One of my favorite
traditions during the weekend is a full breakfast. I am talking two eggs over easy on toast with cheese grits and a large coffee. Throw in some hash browns, too, if you want. Most of my memories as a small child surround breakfast. When I was really little,
my grandfather would frequent a great diner in Little Rock called Bard's. The
memories are vague and my brother would probably be able to help me, but I
clearly remember high diner stools attached to the ground and sitting at the
bar. Everyone knew my grandfather's name and I would always get whatever he was
eating (which was typically in the form of biscuits in gravy.) On the weekends,
he would drive up our long driveway and honk his horn. If you were awake and
ready, he was taking you to breakfast. He would wait five minutes and then he
would be off - with us or without us. On Sunday mornings, my dad would help the church kitchen make breakfast and they were by far the best cheese grits I can remember. My dad told me later that the reason the grits were so tasty was because they added Velveeta. Best of all, my mom and I are always on the hunt for the perfectly poached egg on toast - eggs benedict is a shared favorite.
I love breakfast. I
love the smell of eggs in the morning with fresh brewed coffee. I love the idea
of sitting at a table somewhere and sipping coffee while you wait for your
breakfast. Even better is when you get a very small orange juice before everything
else (a trick I learned from my mother.) So, when the suggestion was made the
other day to go out for breakfast, I was thrilled. On that particular day, we
chose Surrey's Uptown. Surrey's is known for its
juice bar and its really eclectic breakfast. It offers everything from eggs a
la carte to huevos rancheros to a delicious meal called Migas, which is a
really intense scramble. Want it veggie? Want it vegan? Surrey's has it.
Surrey's dining room
decor is quite unique. The tables are lacquered with old photos of kids and
families when they were young. Two boys with wide rimmed classes showed off
their first day of school pictures, their report cards from grade school, and
the lyrics to all of the school songs. Each table has a different theme. I was
a tad bit nervous about my visit with Lou. Given my previous trepidations of
well-decorated restaurants with bland restrooms, I couldn't remember what to
expect.
One of the things
that I also love about breakfast restaurants is that their bathrooms are always
so homey. They want you to feel like you are in a comfortable space. After all,
coffee and breakfast can sometimes hit the tummy hard. Here, soft blue paint
splashes the walls and there is a beautiful gold mirror that hangs before you.
You can probably fit up to 15 people in this space and there is even an armoire
of sorts along with baskets and towels. There is one feature, however,
that complete sparks my curiosity. Why is there a tiny sink on the ground? Amongst
the tiled floor and the soft tones is a tiny sink grouted into the floor with a
steel bowl and pretty handles. My first thought guesses that it is for the mop.
You know how restaurants need to mop a lot and maybe the mop gets its own
little space. The encasing around the stainless steel sink, however, is very
clean and pristine. So, I decided that it is for the young'ens who venture in
there. Moms and dads no longer have to hoist their toddler up to wash their
hands, you can just walk to the mini sink. (Yes, I realize its probably for the
mop, but what mop needs soap, really?)
 |
| Tiny sink perhaps for tiny people |
So, if you are
craving some special breakfast food and a great atmosphere, try Surreys. Next
time I go, I think I am going to try to wash my hands down with the commoners.
I don’t know if they can promise foam soap. One day, perhaps.
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