(I did not feel it necessary to include a photo of the actual restaurant. If you have never seen an IHOP Restaurant®, please go back to Albania or Papua New Guinea… what kinda International pancakes would they offer, anyways ~ smoked meats or cassowary pancakes?)
IHOP® offers a free breakfast (up to $8.99) to anyone that wants one on their birthday, you just have to register on their web-site (and be spammed ~ or pancaked ~ for the rest of the year because of it) and choose a location close to you. I went to the IHOP® on Lombard Street in the Marina/Cow Hollow area, right across the street from Home Plate (see May 9th entry for lame reference). "Lombard Street ~ the crookedest street in America... west of Pennsylvania Avenue."*
I had the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity (which is about the silliest name for a breakfast that an adult should ever have to order out loud), but substituted hash browns for the bacon and sausages. I added a large orange juice (which I had to actually pay for ~ the nerve!). Everything was good, and being free, it was even tastier. I was going to substitute their Rudy Tudy thingy for their Stuffed French Toast; but decided "when in Rome, do as the Greeks do… and put it off until αύριο".
They offer two different brands of hot sauces: Tabasco® and Cholula®; I had brought (and finally got a chance to try) my own bottle of Sylvia's Restaurant® Kickin' Hot Hot Sauce (Thanks, Sean!). Sylvia's® is very similar to Tabasco®, but has a less vinegary taste. This may be because Sylvia's® ingredients list "Aged Red Cayenne Peppers" as the first ingredient, whereas Tabasco® lists it second, after the vinegar. Plus, Sylvia's® has "Xanthan Gum" as an extra added ingredient, and I am sure that adds a world of flavour… (and the Sylvia's® was a birthday present; again, free stuff always tastes better). I liked it, it was about as hot as a normal Tabasco® and complemented ("My, you are looking extremely pretty today, Mrs. Cleaver!") both the hash browns and eggs; I will look forward to using it again (however, Cholula® is still the best of the readily-accessible bottled lot).
As IHOP's® coffee is pretty typical (read: bland), I went to Peet's® afterwards (the shop over on Chestnut, a few blocks away). I did not take note of which blend they were offering today, but it really didn't matter, Peet's® is always so much better than IHOP's® any day.
Carpe syrupum!
Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Free Breakfast ~ 6.0; Peet's® Coffee ~ 7.0; Sylvia's® Hot Sauce ~ 6.0
*(I have used this corn-ball joke before and probably will again in the future. My 'blog, my stupid jokes.)
When I was stationed in Hawaii a local radio station, KPOI, yes K poi, had lots of giveaways. Their DJs kinda had a mantra, "the only thing better than food is free food."
ReplyDeleteWell I had to read this post just to see how you handled the vegetarian requirement at iHOP...I hope they keep the hash browns away from the grill where they do the sausage, etc....
ReplyDeleteKarl:
ReplyDeleteWe have both a KFOG, KPIG, and KPOO in the San Francisco listening area... KPOI is to be expected.
Jim:
ReplyDeleteI am not a "kosher vegetarian" in the fact that if I had to worry about my food never touching the meat-diseased areas in a kitchen, I would never eat out.