Believe it or not, we do eat breakfast now and then, especially on weekends.
Here's a somewhat random collection of notes in progress about various places in Austin where you can get a good breakfast.
8012 Mesa Drive
349-2126
Lawrence's comments:
What has the state of Austin dining come to when a pizza parlour has one of the best breakfasts in town? I don't know if this is a credit to Mangia or a sign of the low gastronomic state to which the Capital City has sunken. I suspect it's a confluence of both.
So how has Mangia bootstrapped its way to breakfast dominance? First and foremost, they have real hashbrowns. Now, you may never have eaten real hashbrowns before, given that Austin is rapidly turning into a "new" and "cubed" potato wasteland. If memory serves, the Magnolia Cafe used to have them before they turned their back on the path of righteousness. Real hashbrowns are thin, shredded strips of potatoes, deep-fried to perfection, and this is exactly the way Mangia (bless their souls) serves them. The platonic ideal of breakfast spuds.
Second, Mangia has a wide enough range of delectables foods to satisfy most breakfast hungers, including waffles, breakfast tacos, and "breakfast pizzas" - an egg, cheese, and whatnot concoction served on a thin pizza crust that provides Mangia's own contribution to the morning culinary arts. All these in addition to your usual egg, bacon and sausage assortment. Save for griddle-flipped pancakes (theirs are of the oven-baked variety), they seem to have most basic breakfast options well in hand.
And all this for about the same or less than you'd pay at other eating establishments. Now all they need to do is combine 2 or 3 tasty choices into a tempting "He-Man" breakfast platter for $4.99...
Dwight's comments:
Roughly a year later, and what's the state of the grand experiment: a pizza place serving breakfast?
Right now, it doesn't look good.
I'd been avoiding Mangia for breakfast because of lousy service (both at breakfast and at dinner: making me ask "Who do I have to kill to get another damn cup of coffee?" is a sin I do not forgive easily.)
This time, the service was at least competent: they managed to supply nearly enough coffee, though there was some confusion about who got what, and some items that came out late (and after reminders: to be fair, we had a large party.)
More disturbing, though, were the menu changes: you can no longer get the excellent baked apple cinnamon pancake, or waffles. The menu does list generic pancakes, but when our party tried to order those, we were told they were "out of pancakes".
We were also informed, later on, that they were "out of fruit" (which several members had asked for as a side). So, let me get this straight: you're out of fruit, eggs, flour, and milk? This is truly funny, considering they're in the same center as a Randall's, and only serve breakfast two days a week for three hours.
One member of our party commented that it looked like they were phasing out the breakfast menu, and Rumor Control claims they've already stopped serving breakfast at the Lake Austin branch.
If Mangia's customer service were better, I would feel some sense of loss at this: while this visit was a vast improvement, I have to think that Mangia's management is treating flesh wounds while the patient bleeds to death.
(Last visit: 3/15/98.)
Dan's:
11606 N. IH-35
834-0474
Lawrence's comments:
As anticipated, Gunther's has hearty breakfasts, but they're not quite as huge as their dinner portions. My "Lorenzo" omelette was good, but was made with ordinary ground beef rather than the chilli promised on the menu (there is a difference). The new potatoes were somehwat more palatable than they are most places, but I can't really recommend them. However, the potato pancakes proved a good hash-brown substitute.
A suggestion: Add some grilled (rather than chilled) wurst selections to the menu. And adding one of those huge pork chops to a standard egg-and-potato-pancakes plate would be a surefire crowd pleaser.
10014 N. Lamar
339-8434
Lawrence's comments:
Good, and reasonably priced, Dim Sum, about on par with the old Shanghai, except with a slightly more limited menu. But cheaper and easier to get into than Tien Hong, and the waitstaff was quite attentive. Probably our new default for Dim Sum in North Austin.
(Last visit: January 25, 1998.)
Jim's:
Burnet & 183
837-1119
Lawrence's comments:
Despite the ill omen of a patron loudly upchucking in the men's room, Jim's actually turned out to be a rather pleasant breakfast experience on Thanksgiving morning. Like Mangia's, they have real hashbrowns,huge glasses for my Dr Pepper fix (and free refills), a wide range of breakfast choices, and an attentive waitstaff. My pork chop was tender and my eggs well prepared.
Though I was long put off Jim's by their faux-"down home" feel and plastic roadway dinner decor, their breakfast is definitely worth a taste.
El Sol De La Luna
Lawrence's comments:
Breakfast at El Sol de la Luna is adequate, but it's not any better than Arturo's Taqueria or El Borego de Oro, and the prices are higher. Pass.
Pearl's Oyster Bar:
Kerby Lane:
Hickory Street:
Good Eats Cafe:
Cafe Java:
Send e-mail to Dwight Brown (stainles@bga.com).