This weeks intended destination was Orfino’s Restaurant. We arrived on Sunday to find out it was closed. It would seem as though no one checked the website to see that the establishment is closed on Sundays. Maybe another go at it some other time. Either way, we ended up down the street at The Patio again for breakfast. No one wanted to write a review other then Shelley, so that’s all you’re getting. Also, our Czar was out on the west coast for a little R&R and submitted a review for the breakfast she had there. Her post will go first, since we’ve already reviewed the Patio.
Island Cafe
701 Commercial Ave.
Anacortes, Washington (Map It!)
The czar is away on a trip out west this weekend. I left the breakfast club to fend for themselves this week. At about the time they were finishing up their breakfast, I was just sitting down for mine (9am,PST)
I was leaving the lovely town of Anacortes, WA this morning, so on my way to Deception Pass, I stopped to fuel up at the Island Cafe in town. It was a lovely place. Not as quaint and run down as the parkway cafe was, but still had that small town feel to it. Bar up front and an additional dining area in back. The special were written up on a board in front. I settled on the crab omelet and wheat toast, while mama Louie had the strawberry waffle and a side of bacon.
The crab omelet was very unique and worth the risk(real or imitation or just a sprinkling?) The chunks of crab were generous. I think there had to be at least 1 1/2 large crabs worth of meat in there! The eggs were fluffy and cooked just right. I didn’t really read the description and therefore didn’t realize there was cheddar cheese in it. Usually I skip the cheese since I eat so slow, that the cheese tends to congeal before I finish. But this omelet had the thinnest layer of cheese. Just enough for flavor, but not so much that you wonder how many months you just cut out of your lifespan. Besides the cheese and the crab meat, there was also mushrooms which must have been added in right before it was folded, and onions and scallions. It was a jam packed omelet!
The toast was also excellent. I had ordered wheat toast, and their wheat toast was a whole grain type. A very nice surprise. The bacon was great. Nice and crispy, perfectly salty, and not too fatty. The waffle, by the end of the meal was okay. Makes me wonder how it was at the beginning. When we ordered, I had asked if a strawberry waffle meant waffle with a strawberry jam (like IHOP), or fresh strawberries. We were told fresh strawberries. I was disappointed when they brought out, what looked like defrosted frozen strawberries, but tasted fresher. Oh well, it did alleviate the need for syrup (which was served in a pouring utensil, but I cannot verify if it was real or imitation syrup.
The service was nice, but it took awhile for us to order and get our food. Breakfast is served all day (music to my ears!). The menu looked like usual diner fair, expect they did have a small side bar where they have a selection of small breakfast portions available. In case you only wanted one pancake.
The czar says: if you are in Anacortes, make the stop here and hope they have the crab omelet special. It seems that out here coffee is only lightened by the power of the half and half. Not wanting to be that finicky new yorker, I’ve held back in asking for skim milk. It’s a big jump, and it tastes so much creamier that it’s going to be a hard habit to break once I’m back in new York!
The Patio
1133 Pleasantville Road
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 (Map It!)
Shelley
The WBC had the best of intentions. We wanted to bring you, our loyal readers, reviews for a brand new place. So we planned a Sunday morning trip to Orfino’s in Briarcliff. However, when we arrived at 10 am all we found was a darkened restaurant with locked doors. Side note: for the 22 years that I’ve lived in Briarcliff, I have never been able to figure out Orfino’s hours of operation. There isn’t any sign with its hours posted in the front door of the place. They’re opened and closed with a maddening irregularity. If anyone does know of Orfino’s hours, please tell me, I’d love to know after all this time.
We were hungry, cranky (well, at least one of us), and had a bit of a schedule restraint, so we just threw in the towel and walked down to The Patio. You’ll recall that we first dined there back in January, at what I think was our third or fourth WBC meeting. I won’t reiterate a description of the ambiance, you can just look at our last review for that. Instead I’ll launch right into the food. The Patio has a Sunday brunch special. For $9.95 you can choose between four different breakfast dishes (eggs benedict, French toast, 3 eggs any style with toast and potatoes, and something else that I can’t quite remember, maybe pancakes); you also get a beverage (coffee, tea, OJ, or a mimosa, spelled correctly–take that, Katie’s Cottage!) I didn’t want any of the beverages, and 3 eggs seemed like too much to me, so I ordered from the regular breakfast menu and got two scrambled eggs with potatoes, and instead of toast I paid the couple of extra bucks for a toasted blueberry muffin. I opted for a glass of skim milk as my beverage.
As expected, the food came out pretty promptly, which was a plus considering how packed the place was (and how small I believe the kitchen to be.) The food was fine, not Flying Pig quality but definitely better than at your average diner, and less greasy. I sampled a bite of Jeff’s French Toast, which was quite delicious–thick and fluffy, and pleasantly sweet inside. Pat’s omelette looked like an omelette, and Reid’s bacon and egg sandwich was, I assume, acceptable.
The bill was totally reasonable, about $40 for the table. The Patio’s casual family-friendly atmosphere, prompt and friendly service, good prices, and fine food make it a good choice for breakfast (or a light lunch) when you’re in the Briarcliff area. (And they have an irresistable ice cream selection!)
Let me conclude by apologizing for the lack of photos. We were off our game this week. I ran out of the house without my cell phone and my camera battery was dead; Pat had to scurry out early; and Jeff, Reid, and I spent the rest of the time talking about the upcoming riveting B’cliff school board election and jury duty. It’s no excuse, I know. We’ll do better, I promise.
Island Cafe Photos: