A bad night...

Twice last night I woke up feeling like I could not catch my breath. The last time it happened I had been having a terrible dream. When I woke up it was 2:06 am and I had to sit on the side of my bed and force myself to breath through my mouth until I could feel normal again. I remember part of the dream: I was in a room that was totally void of light. You have never seen anything as black as this, a total absence of light except for one small window. There was no light coming into this room, only light on the other side. The window was large enough for me to crawl through, but I could only get my head and arms through, I could not lift myself through this window and there was nothing to pull up on. I tried and tried, but only succeeded in exhausting myself, that is when I woke up. It has been a long time since I've had a dream that frightened me as much as this one, and I have never had a dream that affected my body before like this one did.

Continuing my search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 16)

I think this has gone on long enough, I'm sure nobody wants to hear about 2nd and 3rd visits to the same places when they can go and judge for themselves if they like the service or food. I had hoped in my search to find "greener pastures", but you know what they say about that. Most of the time, you already have the best if you only open your eyes and figure out why you are looking for "greener pastures". I know why I started this search and I did what I could to correct what I saw as potential problems in the green pastures I was already enjoying; however, I have no idea if my words fell on deft ears or not, only time will tell. Now, to get to today's menu... Once again I returned to my most favorite place to eat: Charlie Coram's on 23rd St. I only wish I could still get up at 5:30 am like I use to, but without setting my alarm (which I never had to do previously) I just cannot seem to get up that early any more. This morning it was 6:15 when I finally got up (I had a really bad night, more about that on my blog) and by the time I put my face on and get dressed, feed the feral cats, it was 7:45 am and I knew all my friends would have already eaten and left, so I took my time, drove over to Dunkin Donut, got a dozen donuts (variety) and carried them to Coram's (I like to surprise the waitresses, cooks & other helpers). I asked for coffee, 2 eggs over medium, grits & whole wheat toast. Everyone was friendly as usual and Jeremiah stopped by and Thanked me for bringing the donuts. I didn't tell him I did it to make them all fat as me. I just smiled and told him he was welcome and to take two...he laughed.) Just goes to show how "down home" this place is and my food was perfect. My eggs were cooked the way I like them, whites done and yellows runny, the grits were great, they were thick enough to sit on your fork and no lumps and my toast and coffee were both hot. Actually I got a treat not usually afforded to most customers. Mr. Vansickle had brought one of his wife's pumpkin cakes in for the workers and Barbie cut me a slice to enjoy with my breakfast. It was fantastic. For any who is reading this; I hope to see you at Coram's, because I really haven't found any place that can beat them for Customer Service and good food. I give them 5 stars (again)...*****

Continued search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 15)

May 30, 2011...I figured with today being Memorial day all the eating places I would go to for breakfast would be packed, so I decided the sooner I got out of the house the better. I'm not so sure leaving as I did at 6:15 am was any better than it would have been at 7 am because there was hardly any traffic on the road, so I decided to go back to Flapjacks on Hwy 77. At first I thought they were closed, but then noticed the lights were on and their sign said they open at 5:30 am, so I went in. There were 4 men sitting together at a table to my right and I went to my left and took the 1st booth. I noticed a woman at the grill and a woman through the doorway in the back. It took a couple of minutes then the woman at the grill brought me water and utensils and asked what I wanted to drink. I told her coffee please and she left. When she returned she asked if I needed more time and I told her yes. I remembered I had pancakes the last time I was there and gave them 4 start, so this time I wanted to try their Pecan Waffle. Two more people came in and sat behind me and they knew what they wanted so she took their order then asked me what I wanted. She hung the tickets and walked down to the door where the other woman was doing something in the back room. The woman in the back room turned out to be the cook and she had to wash her hands and put on gloves and when she started cooking I noticed she had a long pony tail that kept switching back and forth every time she took a step or turned her head. For some reason I thought cooks had to tie down their hair or wear a cap...maybe I dreamed that. Anyway, I had to ask for my 2nd cup of coffee before I got my Pecan Waffle, but the waitress anticipated my wanting a refill on the 3rd cup when I was about half way through my waffle, so I didn't have to ask again. The Pecan Waffle was very good although the batter was not as sweet as they usually are and a little grainy. About the time I was almost through eating (7:15) two young men came in with Flapjack shirts on, but it didn't seem to improve the service any, so I don't know what they were doing. I give them 3 stars ***

My Continued search for the perfect breakfast (Part 14)

May 29, 2011...Usually on Sunday I stay home and eat cereal, feed the feral cats and then go to Sunday School, today I was very lazy, got up late, fed the cats and went to Coram's on 23rd St. This is Old Home Place to me, usually see lots of people I know and everybody so friendly you just feel like you're home. I sat with an older couple that I consider a close friend of mine and ordered the 1,1,1. Ken, the head cook came out about that time and made my breakfast. My overeasy egg was perfect, my bacon was crisp and tasty and my pancake was very good. Linda Coram brought her grandbaby by our table for us to see. She is such a beautiful little girl, of course Linda is beautiful too, so you can't go wrong if there's anything you want, just ask for Linda or Charlie. I give them 5 stars *****

My continued search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 13)

A close friend took me to Bob Evans today for Breakfast. Of course this makes my second time and I must say, "This has to be the best place in Panama City for Breakfast, if you don't mind paying a lot and eating a large amount of food. If you think I went back and got the exact same Sausage Biscuit Bowl breakfast that I got last time, you would be correct. I think there is something in it that is addictive. The eggs, onions, cheese, home fries, sausage and grave (I left that out last time) is just to die for. Today it was really crowded, but still, we only had to wait a couple of minutes before we were seated. The waitress was quick to bring us our coffee and we placed our orders. It did take a while to get our food, but it had been a while since I'd had a chance to talk with this particular friend, so I really enjoyed being able to sit and chat with him. I heard an older couple complaining about having to wait for their food and then a younger couple also was saying how they would not be back because it took too long. Heck, if you're in a hurry, go to one of the Waffle Shops or McDonalds. Neither of us had any place to go and I think I may have had diarrhea of the mouth because I don't think my friend got to say very much. Sorry Friend, if you're reading this! Next time I'll buy! Anyway, I keep promising myself I'll try something different next time, but that Sausage Biscuit Bowl is huge and I take half home and enjoy the second half for Supper. I just don't know if I can make myself try something else, unless, I come for lunch or Supper instead of Breakfast...Now that's an idea...I give them five stars (again)...*****

Continuing my search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 12)

This morning I decided once again to return to a place that I had previously given a low star rating to, in order to see if there was some way I could improve what I had previously thought of the place. I went back to the Waffle House on 15th St. next to Hyundai. This morning there was two waitresses and one cook. The older of the two waitresses said, "Good Morning!" and I responded back in like manner. I sat behind a gentleman seated alone and I knew I had eaten a waffle when there before so wanted to try a regular breakfast this time. The older of the two waitresses brought me utensils and I told her I would like coffee please and she went to get it while I looked over the menu. When she sat my coffee down she asked me if I needed more time and I told her, "No, I would like 2 eggs, cooked medium, that is with the white done and yellow runny." She said, "Yes, grits or hashbrowns?" And I said, "Grits." She wrote it down and walked away. Now, the menu said: 2 eggs, toast or Texas biscuit, grits or hashbrowns or tomatoes @ $3.15, Coffee $1.50. She did not ask me if I wanted toast or biscuit, so I wondered which I would get. Not much of a surprise there, I got white toast (which I never order). She brought me one pad of jelly (grape, but it was very light in color). The grits had a large amount of butter in the middle, like a ladle had been used to add it to the grits (might have been yellow grease for all I know). A man came in and sat behind me and I heard him ask about the grits and the cook said the grits were "a little lumpy today", she got that right. Had I known before hand I would have ordered hashbrowns. My eggs were cooked as one large piece and as I began to cut them up I noticed the 2nd egg white was not done, so I stopped and made sure I did not touch it again, eating only what I had cut up before that. I ate around the lumps in the grits because they were not small lumps and I ate 1 slice of toast with the jelly and left the rest. Half way through eating my waitress asked if I wanted more coffee, which I did, but what she brought me was lukewarm, not hot. I will definitely NOT be going back. Although I will say the waitress I had, called a lot of people coming in by name, which I thought was a very nice (down home) touch (she needs to find a better place to work). I give them NO stars...<

My continued quest for the Perfect Breakfast (Part 11)

May 26, 2011...It is a terrible thing to have the burden of choice. Oh, you laugh and you smile and you say, "I wish that was all I had to do.", well, you have to remember; this is America and we all have our own special quest, whether it be our jobs, our relationships, our kids, our toys (some never grow up), or in my case...food; particularly, breakfast food. I did my time sitting in places like McDonalds with all the kids screaming and having fun, I don't have to do that anymore, so I decided the "sit down" fast food places were not for me. I also decided (and my doctor would agree) that sitting down at the donut shop and eating a box of donuts will not help my obesity. I also truly dislike having to cook anymore as I did that for many years (and it was never appreciated), so staying home and fixing breakfast, even cereal is just not a choice I like to consider. So, back to My quest...as I have visited most of the places that serve breakfast within a six mile radius of my house, I decided to backtrack and order something different from a place I had previously visited to see if I could up or lower the number of stars I had previously given them. This morning I went back to the St. Andrew's Hen House, on the North side of Hwy 98 W, previously known as the Steak & Eggs (the sign is still up). I could not remember what I had ordered, so I told the waitress (only one on the floor) I wanted the egg special (2 eggs, grits & biscuit or toast $ 1.75), I told her I wanted my eggs, over medium, with the whites done and yellows runny, and whole wheat toast. The woman that was cooking had long blond hair almost to her waist which she had in a pony tail and it was going everywhere. The cook also had on white shorts and at one point she bent over to check the flames under the grill and not only could you see her white panties, but almost the cheeks of her butt, also, the waitress was tall and her shirt was not tucked in so every time she bent forward you would see her shirt ride up in the back showing skin (not what I want to see when ordering food). I was totally surprised the owners would let her cook like that, well, I realized later when the "real" cook came in that this was either the owner or manager, not a cook. I was given my cup of coffee, but no utensils and no napkins on the table. People who know me well, know that I bring my own saccharin to add to my coffee, but I have to have something to stir it with, so about the time I started to ask my waitress for a spoon (she had walked to the opposite end of the building) she brought me utensils and a napkin (I also like to put a napkin under my coffee cup or glass so that any drips will not drip on me, I'm strange that way.). Everything is cooked on the grill, so the eggs are not greasy, which I like, but it is hard to get them off the grill without breaking the yellow, so the new cook asked me if I wanted them re-cooked and I told her no, they would be find. I added butter to my grits and asked for grape jelly which the waitress brought to me (There is no napkins or jelly on the table). The toast was buttered well, which I like and the eggs tasted good. The grits (after I added butter) were good, I could taste salt & white pepper, which made them very tasty even though they had a lot of black specks (hull from the milling process) I thought they were very good and ate all of them. The one waitress did refill my coffee and even came back the third time which I refused. A man sitting ahead of me ordered fries and they were almost burnt, but the man ate them anyway. The wife had gone home for malt vinegar to put on his fries and when she got back she ordered a 1/2 pound burger & fries. The cook fixed a 1/4 pound burger and gave her almost burnt fries too. A cook once told me that if grease is new it will not brown anything as crispy brown as I like it (I like fries very crisp), so I'm wondering how "old" the grease was that they were cooking fries in....just a thought. I believe I gave this place one star before and I see no reason to change that. Unless things improve dramatically I do not believe they will be in business long. I give them One Star again *

Continuing my search for the perfect breakfast (Part 10)

May 25, 2011...This morning I decided to go back to Granny Cantrell's because I wanted to compare their pancakes to others I have eaten in the past (I had eggs, grits & toast last time I was there and gave them 5 stars). Once again the waitress was prompt, and pleasant (always smiling), the coffee was hot and tasty. I asked the waitress how large the pancakes were because they had 1, 2, & 3 listed. She indicated they were about the size of a breakfast plate so I ordered 2 even though she said there was a special that included eggs, pancakes and meat, but I told her there was no way I could eat that much food. I'm sure looking at me (an obese woman) she did not think that was true, but it is. My problem is snacking while watching TV at night. Anyway, I drank my coffee, and watched the toy train circling the ceiling, and soon the pancakes were sitting in front of me, piping hot and golden brown, and not 2 but 3...the cook made the first one too small and gave it to me with two that were as large as my plate. I added butter, which was in it's own container and there were 4 containers in a saucer for me to use. Then I cut up about 1/4th of the pancakes and added maple syrup over what I had cut up. Wow, melt in your mouth good. Light & fluffy with a creamy texture. It was really good. I did my best to eat 1/2 of what was on my plate, but it was way too much for me to eat. I finished my 2nd cup of coffee and wasn't sure I could haul my fat rear up to the counter, I was so full. Two pancakes $2.90, Coffee $1.00, Tax .19 cents, total bill $4.09. I give them another 5 stars *****

Continuing my search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 9)

May 24, 2011...This morning I actually got up earlier than I have in the past two weeks since starting my morning trek for the perfect breakfast. Some of you may not know that since returning to Panama City (4 1/2 years now) I have been hanging out at Charlie Coram's on 23rd St (my Dad liked to take me there). The cooks, waitresses, regular customers, and even Charlie and Linda themselves are all terrific people and once you start going it is very hard to stop; however, I had forced myself to do this exploration for my own selfish reasons and particularly to make myself stop being so introverted. It seems to me, that no matter where I go I am continually comparing the people I have left behind to the people I am meeting and there is certainly no contest there. In order to "recharge" myself and see some more welcoming and pleasant faces today I ventured back to Charlie Coram's for breakfast. At some point while I was gone it looks like they have gotten another new cook, but a lot of my old friendly faces were still there and once again I felt like I had "come home". I drank several cups of coffee (unlike a lot of places, they don't seem to mind) and then ordered the special (2 eggs, grits, toast for $1.90; coffee is $1.45) I ordered 2 eggs, poached, asked them to leave off the grits ( all those waffles are putting pounds on), and whole wheat toast. It was great. My eggs come in a bowl so I can smush them up and sop them with my toast. May not sound good, but it is awesome. So, I got to enjoy the company of a good many people I had missed with good food and great coffee. I give them 5 stars *****

My continued search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 8)

Today's breakfast was a special treat, not because it was a place I had not eaten before, but because a friend of mine decided she wanted a breakfast outing too and went with me. We decided to try the new Bob Evans which opened about a month ago and serves, breakfast, lunch and dinner. They open at 6 am and close at 10 pm, Monday thru Sunday and only closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. We did not arrive until about 8:45 am, but there was still plenty of seating available. We were greeted by a young man at the bakery counter when we walked in and we asked for a booth and was seated by the receptionist. The waitress was quick, pleasant and helpful. I ordered the Sausage Biscuit Bowl which was a little larger than a saucer and piled high with scrambled egg, potatoes, onion, sausage and cheese. It was so much food I could only eat half of it, but I could find no fault with the flavors, nor how it was cooked, nor the amount. My friend ordered the Rise & Shine, which was 2 eggs, home fries, link sausage and two slices of blueberry bread (bread & meat of your choice). The over medium eggs were cooked harder than over medium, only slightly runny yellows, but the remainder was cooked correctly and she said tasted great. My friend had also ordered the "apple pie fries" which were out of this world good! Crisp, hot and sweet. My Sausage Biscuit Bowl was $6.99, coffee $1.89, tax $.58 for a total of $9.46. My friend's Rise & Shine was $7.79, coffee $1.89, apple pie fries $3.99, tax $.89 for a total of $14.56. My friend gave the waitress $20 and told her to keep the change and I left her $3.00. So, although the food was higher than I would normally want to pay every day, it was OK for a special outing or if you just want some really terrific food for a change and don't mind paying extra for it. I give them 5 stars *****

My continued search for the perfect Breakfast...(Part 7)

Sunday 05/22/11...My search continues...There are not too many people who are as dumb as I seem to be and I will explain my reasoning. I knew it was Sunday. I know how crowded eating places become on Sundays; however, I do not always know what my feral cats are going to do from day to day and today was no different. I got home from Sunday School about 10:30 am and Squeaky and Little Sister were on the porch begging for their 2nd breakfast, so I opened the door telling them I would feed them before I went to breakfast and in shoots this black torpedo, right between my legs. It was Little Mama, who apparently was not at the first breakfast I put out and she was hungry; so, I put away my Arctic Fleece Poncho (it is always freezing in Sunday School), my bible and my purse and proceeded to feed the cats. Well, I normally set my clock for 15-20 minutes and that gives them plenty of time to eat, but even though Squeaky and Little Sister had finished theirs, Little Mama was in the house and did not want to leave. At 11:00 am I decided I had to get going if I was going to eat breakfast before the Church crowd so I hurried Little Mama along with a promise to feed her again after I got back home. I still had not decided exactly where I was going to eat, but was thinking about the buffet Granny Cantrell has on the week-end and figured I would try it. Got on the road and halfway there changed my mind and decided I would go back to Golden Corral and see if their pancakes were as good as their bacon & eggs. Big Mistake! Their parking lot was full, so I turned around and headed back to Granny's, by this time it was 11:15 and I figured the buffet would be over at 11:30. What a surprise I got when I pulled into the parking lot, no other cars there, just to find they are not open on Sunday. So, decided to go back to IHOP. There were no parking spaces there and people had even parked on the side street in the grass, so I got on Hwy 231 and headed for 15th St. I saw the Waffle House on the corner of Hwy 231 and Hwy 77, but their small lot was packed also, kept going and to my surprise, there was a Waffle House on the South side of the street next to the Hyundai Sales Bldg. I pulled into their lot and figured I could not go wrong with another Pecan Waffle even if it was a different restaurant. Yeah, you are probably thinking ahead of me, and saying, "duuh, is she a blond or what?" and you would be right. I held the door open so two ladies could leave and I proceeded to the front of the shop to a vacant booth. One of the ladies behind the counter greeted me with, "Welcome to Waffle House". I smiled and sat down. There was only 5 booth and maybe 4 seats at the bar vacant. I saw where the menus were stuck behind the napkin holder so I reached for one and they were stuck together. I figured it had to be syrup, at least that is what I hoped it was. I held it by the corners just in cast and one of the younger waitresses came over with her pad and pen. She said, "What can I get you?" I said, "I'd like coffee please." And she just stood there smiling, so I assumed she wanted my order before going after my coffee, so I told her "I want the special buttermilk waffle with pecans, please, and that's all." She left and hollered out my other for the cooks. She then brought me coffee and utensils, no water. I had drank about 1/2 my coffee when she brought my waffle and butter and asked if there was anything else. I said, "Not at this time, thank you." She said, "Your welcome, I'll check back later to see if you need anything." The waffle was excellent. Their batter was creamy and smooth on the tongue and the pecans fresh and crunchy. About 1/2 way through my waffle I finished my coffee and no matter what I did, I could not get her to look my way again, nor anybody else that worked there, so I finished my waffle with no coffee and no water. When I pushed my plate away and reached in my bag for my money my waitress came over and asked, "Would you like anything else?" I said (very nicely), "I would have liked a 2nd cut of coffee with my food, but I didn't get it." She said, "I'm sorry. Would you like it now?" I said, "No." I paid $5.26 for the coffee and waffle, same as the other Waffle House and I seriously considered not leaving a tip, but I did leave $1.00. So I'm afraid because the service was poor I will be scoring this Waffle House lower than the one on Hwy 77. I give them 3 stars ***

Continuing My Search of The Perfect Breakfast (Part 6)

Saturday 05/21/11...Continuing my search for the perfect breakfast. This morning I got to thinking about where to go for breakfast and it hit me like a sledgehammer...who am I to be writing about where to eat breakfast or any other meal? I'm no food critic. I certainly don't claim to have a "cultured" pallet; heck, I'm just a plain old country gal looking for something both nourishing and tasty. Since both my parents are dead, I can't go home for "home cooking" so I have to either cook it myself (HA!) or find it by the side of the road (no, not roadkill, although that might be better than some places I've been.LOL). Anyway, nobody is being forced to read what I write and certainly do not have to go to the places I recommend, but if you agree or disagree with me, I hope you will let me know. Now, to today's trek...I went back to Lynn Haven to the Waffle House, which is just a little South of Wal-Mart on Hwy 77. You have to look hard because there is a huge Starbucks before you get to it and lots of trees and brush seem to hide it some, so I drove slowly (not much traffic at 8 am on Saturday) and was able to pull up and park right in front of the door. As soon as I walked in (I was behind a couple going in) one of the cooks and a waitress greeted us with "Good Morning, Welcome to Waffle House". That was nice and I couldn't help but smile as I took my seat. The menu was already on the table and a nice waitress walked up with a glass of water and utensils and asked me "Do you know what you'd like to drink?". I told her, "Coffee please." And looked over the menu while she was getting my coffee. When she came back she asked, "Do you know what you would like to eat?" and I said, "Yes, I'd like the Pecan Waffle please." She wrote that down and asked, "No meat?" and I smiled and said, "No Thanks." She then proceeded to "holler" out "Pecan Waffle", which surprised me, but then I realized the other waitresses were doing the same thing. No tickets were hung for the cooks (2) and even when a group of four people came in and sat behind me, the waitress called out everything they ordered and the cooks never saw what was written down, they had to rely on what they were told and their memory. I was impressed. I was also impressed that they had 6 waffle irons, so I was pretty sure I was going to get a really good waffle. And it was! The texture was creamy, it was lightly browned and had lots of pecans (not chips). There were halves and quarter pieces of pecans, not the ground up chips most places serve. I ate every single bite and the last was as good as the first. The Waffle was $2.95 plus .45 cents for pecans and coffee was $1.50. I left the waitress $1.50 tip, so, with tax and tip I spent $6.76 and enjoyed every bite. I give it 5 stars *****

My continued search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 5)

Friday 05/20/11...My search continues....I intended to go back over to Lynn Haven to another Waffle/Omelet type restaurant I had seen yesterday, but the traffic was so bad I was driving by it before I realized it and was afraid to try and get in the turn lane, so continued South on Hwy 77 until I got to 23rd St and made a right turn headed East. There is no Breakfast places for several blocks and the first one is Golden Coral; since I had just been there I didn't want to go back so soon and remembered the next place was in the next block and that was Granny Cantrell's. I had been there once before and wasn't really impressed, but that time I was with someone and I really wanted to eat alone and see what it would be like. When I walked in I was greeted by a young lady standing behind the cash register and I was told I could sit anywhere I wanted, so I turned to my left, walked down the isle and chose an empty booth. It took a couple of minutes for a waitress to bring me water, a menu and wrapped utensils, and she asked me what I would like to drink. I told her coffee please and she left. She brought me coffee and asked if I needed more time and I told her, "No, I want 2 eggs, grits, and toast. Eggs medium (white done, yellow runny)". She said, "Yes, that's medium." and I said, "whole wheat toast if you have it", and she said, "Yes, we do." I handed her the menu back and thanked her and returned to my coffee which was in the thinnest cup I have ever seen at a restaurant. It reminded me of a "fine china" tea set I bought once, only this cup was larger and didn't have roses on it. I could actually put two fingers through the handle; unlike the fine china tea set I bought, and, No, I did not drink my coffee with my pinkey finger sticking out... :<) I have to tell you that I tried to take a picture of the food when it arrived, but the lighting was not good enough for my phone camera and the picture was almost black, but I wish you could have seen my plate. The two eggs were picture perfect. Grits were in a bowl and piled high and the toast was hot and dripping butter, just the way I like it. There was a bowl with containers of butter for the grits and my choice of: honey, apple jelly, strawberry jelly, or orange marmalade. I could not wait to see if my taste buds were as happy as my eyes....OH YEAH! I sopped up egg yoke with my buttered toast, added butter to my grits and scooped out large amounts with my fork so my taste buds were slathered is rich creamy grits, egg yoke and buttered toast, washed down with amazingly good coffee. I know you are probably thinking I paid through the nose for such quality and I have to tell you, you'd be thinking wrong. Breakfast was $2.95 and $1.00 for coffee. I left the waitress $1.50 tip. I give them 5 stars *****

My continued search for the perfect Breakfast (Part 4)

Thursday, May 19, 2011...Today I decided to travel to Lynn Haven as I had been told there were a couple of places there that served a decent breakfast, so that is where I went. I took 390 to 77 and turned back South and the first place I came to was Flap Jacks. It didn't look very busy (7:30 am) so I pulled mother's car in and parked, walked into the place and discovered that it is actually a lot smaller than it looks from the outside, but that's OK with me, it's cozy that way. I noticed most of the seats were taken on my right but on my left there were lots of open booths, so I selected the last vacant one closest to the waitress work station. I smiled and said Good Morning to several people including the cook (what a frowning face) and my waitress (never smiled). I sat down and she immediately brought me silverware and water. I told her I would love a cup of coffee please and I picked up the menu that was already on the table. I knew I wanted pancakes and was glad to see they were at the top of the list, so when she came back with my coffee and asked if I needed a few minutes I said, "No thanks, (smiled) I want the 2 flapjacks please and that's all." I drank my coffee and watched the people and my waitress. My waitress looked to be between 18-23 years old, she never smiled even once during the 45-60 minutes I was there and she stood and read the news paper instead of watching for empty coffee cups or anything else a customer might need. That is when it dawned on me why all the customers were sitting at the other end of the room because that waitress was smiling and chatting with the customers and carrying a coffee pot around. Well, the unsmiling cook had finished all the tickets and was standing with her arms crossed, yawning big enough you could see Texas from a mile away and my waitress brought my flapjacks. What a surprise! Those were two of the biggest pancakes I have ever seen in my life. They almost completely covered the dinner plate they were served on and the butter cup was big enough to hold at least 1/4 cup of butter (picture enclosed). Had I known how big they were I would have ordered just one; anyway, I knew I would never be able to eat both so I cut them down the middle put maple syrup on one side and proceeded to sample the product. Very good! The batter was smooth and fluffy, not at all greasy with a nice brown top and bottom. I did get a 2nd cup of coffee with an apology from the waitress for not noticing my empty cup; which helped a little, but she went right back to reading her paper (good thing I wasn't her manager). The two pancakes were $2.99 and coffee was $1.19, I left the waitress $1.00 tip although I did not think she deserved that much...I give it 4 stars ****

Continuing My Search of The Perfect Breakfast (Part 3)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011...today my quest took me to Golden Coral. I thought they opened early for breakfast, but had to wait until 8 am (15 minutes) for them to open. This was my first time in this particular Golden Coral, so I was thankful there were others ahead of me that I could watch and see what they were doing and where they were going. I guess that just goes to prove I'm really a red-neck and sot in my ways. Anyway, I grabbed a plastic cup for my coffee and walked to the register (no trays at this G.C.). I told the girl I was a Senior and my bill was $7.49 + .07 cent S/C:PCL Fee (whatever that is) + tax .50 cents for a total of $8.06. I put my cup and my receipt on the table I chose, followed behind others to get my fork, spoon, knife and plate and went in search of food. There was lots and lots of food. Just about anything you could imagine for breakfast plus an entire salad bar and bakery bar. I chose scrambled eggs, bacon and hashbrowns and returned to my seat and a nice lady came by with the coffee pot and filled my cup. Once I cleaned that plate I set it aside, got up and got a clean plate, got a donut, cantaloupe, fresh pineapple and peaches; returned to my seat and continued to clean that place. While enjoying my food I noticed a young woman sitting at the table ahead of me with a woman I assumed was her mother. The young woman had a plate piled high with food, but she only picked at it and set it aside and went for another plate. The second plate she came back with I noticed had 3 pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and syrup. She ate about 1/2 of that and went for her 3rd plate. The 3rd plate was piled with fruit and something I'm not sure what, but she only picked at that. When I left, I saw the waitress pick up 3 plates from their table and the amount of food wasted was enough to make you want to cry. I left the waitress a $1.00 tip because she only came back once to refill my cup. I still cannot get over that young woman (she looked maybe 16-18 yrs old) wasting so much food. I would never have let my child do that, no matter what age she was, and I don't believe she would have even if I would have let her. I give it 4 stars ****

In Search of The Perfect Breakfast continued (Part 2)

Tuesday, May 17, 2011...Believe it or not, there are not a lot of choices of places to go in Panama City that serve breakfast. Today I went to the Omelet House on Hwy 98 near Gulf Coast Community College (yeah, I know it's changed it's name, but I like GCCC, and it's my blog). I really wanted the try their .99 cent special which was sausage or country fried steak biscuit, but I can come back and try specials later, right now I'm really looking for a basic breakfast of either egg, grits & toast or pancakes or waffles. This morning I ordered a Pecan Waffle. The cook looked at my order, turned toward me, smiled and said, " I just made fresh Waffle batter". I said, "Great!", then he said, "Do you want lots of pecans or just a few?" and I said, "LOTS!". So, I sat and drank my coffee and listened to one of the two TV's they had on, then the juke box came on, NOT a good combination, especially for someone like me who has a hearing problem without all that background noise. Actually one reason I don't go to Sports Bars or places who have lots of TV's, if I wanted to watch TV while I eat I would stay home where I can eat in my P.J.'s with my shoes off. Anyway, I got my Pecan Waffle and a fresh cup of coffee and what a treat it was. I must say that is the best Pecan Waffle I have had since the health department closed down the restaurant I use to go to every Sunday in Atlantic Beach Fla. I will definitely be back to check out their eggs. Now for the prices. The Pecan Waffle was $4.50 and the coffee $1.50. I tipped the cook $1.00 and the waitress $1.50 (although I did feel she could have paid more attention to her one customer, me, instead of standing and chatting with the man at the counter.) So, at little pricey, but I would definitely go back. I rate it 4 stars. ****

In search of the ideal breakfast...(Part 1)

When you start a journey there is excitement and hope for that unknown experience and

Great Expectations for a unexpected epiphany.

May 12th My journey began at the Waffle Shop on 23rd St. I cannot give you the prices

because my breakfast was paid for by a friend; however, I can tell you I had been

wanting a waffle for a very long time (3 years at least) but previous waffles had a grainy

taste and always left me feeling there had to be a better one somewhere, so I ordered

the Pecan Waffle. My taste buds were on High Alert. The waitress returned to inform me

they were out of Pecans, so I ordered a plain Waffle. The waffle tasted wonderful, but I

never thought I would have to tell them I wanted it on the crisp side and not pale and

limp, so what I got was pale and limp though it tasted great; also, the coffee was really

good. I give it 2 stars...**

May 13th I decided to try the IHOP at the corner of 23rd St and 231. Of course I knew

before hand it would be expensive. I ordered coffee and reviewed the menu. They had

a Senior 2,2,2 for $5.99, so that is what I ordered. 2 eggs (over medium), 2 pancakes,

and 2 strips of bacon. It was great! The eggs were cooked with the whites done and the

yellow runny; the pancakes were thick and brown, and the bacon was crisp though a little

on the thin side. I used the pecan syrup and ate the whole thing. A little pricey for every

day because the total came to $8.50 plus I left a $2.00 tip. I had about a minute wait time

to be seated, but the waitress took my coffee order immediately and once I put down the

menu she was there to take my order. I give it 3 stars...***

May 14th I drove out to Coram's on Hwy 231. It was great to get to see Mary

again (she is the head cook) as she had transferred from Coram's on 23rd to Hwy 231

about 3 years ago. I ordered a 1,1,1, which is one egg, one pancake, and one strip of

bacon. As I expected, the service as well as the food was excellent. I would definitely eat

there every day except that both my automobiles tend to drink gas like I drink water and it

is a little far for me to travel just for breakfast. I give it 4 stars...****

May 16th I drove over to the Steak & Eggs on Hwy 98, now called The Hen House (New

Owners) and their sign said "2 eggs, grits, toast or biscuit for $1.79" so that is what I

ordered. The two waitresses seemed friendly enough and the coffee was good; however,

when I received my order I only had to look at it to know one egg was over cooked (I

specifically asked the waitress for the white to be done and the yellow runny.), but the

waitress immediately ordered a second egg. The waitress asked me if I wanted butter for

my grits (I told her no), but then I realized there was no butter on my toast either. Not a

good way to start my day. I give it 1 star...*

As you can see I've skipped May 15th because on Sunday I leave my house at 8:15 for Sunday School and as I have been sleeping later than usual I figured I would not have time to eat, return home, feed my feral cats, take my medication, and make it to SS on time, so I fixed frozen French Toast with butter and no syrup and coffee and enjoyed every mouthful. I do miss seeing all the wonderful people I use to have breakfast with, I miss their smiles and those wonderful hugs, but until my quest if over I will have to make do with my own company (auk) and ask God to be my co-traveler.

More Later....May God Bless each of you; bringing you peace, happiness and prosperity.