NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2002 19:20:27 GMT Xref: usenet.INS.cwru.edu ba.food:97436 Tried Original Pancake House in Los Altos over the weekend. Wide variety of pancakes, everything from fluffy buttermilk to potato pancakes to something more popovery to clam pancakes. Might be a while before I try the clam pancakes. Nice homey old-fashioned coffee house atmosphere. Not at all the precious ambience one might expect in that part of the world. Everything was good --- the eggs, coffee, orange juice, etc. were all better than average coffee house quality. Nothing exciting, but good. Except for the pancakes. They were very, very good. I got a small stack accompanying my omelet, tasty with real maple syrup. My friend got the "Dutch baby", a puffy, eggy baked popovery thing with powdered sugar and lemon. Excellent. Interesting concept. One would never think it's a franchised chain with 90 restaurants around the country (including one in Cupertino). Seems too low key and real for that. Apparently the franchisee loses his franchise if anything canned or frozen is used there, if there is anything not made from scratch the same day. They are required to use good ingredients and clearly do. Service was good, from everyone from the busboy on up to the owner who was very much present. A little wait to get a table, but not bad for a breakfast place on a Sunday morning. Recommended. Highly recommended if you like pancakes. This is the Original Pancake House, 420 S. San Anotonio Ave., Los Altos. (650) 559-9197.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA