Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Spencer on February 20, 2008 at 6:33pm

I think the best breakfast foods are found at Bed&Breakfasts or local cafe's. All chains, diners, and full service restaurants all have the same menu's with the same boring eggs and pancakes.

Try stuffed french toasts, egg souffles, full grain or corn griddle-cakes, and most of all home-made biscuits, muffins, scones and sweet rolls.

The fun of seeking the best recipes is not the cookbook or internet research, but testing the recipes and tasting all the food. Be sure to test the recipes in commercial ovens as home ovens will not preform as well.

Try researching Cook's Illustrated for great recipes.

All the best,

Permalink Reply by Vince on February 21, 2008 at 7:23am

Thanks Spencer,
I'm starting to put on a couple of pounds. I've notices alot of the same food too.
Thanks for the referance.

Vince

Permalink Reply by Anthony Epp on February 24, 2008 at 8:46pm

The Food Network and the Travel Channel have some great shows. They are shows on extreme foods or great places to pig out, but they end up being mostly about breakfast foods. Scrapple is always yummy - just don't tell your customers what's in it. Eggs Benedict has to be my favorite, as long as the Hollandaise is excellent. I got my start in restaurants making it in 60 egg batches. I like First Watch's version. The sauce is the best I've tasted in a restaurant. They have a number of unique choices: turky, tomato/spinach, and others.

Make sure you have great homefries or hashbrowns, whichever are most popular.

Find a great "EGG CHEF"

Instead of crepes, what about making a thinner pancake and using it to make a "taco" type breakfast sandwich? Try a breakfast sausage that isn't quite so frickin spicy and reeks of fennel. That always annoys me.

I realize that's not many resources for recpies, just a lot of things I like in a pancake house/diner place.

Oh yeah, offer peanut butter with your pancakes. Yum!!!!

Permalink Reply by Vince on February 25, 2008 at 12:06pm

Anthony,
Thanks for the insights.
Eggs Benedict is one of my Fav's too. I'd like to try to make it a signature dish.
Breakfast Taco is a great idea.
I may hit you up, if you willing, to look over some items on the menu.

Permalink Reply by Spencer on February 25, 2008 at 6:41pm

I agree with Anthony. Eggs benedit are a wonderful platform and give you amazing options for variations. I like spinach and crab, or chourizo and black bean/corn salsa.
Also, the breakfast taco is great!

vince if you are thinking of combining a coffee cafe and pancake house then you may want to consider a full take out menu with hand-held goodies. Think breakfast sandwiches on steroids: stuffed french toasts with savory ingredients, waffle sandwiches, etc,,

I like smoked fishes for breakfast - I know, I know....bagel and lox, smoked white fish, sable, chub, kippered salmon and all the rest.... on a platter, as a panini, or just atop of hearty slice of toasted pumpernickle bead.

Great oatmeal: rough cut irish or scottish oats is a must.

Think about having fun with pollenta - it can be used to make some very interesting platter, and used in place of a muffin on the eggs benny.

MMmmm I'm getting hungry!

Permalink Reply by Anthony Epp on February 25, 2008 at 8:15pm

I would love to help out any way I can. Every once in awhile I get a small twinge to get back into restaurants, but then I usually just lay down till the feeling goes away. But email me whatever you would like me to look over.

Spencer - LOVE the crab, black bean/corn salsa thing.

What about something like the English "Pasties". They're like an entire sack lunch in a pastry crust. In fact, they did something like that in early American history. They would mark the top of each one with initials and then you knew to eat from a specific end, as there was a sweet, dessert like component at the end.

I grew up with a German & Mennonite background and we have something called "Beirrocks". Perogies & Runzas are similar -- sort of. They are ground beef, cabbage & onions wrapped in bread dough. They freeze well too. Bake/warm in oven and serve with some nice brown gravy over the top. YUMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!. (I think I'll call my mommy & have her make me some)

What about frequent specials featuring pancakes of different sorts from all over the world.

Are you going to be making your own syrup?

Permalink Reply by Vince on March 12, 2008 at 4:46pm

Does anyone have any recomindations for leasing equipment?

Permalink Reply by Anthony Epp on March 12, 2008 at 6:56pm

It can be a great way to get some better equipment at start up. Plus you don't have to worry about paying for repairs. The only drawback is the type of contract you have to sign or you locked into buying a certain type of product. I remember one restaurant where we got a chest freezer because we purchased ice cream from the company. We stopped buying that product and were actually able to keep the freezer for almost an entire year before they came and got it.

Permalink Reply by Vince on June 7, 2009 at 10:57am

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share that "Flap Jack's" is getting ready to open in Southern CA. Thank you all for all your input. I just thought you'd all like to check out the logo.