Last weekend before hiking in the Malibu mountains, Hubs and I decided to fuel up at Jinky’s. I couldn’t decide if I wanted savory or sweet for brunch but luckily the menu offered something that could satiate my wavering appetite. I ordered the Sierra Mountain breakfast which contains 2 eggs, 2 french toast (or buttermilk pancakes)+ choice of gourmet sausage or ham steak. I got the french toast and asked the server to make it flaky (their specialty which adds a nice crunch to the toast) with fresh strawberries and walnuts sprinkled on top. I am not a fan of french toast but at Jinky’s I make an exception for the flaky version because it is delicious and I can’t even taste any egg on the batter which is how I liked it.

Hubs had a had to kill the breakfast burrito craving he’s had for the past couple of days so he ordered the Desperado which is  quoting from Jinky’s awesome menu “a hardy blend of scrambled eggs, red onions, diced tomatoes and ortega chilies, cheddar cheese, chopped potatoes and Jody Maroni’s Turkey-Chicken Chorizo *(or vegetarian chorizo) – served with pea guacamole, salsa fresca & sour cream (substitute chorizo with choice of gourmet chili)

Just a short FYI: I use to keep a copy of Jinky’s menu (the paper kind, not the actual menu, I’m no klepto!) by my bed and peruse it before I fall asleep. It’s a great read.

Hubs and I usually also get a side of gourmet chili (selection changes everyday) but didn’t want the extra weight to hold us down as we conquered the Mishe Mokwa Trail in Malibu where I almost got attacked by a snake and survived it like good ole Indiana Jones.

I have worked in Downtown almost my entire life and there has been some great transformation in the area. The streets use to be trash strewed and buildings dilapidated. On Sundays mornings back in the day, there would be no reason to come to this part of town unless you were looking for your dealer. But that has changed in past few years in the redevelopment of Downtown LA. It has become much more urban chic so to speak and Nickel Diner is a great addition to this.

Although there was a long line outside, we were lucky enough that a couple of parties ahead of us left and we only waited for about 15 minutes before getting seated. The inside of the restaurant looks like a cross between a small town diner from the mid west and a New York deli.

After taking our orders, the waitress brought us a sample of the strawberry crumble donut and the bacon maple donut. Hubs said that the strawberry crumble taste like Good Humor strawberry shortcake bar and I thought the maple bacon donut tasted like one of those ham and cheese bread from the Taiwanese bakery. They were both good.

I debated whether I should get an full sized donut since they had a plethora of amazing choices such as red velvet, nutella and samoa just to name a few. However,  I resisted because we were planning to head over to the Beer Float Showdown later that day where I was ready to consume large amounts of beer and ice cream. The donuts looked might delicious in their cages though.

I was really torn between the baked pancakes or the scramble that I was hankering earlier. I ended up getting the scramble anyways. Once I get my mind made up, it’s almost impossible to deter it. Although this is just the run of the mill scramble with bacon and garlic, the goat cheese adds a different texture and taste to it.

Hubs got the 5th and Main which is spicy bbq pork has topped with 2 eggs, sunny side up. There was a tad too much BBQ sauce and it was a little too sweet for my taste but all in all, BBQ for breakfast is awesome and sinful.

I look forward to returning to Nickel Diner to try the rest of the donuts and to experience peaceful Downtown on a Sunday morning.

Le Roy’s is a diner that serves damn good classic American fare and great prices. The service is impeccable as well. The ladies exude southern hospitality and calls you sweetie and honey. I loves it.

Hubs almost always order a omelet with tater tots. If you are not a fan of tater tots (I don’t know why because they are the best breakfast tuber evers!), Le Roy’s offers 3 other choices of  home fries, breakfast potatos, and hash browns. But let me reiterate again, the TATER TOTS are best. Brings me right back to 4th grade. They are made crunchy on the outside and steamy goodness on the inside.

I am a carb whore and usually order some sort of pancakes or waffle but that day, I ordered the Portuguese sausage, eggs and fresh fruit. I love that Le Roy’s fruit salad consists of “real” fruit such as pineapple, kiwi, strawberries and just peeled bananas. I hate it when restaurants give you the “fake” fruit like grapes and mushy, overly ripen cantaloupe mixed with canned peaches. Blegh!  If I remember correctly, Le Roy’s also offers breakfast links and sausage patties as well. I LOVE these options!

Another reason for me to come back to Le Roy’s for more is their homemade salsa. We had to ask for it but the waitresses are more than happy to bring it for you. In fact, they insist on it. I pour this salsa over everything. It’s that good.

Le Roy’s is only opened until 3 pm. There is counter seating, indoor seating and also a small patio in the back. Don’t be deterred by the line outside the restaurant as It usually goes by pretty fast. Definitely give Le Roy’s a try if you are ever in the area. If you are not a breakfast/brunch person, they also offer lunch items such as sandwiches and salads.

Hubs and I have been venturing out of our comfort zone of SGV,  Silver Lake, and Santa Monica for our breakfast/brunch ventures. So after a nice long run at the Rose Bowl one sunny Saturday, we decided to try the breakfast/brunch at Auntie Em’s in Eagle Rock.

For some reason, I was really hankering for a sandwich all week so I decided to order the black forest ham and eggs with mustard see gouda on grilled pretzel bread. I thought the pretzel bread was going to be hard like well, a pretzel but the texture was a cross between sourdough and white bread. The black forest ham was not overly salted and the gouda added a nice fragrant touch to the sandwich. Although the sandwich looked like a monster overfilling with eggs and schtuff, it was actually not too heavy or too much. I finished the entire thing.yes I did.

Hubs opted for the very innocent looking scrambled eggs and Cajun turkey sausage & toast. It was good but nothing write home about.

I have eaten cupcakes from Auntie Em’s before but never had their red velvet ones (my favorite kind of cupcakes evers!) I loved that there Auntie Em’s offers 3 sizes, mini, small and large. I was pretty stuffed from my monster of a sandwich so I just ordered a mini red velvet cupcake for taste. When the cupcake was brought to me, our very friendly server Jody brought me two cupcakes! “I couldn’t just bring you one honey!” Love her!!!

Although I prefer more sour cream cheesy frosting on my red velvets like the ones from Lark Cakeshop in Silver Lake, Auntie’s Em’s red velvet cupcakes were moist and the frosting was nice and sweet. The chocolate cupcake was also tasty but I’m not really a chocolate person so I can only vouch for the nice cakey texture and not for the taste. The best part was when the bill came, we were not charged for the cupcakes or our drinks. Did I mention that I love Jody! By the way, it was my first time having Intelligentsia coffee which is self serve here. I am hooked! Love the dark roasty and smooth flavor of their coffee.

Okay, I admit that I actually went to Auntie Em’s again the following week. This time I was craving waffles or pancakes, one of the daily specials was pancakes with fresh berries with shaved coconut and real maple syrup. However, I was informed that they were out of pancakes. I was BUMMMMMED. The server (not Jody this time) suggested their french toast which was comparable to the pancakes. Being a french toast disliker but craving something carby, I succumbed to the suggestion but was later disappointed.

I have never been a fan of french toast so again, I probably can’t really accurately asses this dish. I just thought it was bland and had a crunchy shell. Looks pretty though no?

Hubs lucked out on the biscuit with eggs and turkey sausage gravy. We were pleasantly surprised and delighted at the sight of this dish! Look at it! Isn’t she a beauty?! Yes, those are Auntie Em’s homemade biscuits that was almost as big as my face! Hubs and I thought it was just going to be a regular biscuit with regular gravy and side of eggs. The biscuit was fluffy and the gravy was not over the top heavy.

Although I was disappointed with the French toast, the biscuits and gravy redeemed it.

Auntie Em’s “cooks by the season” so although they have a regular menu, their specials are what sets them apart because they take advantage of the items in season and cook accordingly. I am curious about their veggie and salad items and abundance of pastry items so I will be back soon.

My breakfast of choice this time was the instant noodles with a fried egg and ham. Macaroni is also offered if you are not an instant noodles fan. Other toppings include Viennese wieners, canned meat, sausage, and Spam.  Okay, now that I’ve written them down in English, it sounds like something that they would serve in Alcatraz. But it’s actually very tasty and fills the stomach.

Pineapple bread is also popular in Hong Kong for breakfast and also for high tea. It does not contain any pineapple and does not have any sort of pineapple flavoring. It is called the pineapple bread because the top looks like a pineapple. The golden crust is flaky and sweet. The bread underneath is much softer than the white bread we get in the US. The Cantonese will usually put a pat of butter in between the pineapple bread. I decided to forgo the luscious pat. All of the Chinese/Taiwanese bakeries such as Nini’s Bakery and JJ’s carry pineapple bread.

One new breakfast item that I tried on this trip was the steamed sweet egg whites. I like to think that it’s healthy because it’s made of egg whites. The texture is extremely smooth, you can such the egg whites between your teeth smooth. The taste is slightly sweet and I detect a ever so slight ginger flavor. This dish is popular for breakfast and also good as a dessert.

Of course, what is a tea restaurant meal unless it’s accompanied by milk tea. The milk tea in Hong Kong is orange-ish in color and is flavored not with just milk but with evaporated milk and condensed milk. Al that dairy makes me a little nauseous so I usually will have a sip of someone else’s milk tea for taste and order myself a coffee. (Milk tea in background)

There are of course the usual dim sum items also available for breakfast such as congee and fried dough wrapped in rice roll. I’m surprised that there are no food on sticks offered for breakfast. Light bulb! If my day job doesn’t work out, maybe I’ll move to Hong Kong and open a breakfast joint that offers mini pineapple buns on sticks!

One of my favorite places to have brunch in Las Vegas is the Country Club at the Wynn. It’s nestled in the back of the Wynn, past the buffet. The 2-3 times that I’ve been, there was never a wait. People just never make it past the buffet. I love the food and decor here. Something about plaid and dark wood trim makes me very hungry.

I started out with the honeydew smoothie which was very refreshing and helped to clear my palate.

I guess the girls and I were feeling eggy that morning because we ordered regular omelette (I don’t remember what was inside.) and a scramble with slices of thick bacon.

My favorite dish of the bunch was the corn chowder. The chowder actually came in a metal coffee carafe sort of thing and was poured onto the soup bowl then garnished at the table. It had a slightly smoky flavor and not too thick. The corn niblets were still crunchy which I liked because I hate overcooked corn even if it’s in a chowder. Unfortunately, the Country Club does not have this item on their menu anymore. What, golfers don’t need corn chowder in their diet? Sadness.

I’m usually a eggs and waffle type brunch person but we were in Vegas after all so I felt adventurous and ordered some shrimp cocktail. It was fresh but I could have done without it.

For people who like a heartier meal in the morning or need to cure that awesome hangover from the night before, they also have meaty options. On another trip to Las Vegas, this time with to-be-Hubs, we had  burgers and sausages.

I’m a sucker for presentation and little details. Spot the pretzel breadsticks under the sausages! I believe their sausages are a specialty at the Country Club. They were tasty but what I really enjoyed was the 3 types of mustard that came along.

I recommend sitting out in the veranda if possible as you get a gorgeous view of the 18th hole and waterfall.

This restaurant is a must go in Vegas.I know it’s almost impossible but next time anyone is in Vegas,  try try try and resist the urge to buffet and give Country Club a try. The setting and food is fresh breath of air in Sin City.

One of my favorite B/B dish is the waffle with warm banana and walnut topping at the Omelette Parlour in Santa Monica. The gooey topping is so tasty that syrup is not necessary but of course provided for you.

This delicious deserves a close up.WORK IT BA-BEY!

Truth be told, I have never had an omelet at the Omelette Parlour. They do have a variety of omelets and other breakfast choices such as ham steak and french toast and blah blah blah. But it’s the waffle with warm banana and walnut topping that keeps this diner going back. A note for pancake lovers, they do NOT serve pancakes on the weekends. Yeah I know..strange. But even more of a reason to try the waffle!  But if you are a pancake lover as much as I am a waffle lover, they have pancakes at the Farmers Market down the street on Sundays.  Other topping choices includes strawberry and blueberry but the warm banana and walnut topping is hands down the best.

Omelette Parlour

2732 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-7892