When I got there someone was cleaning the windows...I wasn't sure they were open... As I rounded the corner I saw on the door that they opened at 7:30am. Brilliant! I walked in to find I was one of only 3 customers in the place. This is always a catch 22 for my brain. It means I'll most likely be allowed to shoot the inside...but then I wonder "If they are so awesome...where is everyone?"
I got to talking to who I assumed was the manager, Jeff, about their menu. I knew what I was leaning towards, but there were some things that I was curious about...like "Lemon Diablo Sauce" listed with all of their versions of Eggs Benedict. I noted right away that Omelets were the first thing on their breakfast menu...usually this means this is one of their most popular items or...what they know is one of their best offerings. Sure enough, when I asked Jeff what he makes at home or what he would feed a friend he said "An omelet".
Alrighty....when I looked at all of the choices the one that lept off the page right away was "No. 1". A 3 egg omelet with basil pesto, tomato conasse, portabello mushrooms and your choice of either brie, goat or gorgonzola cheeses. Without hesitation I picked goat cheese and Jeff told me that goat was really the best choice. Something else that caught my eye on the menu though was Banana Bread French Toast... I told Jeff that and thought to myself that if this omelet was awesome, I'd be back to try the BBFT later. With my order in the kitchen I poked around and took my shots of the inside...
While I was on my walk about, I found a little cubby area near the bar. It was filled with awards... Stone Face Dolly's has some clout...hello! In fact...one of the first things I noticed when I walked in was an autographed photo of the host from "You Gotta Eat Here!" hanging near the reception area. (I love that show....I think I watch every single food show there is...cooking, eating, baking...you name it, I watch it.) Discovering all of these accolades elevated my expectation to a place I usually don't take my breakfast. As soon as I sat back down...breakfast was served.
I couldn't believe how HUGE my omelet was...and that Jeff had given me a slice of the Banana Bread French Toast and a cup of Lemon Diablo Sauce even though I didn't "officially" order them. Thanks Jeff!! But lets take this breakfast one element at a time, shall we?
Lemon Diablo Sauce
One of the first things I got my fork into was the sauce. Jeff told me that most of the time people order this sauce as a side with their entree...whether it comes with it or not. I tried a tiny dab of it and my mouth exploded with flavor! There was the initial rich, velvety creaminess followed by the essence of citrus and rounded out with the tiniest bit of heat. The PERFECT amount. I was ALL in on this sauce, so I slathered it over my omelet....after I took a picture of it lol....
No. 1 w/ Brown Bread Toast, Salad & Home Fries
The first thing I tried here was the omelet, of course. I will tell you right now, words don't do this omelet justice. So, no matter what I say, I encourage you to get to Stone Face Dolly's with all due HASTE and order a No. 1 with goat cheese yourself. But lets begin with texture... This is one of THE fluffiest omelets I've ever had in my life, but the meatiness of the egg wasn't lost in the "fluff" factor. It still felt like you were eating a nice portion of protein. The herb and mushroom flavors just JUMP out of this omelet and the goat cheese really rounded everything out bringing a balance and a creaminess that was just stellar. Couple this omelet with the lemon diablo sauce?? Unstoppable dish!!
Now...the brown bread toast. Yeah...remember how I talk (almost incessantly) about growing up in Minnesota and all of the creating my Momma and I do in the kitchen?? This brown bread just transported me right back... She always puts a generous portion of molasses in her wheat breads so...close my eyes, and I am back home. They were loverly, thick cut slices. Loved this bread! Loved it so much I bought a loaf to bring home, yeah...they sell it. Score!!
The home fries were good, but not the star of the plate and I don't tend to eat 2 starches at the same time with ANY meal. The salad...I won't lie, I didn't even touch it. For me, it didn't belong on the plate...even if it was meant to be a palate cleanser. I don't do salad with breakfast, unless it is a fruit salad.
Banana Bread French Toast
Now, this isn't the full amount of slices you get when you order this for breakfast...it was just enough for me to try it out. It LOOKED yummy, but when I poured the syrup over it...there was SO much cinnamon and powdered sugar on it the syrup evacuated itself to the plate and was coated in cinnamon. I took a bite and BAM!...cinnamon. This wouldn't have been such a crisis had the banana bread been sliced thicker. The bread itself was a mild banana flavor so, it really needed to be thicker to balance the amount of cinnamon on top. Aside from that...it is a great concept. I have done this at home myself many, many times.
Bottom line on Stone Face Dolly's is it is fabulous...worth every penny and I would love to try more on their menu. As I sat there eating my breakfast, Dolly's started to fill up with other customers. The two men that were there before I started were STILL there when I left. Even when I was tweeting and updating my Facebook status about where I was...readers were commenting back to me right away about how much they loved this place...especially their omelets.
Dolly's is a nice, peaceful place to take your time and enjoy your food and your company. The staff are friendly, prompt and take pride in making sure your experience at Dolly's is a good one. Make the time to take some time and head down to Stone Face Dolly's for some heavenly breakfast. I promise, it will be the best decision of your day!
No comments:
Post a Comment