I’m a fanatical breakfast person through marriage only. Paul loves everything about a traditional breakfast, pancakes drowned in butter and syrup, crispy bacon, eggs and hash browns on the side. It’s his favorite meal by far, and he’s happy to eat it any time of the day. I, on the other hand, would prefer a bowl of noodles or a cold slice of pizza any time of the day. Although breakfast food doesn’t entice me much, the culture of breakfast does.
When in Pittsburgh we usually have breakfast at Pamela’s. It’s a diner style restaurant in Squirrel Hill that makes strawberry pancakes that are more like crepes of heavenly goodness. The food is exceptional and the atmosphere is relaxed. This visit to the ‘burgh we tried the Square Cafe in Regent Square, a family favorite of my brother. It’s funky urban style and menu to match had this little restaurant stuffed and overflowing out onto the sidewalk on Braddock Ave. Menu items like Brussel Sprout Hash, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, and Tofu & Cauliflower Skillets made it one of the more interesting menus I’ve read in a while. It felt a little too early to do adventurous ordering, so I stuck with familiar items which I knew would make me happy.
Even though breakfast food isn’t my top choice, it’s my favorite meal to go out to eat. Something about how the wait staff knows that coffee is first and how the other ordering stuff is secondary, or how they top up your cup every couple of sips. The conversation in the morning is often more of a hopeful expectation of the day rather than a processing of what happened and how to respond to it. The vibe of having a day ahead full of possibility, makes it my favorite meal. And if I can have a side of crispy bacon with that, all the better.