I Got My Eggs, I Got My Pancakes, Too

One of the things I miss most about the east coast (particularly New Jersey) is the prevalence of diners and other breakfast/brunch establishments. The west coast, at least in the Bay Area, is seriously lacking in this department. The city of San Francisco probably fares a little better, but it's beyond silly to travel up there just for some Belgian waffles on a Sunday morning.

Yesterday morning, I met a friend for breakfast in Mountain View, and while we easily found a run-of-the-mill cafe in which to grab bagels, it's not quite the nice sit-down that we would have preferred. Sure, there are a couple of nice restaurants (though you have to dig a little to find them) that serve standard breakfast, but they are few and far between.

In New Jersey, however, there were a number of places at my disposal if I was looking to grab breakfast or brunch with some friends on a weekend morning. Moreover, most of these places serve breakfast all day long; I've eaten pancakes for dinner/late-night meals more times than I can count.

While back east last week, I was able to get my fill of these places twice, as there was both a diner and a Perkins in close proximity to my hotel.

But now I'm back in The Land of No Breakfast, which is pretty much catastrophic for me, given that breakfast is my absolute favorite type of meal (well, that and any ethnic food). It'd be a sad world without the likes of waffles, French toast, and biscuits. 

Between the dearth of breakfast, the general mediocrity of bagels, and the absence of Dunkin' Donuts, mornings aren't as exciting as they could be out here. But their widespread presence back east is part of what makes home so lovely.