Review Published in
"Northwest Florida Daily News"
Section E, Page 13, January 15, 1999
Cafe breaks some eggs for great meals
By COLLEEN COFFIELD Daily News Columnist
DESTIN-- Brunch is one of my favorite things. It tends to be more
convivial than either breakfast or lunch, and is much more than a mere
combination of the two. In fact, brunch is often part of a festive
occasion, such as a birthday or Mother's Day.
In New Orleans, brunch often includes champagne and jazz. Brunch dishes like Eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, and French toast take more effort to prepare, making them most appropriate for lazy weekends or special occasions.
It's no wonder that brunch food has so many happy associations. A new Destin restaurant is doing everything possible to make sure that those associations stay happy.
Another Broken Egg Cafe, near the Destin bridge, is serving traditional brunch dishes, along with sandwiches and salads, in an comfortable setting decorated in a French country theme. Service (which is at its best on weekdays) is emphasized nearly as much as careful preparation of each dish.
The restaurant is patterned after a restaurant in San Diego, Calif., called The Good Egg. The original Broken Egg Cafe was established in Mandeville, La., paying tribute to its California roots, and its Louisiana location.
The Destin restaurant, which opened last year, does the same. Avocado, chorizo sausage, and chilies share the share the spotlight with crawfish, crabmeat, and shrimp.
We had a good burger (with bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado slices), and decent ham and cheese on grilled sourdough bread. However, the Broken Egg really shines when it comes to eggs, pancakes, and waffles.
If you are in the mood for something basic, try a combination plate of two eggs, country potatoes, English muffin, and fruit. Bacon, sausage, ham, or a 6-ounce strip steak can be added.
Broken Egg's scramblers are like an omelet that got mixed up. Scrambled eggs are tossed with a variety of ingredients to create something especially good. The Lakeshore has bacon, onions, mushrooms, ham, and cheese with sour cream, while the San Diego contains chorizo, onions, green chilies, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, and salsa.
Our server recommended the Popeye's Favorite. This delicious dish featured perfectly cooked eggs (not too dry, and not underdone) teeming with fresh spinach, bacon, onions, and a topping of melted Jack cheese.
Eighteen different omelet ensure that Broken Egg will live up to its name. Working your way through the list, from a simple cheese omelet, to Stans No. 1 (filled with plump crawfish, shrimp, mushrooms, and ham) would be a pleasure.
The Fountainbleau has ham, bell pepper, onions, and cheese, while the Hey Ricky is filled with chorizo, avocado, and salsa. A Floridian gets flavor from crabmeat, and a Brian's favorite from chicken, broccoli and Hollandaise.
Croissants also come with eggs. I had the Castine, a savory croissant filled with scrambled eggs, ham, fresh asparagus, mushrooms, and a smooth, tangy Hollandaise.
Other egg dishes include Huevos Rancheros, traditional Eggs Benedict, and the Southern Benny (an English muffin with eggs, sausage, and gravy).
Broken Egg also has fine pancakes. Plain wheat pancakes have plenty of good flavor, but for something more festive try blueberry, apple, banana, or peach pancakes. Our banana-pecan cakes had banana slices in the batter, as well as on top of the pancakes.
A huge Belgian waffle was even better than the pancakes. It had a crisp exterior, and was slightly sweet, with a cakey texture that still managed to be light. It was topped with powdered sugar, and was available with blueberries, strawberries, or apples.
Another good brunch option is the extra-large warm cinnamon roll topped with icing, or a small round of baked brie served with apples, raisins, and pecans in a Grand Marnier butter sauce. Breakfasts billed as healthy include oatmeal, and yogurt with fruit and granola.
Breakfast dishes are available anytime, but burgers, sandwiches, and salads add some variety to the menu. Try a burger with mushrooms, onion, and Swiss cheese, or a sandwich of teriyaki chicken and pineapple.
Salads include a traditional spinach salad with egg, bacon and poppyseed dressing; a Caesar with chicken or steak; and a chef's salad.
Broken Egg features different desserts daily, including moist pound cake, and pecan pie with caramel sauce. In addition to iced tea and soft drinks, Broken Egg offers hot tea, hot chocolate, and juice. Beer and wine are also available.
A child's menu provides pancakes, French toast strips, eggs, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, and muffins.
Broken Egg has good service, a cheerful atmosphere, and excellent food. By combining those ingredients, Broken Egg has found a way to make each meal as special as a weekend brunch. What better way to start a busy weekday than with a good breakfast filled with food that evokes a happy mood.
