XL COVER STORY

Morning glories

Rise and dine on these breakfast feasts, from sweet to spicy.

By Dale Rice
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, November 15, 2007

Galaxy Cafe co-owner Chris Courtney was working in the kitchen one weekend morning when his business partner insisted that he stop what he was doing and look outside. The line at the new restaurant in the Clarksville neighborhood snaked back and forth through velvet ropes inside the restaurant before veering out the door and across the parking lot — with the waiting diners maintaining a break in the line for exiting cars to pass through.

Not bad for a downtown Austin dining spot before noon on a Sunday.

While that line might not be repeated every day and at every one of the hundreds of breakfast-serving restaurants in the Austin area, the enthusiasm for the morning meal is everywhere.

"Everybody's starved for breakfast in this city," Courtney says. "I truly believe that more than 50 percent of the people who dine out would say that breakfast is their favorite meal of the day."

And that enthusiasm applies to more than the full plates being served at the two current Galaxy locations and the soon-to-be third one at the Triangle development.

At Quack's 43rd Street Bakery in Hyde Park, Enoteca on South Congress Avenue and Chantilly Bakery Cafe in South Austin, items disappear from the pastry cases at amazing speeds. By mid-morning on a recent Monday, for example, there were only two croissants left at Enoteca; the almond croissants, chocolate croissants and muffins had been snatched up by early-morning pastry fanciers.

Or stop by Enchiladas y Mas on Anderson Lane at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, hoping to find an available space in the parking lot and knowing that legions of Mexican food fans have exactly the same idea as you do.

Nearly seven years ago, I wrote about my favorite breakfast items across the city. While a few notable places (El Nopalito and Hot Jumbo Bagelry) have closed in the intervening years, most of the spots are still open and serving their delectable morning fare. (See the list on Page 12).

But, as inevitable as tomorrow's dawn, new places continue to open, sometimes offering innovative takes on old favorites. From a cinnamon twist to a quesadilla, here are seven more ways to start your morning sunny-side-up.

Quesadilla

They call it the "Boss" at La Familia, a small Mexican restaurant hidden behind Hollywood Video on William Cannon Drive. It's a quesadilla made with two large tortillas holding scrambled eggs combined with cheese and a choice of bacon or sausage. Cut in four wedges, the Boss ($2.99 before 11 a.m., $3.99 after 11) is a hearty breakfast offering that can be spiced up with a dollop of zesty salsa. 3601 W. William Cannon Drive. 892-1311. Opens: 6:30 a.m. daily, serving the Boss until closing, 9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Migas

Migas must be the No. 2 morning item in Austin, right behind breakfast tacos. This version at Enchiladas y Mas steps up the heat and adds meat to the scrambled mixture of eggs, peppers, tomatoes, onions and tortillas. With sliced serranos and a generous amount of chorizo, these migas ($5.75) are steeped in flavor and served simply with refried beans. 1911 W. Anderson Lane. 467-7100. Opens 7 a.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, serving breakfast plates until closing at 8:45 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 1:45 p.m. Sundays.

Croissant

Big. Buttery. Beautiful. What else is there to say about this larger-than-usual croissant ($1.50) at Enoteca? The small pastry case couldn't possibly hold more than a half-dozen — and that's if there were no chocolate or almond variations taking up any space. 1610 S. Congress Ave. 441-7672. Opens: 8 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m. Sundays, with pastries typically sold out by 11 a.m.

French toast

Made with thick, oval slices of Swiss muesli sourdough bread prepared specially for the restaurant by New World Bakery in Kyle, the French toast deluxe ($5.95) at Galaxy Cafe is a sumptuous way to begin the day. The slices of bread are stacked on top of each other, with a layer of bananas in between and sliced strawberries on top. A friend recently gave me a you-couldn't-possibly-eat-that look when it arrived. She was wrong. 1000 West Lynn St., 478-3434. 9911 Brodie Lane (at Slaughter Lane): 233-6000. Served: 7 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Cinnamon twist

This luscious variation on a cinnamon roll ($1.95) at Chantilly Bakery Cafe in the Brodie Oaks shopping center features a long, soft pastry richly laced with cinnamon and amply drizzled with icing. 4032 S. Lamar Blvd. 916-0404. Opens: 8 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 9:30 a.m. Saturdays, with pastries typically sold out by 11 a.m.

Danish

It might be hard to dismiss the idea of apple pie for breakfast when you look at the slices of pie mounded high with fruit at Quack's 43rd Street Bakery. But if you can, go for the danishes ($1.99). Layers of lightly browned, flaky crust support a variety of fillings — cream cheese and cherry are my favorites — liberally drizzled with icing. 411 E. 43rd St. 453-3399. Opens: 6:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m. Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. Sundays.

Fighting eggs

The huevos peleados plate ($5.25) at La Posada North delivers two eggs, prepared the way you like them, separated by fried potatoes, refried beans and a choice of bacon or sausage. One of the eggs is swathed in a creamy green tomatillo sauce, the other in a thick red ranchero sauce. Plus, a bonus: homemade flour and corn tortillas. 1200 W. Howard Lane, Suite A. 989-6034. Opens: 7 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m. Sundays, serving breakfast until noon Mondays-Fridays and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Breakfast in Austin:

A menu of old favorites

Biscuits and gravy. Two large, split, soft, homemade biscuits covered with smooth cream gravy with little chunks of sausage fill the plate at Dan's Hamburgers. 4308 Manchaca Road. 443-6131. Opens: 6 a.m. daily.

Cinnamon roll.Slowly peel the layers of flaky dough like an onion, unwrapping the nontraditional sugar-and-cinnamon treat at Upper Crust Bakery. 4508 Burnet Road. 467-0102. Opens: 6:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Cocoa. At Little City, it's just steamed milk and syrup combined in a tall glass for a simple, sweet, chocolatey alternative to a cup of joe. 916 Congress Ave. 476-2489. Opens: 7 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Coffee. Try Mozart's, the coffeehouse on Lake Austin, for a rich brew made from beans roasted there. 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. 477-2900. Opens: 7 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays.

Coffee cake. Nuts and cinnamon swirl through yellow cake topped with a streusel-style mix and drizzled with icing at Texas French Bread. 2900 Rio Grande St. 499-0544. Opens: 6:30 a.m. daily.

Doughnut. The yellow rings from Lone Star Bakery — recognizable by their bright color, the result of egg yolks in the dough — are the best around. 106 W. Liberty Ave., Round Rock. 255-7268. Opens: 4 a.m. daily.

Eggs and machacado. At Juan in a Million, the eggs are scrambled with machacado (dried, shredded Mexican beef), tomatoes, onions and jalapeños for a substantive, zesty mix. 2300 E. Cesar Chavez St.. 472-3872. Opens: 7 a.m. daily.

French toast. The ultimate decadence is the crème brûlée French toast at Chez Zee, a wedge of challah bread soaked overnight in crème brûlée custard and then baked. 5406 Balcones Drive. 454-2666. Served: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Fritter. At Russell's Bakery, layers of golden dough envelop chopped nuts and apples, with drizzled icing and honey gilding the lily. 3339 Hancock Drive. 419-7877. Opens: 6:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m. Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. Sundays.

Migas. Tortilla chips meld with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions and green peppers at La Fuente's in a cheese-covered classic. 6507 Circle S. Road; 442-9925. Opens: 11 a.m. Mondays-Fridays and 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, serving migas until closing.

Muffin.A mocha muffin — chunks of dark chocolate in a moist, mocha-flavored dough — offers an early start on chocolate at Sweetish Hill Bakery. 1120 W. Sixth St.. 472-7370. Opens: 6:30 a.m. daily.

Omelette.Head to the Omelettry for a large, fluffy, three-egg omelette, such as the vegetarian stuffed with guacamole, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and cheese. 4811 Burnet Road. 453-5062. Opens: 7 a.m. daily.

Picadillo. Cisco's offers one of Austin's most unusual breakfast items: a picadillo. It's a soft roll stuffed with seasoned taco meat. 1511 E. Sixth St.. 478-2420. Opens: 7 a.m. daily.

Pancakes. The size of saucers, the thick pancakes are a crowd pleaser at Kerbey Lane Cafe. The daily special pancakes — frequently heavy with fresh berries — are my favorite. 3704 Kerbey Lane. 451-1436. Open: 24 hours.

Potatoes.The home fries made with well-peppered chunks of red potatoes — some soft, others crisp from the grill — are a delightful accompaniment to other items at Magnolia Cafe. 1920 S. Congress Ave.. 445-0000. Open: 24 hours.

Taco.At Taco X-press, eggs get mixed with a wide variety of ingredients and wrapped in warm tortillas. 2529 S. Lamar Blvd. 444-0261. Opens: 7 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m. Saturdays, 9 a.m. Sundays.