Where's the Perfect Breakfast Spot?

[skchai]

Wanda A. Adams of the Honolulu Advertiser has issued a challenge: Got a Perfect Breakfast Spot? Let the rest of us know

She's pretty specific about what she wants, though:

A Perfect Breakfast Spot not only serves good food, but good coffee preferably espresso or French press, but well-made brewed coffee will do.

At a Perfect Breakfast Spot, waiters take your order and bring your food on real plates with real cutlery  no take-out windows, queueing to order, styrofoam or plastic.

A Perfect Breakfast Spot has parking and sufficient tables so that you don't have to wait too long in line, if at all.

A Perfect Breakfast Spot serves breakfast whenever you want it  no mid-morning cutoff as if to punish you for sleeping in too late.

A Perfect Breakfast Spot doesn't mind if you linger over the paper or ask for more coffee.

And a Perfect Breakfast Spot often, but not always, has something special about it  a signature menu item (like Koa Cafe's orange pancake sauce) or a charming (or funky) location.

What's your favorite breakfast spot in Hawai`i? What do you think about the criteria that Ms. Adams puts forward for what makes a good breakfast? For instance, I'm personally not so picky about cutlery and such. . . Any criteria you would like to remove or add?

Also, what's your favorite local breakfast food? Spam and Eggs? Portuguese Sausage and Eggs? Saimin? Malasadas? Loco Moco? Miso Soup?

[skchai]

I guess us folks don't actually eat breakfast. . .

Anyway, for anyone who's interested, here are the responses that Wanda Adams received:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Readers praise their favorite breakfast spots

[alanamoana]

i didn't read the link yet, but i used to go to "eggs and things" in waikiki. i worked at the ilikai hotel on the graveyard shift, so when i'd get off work at 6 or 7 am i'd go there for breakfast. i'm not normally a breakfast person...but this was more like dinner for me since i had just worked for 8 hours! they had a great spinach and bacon omelette!!!

sometimes, i'd drive over to rainbows and wait til they opened and just get a plate.

[wesza]

The Breakfast Place that I used to really enjoy was at the original "Michael's" at the Colony Surf it was special since they had all the regular Breakfast items plus if you requested any items from their regular menus they we pleased to prepare anything you wished. We were able to enjoy with our Breakfast items like Rib Lamp Chops or even Veal Filet's with Morel Mushrooms in Cream as sort of Brunch Breakfasts with Chocolate Cheesecake for Dessert.

You also had convenient parking and the tables were located close to the beach in a open dining room that was very comfortable with world class service.

The prices at breakfast prices were more reasonable then any of the Sheraton's, Iliki, Hyatt or the Kahala Hilton during this period but none had its ambiance.

There was another place located close to where the Fish Auctions were held that served excellent Japanese, Okinawan or Hawaiian Style Breakfast to most of the Fish Wholesalers, Market People, Firemen, Hospital workers and Police Officers going on or off duty. Don;t know f it's still in business but everything was superior to anywhere else that i'd eaten a early breakfast in Oahu i'm not sure if they stayed open for lunch.

Irwin

Irwin

[ryanozawa]

Breakfast is my favorite type of meal, if not my favorite time of day. My real quest is to find restaurants where one can be served breakfast - bacon and eggs, pancakes/waffles, the works - any time of day. Few places meet that challenge.

That said, I love Jack's in Aina Haina, although I think the family shuffled the kitchen team a bit... it's not quite what it was a few years ago. I love how Wanda's article netted a thumbs up for Pasta Italia in Waikele, which was a darn near perfect secret breakfast spot (since most folks didn't think an Italian restaraunt would serve breakfast at all). The fried rice was to die for.

Sadly, the owner (a friend of a friend) closed up shop over a month ago... Wanda needs to doublecheck her sources!

[Gary Tanigawa]

Welcome to eGullet, Ryan. I've enjoyed your weblog on In Medias Res.

[skchai]

Second that. Ryan is the undisputed KING of Hawai`i bloggers.

[ryanozawa]

Thanks for the welcome! Though I'm not a "blogger." I was writing online long before that awful word came into existence. I prefer the term "escribitionist."

Edited February 25, 2004 by ryanozawa (log)

[tanabutler]

From the Wanda Adams column:

A P.S.: When Longhi's opened at Ala Moana Center, I thought perhaps the Perfect Breakfast had finally arrived: easy parking, great view, etc. But a visit on a weekday when only three tables were occupied proved disappointing — overdone bacon, dry waffles and inattentive coffee service. However, we got two e-mails recommending it (neither identified themselves or gave much description), so I'll be going back soon.

This is just pathetic. Of all the places in the world NOT to recommend, Longhi's is at the top of my list.

I posted about it in the "Spam & Mac Salad" thread, and I'll dredge it up here.

My husband and I were in Lahaina in March of 2000, and I'd done my homework before the trip. We went to Longhi's for brunch after hearing all the praise. Well, guess what? The owner of Longhi's ruined our meal. I, of course, knew it was Robert Longhi at the table next to us, surrounded by sycophants and sheep, yessing him up one side and down another. He sat there, bragging and profane and completely obnoxious— "F--- them!" and "S--- on them!" over and over and over. In front of children and babies, at top volume. He was holding court, and felt that profanity was clearly the missing spice from everyone's meals.

At one point, Bob turned around and said, "Sir. You are profane and you are obnoxious. Would you please keep it down?" and turned back to his meal. Of course, little goodie goodie me, I wanted to fall through the floor even though I was a customer of that braying jackass.

Longhi turned to his table and said in a stagey voice, "Oh. I see. I should talk to the owner about that!" and they all laughed in that nervous and polite way that suck-ups do. They were probably hoping he wouldn't start swearing again. He laughed at his own anemic joke, and we finished our meal and left. (He was noticeably quieter after Bob took the wind out of his sails, thank God.)

What he should have done was apologized and made amends—bought us a drink or dessert or anything that indicated he knew he'd made a mistake.

But no-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o. Not Robert Longhi. Clearly he's got an ego the size of the pre-combusted Hindenberg.

Later that day, we were at the grocery store and I got out of the car only to come face to face with you-know-who. GASP! I threw myself back in the car—he recognized me and suddenly got very busy with something in his back seat. Bob was howling with laughter at my nervousness. Finally Robert "Longh-ego" drove off and I could get out of the car.

We told our hosts at the inn where we were staying, and she got the biggest kick out of that. "Nobody likes that guy! He's just awful!" She loved the public upbraiding from Bob, and I bet she told everyone she knows.

So. I don't eat at Longhi's.

Blecghck!!! A pox on Longhi's!

[skchai]

Tana, I've never been to Longhi's but have looked at his new cookbook. Nothing there or on the menu that seems very interesting or would make we want to go. Yet somehow his restaurant (the Maui branch, at least) seems to have become quite an institution - the hangout fo the beautiful people. . .

[Jaymes]

Haven't been in a while, so for all I know, it finally succumbed to the pressure to give up its multimillion dollar location on the bay in Kona and sell out to some fancier enterprise, but when I used to travel frequently to Hawaii, I loved breakfast at the Ocean View Inn. Unassuming decor. Cheap. Tasty. Extensive menu. Lots of locals grabbing a quick bite on their way to work in one of the hotels. Lunch here, too, was great. I just loved that place. We were lucky that it was recommended to us because unless you know about it, it looks so unpromising from the outside that there's no way you'd ever step in there to check it out.

[tanabutler]

Tana, I've never been to Longhi's but have looked at his new cookbook. Nothing there or on the menu that seems very interesting or would make we want to go. Yet somehow his restaurant (the Maui branch, at least) seems to have become quite an institution - the hangout fo the beautiful people. . .

If those are the beautiful people, get me a ticket on the Ugly Train.

My husband pointed out, as well, that the food wasn't very good. I had forgotten that in my assessment of all the reasons not to patronize that jackass.