Rise
& Shine By
Konny Thompson
Start
the day off right with one of Carlsbad’s best breakfasts.
Every spring and summer, untold
numbers of people visit Carlsbad to enjoy
the beauty and recreation residents are blessed with year-round. Taking
in the
color of the flower fields, playing on the beach, shopping in the Village,
chasing
the kids around LEGOLAND and ending the day with a great meal from one
of our wonderful restaurants allows both visitors and locals to fall into
bed exhausted but happy at the end of each day. But where do they go each
morning when they wake up famished?
Fortunately, Carlsbad’s restaurants offer a wide variety of dishes
to satisfy nearly every breakfast taste. This is a well-known fact to
locals, but it seems everyone has a different favorite when it comes to
breakfast spots around town. From mom-and-pop diners to a European deli
to lavish brunches at five-star hotels, there’s a fantastic breakfast
for every taste.
Tip Top Meats
If your idea of breakfast perfection is a European delicatessen,
then Tip Top Meats can take you to heaven. Owned and operated by John
Haedrich since 1979, it has earned a reputation as one of the most popular
breakfast spots in town.
Famous for its Big John Breakfast, it is impossible to leave hungry after
enjoying this meal of three eggs, potatoes, toast and all the meat you
can eat. Literally. The breakfast special offers unlimited bacon, pork,
sausage, ham or bratwurst — truly a meat-lover’s paradise.
Tip Top Meats has been honored by the Restaurant Association with the
gold medal for the best deli restaurant in North County for its outstanding
food quality, generous portions and fair prices.
The Daily News Café
The
Daily News Café is another award-winning restaurant that has served
locals and tourists breakfast since 1990. Owner Bob Ruane puts customer
satisfaction first at this local eatery, and with a Best Service award
from the Entertainer, it appears his priorities have paid off.
Located adjacent to the Carlsbad Inn on historic Pacific Coast Highway,
this restaurant is known for the beautiful landscaping surrounding the
patio seating. You can choose to dine inside as well, but the outdoor
seating located steps away from the beach makes it a popular option.
The Daily News Café serves breakfast all day long and is famous
for its homemade French toast, breakfast burritos and incredible omelettes.
The Californian is the most popular omelette among restaurant regulars
with its fresh tomatoes, avocado and jack cheese.
Don’s Country Kitchen
Don’s Country Kitchen, is located in the heart of the Village. Founded
more than 20 years ago by a local mailman, this eatery has become a mainstay
in our community. Don’s offers a traditional American breakfast
popular among locals. Breakfast is served all day, but a lunch menu becomes
available after 11 a.m. This Carlsbad favorite attracts a crowd on the
weekends, and dining is available both indoors and out. 
The breakfast menu includes such specialties as biscuits and gravy, chicken-fried
steak and cinnamon multi-grain pancakes. According to owner Roberto Sanchez,
one of the most popular breakfasts is the Eggs Carlsbad. This meal includes
poached eggs on an English muffin, covered with fresh avocado and topped
with homemade hollandaise sauce. Served with hash browns or home fries,
this special would satisfy the most ravenous appetite.
Village Kitchen & Pie Shoppe
Another unique restaurant that has served Carlsbad for 10 years is the
Village Kitchen & Pie Shoppe. Operated by co-owners Annette Bradley
and Jim Cass, this is a great place to go when you’re craving good
old-fashioned home-style cooking. Located on Tamarack Avenue just blocks
from the ocean, the Village Kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfasts are plentiful, and most come with a must-have side of delicious
home fries. The pancakes are perfection, and all of the egg choices are
superb. But one of the greatest breakfast attractions is its selection
of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, banana bread and other
delectable baked goods. Add to the fantastic food the friendly hometown
service, and it’s easy to understand why this is a Carlsbad favorite.
This restaurant also has a sit-down counter near the tempting pie case.
Diners can choose to sit at booths or tables indoors, or enjoy nature
with their meal on the back patio, with its beautiful flowers and colorful
butterflies. And, as the name suggests, this restaurant is famous for
its pies. While not a breakfast staple, it’s important to note that
nowhere else can you find such delicious pies for those special occasions.
Al’s in-the-Village Café
Serving Carlsbad since 1991, Al’s in the Village Café is
best known for its 
imaginative
breakfast specials, as well as its friendly owner and wait staff. Owner
Al Wanamaker makes sure that every person who enters his café is
more than pleased with the service and the delicious food. Its corner
location makes it great for people watching, especially for those who
choose to eat outside at the umbrella-topped tables. Inside, in addition
to tables, there is a long counter with vinyl-covered stools reminiscent
of the 1950s.
While Wanamaker’s omelettes are legendary, some of his other creative
breakfast menu items include island-style French toast with coconut and
macadamia nuts, a salmon eggs benedict made with special red oak–soaked
Alaskan salmon, and huevos rancheros made with Al’s award-winning
homemade ranchero sauce.
Bobby’s Hideaway
Tucked away on El Camino Real about two miles from downtown Carlsbad is
a great leisure restaurant best known for its fantastic American cuisine.
Owned and operated by Robert Sliwa for 11 years, Bobby’s Hideaway
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is loved for its casual family
atmosphere, diverse menu and 
plentiful
portions of wholesome food. It’s easy to spot from El Camino because
sitting atop the whitewashed wooden building is a huge, painted chicken.
Popular breakfasts include chicken-fried steak, homemade biscuits, fluffy
pancakes, country potatoes and cinnamon French toast. While all the breakfast
selections are outstanding, people come from far and wide for the authentic
country gravy, which is made with sausage and cream. It’s the real
deal and an instant favorite.
The Armenian Café
Another restaurant located along a beautiful stretch of Pacific
Coast Highway
is the Armenian Café. This popular eatery opened its doors 18 years
ago and is well known for its Middle Eastern cuisine. While indoor seating
is available, most diners prefer to eat on the outside patio overlooking
the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
This is another breakfast spot that serves ample portions. While all of
the 
breakfast
menu items are excellent, one of the most tantalizing is the enormous
waffle topped with fresh fruit, ice cream, whipped cream or syrup.
Owner Eddie Shak also fills the menu with unique omelettes with a Middle
Eastern flavor. Such uncommon egg dishes include the rack of lamb omelette,
the gyros omelette or the lamb shish kabob omelette. Great food and a
spectacular view combine to make dining at the Armenian Café a
unique and memorable experience.
The Grand Deli
Located in the center of the Village on the corner of Grand Avenue
and Roosevelt Street, The Grand Deli is another top pick among locals.
Serving Carlsbad since 1987, this New York–style deli’s guests
can choose to eat inside or out, but the 
sidewalk
dining is often the popular choice — the corner location can accommodate
40 to 50 outdoor guests.
Inside, the order counter features a long glass case filled with cheeses,
meats and fruit. Breakfasts are plentiful and delicious, but the most
popular pick is undoubtedly the Breakfast Special. This plate features
two eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes and home fries. Other popular breakfasts
include French toast, omelettes and bagels and lox. The specialty coffees
round out a proper morning meal.
In addition to the outstanding breakfasts and lunches served at The Grand
Deli, owner Mike Downs offers a special service every weekend. Complimentary
champagne is served every Saturday and Sunday to patrons over 21.
Mariah’s West Wind Restaurant
Mariah’s West Wind Restaurant has been a Carlsbad staple, well…forever.
Serving Carlsbad for close to 30 years, the restaurant occupies a converted
house built in the early days of Carlsbad, which gives it a comfortable
and homey feel. It is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and serves one of the
best breakfasts and brunches in town. Located on Carlsbad Village Drive
near Pacific Coast Highway, it’s easy to find for visitors who are
strolling the Village.
Mariah’s is considered one of the best mom-and-pop places in Carlsbad.
Owner Kelli Edgar has created a family restaurant that is guaranteed to
please, as 
attested
to by both locals and visitors alike. In fact, Mariah’s received
five out of five golden eggs on Mr. Breakfast.com, a Web site devoted
to restaurant reviews.
Mariah’s West Wind Restaurant offers 300 different omelette combinations,
complete with fresh, hot buttermilk biscuits or your choice of toast.
Another popular breakfast choice is Mariah’s Country Breakfast.
This consists of a sausage patty on top of two buttermilk biscuits smothered
with country gravy, served with two eggs and hash browns. The French toast
is also a must-try. In fact, there isn’t any item on the menu that
isn’t a hit with Mariah’s patrons.
Hennessey’s
One of Carlsbad’s luckiest spots for breakfast is our own Irish
favorite, 
Hennessey’s.
This restaurant, owned and operated by Paul Hennessey, also sits in the
center of the Village and offers a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu.
One of 12 locations throughout southern California, Carlsbad’s Hennessey’s
has been in operation for 12 years. Dining is available both indoors and
out.
The breakfast menu includes some traditional fare, but some of the choices
are distinctly Irish. One customer favorite is Hennessey’s Corned
Beef with Poached Eggs on an English muffin. Other interesting breakfast
favorites include the steak scramble, a giant breakfast burrito and a
veggie omelette.
But perhaps one of the most unusual breakfast choices is the Captain Crunch
French Toast.
Carlsbad’s Best Brunches
Four Seasons Aviara
Located at the Four Seasons Resort
Aviara is a wonderful restaurant called California Bistro. This light
and airy restaurant serves an eclectic mix of California-style cuisine
with both indoor and outdoor seating. The alfresco dining is available
on terraces overlooking the pristine fairways of their 18-hole golf course.
The Sunday Brunch Buffet is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and a traditional
lunch is available every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sunday brunch
also includes complimentary champagne; it is important to note that reservations
are required.
According to Bistro manager Elizabeth Bamadhag, this extensive buffet
is enhanced by a live omelette station, a crepe station and a carving
station serving prime rib and beef tenderloin. Another unique feature
of this Sunday brunch is the separate children’s buffet built to
a smaller scale and filled with child-friendly choices. Planning ahead
for this champagne brunch is well worth the effort.
Ocean House
Another outstanding brunch choice available in the
Village on picturesque Pacific Coast Highway is the Sunday brunch at the
Ocean House. An elegant, old Victorian mansion houses this unique restaurant,
and brunch is available every Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Originally built by Gerhard Schutte as a home for his family in the 19th
century, the beautiful Victorian architecture of this three-story building
has served many purposes under many different names for some 123 years.
Today, owners Martin and Cindy Blair, along with owner and chef Max Gutierrez,
have created a restaurant that combines old-world charm and fantastic
coastal California cuisine.
The brunch buffet includes an omelette bar, a seafood bar, a fruit bar,
a carving station and a dessert table. Champagne and mimosas are also
included in this extensive buffet, and many other breakfast and lunch
items are available by request.
La Costa Resort & Spa
Yet another option for those interesting in a fine dining experience is
the Breakfast Buffet served at the Legends California Bistro Restaurant
located in the La Costa Resort and Spa. This casually elegant bistro also
offers indoor and outdoor dining. Guests who choose to eat outside overlook
the lush fairways of
the resort’s 18-hole golf course and the rolling hills beyond.
The breakfast buffet is available Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m., and a traditional breakfast menu is available daily. The colorful
and appetizing buffet includes such items as bagels and lox, fresh baked
goods, pancakes and exotic fruits. In addition, an executive chef is on
hand to prepare omelettes to order. •