Bakin' and Eggs or Classically Twisted

The Slow and Savory Review

Every restaurant needs a gimmick these days.  "Breakfast... with a twist!"  "Coffee...with a twist!"  "Ice Cream... with a twist!"  But there comes a point after all the twisting that one begins to wonder what the original idea was in the first place.  Of course, the whole reason for going out for a meal is to experience something you wouldn't be able to make at home, but sometimes its nice to find a dish that reminds you of home, in that the thought, "This is lovely.  I should try making this next time the in-laws are over," isn't such a bad thing.  Restaurants aren't just there to feed us when we don't want to wash our own dishes, they are also there to inspire us in our own cooking.  "I could make this at home," is supposed to be an insult, but there is nothing more flattering than, "I could make this at home, but I never thought of adding blue cheese!"

This weeks' destination for Bunny and Brandy was Bakin' and Eggs, a charming cafe and restaurant boasting home made everything.  Our Ladies were told it would be an hour wait for a table, but were pleased that there were plenty of benches upon which to alight, as well as coffee, tea, and pastries to nosh upon.  The hour wait turned out to be less than 30 minutes, as Our Ladies were whisked away to a table near the back.  Happy to see the tables were not crowded in together, Our Ladies took in the loveliness of the sunny and open space, which was painted with subtle cheery colors and not overly decorated with meaningless breakfast themed art.  The space was a tad loud, but they got used to slightly elevated conversation in time.

Drinks were ordered first; some Blood Orange Green Tea for Brandy (served in loose leaf form, which Brandy very much appreciated) and some iced coffee for Bunny.  Brandy indulged her sweet tooth with a Red Velvet Whoopie Pie (two red Velvet discs sandwiching cream cheese icing and a graham cracker center), which was soft, flavorful, and had the telltale tanginess of vinegar in the cake.  "That's how you know they've made it right!" she said through mouth fulls of cake and cream cheese filling.

Bunny's starter consisted of the Bacon Flight: five pieces of bacon in different guises, such as Cherry Wood, Mesquite, and Maple Pepper.  Our Ladies both agreed that the Jalapeno strip was the winner on flavor.

Brandy's entree of choice was the Sauteed Spinach Omelet, which included mushrooms and Gruyere Cheese, and came accompanied by bacon, toast, and cheese grits.  The omelet was a little watery once broken into, but the eggs were cooked nicely and the cheese perfectly melted.  The grits too were very pleasant, with a wonderful peppery note.  The real surprise was the home made raspberry jam, which Brandy slathered liberally onto her toast.

Bunny decided upon the Banana Bread French Toast, which came served with butter, banana rum sauce, and hazelnut ganache.  The banana bread itself was very light and moist, but didn't quite bring the French-toastiness one would expect.  Bunny did enjoy the various sauces that allowed one to customize each bite to their desired flavor.

Bakin' and Eggs shines with its simplicity; easy and accessible food done well is better than a plate with more twists than a roller coaster any day of the week.  Drinks, starters, and entrees came out to just about $20 a person, a particularly good value for the variety and portion size.  Service was friendly and informative, though it did take quite a while to get the check.  Brandy didn't mind, as she is a waiter's worst nightmare when it comes to "camping out" after a meal, but Bunny, who had a parking meter to pay, wasn't amused.  All told, Our Ladies left Bakin' and Eggs quite pleased, quite full, and quite full of ideas, none of which are ever a bad thing.  As Bunny heard a young lady say once on television, "Don't get it twisted."

The Short and Sweet Review