Dinerwood on the Road: Matt's Big Breakfast -- Phoenix Arizona

On a recent trip to Phoenix, I had the opportunity to try two local favorites. Both had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, although I have never seen those episodes. The first place my friends and I went was Matt’s Big Breakfast located near the ASU campus in--what I have to assume--was once someone’s garage. This place is tiny--teeny tiny.

We rolled up on a Friday morning at 8 am and we still had to wait for nearly 45 minutes. I hate waiting, but I really wanted to try Matt’s. Disappointingly, they don’t allow you to order drinks for outside or have water available to keep you from wilting in the Arizona heat. They do, however, give you menus and actually have you order your food once you get close to being seated. The moment your name gets called for seating your order goes to the kitchen.



The menu for Matt's is very small. I guess it fits the size of the restaurant. There are about nine breakfast items, seven lunches, and that's it.



You may notice that they serve RC Cola. RC has a pretty loyal following. It has over 5000 fans on Facebook! Sadly, FANS of RC Cola Fans are far fewer.



The 5-Spot appears to be their signature breakfast-three out of five of us got it. It's a sandwich with egg and bacon. Why is it called a 5-Spot? Maybe because involves 5 things: two pieces of bread, one egg, two slices of bacon? We never saw the waiter for more than a few seconds at a time, so I never got the chance to ask him or her--we had two. She kept forgetting our drinks and refills that were requested, and he was running around turning over tables.

One in our party is a vegetarian and asked if she could hold the bacon and get hash browns instead. They assured her it was no problem...when we got the check we learned that they basically charged her for a side of hash browns. Lame.



The toast was really good.



The hash browns were interesting. They reminded us a lot more of latkes or potato pancakes than of hash browns.



The waffle was pretty good. It was soft and warm and the real maple syrup was appreciated.

The bacon was the star all-around--on the sandwich or next to the waffle--it was thick cut and peppery.

Once we were done, we were rushed out the door. With only ten maybe twelve tables, they need a high turnover. I have no problem with that--my problem was that none of this seemed worth it. Long wait, only adequate service and good-but-not-THAT-good food. I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Food: Good
Price $5-8
Service: Rushed.
Pie: No.

Matt's Big Breakfast
801 N. First St.
Phoenix, Arizona 85004

On the Road: San Diego's Waffle Spot

Dinerwife Antoinette and I were planning a weekend trip to San Diego. While searching for a hotel option Antoinette stumbled upon a place that had a diner IN the hotel. The Kings Inn, located in (or is it on?) Hotel Circle is home to the Waffle Spot. It's also the home to the Amigo Spot taco stand--that for some reason gets top billing.



Inside, the Wafflespot is pretty typical; pastel colors, a long counter and a few booths. Typical--save for the fanciful mural that covers one of the walls depicting a medieval landscape populated by the Wafflespot cast of characters.



Yes, the Wafflespot has Disney--or really McDonald's--style characters.



Sir Wafflelot rules this land. He's wearing a crown but still called "Sir." I think he must be more like a "Regent" than a king. He's also a hard-ass. "No substitutions" he decrees.



There's Squire Browns--he looks kind of nervous. "Ehhhh, I'm just takin' the little spuds for a walk. Yeaaah. That's the ticket."

Then there's this also nervous looking roller skating egg guy. I think he's called J-egg-ster? I dunno. I made that up. He wears roller skates so I can relate to this guy.

Sir Reginald Muffintop... I also made that up.



I ordered the Apple Cinnamon waffles. When it arrived it looked quite different. It had bananas. I was about to point it out when the waitress caught it. "You ordered the apple!" She then ran back to the kitchen. The waffle was okay--not as good as I had hoped. It was a little undercooked. The kitchen had clearly rushed it to get it to the table. The menu said there was supposed to be diced apples in the waffle; I didn't really notice any. The eggs were okay. The bacon was actually pretty good, while the sausage was too greasy for my taste.

Antoinette got the Country Casserole. Two scrambled eggs on top of biscuits and gravy over a bed of home fries. It was good, but a little salty

Some of the breakfasts come with an option of toast. That's pretty standard, no big whoop. But at the Waffle Spot, one of your options is actually mini-waffles! That's pretty awesome. Like REALLY pretty awesome. The mini-waffles were better than my big waffle.

Overall, Waffle Spot wasn't nearly as good as we had hoped. Even thought it was conveniently located AT our hotel, we only ate there the one time. If you like cartoon food mascots--THIS--is the place for you.

For more information you can visit their website.

http://kingsinnsandiego.com/

It has this on the website:

Contact us...using your cellphone.... from 1999.

Food: Okay.
Price: $7-10
Service: Friendly.
Pie: No, pie.

The Waffle Spot
1333 Hotel Circle South
San Diego, California 92108

Jack's Whittier Restaurant -- Whoopee!

I saw the sign originally while trolling photo websites for "googie" tags. I never even noticed it on LAtimemachines.com, but it's there.

Real-life journalist David Allen and I met for breakfast a few weekends ago. I got there about ten minutes early and put my name on the list. I figured there would be a little bit of a wait, but there were only two parties ahead of us, so it shouldn't have been too bad.



It took about fifteen minutes to be seated. Not the restaurants fault, though. Nobody was leaving! Everyone was just sitting there talking and relaxing, while a half-dozen of us just stood in the ever crampening foyer. David soon arrived and we took some notes on our surroundings as we had nothing better to do.



Along with a crane machine (not pictured due to the number of children in front of it--I think there's a law about taking pictures of children. If there isn't, there maybe should be), there was also this toy novelty dispenser. Whoopee cushions? This has got to be the fart-iest restaurant ever.



There's also this sign advertising a DVD interview with the "Oldest Man In Whittier." Or rather this is included as a DVD extra on one called "Early Whittier." I googled this video and found more information on it. The old man is Monte Wicker AND HE'S NOT EVEN THE OLDEST MAN IN WHITTIER! What the hecks! He's just the oldest guy they could find who remembered anything slightly interesting. This is Whittier, it's not like there was much to remember in the first place.

Finally, we were seated. I started out with some coffee (it was decent) while we looked over the menu. There didn't seem to be anything too exciting or out of the ordinary. It was a varied menu that covered the basics. I saw that they offered a loyalty rewards program and when you signed up for it you got a free slice of pie. I immediately asked our waitress how to sign up. I was dismayed when I realized later that I wouldn't get the free pie then--I'd be emailed a coupon later. Bogus.

Apparently they used to have a "at your table" toaster feature, but we saw no sign of it on our side of the restaurant.



David ordered the corned beef hash breakfast. It was a pretty standard "canned" style corned beef. The potatoes were a bit oily for my taste. They should have been crisper.



I was craving a waffle so I ordered their waffle breakfast combo. The waffle itself was interesting; it was perfectly smooth, save for the edging. It tasted like any other perfectly adequate waffle but the smoothness was fascinating. My eggs were slightly overcooked. The bacon was actually pretty good, I'll give them that.

I can't really recommend Jack's Whittier Restaurant. Only the exterior really holds the old school coffee shop aesthetic, so there's no nostalgia trip to be had. The food was uninspiring. The service was only okay.

I finally got my coupon for my free pie, but I don't think I'll use it.

Food: Adequate
Price: $7-$10
Service: Okay
Pie: Yes.

Jack's Whittier Restaurant
13221 Whittier Blvd
Whittier, CA 90602

Blueplate, Portland OR.

One of the places I desperately wanted to go while we were in Portland was Blueplate in downtown. The problem was that its normal hours weren't going to coincide with when were available to go eat. The Diner Gods smiled on us and made the weekend we were there the first weekend Blueplate was open for dinner service.



I knew it was a small place and I actually thought we might need reservations. It was only the second night of dinner service--I thought that was a big deal--but when we walked in things were very low-key. Then I remembered that this is Portland and Portland is a laid-back town. It was silly to think we would need reservations.

There were a few tables occupied and the counter was completely open. Antoinette and I took seats at the counter. Antoinette appreciated that each had its own step-stool to get up onto the seats. My wife is short.




It's almost a gimmick the way things are cooked at Blueplate. It's a tiny place without an actual kitchen. It's all done on this tiny cook top (supplemented by electric griddles during peak times). Out of necessity, the menu is about as small as the restaurant. It's all modern gourmet takes on classic comfort food: things like shepherds pie, sliders and meatloaf.

The special that night was a chicken and waffle sandwich.

Okay, this is going to sound just a little snobby but--I'm from LA, trick! Chicken and waffles is kind of played out, but I wanted to give it a shot.




Okay, this sandwich was bomb. Yep, I called it BOMB! It actually worked as a sandwich. I assumed it was going to be like a pancake sandwich which is never actually a sandwich. This had two savory waffles holding a delicious piece of chicken breast, lightly battered and fried--it could not have worked if it had been the least bit greasy--with shredded apple and a honey mustard sauce. Bomb, right?
The sandwich and the candied carrot side were phenomenal tasting.




Blueplate is known for its meatloaf so Antoinette had to order that. If she hadn't, I would have had to order that to take back to the hotel for later. Now, for the dinner that night, they were only serving the meatloaf sandwich as they didn't have any gravy. Antoinette didn't mind, she just wanted mashed potatoes and meatloaf. The meatloaf was very moist and delicious, and the potatoes were creamy and perfectly seasoned.



Along with the delicious food, Blueplate serves up homemade sodas and milkshakes. I ordered the R.P. McMurphy, named for Jack Nicholson's character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.




I have a deep love for butterscotch and when you add to that some honey roasted peanuts and toffee covered cashews, it becomes heavenly.


We talked with the owner--who was also our cook--after we finished eating. We asked him to recommend some other places to eat in town. He said where he goes for breakfast was a little place called Byways Cafe. A review of this place is coming soon.


Blueplate completely lived up to my expectations. I do wish we had been able to make it there during the day, I would have loved to see it at the height of business at lunch. A full counter and tables I think would have made the atmosphere really pop. The next time we are in Portland, we'll make that happen.

Food: Great.
Price: $10-ish.
Service: Great.
Pie: Sadly, no.

Blueplate

308 SW Washington St
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 295-2583

Omelette and Waffle Shop - San Pedro. There's a pumpkin shortage? REALLY?

This was my first Dinerwood trip to San Pedro and to the Omelette and Waffle Shop. I figured that because it was Labor Day, it would be crowded. I just didn't expect it to be this crowded. There had been a marathon in the area earlier and famished runners were crowding the restaurant. Dinerwood Buddy and prolific Yelper Amy K. and I put our names down on the list and waited. Although I did not utilize this feature, I really appreciated that they let you order coffee while you wait and give you a mug to take outside.

We really didn't have to wait long considering how crowded the restaurant was and how many people were waiting. I guess that's the benefit of only being two people. A larger group would have probably had to wait twenty or more minutes. I saw some people had brought crossword puzzles affixed to clipboards to entertain themselves while they waited. I wouldn't have noticed them except that, as I approached, I assumed they were soliciting signatures for petitions. I was preparing my stock phrase, "I'm not registered in this state!" when I saw that it would be unnecessary.

Amy and I took seats at the counter. Amy's feet did not touch the floor. She specifically asked me to mention that and that the ketchup flowed easily from the bottle. These things were important for her.

I ordered a coffee and she ordered a hot chocolate, and we also asked for two waters. The coffee, which was refilled pretty consistently, was really good. It was strong without being bitter. Amy liked her hot chocolate. Although we got our drinks fairly quickly, it did take three reminders before we got our waters.



The Omelette and Waffle Shop is rather Soviet when it comes to interior design. The walls are a dull gray and there's only a spattering of wall art. For a place that has a bit of whimsy on the outside with the anthropomorphic waffle and egg, I expected the decor to carry over onto the inside. I think once you are in, it's all about the food.



There are 95 different omelettes on the menu (the other ten are on the next page of the menu) and a dozen or so waffles. There's also a token gesture of including some burgers, sandwiches, and other dishes (chicken curry?) but really, if you are here, you are getting a waffle or an omelette. Don't be stupid.

Neither one of us wanted omelettes. Amy doesn't eat eggs on their own and I tend to shy away from omelettes anyway. I quickly settled on the jalapeno and cheese waffle, while Amy debated for a bit but finally settled on the pumpkin waffle. When our waitress came to take our order, she revealed that they didn't have the pumpkin waffle and quickly asked if Amy would be interested in trying their new sweet potato waffle. I think I answered for her. I was nearly as excited about this waffle as I was for my own.



There seems to be a distinct lack of kitchen space at Omelette and Waffle Shop. Dishes are prepared and plated and then sort of placed hap-hazardly on any open counter space. It's a wonder the wait staff can keep it all sorted out. I did see some dishes sit for an uncomfortably long time, but I also heard no complaints while I was there. A fruit bowl sat for a good twenty minutes on the counter. It's a fruit bowl, so it's not like it would have gone bad or anything, it just struck me as odd.

I was really excited about the savory waffle. I've played around with cooking savory pancakes and found that experiment worthwhile. I was glad that this did not disappoint. It was delicious. My only critique would be that the cheese seemed to settle in certain areas and was missing completely from others. The jalapenos were very evenly dispersed and provided the right amount of kick--my nose started to run just a little bit.

Amy's sweet potato waffle was amazing. I could smell the cinnamon as it came to the counter. Everything about it was perfect, from the swirl of whipped cream to the sweetness of the waffle itself. It managed to stay on the breakfast side of the wall without jumping over into the dessert category.

Amy ordered a side of home fries, mostly so we could just try them. The potatoes are heaped up onto the griddle in large mounds and then chopped off and crisped. They were rather plain and ordinary, which was disappointing, considering this place doesn't seem to do anything else the ordinary way.

I ordered a side of biscuits and gravy, also basically just to try it. The gravy was good. It was made with chicken stock and was very smooth and creamy. Personally, I would have liked it a bit more peppery. The biscuit was unimpressive.

After we finished, we sat and jaw-jacked for awhile. Mona, the owner came by to ask what we thought. We raved about the waffles, especially the sweet potato. She revealed that that was a new recipe she had just come up with in order to have something to replace the pumpkin waffle. Apparently, there's a pumpkin shortage and she can't get a steady supply of pumpkin. (I was a little bit skeptical about the shortage story, but it's true.) We told her to add the sweet potato to the regular menu because it was just that good. She also revealed some other new recipes she was concocting. I'm most excited about the upcoming hominy waffle.

Can you guess that I'll be coming back? I really liked The Omelette and Waffle Shop. It's worth braving the poor air quality in San Pedro for the waffles...and presumably the omelettes. I'll try one of those next time just to be sure.

Food: Really Good.

Service: Decent.

Price: $6-$10
Pie: No.

Omelette and Waffle Shop

1103 S. Gaffey St.

Sand Pedro CA

Dinerwood on the Road: Las Vegas! Sunshine Cafe

I love "real people" Vegas. Sin City I can take or leave, but the real thing is something special. It's rusty and sun faded and weird. Each year I've tried to make if farther and farther away from the casinos to see just what the regular people eat because I know only the tourists and the desperate hit the buffet at Binions.

This year I conned my friends Edwin and Skylar into coming with me on my breakfast adventure. I really had no idea how far it was from where we were staying and I got us lost. In my defense, Las Vegas messes with my sense of direction.

You know how casinos don't have windows or clocks so you don't have any idea how long you've been there, gambling away your pension? I think when I'm outside of a casino in Vegas I have a bizarro reaction to the heat and the sun and have no idea in what direction I am going. However, once I got my bearings, we found The Original Sunshine Cafe.



The desolation implied by the sign above the mini-mall which houses Sunshine Cafe, belies how adorable it is on the outside.



This adorability carries over into a delightful homey-ness on the inside. It looks a lot like a grandma's living room.

We overheard a lot of "Long time no see!" and "Oh, what's good this week?" from other patrons. Yep, this was definitely a locals' place.



While we waited to be waited on, we entertained ourselves with the trivial pursuit questions box on the table--I think each table had one. I'm really good at random trivia and so is Skylar. Edwin was bored by our nerdiness.



Our waitress really pushed the home breaded chicken-fried steak, which is not fried, but actually grilled. Either way, it sounded a bit heavy for 9am. I now kind of wish I had gotten it because it did sound pretty interesting.



Edwin had the Ham and Eggs with a waffle on the side. The waffle had a really nice malt flavor.



Skylar ordered the eggs and pancakes breakfast with a side of potatoes. Her pancakes were chewy, but otherwise good.



I got the pork chops and eggs breakfast special. The pork chops were tiny, but were very good. They were nice cuts of meat with very little fat. The eggs and the potatoes tasted fine. The biscuit was standard, but the gravy was really special. I would highly recommend that.

Overall, we agreed that the food was okay, but pretty much tasted exactly how it would had we made it at home. It was really nice getting out into real people Vegas, and with the friendly non-grift vibe, it certainly was a pleasant experience. I probably wouldn't go back there, but I wouldn't tell dissuade anyone else from going, either.

Food: Okay.
Service: Friendly.
Price: $5-$8
Pie: No.

Sunshine Cafe
1581 N Decatur Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89108
(702) 646-4415



"Whipped Spread" sounds dirty.