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 If Breakfast Is A Big Deal For You, Check Out These Two Great Spots By Rebecca Cook NUTRITIONISTS HAVE A persuasive physiological rationale for why we need to eat something in the morning, but anyone who has enjoyed the aroma of coffee brewing, bacon frying and pancakes on the grill knows there's also a compelling psychic rationale: Breakfast is good for our souls. Eating a solid, sit-down breakfast can transform even the most tedious of days into a special occasion.
Within the last year, two new restaurants dedicated to the early morning meal have opened to accommodate some of the overflow. Both Jerry Bob's and The Good Egg have found an immediate clientele--it's not unusual to have to wait a few minutes for a table at either place. The good news is that both are worth the slight delay. Jerry Bob's, with two eastside locations, reminds me of some of the finer roadside diners I've been in. Upon entering you found all the town's movers and shakers wolfing down great plates of food while debating everything from last night's ball game to what to do about the lone traffic light on Main Street. Here it was possible to find some of the lightest, fluffiest buttermilk pancakes, the gooiest, most deliciously yeasty cinnamon rolls and the freshest two-yolk eggs you'd ever tasted. Jerry Bob's offers much of the same kind of comfort. With a menu that features such Middle America specialties as chicken-fried steak and eggs, pigs in a blanket and biscuits and gravy, Jerry Bob's easily evokes another era, a time before cholesterol levels had entered into popular parlance. A bright Superman neon sign on the far back wall, a nice touch in an otherwise fairly sparse space, further reinforces this time-warp impression.
But, my oh my, is it delicious. I ordered a plate of one of my favorites--scrambled eggs with minced ham--along with some biscuits and gravy (hey, if you're going to go over the top, you might as well go all the way). It may seem like there isn't much you could do to ruin a batch of scrambled eggs, but breakfast connoisseurs know the common pitfalls: cook 'em so dry they taste like Styrofoam; or so greasy they begin to congeal immediately upon cooling. There can also be the lingering taste of the previous item cooked on the grill, a feature that varies from mildly unpleasant to downright repugnant. You'll encounter none of this at Jerry Bob's, however. Just a plate of moist, fluffy eggs mixed with bits of some of the tastiest, juiciest ham of recent memory. The biscuits were decent, though the gravy's too bland for my taste. I regretted not ordering the hashbrowns, pancakes or toast and grits, which were other options. Reflecting the influence of the Southwest are the huevos Garcia, a savory blend of crisp hashbrowns, peppers, onions, melted cheese and picante sauce served with a flour tortilla and two eggs cooked to order. Rather like a breakfast casserole, this is a meal fit only for the heartiest of appetites. The Good Egg courts a more worldly and contemporary image with its pastel colored German kitsch decor, and a menu that includes various crepe and frittata offerings as well as a host of omelet, eggs Benedict and egg-scramble offerings. No fewer than 15 varieties of pancakes can be created for your pleasure; and, believe it or not, a section of the menu is devoted exclusively to healthy entrees featuring no-cholesterol egg substitutes, yogurt and granola. Of course, you'll find biscuits served with spicy sausage gravy here as well. The sheer size of the pancakes is truly astounding. At a diameter of nine inches, these babies easily eclipse the plate and make the prospect of a full stack of three a daunting proposition. Also impressive are the variations on traditional eggs Benedict. In addition to the usual English muffin and poached egg, you can try the Florentine Benedict, made with spinach, mushrooms, onions and chopped bacon; and the "sandy egger," consisting of ham, tomatoes, melted cheeses, sour cream and scallions. I'd go back to the Good Egg in a heartbeat just to continue sampling this aspect of the menu. Jerry Bob's and the Good Egg also offer children's menus. In addition, both work the noonday crowd: Jerry Bob's meat loaf, grilled liver and onions, chicken-fried steak and pan-fried catfish keep the roadside diner comparison alive; while the Good Egg focuses its attention on a variety of salads and cold or grilled sandwiches.
So, roll on out of that bed and drag a comb across your head.
Breakfast awaits. And at Jerry Bob's and the Good Egg, that's
reason enough to face the day.
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Perhaps this explains the enormous popularity of breakfast in
this town, especially on Sunday mornings, when you'll likely find
many of your favorite morning haunts packed with diners immersed
in 
In addition to the regular menu, daily specials are offered.
The day I visited, these included French toast with fresh strawberries
and whipped cream, two buttermilk biscuits topped with sausage
patties and white gravy, and steak and eggs. Obviously, low-fat
is a concept that hasn't yet caught on here.
