Short Order
Start the day right
Selected places serving breakfast and brunch in metro Detroit
Published: May 9, 2012
Café Zola 112 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-769-2020; cafezola.com; $$: A coffeehouse in the European tradition, Café Zola is a place for gathering, eating and enjoying coffee, espresso, hand-selected teas, and sweet and savory crepes made fresh, one at a time, and served hot and delicious. Or you can enjoy organic egg omelets, luscious house-made biscotti, Belgian waffles, market-fresh salads and sandwiches, and Turkish-inspired specialties. In true European style, there's even outdoor seating on the sidewalk.
Delmar Family Restaurant 1307 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-543- 2773; delmarfamilyrestaurant.com; $: All the omelets are classics. You have your spinach omelet, your mushroom omelet, even your ham-and-cheese omelet. But the choices only get grander. There's the "Meat Lover's," with bacon, ham, sausage and cheese. There's the Southern, with green pepper, onion, sausage and sausage gravy. But you can also have the Delmar omelet, which has it all. Open 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and noon- 5 p.m. Sundays.
Duly's Place 5458 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-554-3076; $: Duly's is a little gem of a coney island in southwest Detroit. Sure, we mostly know it when we wander in at 2:30 a.m. for something to soak up the booze, but they do breakfast as well as any other 24-hour establishment. Slide in on one of the low counter stools and place your order. Get two eggs and potatoes, pancakes or one of the omelets, which include cheese, ham and cheese, vegetable, western and Mexican. Or maybe you want coffee and sinkers? Keep those refills coming.
The Emory 22700 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-546-8202; theemory.com; $$: The dishes at the Emory have a reputation for "overdelivering." This concept is most obvious on weekend mornings when you're digging into a plate of huevos rancheros: two crispy corn tortillas layered with black bean spread, a generous dose of sautéed peppers and onions, eggs sunny-side-up and topped with melted cheddar. On the side are potatoes, baked and then flash-fried crispy on the outside and sprinkled with large chunks of onion and pepper.
Fleetwood Diner 300 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor; 734-995-5502; $ This 24-hour diner serves the classics: omelets, pancakes, bacon and sausage. Some of their more popular and unique menu items include the "Hippie Breakfast": Two eggs any style with a crispy layer of hash browns covered in sautéed broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and a side of toast.
The Fly Trap 22950 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-399-5150; theflytrapferndale.com; $: When clever, talented people make your meal, the tastes will be great but the names will be creative. For "blunch," the Fly Trap serves up fun egg dishes like "Green Eggs and Ham" or "The Boot," a Mussolini-themed "rumble" of eggs, mozzarella, fresh basil, tomatoes and black olives. Omelets have such amusing names as the "BLAT+C," the "Slacker Especial" and the "Forager." Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekends. Closed Mondays.
Frittata 236 S. Main St., Clawson; 248-280-2552; $: Egg dishes can be stimulating works of art. Take the $7 house frittata for instance: a blend of three eggs, caramelized shallots and white wine topped with Asiago cheese and roasted potatoes — simply delicious. For a bit more zest, try the delectable honeybee frittata filled with chunks of chorizo sausage, strips of roasted poblano peppers and cactus, then topped with a salad of cilantro and fresh greens in a small tortilla bowl, with a side of creme fraiche. Open 7:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday.
Gandy Dancer 401 Depot St., Ann Arbor; 734-769-0592; $$$: Made-to-order omelets, fresh Belgian waffles with bananas foster, Cajun salmon and carved roast beef and ham are just some of many luxurious options on Gandy Dancer's rotating brunch menu. Brunch is served 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays.
Gest Omelettes 39560 W. 14 Mile Rd., Newberry Square Shopping Plaza, Commerce Twp.; 248-926-0717; 25906 Plymouth Rd., Redford; 313-937-3540; gest-omelettes.com; $: Over a decade in the omelet game means you're doing something right. Choose from omelets like the "Coney Island" (dogs and chili), "Popeye's Favorite" (with spinach) or the Greek-influenced "Opa!" Or select from the create-your-own options of 15 meats, 14 vegetables, eight cheeses, seven sauces and such extras as black olives, chili and shrimp. Open 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m. every day.
Granma's House of Pancakes 17275 E. Nine Mile Rd., Eastpointe; 586-445-6100; granmashouseofpancakes.com; $: Granma's offers 12 kinds of crêpes, ranging from classic strawberry to hearty spinach-and-Monterey with hollandaise sauce. Also features five choices of blintz and multiple egg specials that come with a choice of sides. For omelet lovers there are 13 choices from the plain to the Greek or the Spartan omelet (spinach, feta, mushrooms and tomatoes). If your breakfast partners eschew the egg, they can choose from 11 varieties of pancake. Open 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, open 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sundays.
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