After wasting an embarrassing amount of time on the Archie McPhee site, I couldn't wait to visit the gag-gift mother ship. I discovered that an ideal McPhee shopping trip should have three stages: a thorough perusal of the wares, a meal and/or a drink next door at the Blue Star Cafe & Pub, where you can mull over the wondrous items you've seen, followed by a return to McPhee to begin throwing items like dill pickle-flavored toothpaste, buddha bobble-heads and inflatable fruitcakes into your basket.
The Blue Star brunch features sticky buns the size of your head, dozens of egg dishes served with a choice of spuds, fresh fruit, green salad, sliced tomatoes or cottage cheese; plus a choice of several kinds of toast, a scone or herb biscuit. Waffles, pancakes, cereal, biscuits and gravy, a big assortment of breakfast meats, burgers, salads, sandwiches and wraps round out the choices.
I almost got a halibut burger, but all the dishes coming out of the kitchen seemed to be breakfast and they all looked so good ... I got one of my fave combinations: turkey, spinach and mushrooms scrambled with egg whites, with red potatoes and a delightfully flaky herb biscuit. Good choice. No way could I finish it, especially since I had to sample the Grumpy Diner's chorizo, green chili, tortilla and pepper jack omelet.
The hearty and delicious meal gave me the strength I needed to march next door and stock up on an array of bacon products that even my doctor couldn't object to.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Orem's Diner, Wilton, Conn.
Roadfood guru Michael Stern kvelled about Orem's, so it seemed like a great place to stop on a Sunday drive. The place was jammed, and we didn't feel like waiting 15 minutes, but figured it would take us at least that long to find anyplace else (especially another Stern-approved destination).
I had a bacon, spinach, and feta egg-white omelet, intense and tasty. The thickly sliced crumbled bacon was crispy, salty, chewy. Lots of fresh spinach, still bright green, melding nicely with the creamy feta. The home fries, which Michael Stern singled out for praise, were so-so, with only a very few crispy bits.
Service was very fast, the plates arrived piping hot. Everyone who went past with a pot of coffee or a pitcher of water offered refills. We half-heartedly considered ordering juice or asking for Tabasco, but we were busy eating and talking so we didn't go out of our way to catch our waiter's eye. A minor gripe: I'd ordered my rye toast with no butter. The waiter must have thought I needed that extra nutritional boost to get me through the day, as the toast arrived with more than a schmear.
Orem's is a fine place to stop if you're in the neighborhood, but not so much better than an average diner that it merits a special trip. The food was good quality and very reasonable. It's a nice setting and everyone was very pleasant. Maybe it didn't totally thrill me because I discovered that morning that Jane and Michael Stern got divorced a couple of years ago. I'm taking it very personally.
I had a bacon, spinach, and feta egg-white omelet, intense and tasty. The thickly sliced crumbled bacon was crispy, salty, chewy. Lots of fresh spinach, still bright green, melding nicely with the creamy feta. The home fries, which Michael Stern singled out for praise, were so-so, with only a very few crispy bits.
Service was very fast, the plates arrived piping hot. Everyone who went past with a pot of coffee or a pitcher of water offered refills. We half-heartedly considered ordering juice or asking for Tabasco, but we were busy eating and talking so we didn't go out of our way to catch our waiter's eye. A minor gripe: I'd ordered my rye toast with no butter. The waiter must have thought I needed that extra nutritional boost to get me through the day, as the toast arrived with more than a schmear.
Orem's is a fine place to stop if you're in the neighborhood, but not so much better than an average diner that it merits a special trip. The food was good quality and very reasonable. It's a nice setting and everyone was very pleasant. Maybe it didn't totally thrill me because I discovered that morning that Jane and Michael Stern got divorced a couple of years ago. I'm taking it very personally.