Best Breakfast '98

Best Breakfast

Bobo's Restaurant
2938 E. Grant Road

READER'S PICK: With the college boys back in town, good luck finding a seat on a late Sunday morning. But we're willing to brave such odds to get at the home-cooked offerings from the best diner waitstaff in town. Stuff yourself silly with flavorful fruit pancakes, or a mess of huevos rancheros just like the Texas original. Need a tri-tone color sunset painting or a tree-lined mountain range to enhance your paneled living area? Bobo's has that, too. The view of the Santa Catalina mountains through the front windows is especially good for the world-weary soul. Dr. Weil, move over. There's a booth with our name on it here.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Breakfast is a different deal all over the world. If you were to explain the contents of an old-fashioned American breakfast to someone from another country, they'd be sure to respond with looks of shock, dismay, perhaps even fear. But if you were able to bring them to Frank's Restaurant, 3843 E. Pima St., they may just understand why we love our big, greasy spoons. You can order biscuits and gravy, many delicious omelet combinations, pancakes dripping with butter and syrup--you name it. While the cholesterol-conscious may want to limit their consumption, Frank's is the place to hit when the comfort foods are top-priority on the day's agenda. A visit to Frank's will not only fill your tummy with griddle-fried delights, it'll offer a candid glimpse into the lives of many of your fellow denizens: Their walls are a veritable who's-who (and "what's that?!") of the strange and down-home. There you'll find postcards from far away places, baby pictures of patron's kids, and shots of celebs who've braved Tucson's heat for a taste of Frank's hash browns.

CLUE IN: East of Safeway in the shopping plaza on the northwest corner of Campbell Avenue and Prince Road, Ghini's French Caffé, 1803 E. Prince Road, is easy to overlook. But you'll be sorry if you do. Whether you have the eggs provençal (cooked with a heavy dose of fresh herbs) or the French toast (thick sliced from the loaf), Ghini's will satisfy your urge for a traditional breakfast from the French countryside. The coffee is hot and strong, and the aroma of the from the bakery nest door mingles with your meal. Vive la France!

CLUE IN: You haven't had breakfast until you've had it at The Garland Restaurant, 119 E. Speedway Blvd. Our favorite is the economical Egghead: two eggs your style, the Garland's signature home fries (seasoned with garlic, paprika, green onion, and black pepper, and baked rather than fried), a modest serving of fruit du jour, and a thick slice of fresh-baked bread, with honey-butter and preserves. Other standouts are the oatmeal, which is as sublime as any Irish grandmother's, and served with a variety of mix-ins besides; the saucy English Channel (a version of eggs Florentine); and the Coyote (a milder version of huevos rancheros, served with fresh tomato salsa, pintos and a corn tortilla). The Garland stands out for its sheer variety (vegetarians and omnivores will be equally well-pleased), as well as its healthful preparation even with its more indulgent items.

1997 Winner: Frank's Restaurant
1996 Winner: Frank's Restaurant
1995 Winner: The Blue Willow