Tag Archives: breakfast

Breakfast with the Elks

Posted on January 11, 2016 by mohawkvalleygirl

This morning I was able to indulge in what has been an annual treat for me since we moved to the area: the Herkimer Elks Lodge Breakfast.

The Elks hold weekly breakfasts every January to fund their projects for the year.  And every year, I go eat a yummy breakfast and write a blog post about it.  Sometimes more than one (well, I get hungry again, and I always need a new blog post).  Steven has been scheduled to  work every Sunday, so I was without a date.  Luckily, my friend Diane agreed to accompany me today.

For $9 we could get juice, coffee, eggs, white or wheat toast, pancakes, baked beans, home fries with or without onions, and bacon or sausage.  I passed on the pancakes; Diane declined the beans.  She chose cranberry juice while I had orange.  We both chose scrambled eggs and bacon.

The Elks all seemed to be having a fun time being diner staff for the day.  The customers were enjoying themselves as well.  Friends often meet at these community events, especially in a small town like ours.  The food was yummy, and Diane and I were able to catch up on each other’s lives.

The breakfasts continue January 17 and 24, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Elks Lodge, Mary Street, Herkimer, NY.  If you’re in the area and like a good breakfast, I encourage you to check it out.

 

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A Good Start for Morning Adventures

Posted on May 25, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

In lieu of my usual Wrist to Forehead Sunday, I offer a brief shout-out to a local business.  I don’t think this business particularly needs a shout-out, because any time we are in there the place is hopping.  However, I do like to tout good local things, so here is my post about Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer, NY.

 

Yesterday (Saturday) Steven did not go to work till 2:30 p.m.   Since it was my day off, I suggested we have a couple of Mohawk Valley adventures in the morning, starting with breakfast out.  After some debate over where to eat, we settled on Crazy Otto’s.  The advantages were that it was close and that we have a card that gives us 20 percent off (we got the card by signing up for E-Z Pay with the newspaper; it is good for a year and gives us the discount at several local eateries).

 

Crazy Otto’s is one of those old-fashioned trailer diners.  It is decorated with movie posters, license plates, memorabilia and more.  Our license plate from when we lived in Georgia is on the ceiling on the right-hand side.  We could not see it from where we sat on Saturday, but I’m sure it’s still there.

 

We got a booth without too much trouble, ordered coffee and perused the menu.  I got two sausages on a hoagie roll, which came with either hash browns or homemade chips.  I LOVE their homemade chips.  Steven got pancakes with poached eggs and bacon.  Our food was delicious.  My roll was grilled, so the inside was crispy but the outside was soft, just the way I like it.  The wait staff made sure our coffee stayed filled, which is a big selling point for Steven.

 

As usual, it was an enjoyable, tasty meal.  We like Crazy Otto’s for lunch and dinner too.  Crazy Otto’s is located at 100 W. Albany St., Herkimer, NY.  Phone number is 866-8801. For more information, visit their website at http://crazyottosempirediner.com/  You can also Like them on Facebook.

 

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At Least I Like Sourdough Bread

Posted on March 4, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yesterday I talked about a lunch under stress (good lunch, not bad stress, in case you missed it). I don’t always have stress when I eat out and I don’t get to eat out as often as I would like to. However, we were celebrating Steven’s birthday weekend last weekend, so I make bold to offer two eating out posts in a row.

One of my favorite things to do on my day off is to eat at a good hometown diner. The Mohawk Valley is blessed with several. Last weekend, when my husband Steven and I had a rare Saturday off together, we began our day with breakfast at Liz’s in Mohawk, NY.

Liz greeted us as we walked in and we sat down, admiring as always the rooster decor. Several specials were posted on the wall, but we also looked at menus. Decisions, decisions. At least I knew I was definitely getting something with toast, because Liz serves Heidelberg Bread. Yum!

I finally settled on two eggs over medium with homefries and sourdough toast. Steven ordered the same only adding bacon, cholesterol be damned. When I confided that sourdough was my favorite I learned that Liz doesn’t like it. Heresy!

“All the more for me,” I said, although I contented myself with one order.

The potatoes were perfection, and the eggs were just the way I like them, yolks runny, whites not. While we ate we got to chatting with two ladies sitting at the next table. One of them had seen us on stage at Ilion Little Theatre, although she had missed my most recent theatrical triumph. We both expressed a wish that Steven would be in another play soon. He is considering the prospect.

The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan was on the television, which led to a discussion about our dogs. We probably could have sat down with another cup of coffee and chatted for another hour. I do love conversation. Conversation and a good breakfast are an excellent combination for a Saturday morning.

Liz’s is located at 150 Main St., Mohawk, NY, phone number 315-941-5609. They are open at 7 a.m. 7 days a week with dinner Wed., Thurs. and Fri. till 7 p.m., Sat. till 5 p.m.

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And They’re Here

Posted on March 1, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ah Saturday. That is how my Facebook status started this morning. Sometimes I am wittier on Facebook than I am in the blog, but that is not an example of it. No matter, this is another Scattered Saturday post and I need to get it typed and published, because we have people coming over.

It is my wonderful husband, Steven’s birthday weekend. His birthday is not for a few days yet, but we like to spread these things out. After all, why not enjoy things for a longer time rather than a shorter time? I always say, you can laugh or you can cry, you might as well laugh.

We began our day by sleeping in till almost quarter till six. Ooh, that was nice. I had one of those nights when I kept waking up and thinking about work, then remembering that I don’t have to go there for three days. Woohoo! After some leisurely coffee, newspaper reading, news watching and computer checking, we went for breakfast at Liz’s Diner in Mohawk, NY. Yum! It was also a fun time at Liz’s, as we ran into a lady who knows us from shows at Ilion Little Theatre. We chatted about that, about our dogs, about the weather, and it was all very pleasant.

After breakfast we stopped at Gems Along the Mohawk. Full disclosure: I went there hoping to get material to write an article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. We’ll see how that turns out. I’ll probably get a blog post about my tribulations in trying to write it. In any case, it was an interesting stop, and I purchased some postcards. You know how I love to send people postcards.

Back home I wrote out a few of said postcards, Steven tidied the living room, and I made a few phone calls. Some family members are stopping over later to wish Steven a happy birthday. Then I prepared a few snack-type foods, because when people come to my house I like to feed them.

And that is the story of my life so far. Oh dear, is that a car I hear in the driveway and I have not edited this, added categories and tags, or thought of a title? One of these days I’ll get my act together. And write a blog post about it.

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Mmmmm… Sourdough

Posted on February 11, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

Ever since I moved to Herkimer, I like to bring Heidelberg bread to dinners and family gatherings. When I saw that people were bring real dinner items to the cast party of Busybody (I bet you thought I was done talking about that play. Fooled ya!), I signed up to bring the bread.

The play closed on Sunday the 8th, with cast party to almost immediately follow. Accordingly, on Saturday morning I headed out Route 28. I figured as long as I was going, I might as well have breakfast at the cafe. I did not know how crowded it would be so was pleased I could easily get a parking space.

Now where to sit? I started to sit at a table for four (the smallest available at the time) but changed my mind and moved to the counter. Sometime I would like to come in with a crowd and sit at the booth with a church pew for a bench. The counter had the added advantage that I could easily see all the baked goodies and decide which to purchase when I got my bread. I just love a treat.

I ordered poached eggs with sourdough toast. I was so pleased the sourdough was available. It is my absolute favorite, and they don’t always have it. As I sipped my coffee (well of course I got coffee! Did I even have to mention that?) and waited for my food, I worked on a letter to a friend. It is one of the joys of my existence to sit at an eatery and write a letter, blog post, novel, whatever. Hemingway did it in Paris. I do it in the Mohawk Valley.

Two men stood in front of me talking while a little girl holding a bakery box stood with varying degrees of patience.

“I’d have eaten whatever was in that box by now,” I told her after a while. That is why I did not purchase my baked goodies before ordering breakfast.

When the waitress refilled my coffee I asked her what kind it was. Paul de Lima from Liverpool, NY. I have a sister who lives in Liverpool. I wonder if she can get me some.

Along with my bread I chose a couple of tea cookies and a raspberry/cheese danish for Steven’s and my treat. The bread was a hit at the party, but not so big a hit that I did not bring any home. This was good news for me, because I was a little sorry that I had not gotten two loaves.

Heidelberg Cafe and Bakery is located at 3056 St. Rt. 28, Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-0999. For more information, visit their website at http://www.heidelbergbread.com/ or Like their Facebook page.

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A Breakfast on Sunday Keeps Post-Christmas Letdown Away

Posted on January 5, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

I managed to keep my post-Christmas letdown away for one more day with the help the Herkimer, NY, Lady Elks. Every January they offer a breakfast on Sundays to help finance their projects for the year. Last year Steven had to work every Sunday. When we found he had today (Jan. 4) off, we were delighted.

The breakfast ran from 7 to 11 a.m. I actually found that out on the internet. Regular readers know I have a bit of a problem with technology. I usually have better luck going through the newspapers in our recycle bin to find out what I want to know. We left the house right around nine. The Herkimer Elks Club is on Mary Street, close to where we live. We found a parking spot in the parking lot, which I thought was lucky. After all, these breakfasts are quite popular.

A gentleman was out putting ice-melt on the sidewalk. He came over and offered me his arm for walking through the parking lot. Of course I had not worn anything sensible like my army boots. What do you want from me? It was a meal out; I wanted to wear a nice skirt and pantyhose.

Breakfast was $9. We also spent $5 on the 50/50 raffle and put a tip in the tip jar. There was no need to wait till after breakfast to do this, because I knew I would get great service. Steven and I both got eggs over medium, wheat toast, bacon, and homefries with onions. I got baked beans while Steven got pancakes, although we both could have gotten both. As soon as we sat down we were offered coffee and juice.

Our food came right away and was delicious. We saw a few people we knew and said hello. It was altogether a very enjoyable experience. Breakfasts will also be held Jan. 11, 18 and 25. I hope Steven has another Sunday off on one of those dates. Perhaps he would not mind if I found another date.

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Post-Christmas Breakfast

Posted on January 2, 2015 by mohawkvalleygirl

One factor which helped keep my post-Christmas letdown from kicking in last week was a good breakfast my husband Steven and I enjoyed at The Knight Spot in Frankfort, NY. Steven had the day after Christmas off, and we were determined to have several adventures, beginning with breakfast out. The Knight Spot is one of our favorite places.

It is a casual, family type restaurant. We go there for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-afternoon ice cream. Usually not all in the same day, but wouldn’t that be a fun way to go way off my diet? We found a seat in a booth and ordered coffee and water while we perused the menus.

I didn’t really need much time to decide. I had started thinking about an egg sandwich on a hard roll with sausage, egg and cheese as soon as Steven had suggested The Knight Spot. I love egg sandwiches anyways, and The Knight Spot makes a really good one. Steven got eggs over medium with bacon and toast.

The food was delicious, the service was good, and the atmosphere was pleasant. What more could we ask? I guess I could ask that something funny happen to include in my blog post, but what can I say? Sometimes my life is just ordinary.

The Knight Spot is located at 264 E. Main St., Frankfort, NY, phone number 315-894-4054. Their website is www.theknightspot.com, and they are on Facebook.

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Breakfast Before Adventures

Posted on October 30, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Steven and I began our adventure-filled day last Friday with breakfast at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer. I mentioned that in passing the other day, but today I’d like to give them a proper shout-out. Of course I’ve written about Crazy Otto’s before. It is something of a landmark in Herkimer and one of our favorite spots. We rarely get to go out to breakfast together, so we were happy to take the opportunity last Friday.

For anyone who missed my previous posts about Crazy Otto’s or for anybody who has forgotten, the diner is an authentic 1950s trailer. It’s been on the corner of West Albany and North Main streets for as long as we’ve lived in the area. In 2006 it was taken over by Scott and Kim Tranter, who changed the name from Empire Diner to Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner. You can read the history of Crazy Otto’s on the menu.

Steven and I got there around nine Friday morning. It wasn’t too crowded, being a weekday morning. We got a booth right away and as usual sat enjoying the retro decor. We especially like all the license plates hung on almost every available surface. We gave them our Georgia plate for the purpose. I think it’s still the only Georgia plate they have, but I couldn’t be sure. That’s a lot of plates to check.

After much debate I ordered an egg sandwich of bacon, egg and cheese on a kaiser roll, one of my favorite breakfasts. Steven chose a waffle with eggs and bacon. We discussed our upcoming adventure while we waited for our food. Everything was delicious, as usual.

As we were walking back to our car, a rap on the window called us back in. Our friends Phyllis and Jim were about to have breakfast. As you can see, Crazy Otto’s is patronized by many people of discriminating taste. We were tempted to sit down and have another breakfast, or at least some more coffee, but we had adventures to get on with. We chatted for a few minutes before continuing with our day.

Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner is located at 100 W. Albany St., Herkimer, NY. Phone number is 315-866-8801. For more information you can visit their website at www.CrazyOttosEmpireDiner.com. You can also like their Facebook page. I did.

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Love that Sausage Gravy

Posted on January 8, 2014 by mohawkvalleygirl

Mohawk Diner recently moved to new digs (I thought I wrote a blog post about it, but now I can’t find it. Oops). I noticed that their old digs, on Main Street in Mohawk, NY, is now Liz’s Mohawk Diner. Saturday morning I checked it out.

We know Liz from other diners.

“Is Steve on his way?” she asked me as I sat down.

“No, he has to work,” I said sadly. I’m going to suggest he go there on a day off soon, even if it has to be without me.

The place looks spiffy and bright. I admired the chicken-themed decor and perused the specials board. I decided to get eggs over medium and home fries with sausage gravy. The special included coffee and toast made with Heidelberg bread. Yum!

I really enjoyed the home fries with sausage gravy. The gravy was made with lots of sausage, and the potatoes were cooked to perfection.

The place has the kind of hometown diner atmosphere I love. The patrons and Liz were cracking jokes back and forth.

“Pay the waitress,” Liz told one.

“You know she’s a pain,” he answered.

Liz did know. “That’s why I hired her.”

She wasn’t a pain; she was a good waitress. And Liz is an excellent cook. It was a fine breakfast. Liz’s is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast and lunch.

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