The concept of eating out at breakfast time is still alien to most British people although it’s a tradition they usually enjoy when visiting the States. When my parental units had their 25th wedding anniversary, a US based Uncle offered to take everyone out for breakfast the following morning. He was surprised and not a little disappointed to learn there was simply nowhere he could take us to. Our town didn’t even have a McDonalds in those days, although most of us would rather starve than eat there. Personally, I love the concept of eating out at breakfast time, particularly the fact that my coffee cup is constantly refilled at no extra charge. This is one of my criteria for heaven.
For a rural setting, the Bailey area has it’s share of breakfast choices, although it has to be said, some of them are mediocre at best and most struggle to stay in business for any length of time. I see the Green Valley Grill went up for sale this week. This is no great shock to anyone who’s eaten there since it changed hands a few months ago; iffy food and poor service are generally a death knell, even for well-established eateries, but it’s just another in a long line of eateries which have been unable to make a go of it along the 285 corridor.
The very first local meal I ate, was at the Woodside Grill, in Pine Junction. Serving Chinese & American cuisine, it occupies a prime location near the traffic lights. The back windows afford a breathtaking view of Pine Valley, an uplifting sight for anyone with a soul, but particularly someone in the process of relocating from Phoenix, Arizona, and the building itself is perfectly acceptable as restaurants go. And yet, the food can only be described as….crap. I’ve been to China and, trust me on this one; the food is not Day-Glo orange.
In the first few months of our residency, one of our favorite eateries was “The Crow’s Foot”, situated as you may or may not have guessed, at the foot of Crow Hill. The Crow’s Foot had been in business for some years, but had recently changed hands and while the fare was quite acceptable during our first few visits, over time it became more and more bland, the portions noticeably smaller and the service increasingly erratic.
In addition, the proprietors never seemed to address the issue of the poor lighting, which while it might have been appropriate for romantic candlelit dinners, made the breakfast experience somewhat gloomy. I once overheard the owner telling another customer of his plans to replace the whole lighting system and I understand the capital investment required may not have been available, but in the short term, replacing the 60W bulbs with 100W ones would have helped. As time went on, the quality of the restaurant continued to deteriorate until one day it was announced the original owners were coming out of retirement to take on the business once more. A new name and a new look attracted a lot of attention but sadly, I think the damage had been done and now, only a few months later, it is sitting empty.
Another Bailey landmark, which recently underwent a change of ownership is “Sully’s”, now known as “Tom’s Bailey Station”. In this case the problem lies with the fact that it hasn’t yet decided if it wants to be a diner or a bar. Both sides of the business attract a somewhat loyal following, but even the most dedicated social mixer would be forced to admit, the two groups have somewhat different needs. When I’m bellied up to the bar enjoying a beer, I don’t generally need the smell of breakfast and the babble of family diners to complete the experience. Conversely, when I’m working my way through a plate of bacon, eggs and toast, I can usually do without the pall of blue tobacco smoke and the salty language of the bar’s regulars. They both have their place don’t get me wrong; I just don’t usually enjoy them together.
To be fair, the new owners do seem to have addressed the quality of the service or rather, the lack thereof. Under the old management, the waitresses often appeared too have their minds, such as they were, on other things. It was common for a group of four diners to receive their meals at completely different times so that three people might be finished eating while the fourth was still awaiting their meal. The first serving of coffee often arrived after the end of the food, while the bill regularly came before it. It might not have been your bill, at least not entirely, but it was a bill nonetheless.
Across the street, lies The Cutthroat, which until recently was sold was the Mountain View Café, an upscale restaurant, serving undisputedly fine cuisine. The pricing was a little rich for our blood except for the most special of special occasions (such as someone else picking up the tab) but the few meals we ate there were pretty spectacular. We took my parents there during their last visit from Britain and after the excellent steaks, had the additional fun of seeing my 72-year old Mum tackle her first ever deep-fried ice cream. I never heard anyone with a bad word to say about the place, but in the end, there just weren’t enough people willing to spend that type of money on a regular enough basis to keep the place afloat. Fortunately, this sale had a happy ending and the new owners transformed it into a quite excellent little breakfast place. Prices are reasonable, portions are generous and the food and service top-notch. I’ve only made it there once so far, but dear wife has become quite the regular.
Working as I do over an hour from home, weekday breakfasts are generally a protein shake before leaving the house, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich upon reaching the office. Even on the weekends, if I’m cooking for myself my repertoire is generally limited to toast, or something equally exotic. So it’s nice to occasionally splurge and have someone else do the cooking (and the washing up). Even better, the generosity of the portions generally means there’s no need for a big lunch, what could be better than that? Of course, the real kicker is those endless coffee refills. They’ve got me hooked on Breakfast in America.
Is this a great country or what?
For a rural setting, the Bailey area has it’s share of breakfast choices, although it has to be said, some of them are mediocre at best and most struggle to stay in business for any length of time. I see the Green Valley Grill went up for sale this week. This is no great shock to anyone who’s eaten there since it changed hands a few months ago; iffy food and poor service are generally a death knell, even for well-established eateries, but it’s just another in a long line of eateries which have been unable to make a go of it along the 285 corridor.
The very first local meal I ate, was at the Woodside Grill, in Pine Junction. Serving Chinese & American cuisine, it occupies a prime location near the traffic lights. The back windows afford a breathtaking view of Pine Valley, an uplifting sight for anyone with a soul, but particularly someone in the process of relocating from Phoenix, Arizona, and the building itself is perfectly acceptable as restaurants go. And yet, the food can only be described as….crap. I’ve been to China and, trust me on this one; the food is not Day-Glo orange.
In the first few months of our residency, one of our favorite eateries was “The Crow’s Foot”, situated as you may or may not have guessed, at the foot of Crow Hill. The Crow’s Foot had been in business for some years, but had recently changed hands and while the fare was quite acceptable during our first few visits, over time it became more and more bland, the portions noticeably smaller and the service increasingly erratic.
In addition, the proprietors never seemed to address the issue of the poor lighting, which while it might have been appropriate for romantic candlelit dinners, made the breakfast experience somewhat gloomy. I once overheard the owner telling another customer of his plans to replace the whole lighting system and I understand the capital investment required may not have been available, but in the short term, replacing the 60W bulbs with 100W ones would have helped. As time went on, the quality of the restaurant continued to deteriorate until one day it was announced the original owners were coming out of retirement to take on the business once more. A new name and a new look attracted a lot of attention but sadly, I think the damage had been done and now, only a few months later, it is sitting empty.
Another Bailey landmark, which recently underwent a change of ownership is “Sully’s”, now known as “Tom’s Bailey Station”. In this case the problem lies with the fact that it hasn’t yet decided if it wants to be a diner or a bar. Both sides of the business attract a somewhat loyal following, but even the most dedicated social mixer would be forced to admit, the two groups have somewhat different needs. When I’m bellied up to the bar enjoying a beer, I don’t generally need the smell of breakfast and the babble of family diners to complete the experience. Conversely, when I’m working my way through a plate of bacon, eggs and toast, I can usually do without the pall of blue tobacco smoke and the salty language of the bar’s regulars. They both have their place don’t get me wrong; I just don’t usually enjoy them together.
To be fair, the new owners do seem to have addressed the quality of the service or rather, the lack thereof. Under the old management, the waitresses often appeared too have their minds, such as they were, on other things. It was common for a group of four diners to receive their meals at completely different times so that three people might be finished eating while the fourth was still awaiting their meal. The first serving of coffee often arrived after the end of the food, while the bill regularly came before it. It might not have been your bill, at least not entirely, but it was a bill nonetheless.
Across the street, lies The Cutthroat, which until recently was sold was the Mountain View Café, an upscale restaurant, serving undisputedly fine cuisine. The pricing was a little rich for our blood except for the most special of special occasions (such as someone else picking up the tab) but the few meals we ate there were pretty spectacular. We took my parents there during their last visit from Britain and after the excellent steaks, had the additional fun of seeing my 72-year old Mum tackle her first ever deep-fried ice cream. I never heard anyone with a bad word to say about the place, but in the end, there just weren’t enough people willing to spend that type of money on a regular enough basis to keep the place afloat. Fortunately, this sale had a happy ending and the new owners transformed it into a quite excellent little breakfast place. Prices are reasonable, portions are generous and the food and service top-notch. I’ve only made it there once so far, but dear wife has become quite the regular.
Working as I do over an hour from home, weekday breakfasts are generally a protein shake before leaving the house, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich upon reaching the office. Even on the weekends, if I’m cooking for myself my repertoire is generally limited to toast, or something equally exotic. So it’s nice to occasionally splurge and have someone else do the cooking (and the washing up). Even better, the generosity of the portions generally means there’s no need for a big lunch, what could be better than that? Of course, the real kicker is those endless coffee refills. They’ve got me hooked on Breakfast in America.
Is this a great country or what?
