, the hash browns stole the show. Soft and warm chunks of perfectly seasoned and griddled potatoes rounded out our plates of omelets, fried eggs and bacon. Usually, I rate the quality of my eggs and potatoes on a ketchup scale (the less ketchup used, the better the food) and I can safely say, this was a no ketchup meal. The omelets were fluffy, yet had the just-right ratio of egg to vegetable, and all of the breakfast meats were juicy and given a fresh crisp on the griddle.

The only downside? There were so many places on the island to try and so little time, that we were unable to make a trip back for lunch. However, since we dined just as the menu was switching from breakfast to lunch, I was able to check out what others were ordering. The burgers (in particular the famous H burger), the cheesesteak and onions rings all looked mouth-watering good. If I hadn’t been so full, I might have gone in for a second round.

Regrettably, I forgot to bring my camera along for the trip so all the pictures shown have been taken from online. Maybe this will give me a reason to road trip back down to Harold’s sometime soon… any takers?