Best Breakfast '95

Best Breakfast

The Blue Willow 2616 N. Campbell Ave.

READERS' PICK: The patio at the Blue Willow is casual, like the service and the pace. With its brick, wood, vines and a retractable roof covering, the patio is cool on a hot morning. And when it's cold outside they drag out those big honkin' space heaters. The restaurant has several small rooms inside that are homey enough, but unless the weather is inclement we prefer the patio. The fare is largely vegetarian--numerous omelet choices and the like, with some attractive fruit dishes and sufficient refuge for any omnivore. The Blue Willow has been a mainstay on Campbell Avenue for many years, and not just for breakfast--they're open late. It has a bakery, one of the best card collections in town and the box of topical buttons by the cash register is always good for a few yucks.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: TIE--Bobo's, 2938 E. Grant Road, and Frank's, 3843 E. Pima St. Ah, the classic all-American diner, where you'll find a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, potatoes, bacon and a side order of potatoes, all fresh off the greasy griddle. Both Bobo's and Frank's are tiny, cramped spaces where you'll often wait for a table. The main difference: At Bobo's, the food's a little cheaper and you get a little extra grease with your order, while Frank's has a little more atmosphere, higher--though still affordable--prices and more interesting stuff on the wall. We prefer Frank's, mostly because we can find a copy of The Weekly there.

STAFF PICK: The chefs at the Cup Café, located at 311 E. Congress St. in the Hotel Congress, make a virtue out of simplicity, using fresh ingredients and combinations to whip up some lovely breakfast treats. Just about everyone who wanders into the place remarks on the heady smell of the roasted new potatoes, cooked in a bath of garlic and basil, that are the café's hallmark. Other highlights are the "eggs in hell," served with chorizo and fiery hot salsa; buckwheat hotcakes studded with fresh blueberries; and the "boom-boom," a hearty meal of potatoes and eggs served on a toasted baguette.

1998 Winner: Bobo's Restaurant
1997 Winner: Frank's Restaurant
1996 Winner: Frank's Restaurant