A real honey of a restaurant

Just as my life has evolved, so too has my affection for certain

nonfood items that tend to amplify my fondness for a restaurant.

Throughout my early teen years, it was the tabletop jukeboxes at

the Lido. In my carefree days, it was the Space Invaders game at

Gong’s. During my romantic period (although my wife steadfastly

denies any such era ever existed), it was the long-stem rose given to

every lady entering Hugo’s Cellar.

Now that I find myself the father of two easily bored boys, I was

thrilled -- even more so than the kids -- to find a different game

placed upon each table at Honeybaked Cafe. There’s Connect Four,

Mancala, Rack-O, Cribbage, Chinese checkers and a variety of card

games. For the Vegas deprived, there are hand-held poker and

blackjack games. It’s instant entertainment.

Of course, all this would be a moot point if the food wasn’t any

good (and if I hadn’t emerged as Connect Four champion). Fortunately,

the breakfasts, lunch and kids’ meals we had at the Honeybaked Cafe

were delicious.

An offshoot of the holiday-pleasing Honeybaked Ham store, the cafe

offers breakfasts that feature ham sliced from the bone, freshly made

sausage patties and thick-cut, honey-cured bacon. They also serve

fruit-stuffed French toast, Belgian waffles made with brown sugar,

and a variety of “omelettas.”

What’s an omeletta? It’s a cross between an omelet and a frittata,

in which whipped eggs are baked within a buttery puff-pastry crust.

My omeletta was mixed with sweet chunks of bacon and full-flavored

cheddar cheese. This amazing dish came with an English muffin and

tasty country-style potatoes that were neither overly browned nor

overly greasy.

Other notable omelettas include tri-tip and cheddar, as well as a

ham Florentine version that incorporates two cheeses (Swiss and

Parmesan) and spinach Alfredo.

Over the course of several visits, I also enjoyed a scrumptious

Belgian waffle with a hint of cinnamon, delightfully sweet cinnamon

French toast drenched in Vermont maple syrup, some snappy sausage

patties, and reasonably priced iced lattes.

On a less enthusiastic note, the potato pancakes -- besides being

perplexingly sprinkled with powdered sugar -- were too Bisquick-like.

Lunch brings an array of melts, croissant sandwiches, wraps and

“grandwiches” -- big sandwiches -- centered around oven-roasted

turkey, slow-cooked tri-tip and Honeybaked ham.

Although the ham and Brie melt (as well as the Monte Cristo made

with smoked Gouda) were tempting, I opted for the holiday turkey

sandwich made with pecan stuffing, cranberry applesauce and a

generous amount of sliced turkey. My pick of bread was, of course,

potato bread. This slice of Thanksgiving was magnificent.

The dinner menu has such delectable delights as chicken Cordon

Bleu, pork fillets with blackberry glaze, and an all-time classic --

Beef Wellington. The only problem is the restaurant closes at 6:30! I

could be wrong, but I’m guessing most of the folks eating dinner at

Honeybaked Cafe are big fans of “Matlock” and “Murder She Wrote.”

Whether it’s a strawberry waffle with whipped cream, turkey pot

pie or a soup and sandwich combo, the kid’s meals are a tremendous

value. Priced at less than four dollars, they include a beverage (the

20-ounce chocolate milk was wildly popular with the boys) and a toy

from the treasure chest.

The games entertained us, but it was the food that gratified us.

* JOHN VOLO is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].

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