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(November 19, 2004)
I have one major regret about the newly opened Original Pancake House
on Parmer and Metric in N. Austin: and that is that I don't live much
closer to this very inviting and very good breakfast emporium.
The Original Pancake House is part of a chain out of Oregon, the origin
of which dates back to the 1950's. The Austin version is locally owned
and operated by an indomitable woman named Sue Jahn who has her troops,
from cooks to servers, marching in admirable and enthusiastic cadence
each day.
All they do here is breakfast, each weekday from 6:30 AM to 2PM and on
weekends from 7:30 AM to 3PM.
Where to start? How about with their amazing and unique pancakes. There
are 20 different kinds of pancakes at the OPC. The Apple Pancake is a
gigantic, virtually impossible-to-finish-at-one-sitting, taste extravaganza.
While most pancakes are fried, this one is oven baked in a skillet and
adorned with Granny Smith apples and an ethereal Sinkiang cinnamon glaze.
This is a must try. Equally creative and offering an entirely different
taste perspecive is the Dutch Baby. This is also oven-baked and served
with whipped butter, lemon and powdered sugar. The taste is more subtle
than the Apple Pancake but equally rewarding. If you like pecans, you'll
love the Pecan Pancakes. There's an abundance of pecans here and the convergence
of the ample batter, the hot syrup and the pecans is hard to resist. Another
recommendation is the Sourdough Flapjacks. This pancake rose to prominence
during the days of the Klondike Gold Rush in California and the flavors
of these are just about perfect. And don't neglect the Pigs in a Blanket.
Their sausage is excellent here and it elevates this tradtional pancake
to an entirely different taste level.
And there is much more to the Original Pancake House than just pancakes.
The homemade corned beef hash is an absolute blast. It's a perfect blend
of corned beef, potatoes, and onions. The classic Eggs Benedict is also
a well done here. I like to get mine with sausage instead of Canadian
bacon and the hollandaise sauce is rich, tempting, and delicious. And
I have tried several of their mountainous omelets. Again, highly recommended.
The Green Chile and Pepperjack cheese Omelet is skillfully executed and
has a wondeful taste. I have a hard time choosing between that one and
the equally fluffy and perfectly textured Bacon and Cheese Omelet. The
taste component of this omelet is comforting and compelling at the same
time. You must try it.
There is one dish, however, that I was not wild about. The Eggs Micheal
is a variation of Eggs Benedict that adds sausage and a mushrom sherry
sauce that didn't really work for me. I found the flavor a little too
srong.
But everything else at the Original Pancake House, at least for me, works
very well indeed.
You know, this town of ours desperately needs more breakfast places. So
head out to the corner of Parmer and Metric tomorrow morning and treat
yourself and your family to one of the coolest new breakfast joints around.
The new Original Pancake House should be a fixture on our local food scene
for years to come. |
