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While researching A Real American Breakfast, we sought out spots cross-country that offered something special, a real taste of America. Here are just a handful of notable spots for a quintessential morning meal, often in regional style, places to really kick-start your day. They run the gamut from diner to deli, cafe to coffee bar, power breakfasts' to just plain powerful breakfasts. Each will start your morning with their own style of glory.
Arizona
Phoenix -- El Norte. This funky, down-home food stand with outdoor tables, on the fringes of downtown, serves up a great machaca and fried potato burro. You'll understand why they're not referred to by the diminutive name burrito.
California
Napa Valley, Yountville -- The Diner. A downscale but upbeat neighbor to The French Laundry, it dishes up thin, eggy German potato pancakes to die for, cake-like strawberry bread, and a side order of locally made chicken apple sausage. They do a mean portobello veggie scramble too. (NOTE: Since this article was written, the Diner has closed. If anyone hears of their re-opening, please let us know.)
In Calistoga, Catahoula has more limited hours but offers Jan Birnbaum's seductive poached eggs on soft, sexy grits with sauce piquant.
Los Angeles La Brea Bakery/Campanile -- Some of the best breads, scones, muffins, and other pastries you'll find in the country, created by Nancy Silverton and staff. Sophisticated yet homey, it's a great way to start a California day. Just as quintessentially LA, in a whole different spirit is Guelaguetza in Koreatown, a pocito fiesta on your plate. Santa Monica's big, bright Broadway Deli offers blintzes stuffed with real hoop cheese and the charming childhood favorite, buttery egg-in-the-hole made with challah.
San Francisco Ella's -- This attractive neighborhood cafe in Presidio Heights offers creamy chicken hash, Cheddar-topped fried cornmeal mush, slabs of warm toast, and imaginative breakfast beverages such as gingered blood orange punch, all with abundant good cheer. Italian-American North Beach serves up the coffee and pastry scene, perhaps most intriguingly at Caffé Greco. Swedish pancakes at Sears Fine Foods remain an institution, still popular in their fifth decade.
Across the Bay in Berkeley, Alice Waters' lovely Café Fanny will soothe you into the day, while Betty's will jolt you awake with quite possibly the best scrapple west of the Ohio River.
Florida
Miami's chic News Café is where South Beach wakes up. Open round the clock for coffee, pastries, and expected morning dishes, an even bigger allure is nonstop people watching on the outdoor Ocean Drive terrace.
Tampa -- On Florida's other side, in all respects, is Skyway Jack's. Chockfull of bric-a-brac, this homey spot features all the morning favorites and a few surprises. Near the water's edge, local seafood nearly jumps onto the plate. The SOS, with sausage replacing chipped beef, will shame most versions.
Louisiana
New Orleans, Mother's -- This no-frills cafeteria-style joint on the French Quarter's edge serves up the wondrous debris sandwich, perhaps the best breakfast sandwich on the planet. If it's the wee hours of the morning, a fluffy, puffy omelet at the Camellia Grill is in order. For the classiest weekend breakfast in all America, sleep in a bit and go to Commander's Palace for jazz brunch.
Massachusetts
Boston, Henrietta's Table -- Where the elite meet to eat in Cambridge's Charles Hotel. Skip the baby-food-like red flannel hash and go straight to the creamed chipped beef on biscuits. Power breakfast to be sure, but in charming, genteel surroundings.
New Mexico
Santa Fe, Pasqual's -- Katherine Kagel's spirited downtown cafe is sunshine on a plate. Her griddled polenta with house-made chorizo, corn, and red chile sauce, is so good we included it in the book, Real American Breakfast, word-for-word. The granola, home fries, char-grilled trout, and pancakes will keep you coming back for more too. Cheerful Tecolote Café offers up fantastic omelets with fiery green chile sauce or blue corn-pine nut pancakes. Some days, though, only the breakfast burrito (have it "green" stuffed with bacon and potatoes) at Tia Sophia's will do. If you're in a rush, try the drive-through window at La Bell's where locals stop by for a burrito stuffed with red chile and chicharrones, fried pork rinds like you never had them.
New York
New York, Barney Greengrass --A family-owned Upper West Side deli period piece, with vinyl chairs and Formica tables. Have eggs with nova and onions or the silky smoked sturgeon. If you're anywhere near the Lower East Side, and want something to go, stop in at Russ and Daughters for superb smoked fish and a bagel. No tables there.
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Treetops Restaurant -- Those treetops out the window frame Rittenhouse Square, City Center's most desirable address. Upstairs in the Rittenhouse Hotel, the fashionable restaurant could coast on good looks alone, but serves up the best scrapple in the area and a perfectly-proportioned Lancaster farmer's omelet with leeks and bacon and fried potatoes.
Tennessee
Nashville, Loveless Café -- Salty, smoky country ham slices, biscuits, grits, gravy, and homemade jam-a big taste of Southern heaven. Tucked alongside the old highway just far enough out of town that you'll think you missed it.
Texas
Austin's Chez Zee is a spirited family-style café with the best baked-French toast we've ever devoured. A custardy slab, made with house-baked bread, will hold you all day. A real charmer. You'll likely find the "Austin Powers," President Dubya's political brokers, downtown at the elegant Driskill Hotel, where the food now matches the diners in importance.
El Paso, H & H Car Wash -- Watch the city's best cars get shiny-bright while you feast on a picadillo plate. You ain't seen nothin' like this place before.
Houston, Irma's -- Irma Galvan's happy little eatery tucked downtown near the new ballpark for breakfast tacos, chilequiles, and huevos rancheros. Wash it all down with her breakfast lemonade.
Washington
Seattle, Hi-Spot Café -- A converted commodious Victorian in the Madrona neighborhood where we like egg dishes like baked eggs with cream, curried Bengal Benedict, and pesto-laced Green Eggs 'n' Ham, along with raspberry hazelnut scones. When you want something lighter, or maybe just an espresso to get you perking, head to B & O Espresso, one of "latté land's" oldest coffee houses. For real seafaring atmosphere, check out The Athenian Inn, a true period piece in the heart of Pike Place Market. The kedgeree, clam hash, eggs goldenrod, and blueberry pancakes are decent renditions, but we uncharacteristically forgive a few flaws in food quality for swashbuckling waterside character holding out in the midst of overpowering gentrification.
Wisconsin
Osseo, Norske Nook -- Indulge in a little American heritage, and have pie for breakfast. Apple's the old American morning meal, but we have to sink our forks into at least one slice of sour cream-raisin to start the day off right. If it's a summer weekend, don't miss the Dane County Farmers' Market a few hours away in Madison. Get yourself a fragrant muskmelon, and a smoked trout or two, and feast in the shade of the Capitol. Pick up maple syrup or maple sugar for breakfast back home.
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