Category Archives: Breakfast & Brunch

Shakers American Café

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Exterior
Interior
Shakers
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Western omelet

***** (5 stars)

Shakers recently won a people’s choice award for best breakfast in Orlando, and I can see why. My Western Omelet was overflowing with fresh vegetables and savory ham. Hash browns were extra crispy, just like I ordered them. And my server’s suggestion to grill my biscuit was pure genius.

I also loved the decor, with unique salt and pepper shakers on every table, and many more lining the walls.

Service was excellent, and all the servers I encountered were very friendly. Indeed, this was the best breakfast I’ve had in a long, long time.

UPDATE, MAY 9, 2024

Breakfast Quesadilla

Shakers still makes the best breakfasts in town! My new favorite is the breakfast quesadilla. It’s perfect!

Shakers American Café
1308 Edgewater Dr
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 422-3534
https://www.yelp.com/biz/shakers-american-caf%C3%A9-orlando-2

Maple Street Biscuit Company

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Very popular place, with quick service once you get to the front of the line.

Whoever put the menu together, really likes chicken on their biscuits. Instead, I opted for a traditional bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, and it was fine, but not any better than you would get from McDonald’s.

The iced cinnamon biscuit was quite good.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/maple-street-biscuit-company-winter-garden

Quail and Crane

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Sashimi omakase
Interior

***** (5 stars)

Located in the Grand Hyatt at SFO, Quail and Crane is a dramatic two story space that offers a nice selection of sushi and Asian inspired hot dishes.

The sushi quality was excellent. We also tried the mussels, a generous serving in a lemon grass broth, accompanied by grilled sour dough.

Service was friendly, and pricing was reasonable given the upscale location. There’s a great view of the International terminal gates and taxi way across the street.

Quail and Crane
55 S McDonnell Rd
San Francisco, CA
94128
(650) 452-1234
https://www.yelp.com/biz/quail-and-crane-san-francisco

Maxine’s on Shine

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Exterior
Interior
Three cheeses

***** (5 stars)

This is a great neighborhood place, with artisinal food and live music. Sunday Brunch is definitely bustling, and is not a place for intimate conversation!

The cheese plate offers a nice selection with appropriate accompaniments. Deviled eggs were also nicely done, with some exotic spices.

Hot chicken and waffles relied on a spicy barbeque sauce rather than a Nashville preparation.

Service was attentive, and the music was good.

Maxine’s on Shine
337 N Shine Ave
Orlando, FL
32803
(407) 674-6841
https://www.yelp.com/biz/maxines-on-shine-orlando

The Waterfront

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Tuna Poke Bowl
Waterfront Platter
Exterior
Interior
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Exterior

***** (5 stars)

This has got to be one of the best outdoor dining places in Orlando. The restaurant is barely visible from the road, and looks like a dive, but once inside you realize it opens out into a couple of great patios that really are on the water.

While the menu may look like a sports bar’s offering, the food is much better than the average sports bar. The smoked fish dip was balanced and complex, yet served with simple saltines. The Waterfront Platter was a generous mix of batter and fried shrimp, fish, chicken, hushpuppies and fries. All were done with a light touch, so they weren’t oily at all.

The tuna poke was a beautiful and delightful portion of chopped tuna and fresh veggies.

On a day with a nice breeze blowing in across the lake I can’t imagine a better place to be in Orlando.

The Waterfront
4201 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL
32806
(407) 866-0468
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-waterfront-orlando-3

Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant

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Exterior
Interior
Placemat
Crackers
Quesadilla

*** (3 stars)

A flashback to the 50s in every way from decor to menu to the cracker basket on the table. Even the placements are unchanged! Anderson’s has never been my favorite soup, but the other food on the menu is quite good. My tuna sandwich was just like Mom used to make, and the quesadilla (which I’m pretty sure wasn’t on the menu in the 50s) was huge.

Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant
376 Avenue Of
Buellton, CA
93427
(805) 688-5581
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pea-soup-andersens-restaurant-buellton-3

Pour La France!

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Provence salad with salmon
Croque Monsieur
Salmon tartine
Cafe and bar

**** (4 stars)

This cafe is operating far above the level of most airport restaurants. The menu is indeed a french bistro menu with a few American concessions.

Salmon tartine was en excellent appetizer, with a nice stack of smoked salmon, cucumber and pickled onions on cream cheese coated toast.

Croque Monsieur was the traditional grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and the ham itself had been nicely seared.

The Provence Salad was a nice combination of mixed greens, olives, feta, and onions. I had it topped with salmon, which was perfectly cooked and wonderfully flavorful.

There is an interesting selection of beers, and of course wines.

Service was friendly and attentive.

Pour La France!
8900 Peña BlvdDenver International Airport, Terminal B
Denver, CO
80249
(303) 317-9472
https://www.yelp.com/biz/pour-la-france-denver-4

El Moro Spirits and Tavern

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KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower)
Honey Sambal Lollipops
Smoking Hot Toast
Wall o’ booze
Interior

***** (5 stars)

Really nice selection of small plates, larger plates, sandwiches, cocktails and beers. Limited and somewhat eclectic selection of wines.

We loved the lollipops, a spicy take on chicken wings using drumsticks and a wonderful sweet/spicy sauce, plus a green curry dipping sauce. The Korean Fried Cauliflower was also great.

The bar offers an enormous collection of spirits, and some talented mixology.

El Moro Spirits and Tavern
945 Main Ave
Durango, CO
81301
(970) 259-5555
https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-moro-spirits-and-tavern-durango