A Family Day Off

Breakfast with Harry Potter has been a tradition at our house since the first movie of the series was released nine years ago this month, so it isn't surprising that we continued our family fun day this morning with breakfast followed by an early show of The Deathly Hallows Part 1. Part of our ritual for Harry Potter movies is to eat breakfast - one of Jeff's favorite meals - out before heading to the theater. We usually choose some place like Village Inn, Denny's, or Cracker Barrel, but today we found a little mom and pop place called the Apple Dumpling Cafe (www.appledumplingcafe.com).

The restaurant is located in a small strip-mall storefront on the edge of town between Queen Creek and Chandler. The windows are filled with advertisements for daily specials, a couple of outdoor tables with umbrellas flank the door, and a stand-up chalkboard sign greets guests as they step into the shade of the sidewalk. The bright, clean establishment was nearly empty when we arrived around 9:30 this morning, but after enjoying our visit, I'm guessing it's a happening little place at busier times of the day. We were greeted by one of the owners as soon as we walked in the door, who invited us to "Just sit anywhere ya like." Each table was prepped with silverware rolls and a local newspaper for patrons to enjoy while they sip their coffee.

The breakfast menu wasn't vast like some of the large chain restaurants, but it was varied ranging from several omelet plates to crepes and stuffed French toast to a huge "hearty" breakfast with the words "good luck eating it all" printed beneath the list of food. We were amused by the down home quality of the menus and signs, which my son took pleasure in reading to us while we waited for our food. Jeff and I both mulled the fruit crepes and the country fried steak breakfast, so we decided to order one of each and split them both. This was an excellent choice! The crepes were stuffed with the patron's choice of apples, bananas, or strawberries and we opted for one of each. The strawberries were particularly good with a rich flavor that made us think there were some additions like cinnamon or vanilla. The apple was good, too, though not as tasty as the strawberry, and the banana, which featured slices of perfectly ripe fruit, was a strong contender for first place. The crepes themselves were thin and beautiful, perfectly cooked with just a hint of brown around the edges. The country fried steak breakfast included a good deal of wonderfully peppered gravy, sliced home fry potatoes, two fluffy scrambled eggs, and a triangle of watermelon that hit the spot at the end. The chicken fried steak itself was tender, perfectly coated, and crisply browned to perfection. The boy opted for a build-your-own omelet that came with the same potatoes and sourdough toast.

After we practically licked the plates, the owner, who had served us the meal, talked to us a little and we learned that the "fried" elements including the beautifully cooked potatoes and breaded steak were actually made in a commercial convection oven to crisp the food without deep frying in grease. (This fact alone made we want an oven that could this!) In addition, the couple that owns the place has some help from one of their daughters, who makes the crepes for the establishment. As we left, Jeff and I talked about how much we wished there were more little places like this (which opened about three-and-half years ago) around town. The meal was excellent, the service friendly, and the prices fair. We will definitely be going back to the Apple Dumpling Cafe for lunch or to try their homemade custard ice cream some summer afternoon.