Jim's Open Kitchen - Solon Diner

I must have driven by Jim's Open Kitchen hundreds of times without ever noticing it. Located just West of the intersection of Aurora Road and SOM Center at 33779 Aurora Road in Solon (see map here), in a small nondescript building it is easy to overlook. Then when I did notice it the use of the words "Open Kitchen" seemed to imply one of the new trendy places that do fusion cooking; well nothing could be further from the truth. Walking in you find an old school 50s style diner done up in a Coca-Cola motif. Jim's has one long counter with the grill behind it and a couple of booths on the other wall. The menu is straightforward and classic American grub, just what you would expect (you can see the menu here). I stopped in for a Sunday breakfast and went with a couple of eggs over easy, hashbrowns, toast and a pancake. One of the nice things about this menu, orders of a single pancake, french toast, or other single item are fairly priced, just about half the price of an order of 2. The order was made quickly right in front of me and was served up fast, fresh and with little fuss. The eggs were well cooked, if a little greasy, but they were tasty. The home fries were very good, with a good ratio of crisp parts to inside, the flavor was rich and I would head back for more. The pancake was freshly made, from scratch and had a really good texture without being overly spongy, it soaked up the syrup and held onto it. Overall a very good breakfast; nothing here that will make you redefine breakfast, but just good old fashion food cooked simply and well. Apparently Jim's is family owned and operated and it shows; the whole family was working and that creates a nice atmosphere with some teasing back and forth; just the kind of place that you might want to hang out. If you are out Solon way and looking for some unpretensious food and some throw back atmosphere, give Jim's a try, just ignore the name.

Big Egg - Cleveland Breakfast Spot

So you have probably heard that the Big Egg is once again open. After being closed down about 7 years ago and then becoming a Vietnamese restaurant for a while, new owners have taken over and reopened the Big Egg in its original location at 5107 Detroit Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102. Since I never made it to the Big Egg in its original run, I figured I would give it a try and see what it has to offer. First a couple of notes, while the original Big Egg was famous for being open 24/7, this current version is open Monday -Saturday 6:00am-9:00pm, Sunday 6:00am-3:00pm. The Egg shaped menus are back, but the Egg shaped sign out front is gone. The Big Egg is a fairly large space, divided into 2 rooms with plenty of tables and booths. The decor is fairly generic, clean and light but not terribly memorable, about the only thing that stood out to me was the fancy chandelier in the other room which seemed out of place with everything else. Service was fast and friendly, what you would hope for in a breakfast setting. The one thing I did not like, but understand is that there are no substitutions allowed for the breakfast specials. In addition to the breakfast menu that is available all day, the Big Egg offers breakfast specials during breakfast hours; these are the same items on the menu at reduced prices. I went with the 2 eggs with hashbrowns ($2.29) and the 3 pancakes ($2.99); the prices are certainly welcome and you can fill up at very affordable prices. The eggs came out cooked over medium as ordered and were good sized and not at all greasy, the hashbrowns were nice, thinly grated potatoes with a good crisp. The pancakes were good sized and fluffy. Although everything was well cooked, it all seemed to lack a certain pizazz; it was a good and filling breakfast, but I not the kind worth making a trip to get. Part of this may have been the choice of syrup for the pancakes, in this case Hungry Jack bottled syrup which just seemed to lack any real distinctive flavor. In addition to breakfast items, the Big Egg offers a large menu of other items, quite a few with a Greek heritage. The new Big Egg is clean, service is good and prices are a value for the amount of food you get, still it all seems to lack a certain something. Worth going to instead of Denny's or if you are in the area, however not worth making a big effort, for me there are better and tastier breakfast options.

Waffle House - Fast Cheap Breakfast

We were out taking a hike at Mentor Headlands Park and I suggested we have lunch at the Waffle Hut on Route 44 and I-90. The other Waffle Hut nearby is at 36333 Vine Street in Willoughby. While I generally stay away from chain restaurants I have to say that every so often I get an urge for some good waffles and I head out to the Waffle Hut. For those who haven't ever had the Waffle Hut experience, they are relatively small restaurants with a large glass front. Inside the counter occupies a good deal of the restaurant with a couple of booths as well. The decor is primarily shades of gray tiles, but it comes across as cheery. The service is usually young, but well trained and friendly. Food comes out hot and fresh and most times very quickly. In addition you will see a lot of team work used and the staff works hard. The breakfast menu is built around waffles, either regular or buttermilk, eggs and breakfast meats and then the other accessories. Waffle Hut also has some southern flavor with biscuits and grits available. The waffles are thin, but fresh and very good. At $2.70 it is very well priced and for $1 you get a double order. My order of double buttermilk waffles were just right, crisp on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside with just a bit of the buttermilk twang. topped with some syrup a very good morning start. I also tried the $1 egg and cheese biscuit and it was very good as well. The egg was fried and put on a split biscuit with cheese. The highlight was of course the biscuit, which while a little heavier than some, had a rich flavor. While I passed on the hashbrowns this time, they are very good and once again a good value at $1.50 can be doubled for only $.50 more. Waffle House gives you an options to top the hashbrowns with additional items such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheese or even chili for additional cost. Waffle House also has a full menu including burgers, sandwiches and such, but I head there for quick cheap breakfast. If you are on the roads and see the yellow and black sign stop in for a quick meal. So why do I like Waffle House despite it being a chain? The food is made to order, it is actually flavorful and comes out hot and fresh. The food is not underseasoned, and there is an actual assortment of sauces and seasonings on the table to add even more flavor. Also Waffle House offers a good value.