Breakfast at Cafe Hollander

Nothing says weekend to me quite like eating out for breakfast.

Lunch out, dinner out – those can be done any day of the week. But breakfast out just doesn't happen during the workweek. Breakfast during the week is rushed, eaten in the car, or skipped altogether.

Lingering over coffee and feasting on eggs or pancakes and toast with jelly – now that says weekend.

Usually I like to stay at home all day on Sunday if I can manage it, especially during the cold winter months, but something about the falling snow outside my window this morning made me feel energized and ready to get up and go.

When we walked outside around 11 a.m., the snow that fell around us was fluffy and soft and coming down hard. The world was quiet as we brushed off my car and drove slowly up Downer Avenue to Cafe Hollander, a restaurant we'd visited numerous times in the past when it was Gil's Café.

We parked about two blocks away and an impromptu snowball fight helped us get over the spat we'd somehow found ourselves in on the short five-minute drive from our house.

Once inside, we were seated at a table for two next to the window near the front of the restaurant. I faced the window and Dave faced out, and as I took in the scene – snow falling outside, rosy-faced patrons chatting all around us, the flowers on our table, the dark wood and cozy feel of the café - I realized we'd gotten over our tiff just in time, for this charming setting left no room for bickering. 

Since I'd already drunk two cups of coffee with the morning paper before we left the house, I opted instead to start with a mug of hot chocolate after I saw the man at the table next to us enjoying one. Dave ordered an orange juice, barely looking up as he pored over the extensive beer list that'd been placed before him. Needless to say, our decision to come back to Café Hollander very soon was made before we even took a bite of food.

Making a meal choice was difficult since just about everything sounded enticing, but also very different, and since we planned to spend the afternoon at Discovery World immediately following our meal, neither of us wanted to try anything that might upset our stomachs. After some debating, Dave chose the blackberry turkey sandwich and I went with the Benelux omelet and a side of bacon.

Our meals were out within 10 minutes, and both were excellent choices. Dave's sandwich was odd, but it worked well and he loved it. Roasted turkey, gruyere cheese, red onions, peppers, and blackberry jam all served on a crusty baguette. My omelet was filled with fresh mushrooms, diced tomatoes and gruyere cheese, and both of our meals were served with a side of Hollander potatoes, which were some of the best hash browns we'd ever had.

My wheat toast felt like it'd been baked about five minutes ago, and my bacon was perfectly crisp. I couldn't quite finish my whole omelet, but I polished off everything else, including that mug of delicious hot chocolate.

The owners of Café Hollander bought the store next door so the restaurant is now bigger than Gil's used to be. The bar wraps around into the far room, which is where the smoking section is located and, from the cheers we heard several times throughout our meal, TVs too. The front end of the bar doubles as a coffee counter, with a large chalkboard outlining the many offerings: lattes, espresso, cappuccinos, etc.

I'd wanted to ask our waitress about the second level of the building, but she seemed busy and then it was time to go and I hadn't asked. When we had breakfast at Gil's last year, we were seated upstairs, but in the time we were there today, a steady stream of guests came through the doors but none were led that way. I wonder if they'll just use the upstairs room for musical performances and private parties now? It's a great space up there – we actually looked into it for our rehearsal dinner, but obviously our timing was bad!

We'll find out about the upper level soon enough, though. With its warm, casual atmosphere, its interesting menu, and its impressive beer selection – not to mention its outdoor patio in the summertime and its close proximity to our house – Café Hollander will see us again, and soon.

Comments

[Mark]

Well, I'm happy you liked it! I personally think it's better than Gil's actually... but that's only because I had a few bad food experiences when it was Gil's.

About upstairs though? It's still a seating area but it's much nicer now that they've replaced the windows, gotten rid of those cheesy stage lights and added the giant rectangle hole in the floor.

[Andre]

I agree that Gil's was never more than decent. I'll have to check out the new place, though.

[Farrah]

Wow -- that hot chocolate looks divine! I think the pictures you take of your meals really adds an important visual to your posts. But I gotta ask, do you ever feel funny taking the pictures of your food when you're sitting in a restaurant?

[Derek]

Cafe Hollander has become one of our favorites for breakfast. Kirsten and I were actually there Sunday morning too! We must have just missed you.

[alba]

How long was your wait? That place looks busy.

[Erin]

Farrah, yes I do feel a little funny taking pictures of my food, but not funny enough not to take them!

And Alba, we were seated immediately. It was busy, but the tables turned pretty quickly. I didn't see any group that came in wait more than five minutes or so.

[alba]

I went last night for dinner. They sat us upstairs, so it's not just reserved for private parties. They ave a great beer selection. The food selection is pretty unique and reasonably priced.