Slinging hash at the loss of good eatery

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. The birds are singing. The sun is

shining bright.

For those who spent the past 12 hours sipping apple martinis until

they thought they were on Soul Train, shaking their groove thangs to

played-out pop music, and eventually ended up face down on a friend’s

couch -- a morning like this is a stage of purgatory.

Deliverance includes, two aspirin, a large bottle of water,

sunglasses and a trip to the Omelette Parlor.

The popular spot has long been renowned as a morning-after

panacea. A place to revive yourself after a long night of sorrow

drowning.

Any given weekend morning/afternoon groggy patrons wait for a

table, fiending for a hearty, home-cooked breakfast to soak up the

lingering alcohol. Many residents -- willing to confront daylight and

the possibility of running into a well-rested, chipper person --

wander outside the popular eatery in anticipation of one of the

parlor’s famed dishes.

The perfectly fried omelets, each with the right combination of

cheese, meat and spice fill a void left empty from one too many

tequila shots. Crisp hash browns soak up the oversupply of Vodka from

that last Cape Cod you don’t remember ordering and put an end to that

gurgling, uneasy feeling in your stomach.

They walk in grumpy, snappy and hungry and leave full, content and

ready to face the day -- and another night on the town.

Sadly, it is last call at Omelette Parlor, as the longtime eatery

is closing its doors for good.

Those who have turned to the breakfast spot for many a hangover

meal are sad to see it go.

Lelana McCully, who knows the waitresses by name and often

conducts business lunches there, was shocked to hear the news.

“Why?” she asked incredulously.

Restaurateur Susan Adkins said she is being forced out by the

owners of the center who refuse to renegotiate her lease.

“That sucks, dude, we should protest,” McCully said.

Even for those who wake up with a clear head pine for breakfast

from the Omelette Parlor.

Coeli and George Hylkema said they dine there at least once a

week.

“We are regulars but it is not a hangover place for us, we are

there at the crack of dawn,” Coeli said.

“If you get there before 8 a.m. you get a half-priced omelet,”

husband George added.

(You also get there before all the ill-tempered, sleep-deprived

20-somethings, which is probably nice.)

The Hylkemas said the Omelette Parlor has an authenticity to it

that is rare. George called it a “treasure to the community.”

“It is the place I go to meet friends and to talk,” George said.

“The waitresses are warm and friendly ... “

“And we know all about what their kids are up to,” interrupted

Coeli.

No restaurant compares to the Omelette Parlor, the couple said.

When they travel, they miss their hometown favorite and can’t wait to

get back.

“We are going to be very sad,” he said.

So there you have it. Hang over or no, the Omelette Parlor has a

history of making people feel at home, filling their bellies with

plentiful food and giving them fuel -- for the mind and body -- to

face the rest of the day.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or

by e-mail at [email protected].