Ellie Krieger is known for preparing delicious “light” versions of favorite comfort foods, and for a post-Christmas brunch I made up a pan of her peach French toast bake. This oven-baked French toast is a pretty good substitute for the pan-fried stuff you’re used to, so you can save a few calories and some time with this easy recipe.

Peach French Toast Bake

I made this using my copy of Ms. Krieger’s The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, but it is also available on foodnetwork.com.
Read the rest of this entry »

The 2nd Bite post was previously reserved only for Flip Burger Boutique, but I had to come back to post on Noon Midtown’s breakfast offerings, particularly their special, The Stack (fried chicken, benton’s bacon, cheddar, sausage gravy, fried egg on a biscuit). Or maybe it was just to show off this awesome photo I took, and with my cell phone to boot:

The Stack

Yes, it tastes as amazing as it looks. And it was so huge, I ended up skipping lunch.

Check out Noon for lunch and breakfast, which I can now vouch for, and they even deliver around Midtown now (though not to GT )!

www.noonmidtown.com

Mario and I found a newly opened (October) and judging by the number of people seated, apparently as-yet undiscovered dining gem in Charlotte. Terrace Cafe is located in the Southpark area near the mall (I’m not up on my Charlotte geography enough to be more specific than that). We were looking for a brunch spot one Saturday morning and I surfed a few reviews, browsed their interesting-looking menu, and made the choice. Man, am I glad I did.

Terrace

Though I can only speak for the breakfast items, I can’t imagine that the rest of Terrace’s menu would disappoint either. I ordered the Red Velvet Waffle topped with cream cheese drizzle (can’t believe no one in Atlanta has done this!) and Mario threw together a meal from the sides menu of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon:
Read the rest of this entry »

Since Mario is in town, breakfast is always a must, so we tried yet another Howell Mill Rd. breakfast spot after church on a rainy Sunday.  The Social House serves breakfast and brunch 7 days a week, and like most other breakfast-centric eateries in Atlanta, had a line out the door.   The restaurant’s website advertises Georgia-grown food served in a “bright, cheerful” environment.   Aside from the room’s brightness by virtue of its many windows, “cheerful” is not what came to mind when I was met with a harried-looking waitstaff and an unfriendly host.

The Social House

Image courtesy ofThe Cynical Cook

Read the rest of this entry »

I revisited West Egg Cafe the weekend I moved back to Atlanta with my family and Mario and tried one of their specials, the Peachtree Plate. The standout of the meal was the brown sugar bacon, a mix of sweet and salty that left me (and Mario) wanting more. So, I found some recipes via web search and cooked up my own batch.

Homemade Breakfast

By popular demand, we decided to visit Thumbs Up Diner for a brunch-time meal Friday.  Thumbs Up is another breakfast-centric eatery located right near where I live.  Unlike other places I’ve passed and never tried, somehow I’ve never even noticed this unassuming building on Marietta St.  Their menu has both breakfast and lunch items with breakfast served all day, but lunch only after 11am.

I decided to try the Yukon Omelette (Smoked salmon, fresh spinach, and cream cheese) with a biscuit, and Mario had 2 pancakes, a scrambled egg, and bacon.

Yukon Omelette

Pancakes, Eggs, and Bacon

Read the rest of this entry »

After church last Sunday, Mario was craving pancakes (instead of sweets, he craves breakfast items) so we paid a visit to the West Egg Cafe, another establishment near where I live which I’ve seen but never visited.  West Egg serves breakfast all day, everyday, and also has sandwiches, dessert items, and a variety of coffee drinks.  With free wi-fi, a bottomless cup of coffee for $2.25, and a cozy looking lounge area in back, I could easily see people spending all day here.

West Egg Cafe

After a fairly lengthy brunch-time wait, we got a table and ordered. I had the Belgian waffle with spiced honey butter and syrup and a side of veggie sausage (I’m vegetarian this week), and Mario had the short stack of pancakes, also with spiced honey butter and syrup, and bacon and scrambled cheese eggs on the side.

Belgian Waffle and Veggie Sausage

Short Stack and Bacon

First bites follow:

Read the rest of this entry »