The cold brew was fine, but not iced, just room temp. Still, very inoffensive, mild coffee.
The serving: 3 huge pancakes, studded with chocolate chips, topped with "shaved chocolate" (uh, white chocolate chips?), with "cinnamon whipped cream" and syrup on the side.
These were pancake perfection. Crispy exterior and doughy interior. The distribution of the chocolate chips was absolutely perfect, and the chips were melty. The base had a nice tang to it. I loved the pancakes. They were delicious plain even, no butter, no syrup needed.
The top was a bit confusing, it was … white chocolate huge chips? The menu said "shaved chocolate", but, um, these were chips. And white chocolate. Very, very sweet. I love white chocolate, and I loved how they melted into the pancakes, but, it was a bit of a strange combo, and actually just too much sweet.
On the side, maple syrup and what the menu called cinnamon whipped cream. The syrup certainly didn’t seem like real maple syrup, which I don’t mind, but I know some folks do. The whipped cream was … odd. It wasn’t fluffy, and it didn’t taste like cinnamon as advertised. I think it might have been the mascarpone whipped cream that goes with the stuffed waffles instead.
So, the menu wasn't *quite* accurate, but I didn't care. I loved the pancakes. They tied for first place for my favorite item on the menu.
The regular was really, really inoffensive coffee. I mean that in a good way. It was just really decently fine coffee. Not amazing depth of flavor, but not harsh, not acidic, not watery, not too strong. Really, just decent.
The decaf was also reasonable, again, not acidic, no decaf funk, but it was more watered down.
Both coffees were hot and back to being good.
Clearly, there are some consistency issues here, likely from just how long the coffee has been sitting around.
I never order smoothies. But I did one morning.
I'm glad I hedged by bets with the waffle though, because, I didn't care for the smoothie.
It was watery. I didn't taste soy (I picked this one for the soy milk, I love soy milk). It did taste like berries.
Overall, watery fruit juice that was vaguely milky. I didn't like it.
Sweet
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| Stuffed Waffle #1. $10. |
"Macerated berries, whipped mascarpone cream."
Ok, a few things to start.
First, "Stuffed Waffle", this was not. "Waffle topped with berries with a side of whipped cream", it was. Maybe in the restaurant they stuff it though? Anyway, I was glad they did this, as the whipped cream didn't get everywhere in the container, and the waffle stayed crispy.
Second, I have strong opinions on
waffles. And really, I don't eat many actual breakfast waffles (liege waffles are the exception). In general, I find American Belgian breakfast waffles highly mediocre. They are usually kinda flimsy, not crispy and caramelized (obviously, again, not liege waffles), and just not actually interesting.
So why would I order this?
Well, the pancakes were amazing, so I was quasi-inspired by that success. But really, the answer is far more complicated. I went out to a huge, indulgent dinner of fried food the night before with my co-workers (
at Hatch!), and I wasn't even remotely hungry. I was stuffed, and I felt gross. I went to the gym, and felt too food hungover to really work out. So, I decided it was a good day to try 1) the smoothie and 2) get some fruit. But I couldn't order just fruit, the side fruit salad was melon and pineapple, which I'm allergic to. And they wouldn't let me order just berries. So ... I went for the waffle, to steal the berries (and, um, the cream!) and planned to at least try the waffle, have my curiosity satisfied, and mostly discard it.
I was shocked by how good the waffle was, particularly as, well, it looked like any waffle. And it was takeout, only a few minutes in a box, but still, not fresh off the iron. And, they didn't provide me any syrup nor butter. My heart kinda sank when I saw it, to be honest.
And yet, I really liked it. It was bigger than most Belgian waffles, actually thicker (see next photo), than the standard ones. And a wider diameter. A really, really big waffle. And yet ... I devoured the entire thing somehow.
It was crispy at the outside contact points with the iron, and inside was really doughy, more yeasted than usual. The flavor was good. Just like the pancakes, I was impressed, they clearly don't use the generic waffle/pancake mix most places do. I couldn't get over how nicely doughy it was.
I finished it. I finished it plain. I didn't actually want syrup or butter it turned out, given how my stomach was feeling. But the plain waffle? That was perfect.
As for the berries, what I thought I wanted, the blueberries were fine, large juicy berries, but the strawberries were really bitter, not very ripe, and not good.
The whipped mascarpone was definitely the same as what came with my pancakes, and I enjoyed my side of blueberries and cream.
Overall, very very good, quite the surprise. Tied for first place with the chocolate chip pancakes.
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| Stuffed Waffle #2. $10. |
The waffle was so good, I got it again.
This time, it lived up to the "stuffed" name. It looked way more impressive this way, but, this actually wasn't as good for takeout, and I'm glad they did it differently the previous time. The whipped cream, as I kinda expected, made the waffle inside very soggy (the top waffle stayed nice and crisp though, since it wasn't really touching, help up by the stakes.
However, the whipped cream seemed fluffier this time, and there was far, far more of it than when I just had the little container on the side. This aspect was much better.
The fruit was also the same - awesome blueberries, huge, fresh, juicy, flavorful, and horrible sour strawberries.
The top waffle was again a thing of glory, very crispy on the outside, although, it was more cooked this time, almost a bit burnt. In this photo, you can see what I meant by how huge it is, far thicker than the standard Belgian waffle molds. The bottom waffle was soggy, and although I didn't prefer that, it soaked up all the whipped cream, and once slathered with syrup (more on that soon), I didn't really care so much.
Overall, quite different from my first waffle, successful in different ways, and again, somehow devoured. Not *as* good as the previous one, but still, enjoyed.
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| Maple Syrup, Butter, "Maple Syrup". |
This second time, I did ask for maple syrup and butter to come with my waffle, just to try something different, and, because I expected that it would come the same way it did last time, that is, packaged up separately. I was assured, "It always has butter and syrup with it". I told the server that no, actually, mine didn't last time. (This is the same server who told me a completely wrong answer about the pastries ...).
I was amused by what I was given. Two containers of butter, pretty normal. But for syrup ... I had one of their own to-go containers with syrup in it, clearly the same sticky fake stuff that came with my pancake. I'm sorry, this is definitely not real maple syrup, the flavor and consistency are just off. Anyway, that is what I expected to be given.
But then I also had not one, not two, but three individual Dickinson's brand real maple syrup. It was much better!
In the end, I'm glad I asked for the butter and syrup. I didn't use the butter, but, the Dickinson's syrup was awesome to slather the soggy waffle in.
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| Classic Buttermilk Pancakes. $10. |
"Maple syrup, seasonal berries."
My final morning, I planned to get the chocolate chip pancakes again, since I liked them so much. But ... at last minute, I swapped out to the classic pancakes, wanting to see how they did the classics, and craving the buttermilk tang. And, they came with berries, and I was feeling like some fruit.
The pancakes were the biggest disappointment of all my visits. They were exactly what you'd expect from any random restaurant. Although large diameter, they were thin. No buttermilk flavor. Kinda soggy. Highly, highly lackluster.
The menu said they came with seasonal berries, but, mine did not. I asked about this (I knew to check my order before leaving the restaurant by now), and I was told, "Oh, maybe that is a topping?" Not that that explained much. She did however offer to get me a side of berries.
They did come with a jar of syrup, the same real Dickinson's syrup I got with my waffles. No butter though, so I was glad I had saved the leftover from my waffles.
Overall, very, very, very mediocre, and very, very disappointing. Second to worst breakfast.
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| Side of Berries. |
Since I asked about the berries, I was provided a side of berries, the same ones that come stuffed in the waffle. And again, the blueberries were fine, the strawberries sour.
I also asked for whipped cream on the side, it was provided in the same tiny container as the first time I got the waffles.
I was happy enough with my berries and cream.
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| Mini Pastries. $3. |
It is a bit surprising that it took until my 4th visit to finally try a pastry from Silver Trumpet. I was tempted nearly every day. Like with the smoothie, I finally opted to add on a pastry when I went for a savory option (lobster omelet) to hedge my bets.
The menu simply said, "Mini Pastries". I asked what they were that day, and I was told "I know one is blueberry, one is plain, and one is ... I think pecan. Yeah, pecan.". I thought that when I ordered "mini pastries" for $3, that I was selecting a single type of pastry, so I said, "ok, great pecan!"
You can guess my confusion when 1) my box had 3 pastries, 2) I was charged $4, and 3) there was no pecan pastry (nor blueberry, nor plain).
I cleared up the charge that didn't match the menu, but decided that since it did say "pastries" maybe you really do get 3 for $3? Although, the "mini croissant" is also $3, and I can't imagine that is 3 ... maybe they just gave me all 3 since they didn't have pecan? I dunno.
Anyway, the
baked goods were about as good as any hotel breakfast buffet baked goods. I'll give them a few token points for heating them up, they were nice and warm, but, none of these were very good.
They clearly weren't blueberry, plain, and pecan, but rather, cinnamon roll, custard danish, raspberry danish. Lols.
The two danishes were exactly the same, crispy due to being warmed up, but not flaky nor buttery nor good pastry. Both fillings were congealed goo, again, due to being warmed up, and neither was particularly good. The raspberry one had seeds and was fruity, but, meh to congealed raspberry goo. The custard was fine, but again, pretty boring, had a strange film on top, and not much custard.
The cinnamon roll had great cinnamon flavor, but the pastry was again lackluster. Crispy from being served warm, but, not flaky nor butter.
I'd skip all of these in the future.
Savory
I can't *just* eat pancakes and waffles every day, particularly when I travel as much as I do, so, I did finally try some savory items too.
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| Granola Parfait. $7. |
"
House-made almond and raisin granola, plain yogurt, seasonal berries, honey."
One healthy inspired morning, I opted for a yogurt and granola parfait (ok, who are we kidding, I got this on the side with my pancakes, to have a little protein, and likely to save as a snack for later).
The menu again was a bit ... inaccurate. I believe the granola may have been house-made, but, it certainly didn't have any raisins, and I didn't detect any almonds. Not that I mind - I don't actually like raisins.
The assembly of the parfait in this container made it nearly impossible to enjoy. The yogurt was plain, thinner style, generic plain yogurt, not really my thing. I wanted the sweetness of the honey, but, the honey was entirely in the bottom of the cup, along with a few berries. The cup was full, and large, and you simply couldn't get to the honey until at least half the parfait had been consumed. Minus a point for this.
The fruit was minimal, just 2 each of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries on top, and I think 1 each down with the honey. Minus a point for this.
And finally, the granola, the layer between the berries and yogurt. This parfait clearly was assembled in advance; I think they took it from the grab-n-go gift shop next door rather than making a fresh one. The granola was very, very soggy, clearly had been in contact with the yogurt for a long time. Minus more points.
So overall ... generic thin yogurt, not much fruit, soggy granola, impossible-to-reach honey. Not worth the $7. But, all that said, it did somehow satisfy me a bit. The best of the savory.
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| CALIFORNIA CRAB BENEDICT (No Avocado, Sub Breakfast Potatoes for Melons). $15. |
"
Poached eggs, english muffin, crab meat, hollandaise sauce, avocado, chives, served with fresh fruit."
Eggs aren't really my thing. Nor are english muffins. But ... crab {link} is! And hollandaise. I got this mostly intending to eat the crab and hollandaise, and at least try out the rest of it.
Since I’m allergic to avocado, I had to get it without the avocado, the "California" element. And since I’m allergic to melons, I had to sub out the side fruit salad that normally comes with it, as it was exclusively melons and pineapple. My server recommended the breakfast potatoes, so, I went for those.
I didn’t ask for it this way, but it came with the hollandaise on the side, which I appreciated, and a container of ketchup (and adorable little bottles of tabasco!)
The english muffin was a standard english muffin, soggy though (from being in the box, even for a short time), nicely buttered. Not much to say about this. Not house made.
The eggs were poached, and not very well. As you can see, the white was slimy still around the yolk.
The crab, what I was in this for, came as a decent amount, but, it was fishy. I didn’t care for it at all, which made me very sad.
But the hollandaise? Delicious! Creamy, thick, good flavor. I tried to mask the fishiness of the crab by dunking it generously in the hollandaise, but, it didn’t really work.
The potatoes were actually pretty good, chunks of red potato, nicely seasoned, with peppers and onions. These were good dipped in the hollandaise, particularly the pieces that were crispier. I wouldn’t get them again, but, they were good enough.
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| Stuffed Waffle & "Breakfast Sausage"? |
To go with my waffle, I also ordered a side of breakfast sausage, to be quasi-responsible and have some protein. I also adore sausage and maple syrup, so, I figured this was a good time to try the sausage, since I'd have syrup.
I opened the box in my room to find ... potatoes. Doh. I had a few, they were the same as before, good onions and peppers sauted in the mix, tasty dunked in the maple syrup, but, more breakfast carbs was the opposite of what I was going for.
My slip clearly said "sausage", so, I called down to ask about it.
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| Breakfast Sausage (Side). $5. |
My sausage was delivered to my room soon after.
The sausages were really well prepared, super crispy, great snap to the casing. The inside was fairly flavorful, well seasoned, not strangely gristly. Decent breakfast sausage. It went well with my maple syrup as I expected.
It was however very, very oily, and since it arrived so long after my waffle, I was already too stuffed to really enjoy it. And I prefer patties.
But still, good sausage, and a very generous serving.
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| Lobster Omelet. $17. |
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"Garlic aioli, spinach, cherry tomatoes, gruyere cheese, served with fresh fruit."
Again, I'm not 1) an egg eater, 2) a savory breakfast eater, or 3) that into lobster, but ... given just how good the sweet breakfast items were, I wanted to give the savories another chance.
The lobster omelet was better than the crab benedict, but, I still wouldn't order it again.
The omelet was not a standard american stuffed omelet, instead, it was actually just a plain omelet, with toppings, rather than fillings.
The omelet was just a hard dense blob. It wasn't nicely layered, it wasn't seasoned, it was just ... a big block of egg. I quickly moved on.
The toppings though were pretty tasty. Steamed spinach, colorful cherry tomatoes, and lobster meat, mixed with what the menu said was garlic aioli. I didn't taste garlic, but, it was a creamy mayo-like substance. The lobster was a decent portion, chunks of assorted pieces, all well cooked, not rubbery, not fishy, good texture. Good for lobster I guess, but again, I'm not a huge lobster lover (crab is so much better!) Not what I normally have for breakfast, and I likely would have enjoyed this filling more at lunch as a lobster roll.
I did really like the spinach and tomatoes in the aioli though. The tomatoes were assorted colors, ripe, fresh, tasty. And the spinach soaked up all the aioli. Again, not my type of breakfast, but, tasty.
The gruyere was basically non-existent, a few tiny strands, but, again, I think this was fine, seafood and cheese is always a bit of an odd pairing.
Like the benedict, the omelet comes with melon salad, and so I asked what options I had to substitute. Only the potatoes were an option, and, although I liked them before, I wasn't really in the mood for more potatoes. I asked about subbing a cheaper item (e.g. a pastry) but I was told no, only toast or potatoes. So, minus a point for lack of flexibility on the side.
Dessert & Cocktails
