The day after the big nor'easter snow storm that hit us Oct. 29, I was ready to escape the cabin fever I was already experiencing. Mela, my breakfast buddy, was ready to get out, too, so we planned on meeting for breakfast Sunday at 9 a.m. in White Plains at the .
After maneuvering around all the closed streets from fallen branches and trees, I arrived a bit late at 9:15. That was a good thing because at 9:30 there was a line of customers waiting to be seated.
Many patrons were discussing their war stories about power outages. I joined in with our own tale of woe. While at home, my husband and I jumped at the sound of a tremendous crash. Thinking one of the trees from the front or the back of our house hit us, we were a bit relieved to find out our glass table on the deck had shattered from the weight of the umbrella and heavy snow. A table is easily replaced compared to a section of your house!
Back to breakfast. Mela and I wanted to order a waffle. On the menu it listed Orange Lemon Waffle, so I asked the waiter if we could have just a plain waffle. No, was his reply, only the special one listed.
Hmm, they are not very flexible with the menu, I thought to myself. We went with the Buttermilk Griddle Cakes instead and the Pancetta, Onion, Mozzarella and Tomato Omelet with a side of home fries and multi-grain toast. That is exactly how it is listed on the menu. There are some very interesting entrees for breakfast are listed on the menu, so if you like to experiment with different dishes, this may be the place for you.
Waiting for our breakfast Mela and I noted that the coffee was good but strong. How strong? Three Splenda packets for an 8-ounce cup of coffee compared to the two packets I normally use, and it was still strong tasting.
The omelet was cooked to our liking and was tasty, except for the mozzarella. The cheese should have been shredded and melted throughout the omelet. What we were served was just one solid piece of mozzarella that was hard to chew. The home fries were not home fries but a flavorless shredded browned potato patty thing. The multi-grain toast was good but they were small slices. We were glad to have ordered an extra two slices to share.
The real reason we would come back to the City Limits Diner was the Buttermilk Griddle Cakes. They were a pleasant surprise. Delicious and cooked perfectly, we really enjoyed them with the great maple syrup and real butter served with them.
The three griddle cakes were generous in portion, so much so, we had one left over. No need to waste a good Buttermilk Griddle Cake, so I brought it home to my grateful husband who ate it in two seconds without syrup and butter but rolled up like a wrap. He thought it was great. Maybe I should create a griddle cake wrap for breakfast. But it might not be as good as the City Limits Diner’s griddle cakes, so I think I'd better stick with the real deal.
At $27.53, breakfast was a little bit pricey, but we have noticed everything has gone up the past few years including breakfast out. Even so, we’re worth it!
200 Central Avenue
White Plains
914-686-9000
www.livanosrestaurantgroup.com
Mariann Raftery, creator of Somebody's Mom blog, cooks up comfort food recipes for families here at home, as well as sending homemade cookie care packages to our American soldiers overseas. Somebody's Mom Cooking videos at http://www.youtube.com, search "Thesomebodysmom".
