Denny’s Café

Breakfast on Geary, One Dozen

(No official website)

5530 Geary Blvd

Phonicular contact: (415) 386-3288

(To get the silly reference to today's EweToob video/song selection, you will have to read my 'blog-entry from last Mother's Day, May 8th, 2011. I am very happy to say that no one asked me if I had a "reservation" for "Brunch" this morning.) 


The next stop in my "Breakfast on Geary" series was to Denny's Café (they have the "café" sans accent aigu on their menu and signs, but their cards are avec accent aigu, so I am going with that spelling as I prefer it anyway); they are located between 19th and 20th Avenues along Geary (Boulevard). This is not to be confused with that other Denny's® ("America's diner is always open"… just as long as you are white and have money to spend), as this place will actually cater to minorities and is only open until Midnight every day.

I walked to Denny's again this morning as it is pretty close to where I live. It is interesting to note that between my apartment building and the restaurant (which is only a dozen blocks away) there are nineteen restaurants (not including several bakeries, coffee house, etc.), but there is just one other place that serves breakfast along Geary Boulevard.

Denny's Café is a little Chinese family-owned place (by "little" I mean the size of the restaurant, this is not a racial stereotype against any short Asian-types; though, I am sure in a pick-up Basketball game with any of the staff or customers this morning, I would get me a few good "in-yo-face" rejections). They have probably been in operation much longer than the 26 years that I have lived on Geary. I have eaten dinner there before once or twice, but this was my first breakfastary visit. They actually have several "interesting" (is the best word I can use to describe it) things on their breakfast menu. There were many locals/regulars having breakfasts of soup and noodles and such. I have no idea what a typical Chinese breakfast would entail ("entails" may very well be an ingredient in the soup for all I know), as I have never been closer to the Orient than Saudi Arabia. If I were a bit more adventurous and ate the dead, decaying animal flesh, I would probably have tried one of their breakfast soups just for a change of pace. But as it were, I simply ordered the Vegetable Omelette ~ served with a hashbrown potato triangle, toast, and choice of coffee or tea (I opted for tea for a change).

There really was nothing at all exciting about the omelette; it was made with eggs and had stuff in it, which is better than most of my stupid attempts. The vegetables that were included inside were just green and yellow bell peppers and mushrooms; that was a bit disappointing, but at least it did not include any of the vile weed (which I fully expected at a Chinese restaurant). One nice touch was that the fresh bell peppers were grilled/roasted before adding them into the omelette. The tea was nothing much to write home about, either, but what do the Chinese know about making tea?

For condimentary supplements, Denny's Café had: Tabasco® (standard red); Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce; and some kinda homemade red pepper looking one (which I probably should have given a try). Instead I went with some of my own BIG PAPI En Fuego Hot Sauce ~ Original Mild (Thanks, Kerry!) on the hashbrowns; and just a little 'Smart Arse' Extreme Chilli Sauce (Thanks, Cindy! Your intentions were good.) on the omelette (and I truly mean "just a little"; I brought a toothpick with me this time and used exactly ten drops only on the omelette; I probably could have used a bit more, but there was no way I was going to risk pouring too much of this nookular junk on my meal just in case).

On my way home, I had to pass by John Campbell's Irish Bakery, and was still a bit peckish (esurient… a wee bit 'ungry-like). Now this place makes some very good Irish baked goods, and they make one of the best versions of scones that I have ever had. Their Irish Cream Scones are fantastic; they are made with Bailey's® and are always moist, not hard as a rock like some places make. Unfortunately, they only make these on Saturdays, so I had to "settle" for one of their raisin scones and one of their blueberry scones. I am enjoying the raisin scone right now while typing out this entry, with a decent cuppa Bettys Colombian Rio Magdalena; I will probably have the blueberry scone later this evening with a cuppa Bettys Earl Grey. I know what you are thinking "Irish pastries with British coffee/tea?", but it's okay, I plan on having U.N.-flavoured Tums® to settle any disputes in my stomach later.

http://www.johncampbells.com/

http://www.bettys.co.uk/Coffee,5.aspx

 
"How do you like your tea? One lump of salt or two?" 
Speaking of teas, while I was eating my breakfast I noticed one of the Chinese guys in another booth pouring salt into his tea. He didn't just add a pinch, he probably poured a good teaspoon or two into the cup. Now, not knowing what Chinese breakfast customs were, I figured he knew exactly what he was doing. Plus, I used to go to a Tibetan restaurant that served their tea with salted butter instead of cream (it's something to try once, but I wouldn't recommend it daily). Well, the guy took one sip out of his cup and I knew right away that he had made a big mistake. I can't believe his friend that was sitting across the table from him didn't try to stop him or warn him while he was doing it. He sheepishly asked the waitress for a new cup and proceeded to use the sugar packets that were on the table to sweeten it correctly.

Happy Single Loser's Day! (All of you "mothers" know exactly who you are.)


Glen Bacon Scale Rating:  Vegetable Omelette ~ 5.4; John Campbell's Irish Bakery Scones ~ 7.0 (if I had gotten one of their Irish Cream Scones, this would have been a 7.7 or higher); Bettys Colombian Rio Magdalena ~ 6.5