Saturday, September 27, 2014
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
UPDATE: Morning Ruckus All-Natural Gourmet Pancake Mix
Earlier this year, I reviewed this delicious pancake mix but expressed some concerns over the fact that no nutritional information was provided.
The company's reps saw this and took it seriously, and they—and I—are very pleased to announce that nutritional information is now available here.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Bea Bea's Cafe
353 N. Pass Ave.
Burbank, CA 91505
Bea Bea's Online Menu
I'm baaaack! Only briefly, as I'm trying to eat responsibly, which, tragically, means far fewer pancake outings than I would like. However, I have not forgotten my quest and am happy to report that the Los Angeles area pancake scene is thriving!
I'm baaaack! Only briefly, as I'm trying to eat responsibly, which, tragically, means far fewer pancake outings than I would like. However, I have not forgotten my quest and am happy to report that the Los Angeles area pancake scene is thriving!
Today I discovered what may be breakfast heaven: Bea Bea's Cafe, which is located in a Vons-dominated shopping complex just off the 134 Freeway. So not only is it easy to find, there is ample parking. I already liked it, and I hadn't even gotten inside.
My friend, who found out about Bea Bea's while looking for good pancake places online, learned via the restaurant's Yelp page that it's a very popular weekend breakfast spot. Luckily we're both Midwestern-born early risers, so we met there just before 8 a.m. and, though it was already impressively busy for an L.A. Saturday, we had no problem getting a table.
The atmosphere in the place is great—it has high ceilings and nice, solid furniture, with tables decently spaced. I imagine it could feel cramped and loud when filled to capacity, but even then I expect it would still be pretty comfortable.
The service was great. Our waitperson was friendly and attentive without being overbearing; I was asked for my drink order within seconds of sitting down. For the 45 or so minutes I was there, I never came close to running out of coffee or cream.
The menu, as you can see if you click on the link above, is beyond decadent in the best possible way if you're all about flavored pancakes...or waffles...or French toast...or crepes. They also offer various combos, and my friend and I both ordered the "Kin's Sunshine" special, which includes a choice of pancakes/waffles/French toast/crepes plus two eggs and your choice of sausage. And you could choose any of the fancy pancakes (etc.) for a $1.00 surcharge, get egg whites only for another $1.00 surcharge and choose from among an impressive variety of sausages.
I ordered the Blue Hawaiian pancakes, which were dusted with powdered sugar and topped with blueberries, bananas and macadamia nuts. I figured what the hell and added the provided maple syrup. Oh. My. GOODNESS. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but those were phenomenal pancakes. I don't know what they put in their batter, but even without the toppings, they were exquisite. With them...irresistible. I swore I would only eat enough to do a fair review, but I ate every last morsel along with the egg-white only scrambled eggs and the amazing chicken sausage. If I weren't trying to watch what I eat, I might have ordered another breakfast just like it, and I doubtless would have polished that one off, too, because when food is that delicious little things like "I'm full" can't be allowed to get in the way. WOW!!!
I mean, come on, look at these pancakes!!
My friend was equally enthusiastic about her Pacific Island pancake, which was topped with bananas, coconut, pineapple and caramelized walnuts. For reasons I cannot now fathom, I declined the offer to try them. I will regret this for some time to come.
The meal wasn't cheap—with tip, it was well over $20/each, which is a lot for a fairly basic breakfast, even in L.A. That said, I'm going back the next time I get a hankering for pancakes, which isn't great for the future of this blog but will certainly make my taste buds happy!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Morning Ruckus All-Natural Gourmet Pancake Mix
I've been slacking off in my mission in recent months; I blame Vivian's Millennium Cafe for being so good that whenever I get a hankering for pancakes I return there rather than seeking out new pancake horizons as well as too many friends who decided to spend the final months of 2010 dieting rather than going on pancake binges.
However, I have decided that 2011 is to be the Year of the Pancake, and to kick things off I'm going to review a pancake mix rather than a local breakfast joint.
I had been considering a series of reviews on commercially available mixes when I was contacted via Twitter by a representative from Morning Ruckus, a family-owned company in Denver, who offered me some samples of their gourmet pancake mixes to try and review. I happily accepted the offer and received a box of several samples just before New Year's. The included flavors were Holiday Gingerbread, Grandma B. Spice Cake Style and Cornbread. Whoo!
I made the Holiday Gingerbread on New Year's Day, and, per the company's recommendation, substituted a 50/50 mixture of egg nog and milk for the milk called for in the recipe.
Oh. My. GOODNESS. I am a pretty clumsy pancake-maker, so there will be no photos of these fantastic-tasting pancakes because that would do no one any favors. But trust me when I say they were incredibly tasty—perhaps dangerously so, as I not only ate too many that day, I made them again yesterday and ate too many then, too! The nog definitely kicked the flavor up several notches, but I'm pretty confident they would be irresistible even if they were made with plain milk.
I did not notice any nutritional information on the packages or the Web site, but the ingredients are indeed all natural as advertised, and I was extremely pleased that salt is the last ingredient listed. The company takes pride in only using "good stuff" in its mixes, and the gingerbread certainly tasted good!
I haven't tried the other flavors yet...though I'm tempted to try another flavor today. But pancakes three days in a row is pushing it, even for a pancake fanatic. In any case, when I do try the other flavors, I will post mini-reviews.
If you like making pancakes at home, Morning Ruckus is definitely worth a try. The mixes come in packages that make about eight medium-sized pancakes, so you can order a variety of flavors without feeling overly committed. The price is certainly higher than what you'd pay for a similar amount of mix in the grocery store, particularly if you factor in shipping costs (though shipping is free if you order 18 packages or more, so if you have a few friends who like pancakes, join forces and go nuts), but you won't find most of these flavors in a grocery store, and store-bought mixes usually have much less healthy ingredients. Additionally, the company donates 10% of its profits to the Dream Foundation, an organization that helps adults with life-threatening illnesses fulfill a dream. What's not to like?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Grizzly Manor Cafe
41268 Big Bear Blvd
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Grizzly Manor Cafe Online Menu
First, let me apologize for the delay in adding new reviews; it's been a hectic and pancakeless few weeks. Fall now appears to be in full swing, though, and what's better in autumn than pancakes? That's right, there's nothing better!
Part of the reason things have been hectic is that I've been out of town more than usual lately, which leads us to this review, the first featuring a non–LA area restaurant. I wouldn't normally review an out-of-town place, but this one deserves some love.
I spent a great weekend in Big Bear Lake with some good friends. On Sunday we all wanted a big Sunday brunch, so our lovely host recommended we go to the Grizzly Manor Cafe.
It. Was. FANTASTIC. It's a small, cozy place in a standalone building on the city's main drag. We got there just before closing time (it's breakfast-only on weekends) and pretty much had the place to ourselves. So far, very good!
The service was extremely friendly, and check out the menu, linked above. The prices are a little out of date on that menu, but not by much—nothing on their current breakfast menu is more than $9.95. When you're used to LA prices, that's impressive.
Even more impressive was the food. The portions were outrageous in the best way. Our hostess warned us that the pancakes were ginormous, so a friend and I agreed to share a single blueberry pancake. I also ordered a ham, cheese and mushroom omelet and had an order of iced coffee.
The pancake was so large it hung over the plate. Often, oversized pancakes are very mushy in the middle, but this one was cooked to perfection. It was fluffy and so tasty I didn't even add syrup; the fresh blueberries and a little bit of butter were all that was needed to make it one of the best pancakes I've had. Size be damned; the next time I go back, I'm ordering a stack!
The omelet was also very good and also generously oversized. My order also came with hash browns, so I was a very happy camper indeed. My friends were also pleased with their orders.
The Grizzly Manor Cafe proved to be the perfect place to end a perfect weekend. If you ever find yourself in Big Bear Lake with a hankering for pancakes, you now know where to go. And let me repeat my hostess' warning: Just order one unless you're extremely hungry or a competitive eater.
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
Grizzly Manor Cafe Online Menu
First, let me apologize for the delay in adding new reviews; it's been a hectic and pancakeless few weeks. Fall now appears to be in full swing, though, and what's better in autumn than pancakes? That's right, there's nothing better!
Part of the reason things have been hectic is that I've been out of town more than usual lately, which leads us to this review, the first featuring a non–LA area restaurant. I wouldn't normally review an out-of-town place, but this one deserves some love.
I spent a great weekend in Big Bear Lake with some good friends. On Sunday we all wanted a big Sunday brunch, so our lovely host recommended we go to the Grizzly Manor Cafe.
It. Was. FANTASTIC. It's a small, cozy place in a standalone building on the city's main drag. We got there just before closing time (it's breakfast-only on weekends) and pretty much had the place to ourselves. So far, very good!
The service was extremely friendly, and check out the menu, linked above. The prices are a little out of date on that menu, but not by much—nothing on their current breakfast menu is more than $9.95. When you're used to LA prices, that's impressive.
Even more impressive was the food. The portions were outrageous in the best way. Our hostess warned us that the pancakes were ginormous, so a friend and I agreed to share a single blueberry pancake. I also ordered a ham, cheese and mushroom omelet and had an order of iced coffee.
The pancake was so large it hung over the plate. Often, oversized pancakes are very mushy in the middle, but this one was cooked to perfection. It was fluffy and so tasty I didn't even add syrup; the fresh blueberries and a little bit of butter were all that was needed to make it one of the best pancakes I've had. Size be damned; the next time I go back, I'm ordering a stack!
The omelet was also very good and also generously oversized. My order also came with hash browns, so I was a very happy camper indeed. My friends were also pleased with their orders.
The Grizzly Manor Cafe proved to be the perfect place to end a perfect weekend. If you ever find yourself in Big Bear Lake with a hankering for pancakes, you now know where to go. And let me repeat my hostess' warning: Just order one unless you're extremely hungry or a competitive eater.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Snug Harbor
2323 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
My friend and I decided to check out Snug Harbor for Labor Day pancakes because he's often seen long lines outside the place, which indicates it's pretty special.
I'd never heard of it, and it doesn't seem to have a Web site, but the Yelp reviews were very positive, so my hopes were high.
Parking was a bit of an issue, even on a very slow and quiet holiday. There might be some parking in the alley in back, but we drove through there and couldn't really figure out where it was, so we ended up parking about a half-block away on Wilshire.
We got there around 9:30, and though there were no inside booths available (the place is very small; maybe 10 booths total), there was patio seating, and after confirming it was a nonsmoking patio, we were more than happy to sit outside.
The patio area is nice; small but very shaded and MUCH quieter than inside, which is deafeningly loud. However, the patio furniture is dimestore plastic stuff, and more than once one or the other of us would shift slightly and cause drinks to spill.
The service was very prompt and very friendly. We both ordered Snug Harbor's version of the 2+2+2, and when I couldn't hide my disappointment that the banana pancakes were pancakes with bananas on top rather than cooked in the batter, the waitress suggested I go for the chocolate chip pancakes with bananas, which sounded perfect. They have an impressive list of flavored sausages, so I got the chicken mango. My friend got blueberry pancakes and bacon with his combo. I also had regular coffee, while he had orange juice.
Within 10 minutes, our meals arrived. They were certainly pretty to behold:
The meal ultimately looked better than it tasted, however. The sausage was fantastic and the eggs were fine, but the pancakes were hardly thrilling. The texture was okay, but the taste of the pancakes on their own was very bland. I had expected the chocolate chips to be in the batter, but as you can see, there was simply a small, melted pile on top beneath the sliced bananas. This meant that there was way too much chocolate concentrated in a very small area and no extra flavor at all anywhere else. My friend voiced no complaints about his blueberry pancakes, but there, too, the blueberries were simply clustered on top, and not in a very generous portion, either.
The price, however, wasn't bad at all; our bill came to just over $28 before tip, which seemed reasonable given that we both substituted flavored pancakes in our combos and we each had a beverage, though of course it wasn't that much of a bargain given that the pancakes were rather disappointing.
Snug Harbor offers very good service and has a nice little patio area that is pleasant despite extremely cheap and uncomfortable furniture. The food itself, however, was simply average, not at all bad but not the least bit exciting. I have no real desire to go back and certainly wouldn't wait in line for the privilege of having another breakfast there.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
My friend and I decided to check out Snug Harbor for Labor Day pancakes because he's often seen long lines outside the place, which indicates it's pretty special.
I'd never heard of it, and it doesn't seem to have a Web site, but the Yelp reviews were very positive, so my hopes were high.
Parking was a bit of an issue, even on a very slow and quiet holiday. There might be some parking in the alley in back, but we drove through there and couldn't really figure out where it was, so we ended up parking about a half-block away on Wilshire.
We got there around 9:30, and though there were no inside booths available (the place is very small; maybe 10 booths total), there was patio seating, and after confirming it was a nonsmoking patio, we were more than happy to sit outside.
The patio area is nice; small but very shaded and MUCH quieter than inside, which is deafeningly loud. However, the patio furniture is dimestore plastic stuff, and more than once one or the other of us would shift slightly and cause drinks to spill.
The service was very prompt and very friendly. We both ordered Snug Harbor's version of the 2+2+2, and when I couldn't hide my disappointment that the banana pancakes were pancakes with bananas on top rather than cooked in the batter, the waitress suggested I go for the chocolate chip pancakes with bananas, which sounded perfect. They have an impressive list of flavored sausages, so I got the chicken mango. My friend got blueberry pancakes and bacon with his combo. I also had regular coffee, while he had orange juice.
Within 10 minutes, our meals arrived. They were certainly pretty to behold:
The meal ultimately looked better than it tasted, however. The sausage was fantastic and the eggs were fine, but the pancakes were hardly thrilling. The texture was okay, but the taste of the pancakes on their own was very bland. I had expected the chocolate chips to be in the batter, but as you can see, there was simply a small, melted pile on top beneath the sliced bananas. This meant that there was way too much chocolate concentrated in a very small area and no extra flavor at all anywhere else. My friend voiced no complaints about his blueberry pancakes, but there, too, the blueberries were simply clustered on top, and not in a very generous portion, either.
The price, however, wasn't bad at all; our bill came to just over $28 before tip, which seemed reasonable given that we both substituted flavored pancakes in our combos and we each had a beverage, though of course it wasn't that much of a bargain given that the pancakes were rather disappointing.
Snug Harbor offers very good service and has a nice little patio area that is pleasant despite extremely cheap and uncomfortable furniture. The food itself, however, was simply average, not at all bad but not the least bit exciting. I have no real desire to go back and certainly wouldn't wait in line for the privilege of having another breakfast there.
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