FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Champions of breakfast

• Suggestions from readers

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Caleb Ripley, 5, of Waipahu, can't wait to dig into the pancakes at Cinnamon's Restaurant in the Kailua Square shopping plaza. Photos by Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

I specified that the place have not only good food but great coffee, real plates and flatware, table service, ample parking and a staff that doesn't try to hustle you out the door. If you'd responded with, "Oh, don't be so whiny; nothing's perfect," I would have taken my "lickins" (and gone, quietly chastened, back to my search).

Instead, it was one of those moments, so treasured in journalism, when you put your finger right square on a spot that a lot of people want scratched. The e-mails and letters continue to come in even though I offered some suggestions in last week's column, so we're revisiting the subject today with more readers' views on this fruitful topic.

The most frequently lauded site by far was Puna Nam's Cinnamon's Restaurant in the Kailua Square shopping plaza. Cynthia Hennessey wrote to commend the carrot pancakes. Nora Seager, who lives elsewhere now, recalled it as "by far the best ... the location, the food, the employees ... amazing." Gerry Mayfield mentioned the garden atmosphere (you can eat inside or out). And Candas Lee Smiley noted that they give you coffee and the paper to amuse you during your wait on weekends.

In many other cases, people felt my pain.

Eggs Benedict at Cinnamon's Restaurant is among the breakfast items offered at the Kailua eatery.

"I guess you could call me a breakfast junkie as I have been known to search out pancakes for dinner on occasion," wrote J. Kloetzel of Honolulu. "I'm definitely a person who relishes an aromatic cup of Joe waking me up in the a.m. to pursue the paper, plan my day, or chat with friends."

Betty Lantana of Pearl City sent a postcard with this variation on the old movie line: "The Perfect Breakfast. When you find it, we will go."

"I know JUST what you mean," e-mailed a reader who signed the message "Breakfastless in Honolulu." "The only time that everything comes together for breakfast here — at least that I've been able to find — is at the ritzy hotels. But then you pay $35 for pancakes and eggs!! And the coffee still might not be wonderful!"

"I feel kind of schizophrenic," wrote Marie Tamura. "I REALLY like local breakfast — rice and eggs and Spam, li' dat. But I used to live in Seattle, too, and I really have high coffee standards. And real butter, not margarine. And good bread. And fresh-squeezed juice. You can't get all that at one place."

On the other hand, homesick Islanders had a few choice words for us: "Quitcherbellyachin'."

"I moved from Hawai'i to South Carolina, please no ask why ... Anyway, just wanted to tell you that the worst breakfast place in Hawai'i is better than the best breakfast place here. No eggs, Portuguese sausage or rice with shoyu. I have to fake it at home. I use long-grain rice and smoked sausage and we do have shoyu. But it doesn't taste the same. Sad, yeah? Next time I go back home I will check out the places you choose ... Hawaii no ka oi," e-mailed someone whose e-mail moniker is "Melody TwinStars."

Ken Rickard, an Advertiser alumnus who left recently to join the Desert Sun in Palm Springs, wrote touchingly to say how much he misses Hawai'i breakfasts: "the Belgian waffle with coconut syrup at Anna Miller's, the hash browns at Hungry Lion, a short stack from Liliha (Bakery); and the crispy corned beef hash with soft-scrambled eggs from Eggs 'n Things." The rice cooker and Purity sausage are in the mail, Ken.

Dozens of e-mailers and letter-writers took the time to write detailed essays about the restaurants they think DO fill the Perfect Breakfast bill. (See accompanying story for a complete list of nominees.)

I mentioned a number of other multiple nominees in last week's column, but here are some later arrivals that sound promising.

The aforementioned J. Kloetzel, who works in Waikiki, wrote what amounted to a short novel about the Aqua Café in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, which he stumbled across on his way to Starbucks one morning. He now breakfasts there at least twice a week. He says it has the best loco moco on the island, the fried rice is just right and the banana pancakes are fluffy and have real bananas in them (concept!) and he raves about their signature haupia-stuffed French toast. And, look, he's local, so he knows that We Don't Go To Waikiki. But on weekends, he says, there's no traffic, no waiting and free validated parking. And they actually have a selection of coffees.

Becky Callies of Kailua was one of several people who wrote us about the Olomana Golf Links restaurant. "The breakfast is 'ono.' The waitresses are efficient, personable, caring, pretty and family-oriented. There is plenty of parking. The view is awesome. The coffee is not espresso or French press, but it is hot and good and the waitresses are always asking, 'How you doing? Want more coffee?' And the price is reasonable." OK, well that's pretty darn close to perfect, I'd say.

Joe Lally calls the Mamo Cafe on Mamo Street in his hometown "the Cheers of Hilo" and showed how well he knew it by penning an essay on the subject. "It is one of the last eating places to still have a counter with spinning stools (as well as tables) ... If you care to do so, you may spend all morning reading The Advertiser over a $1 cup of fresh-brewed coffee with continuous free refills. The scrambled eggs are fluffy, the home fries are made from fresh potatoes and fried in a pan with a splash of red and green peppers. The pancakes are large and fluffy, with two being more than enough. To top everything off, I think they have the best fried rice around, which includes places I have tried in Honolulu and Maui," wrote Lally, who wonders around Hilo forlorn on holidays when Mamo isn't open. It's on my Merrie Monarch list, Joe.

The Lorenzo family of Wahiawa wanted us to know about Sunnyside in their home town, where the breakfasts are good and the pies are "the best." Because, of course, you want pie with breakfast if you can get it.

Others we didn't know about: Ronnie's Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant in West Ridge Shopping Center in 'Aiea, which serves breakfast on weekends only, including "best steak and eggs in town, waffle bar with lots of toppings," wrote Larry Uchima. Ku'ulei of Kapolei wrote about Times Grill across from Windward Mall where they have good prices and huge portions; if you order the fried rice, you better "bring a friend or plan on asking for a doggie bag," she said.

Suggestions from readers

Here's a list of restaurants that made the cut for readers when it comes to breakfast.

Note that not all of these conform to my Perfect Breakfast requirements — real cutlery and plates, table service, ample parking, extended service hours and excellent coffee in addition to great food.

However, all the letter-writers and e-mailers praised the food at these restaurants but some of these are primarily take-out or only offer breakfast on weekends or limited hours or use disposable plates. And a couple of hotel restaurants did sneak in, although I'd suggested we take them as read because hotel breakfasts are generally wonderful.

Here they are, in alphabetical order, so you can put them on your "gotta try" list:

O'ahu

• Alan Wong's Pineapple Room, Ala Moana Center
• Andy's Sandwiches and Smoothies, Manoa
• Anna Miller's, Pearlridge
• Aqua Café Waikiki
• Bogart's, Monsarrat
• Brent's, Kailua
• Big City Diner, several locations
• Boots & Kimo's, Kane'ohe
• Cafe Haleiwa, Hale'iwa
• Cinnamon's, Kailua (top vote-getter)
• Columbia Inn, Kaimuki
• Dot's, Wahiawa
• Dixie Grill, Ward Ave. and 'Aiea
• Eggs 'n Things, Waikiki
• Elena's Home of Finest Filipino Foods, Waipahu
• Food Company, Kailua
• Hau Tree Lanai, Waikiki
• Hungry Lion, Liliha
• Jack's, Aina Haina Shopping Center
• Kaka'ako Kitchen, Ward Centre
• Keoni's, Waikiki
• Kotobuku, Kapahulu
• Like Like Drive Inn, Ke'eaumoku
• Longhi's, Ala Moana Center
• Moke's Bread and Breakfast, Kailua
• New Eagle Cafe, Nimitz Highway
• OIomana Golf Links Restaurant, Waimanalo
• Original Pancake House, Kapi'olani and Dillingham
• Pancake House (formerly Koa House), Kane'ohe
• Pasta Italia, Waikele Mall
• Prince Court, Hawai'i Prince Hotel, Waikiki
• Ronnie's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant, West Ridge Shopping Center
• Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch & Crab, Nimitz Highway
• Sav-More Coffee Shop, Moanalua Shopping Center
• Sizzler, Pearlridge
• Studio Cafe, Hawaii Kai Town Centre
• Sunnyside, Wahiawa
• This Is It Bakery & Deli, Honolulu
• Times Grill, Kane'ohe
• To Chau, Chinatown (for pho)
• Tropics, Ward Farmer's Market
• Wailana Coffee Shop, Waikiki
• Waioli Tea Room, Manoa

Neighbor Islands

• Gaylord's at Kilohana, Kaua'i
• Ken's House of Pancakes, Hilo
• International House of Pancakes, Maui
• Lahaina Coolers, Maui
• Mamo Café, Hilo
• Tasty Crust, Maui