Steak 'n' Egg Kitchen

Well, this might not be the first place you'd think of as the subject for a food blog, but we can't resist a good breakfast. Of course when we started over there on Sunday morning we were not at all sure that in fact, the Steak 'n' Egg Kitchen (SnEK) was the place to get one. On the other hand, it did have a few advantages going in. First, open 24 hours. Second, outside seating (becoming less useful this time of year, but still a bonus). Third, and most importantly, an easy walk from our house.

We had a short wait for a table but the friendly staff made us feel welcome. We chose to eat outside because of the beautiful day. There are about 12 stools inside in a classic diner setup, but the bulk of the seating is outside. We suspect that things might get awfully crowded once it gets too cold to eat outside.

The physical setup is, shall we say, unpretentious in the extreme. Long plastic tables (most folks have to share) and chairs, a pile of condiments in the center of the table, and paper-wrapped knives and forks. No placemats -- this place is not for the extremely fastidious.

No matter. The food was excellent. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. The grapefruit juice was canned, or reconstituted, or something...anyhow, artificial tasting. And the "maple" syrup was a choice of various supermarket brands that had never gotten close to an actual maple tree.

Michael had a turkey and cheese omelette that was both large and tasty. The hash browns were uniformly shredded and appropriately crispy, if a little bland (not an uncommon failing). The toast was good diner toast with plenty of butter. Michael, being very enthusiastic about his breakfasts, also ordered a waffle which was deliciously crisp and came with an overabundance of butter (if there is such a thing). Too bad about the syrup. David ordered a "Tennessee scramble" which was a delicious omelette-type concoction with ham, bacon, and sausage included, with a little cheese for good measure. Same hash browns. However, instead of the toast, it came with two biscuits and some good country gravy, perfectly creamy and peppery. The biscuits were flaky and soaked up the gravy perfectly (we suspect they might be a little dry on their own but were perfect with the gravy).

The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. All of the tables were packed, many with what appeared to be AU students out with their parents. The food took a little while to appear by diner standards but it was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the sunshine while we waited.

All in all, a great find in our neighborhood and I'm sure we'll be paying many return visits.