Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/18929
28 FOOD & WINE : BEST BREAKFAST BEST BREAKFAST IN LONG BEACH WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY PETER SUROWSKI The Potholder Café 3700 East Broadway 562.433.9305 If you're really hungry, The Potholder Café is the place for you. Locals know it for its huge portions. Take "The Mack Daddy," for example. It's an 18-inch pancake served with two eggs, two bacon strips and two sausages. If you can eat it all, you get a well-deserved t-shirt with "I'm a mack daddy" written on it. Of course, big portions are pointless unless the food's good, and The Potholder has that, too. A local favorite — a Potholder original — is "the french toast kabob." It's french toast pieces, sausages, banana and kiwi slices skewered and served on a bed of scrambled eggs. Another unique goodie is the Mr. Potato Head — potato skins stuffed with cheese, chicken, scrambled eggs, sour cream and avocado. Coffee Cup Café 3734 East Fourth St. 562.433.3292 Breakfast at the Coffee Cup Café is a lot like Southern Californian culture. The best dishes are mixes of American and Mexican classics. They have the old standbys, of course — pancakes, eggs, toast — but their Mexican breakfasts are what packs the house Sunday mornings. Here's a tip: ask for the "mashed potato omelet." It's not on the menu, but it's a must-have. It's an omelet stuffed with seasoned potatoes, bacon and cheddar cheese topped with sour cream, green onions and a side of grilled tomatoes. Another highlight is the salsa. Every table gets a bowl of red and green, but here's another tip: they have the extra spicy stuff in the back. It's delicious, but brace yourself. There's a reason it's in the back — it will burn you. The Potholder started in 1925 as a bed and breakfast. By 1973, it evolved into a restaurant, said Kevin Pittsey, the owner since 1993. "I get ideas and I go and expand on them, in the café," said Pittsey. Each room has a different feel, since the restaurant added them at different times. Photos decorate the walls of people all over the world holding signs reading "Eat at the Potholder." For a little local history and more food for breakfast than you should eat all day — this is for you. NOVEMBER 2010 THE BEST OF LONG BEACH They have a good selection for vegetarians, 10 –15 items. "I'm not vegetarian, but I love vegetarian food," said Cindy Atkinson, who opened the café in 1995. "When I first started out, I wanted to appeal to both kinds of customers." The downside is the parking is tricky. It's on Fourth Street, so get ready to get honked at as you parallel park. At least it's a block away from Viento Y Agua coffeehouse, which is a great place to dawdle with friends after your meal. Another drawback is they only take cash but note — they have an ATM machine in the dining room.