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Archive for the tag “Pancakes”

21 Nov 2019

Panclog #46: Flapjacks ‘N More

Flipping Flaps with Jacks
10/24/2019
Overland Park, KS

 

 

Great day to all you breakfast buddies, French toast fiends, and pancake pals. We, here at panclog, are all students at heart. Students are due a summer vacation. Now the summer is over and panclog is back!

This edition of panclog art revolves around the newest bruncherie in Kansas City, Flapjacks ‘N More.  It may seem a bit familiar to you, because this location was just months ago, Jerry’s Original Café. You must be asking yourself why that all sounds familiar. It is probably due to your reading of the award-winning review we left of Original Café. Is our review the reason that Original Café closed? I don’t know. But sadly I haved heard rumblings of a supposed “Panclog Curse.” This dreaded rumor definitely deserves its own post to commemorate the fallen breakfast spots.

Flapjacks ‘N More is located at 119th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, KS.  They are open from 7 AM to 2:30 PM daily.

 

Location/Environment: Flapjacks ‘N More is located inside the old Original Café. You can still recognize that Freebirds was once a tenant in the same space.  From the front door’s motorcycle handle to the long buffet countertop, the ghost of that delicious burrito spot still haunts. What used to be a soda and sauce bar has been turned into a high top table.  The table set up is neither a flaw nor feature of the space.

Service: Our server was terrific. He brought a funny, affable attitude that made us feel at home quickly. We do like a server that is willing to chat a bit but does not overwhelm you. There is a delicate balance and he accomplished it well.

Menu/Selection: The menu is fairly simple when it comes to the carb-dedicated breakfast spots.  It was surprisingly short of extreme types of pancakes, waffles, French toast.  The basics are covered. It must be pointed out that they have bagel’s with Lox.  So that’s pretty cool.  More restaurants in KC should have lox.  It’s too tasty to ignore. Let’s chat about what we ate.

2 Eggs with Sausage Links + Pancakes (Brently)

If you have read our prior Panclog about the “Original Café” then you know that this location used to be a Freebirds burrito shop. While Flapjacks got rid of most of the Freebirds décor, it still has that ridiculous door handle, it retains the same basic layout of both prior restaurants. The dining area is a large open rectangle with tables arranged moderately tight throughout the floor. The arrangement while not uncomfortable; in a packed house, I am sure you will hear your neighbor’s conversation.

There is still a long glass shielded countertop that separates the dining area from the back kitchen. I assume this design element is too hard to get rid of or change at the moment, but it does kind of distract from the experience. It gives the feel that Flapjacks does not quite belong in the space. I hope in the future they can turn it into more of a diner countertop or a place to serve a brunch or buffet. Fewer words are more exciting than “breakfast buffet” now that I think about it.

The menu is refreshingly short. I am glad to finally land on a place that does not overwhelm you with options, especially considering, most breakfast places offer different menu items that are just variations on a theme. In my case I opted for the 2 eggs with meat: bacon, ham off the bone, sausage links, sausage patties, or chorizo. The meal also comes with 2 pancakes, and a choice of hash browns, fresh fruit, or cottage cheese. I really branched out this time and had scrambled eggs, sausage links, and, after a quick safety check for pineapple, fresh fruit. And of course, a steaming cup of joe.

The coffee was satisfying but not overly special. Meaning it hit the spot in the same way Folgers does. The coffee does not delight, nor does it disappoint. The eggs were essentially unseasoned, not a bad thing, but you will want to add some salt and pepper at a minimum before consumption. The fruit was okay, given the melons offered I preferred them in this order watermelon, cantaloupe, then honeydew. Speaking of which, that order of melons applies to life in general (insert your own NSFW joke hear you heathens).

The sausage links, when they were delivered gave me a moment of pause. The casings were kind of rumpled and torn. Most sausage links come in the artificial casing now and the condition these were in made me suspect they were real casings. I cannot say for sure if they were or were not intestines, but if you have a hang up about that you might want to go with the patties instead. Thinking about it makes me nostalgic for when I was a young boy washing and stuffing cases whilst I worked at the butcher shop. Is there the potential for another NSFW joke there?

When a restaurant is named Flapjacks what you really care about is the state of their pancakes and not anything else. Sadly, I went in with super high expectations of light, thick, fluffy, sturdy, astounding, amazing, remarkable pancakes that are mind-bendingly unique but, they were just pancakes. Good yes. Worthy of note, no. A little more butter should have been offered and a little more leavening would have gone a long way in helping these critters. I did smear on some multi-berry jelly to help the cause of course. Did I enjoy the cakes, sure, but I was hoping for so much more

Peanut Butter Flapjacks with Bacon (Jared)

 

Flapjacks may very well be the best iteration of the word pancake.  My power rankings of synonyms would have to be:

  1. Flapjacks
  2. Griddlecakes
  3. Pancakes
  4. Hotcakes
  5. flat waffles

This list must show you how excited I was when I heard of a new spot called Flapjacks ‘N More. I was ecstatic.  I was grinding my teeth in anticipation.  Thankfully I was able to check on the status of this place fairly often due to how close it is to my work.

Let’s chat about these cakes I got.  The peanut butter pancakes were tasty.  Not quite plate sized pancakes. But I loved the application of the peanut butter sauce.  Some places just slather on a glop of peanut butter on the top.  This was better than that.  Wanna know the best way to do it?  Peanut Butter chips in the batter! Then you have the melty texture from the cooking process.  Try it, you’ll like it.  The cakes were too thick that they got chewy.  The only downfall was their non-ginormous size.

The bacon was nice and crispy.  It was beautiful in all of its bacon glory.  I think it could have been seasoned a little heavier. But I would never turn my nose up at these thick slices.

Peanut butter flapjacks: $7.25
Side of Bacon: $3.95
Coffee: $2.35

I think Flapjacks ‘N More is a solid spot that has some high upside.  It is fairly priced and will absolutely be visited again but will most likely not be added to the heavy rotation

My recommendation of the ‘clog is the incredible song All We Ever Knew by The Head and The Heart.  This song is one of the only things that made my twins fall asleep in the first year of their lives.

Overall: Overall, Flapjacks and More is worthy of a visit. If someone offered to go there, I would join without a second thought. Unfortunately, they do not rise to the regular rotation status.

Grade:
Brent:  B+
Jared: B-

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter.

You can also follow Jared and Brent.

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Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
28 Feb 2019

Panclog #43: The Shack

“And that’s how I beat The Shack” – Aaron Carter

SHacj=ky

Happy 2019 breakfast buddies, panclog pals, british biscuits. Panclog is back to review Kansas City’s finest breakfast spots. Today we will be discussing the hottest new bruncherie in town, The Shack.

The Shack began as a St. Louis based company. They had 5 St. Louis metro locations before taking the jump into Kansas in 2018. The Shack’s 2 Overland Park locations are at 135th and 69 highway and College Blvd and Metcalf Ave. The Shack is open from 6:30 – 2 PM everyday.    Your trustworthy pancloggers have visited both, but will be reviewing the College and Metcalf locale.

Location/Environment: The College and Metcalf location is a prime location for Brentles. His office is right across the street. But it’s not only prime for the panclog crew. It is located at a busy intersection that will keep new customers aplenty.

The environment is welcoming. The walls are a dark shiplap design. These walls are adorned with customer’s kind messages and signatures all done in sharpie. It creates an ease that customers are welcome here.

Service: The service at The Shack was good. Quick prompt seating. Coffee stayed full. They truly push the giving back to the community aspect of the business.  I think this is not only smart ethically, but financially.  Customers like to do good things without doing much. If they are able to order a delicious meal with some portion of the bill going to a charity, then it is a delicious win-win. Here is The Shack’s community donations. More on the fancy charity menu items in the next section.

Menu/Selection: The Shack is a fairly typical upscale bruncherie but with an expansive breakfast entree menu. It is rare to see many plates that are unique for a brunch spot. They also have a lovely lunch menu, though we haven’t tried it, whenever I see a boozy shake on a menu I get a nice mischievous  grin on my face. Check these menus out: Breakfast & Lunch.

Why the French hate us (Brently)

A dark secret lurks in the auspicious history of the Panclog. A secret that concerns us greatly. A secret that we discuss carefully when in mixed company. It seems the Breakfast Buddies have a knack for closing breakfast places down. It pains us to say but we have closed several restaurants in our area, although I am sure it is purely coincidental. Perhaps the restauranteurs feel so blessed by our patronage that they feel they have reached the pinnacle of their careers and thus quietly close-up shop. At least that is the version I will stick with because I can no longer take the sleepless nights considering what we have caused in our fair city.

One such establishment happens to be right next door to my, Brent’s, office building. Le Peep, a fine, if not slightly over priced, breakfast and lunch place, became a heaping pile of smoking ash about a year ago. Disappointment does not cover how I felt about Le Peep closing this location. While the Breakfast Buddies did not frequent Le Peep often, there was a level of comfort for me knowing that breakfast was only a few steps away. I was not too broken up as there is a Panera on the other side of the strip mall that serves up a fine Ham and Swiss quiche.

Thankfully from those ashes arose a new restaurant, one that promises great breakfast food, a tongue in cheek attitude, and a barn like atmosphere. I am speaking of course of “The Shack”. I have the twice daily pleasure of walking past The Shack which allows me to check its vitals to ensure its health and wellbeing. I would hate to see it prematurely exit the neighborhood.

For the past several months this daily walk included stalking the restaurant while the space was gutted, repaired, and finished becoming a part of the larger Shack family. I am sure the construction workers grew tired of seeing this strange man peek in the windows all the time. I am also sure that all three people that I interact with on Snapchat “loved” the weekly updates as well.

The inside of the Shack is made to look like a renovated barn with shiplap walls throughout the design. It’s like Chip and Joanna Gaines’ décor dream turned nightmare. Looking at the walls you’ll notice very quickly that patrons can draw on them wherever they can reach. Keep an eye out for, “I heart panclog.com”. Most folks sign their name and date, or write something like “Joanie Loves Chachi”, but if you look for them, you will find a good joke or two. I must say I am a fan of this, especially when a clever play on words is thrown up on the wall.

The menu is large with a myriad of options, with most items having a clever name. A couple sample menu items include, “Love Me Know, Hate Me Later”, “Make a Grown Man Cry”, and “Ma…the Meatloaf.” Not every item gets a fun name though, “Country Fried Steak” for instance, which can only mean it is not very good.

On “Panclog Day” (soon to be made into a federal holiday) I opted for the “Why the French Hate Us”. The name of this dish feeds that self-loathing monster that resides in the back of my conscience. It is an item I have had a couple times now that is akin to the “Country Benedict” at the Big Biscuit, or the “Big D” at Jerry’s Original Café.

“Why the French Hate Us” begins with a toasted croissant split like a bun then loaded with two sausage links. Scrambled eggs are gently placed on top and subsequently covered in sausage gravy and cheese. Hash browns come on the side.

french

The main components of the meal are quite good and pleasing to eat. The croissant is buttery, flakey and has a lovely texture. The sausage links are flavorful and robust. The scrambled eggs are light and airy and are well cooked complimenting the other elements. The gravy and cheese, while flavorful, did leave a powdery texture in my mouth though. Kind of like a gravy packet that was not completely mixed. The gravy issue did dampen the overall food experience, but not so much that I would not order it again. The hash browns are well cooked and crispy on the outside. This plate has a lot of food on it, so I recommend going in hungry if you want to make a serious dent in it.

The coffee offered by the Shack is better than most, but it is also $3 a cup as I recall. To me personally, this awfully expensive for a cup of coffee, even one with free refills. Most restaurants in the area seem to be moving toward this price point, so perhaps this is the price point that the market will bear. What it means to me is that I feel that I need to drink enough coffee till it becomes a mistake, then drink two more cups. Do not worry, Jared and I are working on a new coffee pricing scheme that will revolutionize the breakfast food industry where everyone wins.

I would give The Shack a solid B+. The food is decent, the coffee good, the experience fun. All things that add up to a positive visit.

Griddle Fling – Gingerbread Pancakes with Sausage (Jared)

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Breakfast is the finest meal of the day. My boss states, “if you say no to champagne, you say no to life.” I completely agree that the same goes for breakfast.

The Shack was a long awaited journey. Brent and I basically watched it get built day by day.  I can not describe the anticipation that builds during this construction.

The Shack did not disappoint.

The atmosphere is something to be seen.  It has a different type of flair to it.  I love any place that I can vandalize their walls without punishment.

The Shack has 2 rotating menu items. These seem to change monthly. There is The Wolf Pack and Griddle Fling. The Wold Pack seems to be a different entree item and the Griddle Fling is a specialty breakfast bread. I decided on the Griddle Fling this fine morning.  It turned out to be gingerbread pancakes.

The gingerbread pancakes had a lovely topping of not only whipped cream but also broken up gingerbread cookies. These cakes were delicious.  The cookies added a nice level of texture to the cakes.  The ramekin of syrup was the perfect amount for this short stack.

I also had a side of sausage to give this morning a bit of protein. The sausage was easily the downfall of the meal.  It was a side of two sausage patties.  It tasted like it was steamed.  This made the sausage very chewy.

Besides the chewy sausage, the whole meal was quite pleasant.  Although it needs to be said that coffee should never ever be $3.00. A wise man once told me that coffee is simply dirty water. This dirty water has turned out to be quite a necessity since my wonderful babies have been born. But please don’t make this fine dirty water beverage more than $2.50.

My recommendation of the ‘clog is The Ringer. The Ringer dot com. Great Website. It is a news/pop culture company that also is an incredible podcast empire. Sheck it out, my dudes.

Overall: The Shack is now a regular in the rotation for the breakfast buddies.  If you ever would like to join us for breakfast. Hit us up at the links below.

Grade:
Brent:  B+
Jared: A-

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter.

You can also follow Jared and Brent.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
29 Nov 2018

Panclog #41: Cracker Barrel

Cracking wise about the Barrel

CB

G’Day mateys! Panclog is back and better than ever. We took a bit of a break.  But have no fear, for I am here to declare there will be THREE new panclogs before the year is up.  I am very excited you to enjoy them all. Today’s clog is brought to you by the roadtrip wonder, Cracker Barrel.

Location/Environment: There are 5 Cracker Barrels in the Kansas City area. The Panclog Pals went to the closest one to both of us.  This happened to be the Strang Line location in Olathe.  It is located near a large movie theatre and in the same parking lot of Heartland Church.  The first impression you receive is of a butt-load of rocking chairs on the front porch.  The second impression is of a general store that you walk into from the front door.  There are old timey items and as-seen-on-TV items.  Pretty eclectic. The dining room is very wooden cabin chic.


Service: Service at Cracker Barrel was a breeze.  Granted the panclog pals arrived shortly after 7 AM.  The place was in old timey fashion, a ghost town.  Coffees stayed filled and plates were cleared when the mission was accomplished.

Menu/Selection: Cracker Barrel has a juggernaut of a menu.  Just check out how many different sections they have on their online menu. They have everything that you expect from a down home restaurant.  It plays out like more of a southern family restaurant than a greasy diner.  The breakfast menu is loaded with various options and choices. Like a lot of breakfast places though it seems to reconfigure the same set of 5 options in different ways to come up with differing menu items. Using the same 5 individual items, choosing 2 or 3 per plate, and you end up with two pages of breakfast choices. In my opinion, this is exactly what Cracker Barrel did with a just couple of “specials” here and there. I cannot say that there is anything wrong with this, but it does lack creativity. Something that needs to be pointed out is Cracker Barrel’s incessant need to brand their menu items. i.e. Momma’s French Toast, Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast, and Uncle Hershel’s Favorite. The menu does feature a beautiful phrase.  Check it out!
love

Momma’s Pancake Breakfast (Brent)

The Breakfast Buddies finally made it over to a restaurant seen all across America’s highways, the Cracker Barrel. I was actually not aware that Cracker Barrel served breakfast until a few years ago when your Pancloggers decided to add the restaurant to the list of sites to clog. Up till that time I assumed that the Barrel was a lunch and dinner place only. Makes sense that the Barrel would serve breakfast given that it markets itself as classic downhome cooking.

It is the rare circumstance where I frequent the Cracker Barrel outside of a road trip. I cannot say for sure why, but the restaurant always seems to taste better after 5 or 6 hours of driving. On the rare occasion that I or my family have gone to Cracker Barrel after church for instance, I seem to have walked away slightly disappointed. The restaurant is an oasis at the midpoint of a long drive and that fact cannot be undersold.

Walking into a Cracker Barrel is a somewhat unique experience. The first thing you are confronted with is a “front porch” loaded with rocking chairs available for sale. We sat in a few of them while there and all I can say is that they are fine. Given their price I would hope that they were more comfortable. But, who buys a rocking chair on a road trip?

Immediately passing through the entry doors you are confronted with an old-timey “general store”. At least that is the goal of their marketing department: to give the patron the perception of a general store. You will find the shop loaded with various kitschy items that will make you laugh, feel warmth and comfort, and seem perfectly reasonable while you are in there. My only advice is this, don’t buy anything. You do not actually want any of this stuff. Unless of course it is a pile of candy, snacks, and puzzle books for the remainder of your road trip.

Cracker Barrel seated us immediately once we arrived at the hostess station. Upon looking at the menu I was struck with a couple thoughts, first it is big. Second, it is rustic looking, implanting the idea that this is a downhome establishment. The downside to this is the contrast between the content of the menu versus the background is not great. So I wonder if a color blind individual can easily read the menu.

I elected “Momma’s pancake breakfast” which included the combination of pancakes, choice of meat (bacon in my case), and eggs.

Bmer

Jared reminded me that I made the promise to try eggs cooked different than scrambled. So I elected for over hard. My impression is that eggs cooked over hard taste eggier than scrambled eggs. Not a bad thing of course, just something that surprised me a bit.

The bacon was quite tasty and cooked exactly like I like it. I am a fan of bacon that is crispy but still retains a little bit of give in the bite rather than the crumbly snap of overcooked bacon. Granted I will take the crumbly snap over bacon that is undercooked and floppy. Cracker Barrel did quite nicely in the bacon’s preparation.

The main item of “Momma’s Pancake Breakfast” is of course the pancakes themselves. My plate came with three cakes and one small, pat of butter that was just enough for one individual cake. I am not sure why restaurants are stingy with butter, but they I would rather they place a large amount on the side. Seeing one small, barely melting pat, sitting in the center of the top pancake bums me out a little.

By default the cakes were served with maple syrup on the side. In a nice twist, Cracker Barrel serves their maple syrup in small, airline sized, sealed bottles. This allowed me to avoid soiling my pancakes with maple syrup. I did have to ask for various jellies on the side. Speaking of jellies, Cracker Barrel only offered two options, Concord grape, and Strawberry. As everyone knows Concord grape jelly is a vile substance. I opted for the Strawberry jelly to spread on my cakes.

Cracker Barrel’s pancakes have a nice crunch on the edges which I am a fan. This crispness on the edge added a nice twist to most other breakfast places that I enjoyed a lot.

Momma’s French Toast Breakfast (Jared)

jared.jpg

First things first. YES I do have 2 of those mini syrups in my glove box.

Did you know that Golden Corral and Cracker Barrel are NOT the same restaurant?  I don’t know why but my mind always puts them in the same box.

I’m not saying anything negative about either, just saying my mind is a sick place that equates chocolate fountains to rocking chair city.

The past few months of breakfast buddy life has been extra full of morning joy.  I have been able to pick up my boy, Brent, dine with him, and take him to work after.  These extra moments have given me not only reason to keep my car tidy, but also a few more conversations about fantasy sports and music trivia.  I can not recommend enough the joys of driving around with friends.

Cracker Barrel is known for being the roadtrip restaurant.  They have 658 locations in 45 states.  This leads me to sharing my favorite Cracker Barrel fact.  They are known for their extensive audiobook selection.  The cool part of this audiobook selection is that you can rent these books by the week for $3.49 and return them to any Cracker Barrel.  How freaking cool is that. Another fun Cracker Barrel fact is that they have put out some albums exclusively. They are not just in food game.

Shall we chat about my dining experience? We shall.  I had Momma’s French Toast Breakfast.  It came with 2 eggs and 2 pieces of meat.  I chose sausage patties.  I used to be a sausage link guy,  but i switched teams for a few reasons I have received undercooked links at breakfast before and they are gross! I also believe that you can get seasoning throughout in patty-form. Yes patties are much more likely to be dry, but a patty done well is worth that chance. The sausage on this visit had a slight funk to them.  Not a gross taste.  I believe it was a spice mixture issue.  I should probably go back and give them another shot.

I need to point out something.

syrup

This syrup is 100% syrup.  But sadly is not 100% Maple syrup.  Once you have had the amazing complexities of pure maple syrup, you shake your head gently at anything beneath it.

My French Toast was standard.  Not too egg-y. Not too bread-y. It was right down the middle.  I will say it was on the griddle for the perfect amount of time.  It wasn’t crispy nor overly moist.  Cracker Barrel seems to have a few signature latte drinks on their menu.  My mother has been craving them since she heard about them.  I now know where she and I will be having a meal next time we hang out.

Cracker Barrel serves breakfast all day. Please call your senator, representative and local government officials and ask them all to make it law that breakfast be an all day affair.

I am thankful for everyone who took time to read this.  This is your gift.

Overall: Cracker Barrel is a beautiful roadtrip oasis.  Outside of travel, the restaurant struggles to hold the same appeal.

Grade:
Brent: Don’t take the negatives too seriously though, Cracker Barrel’s breakfast is fine. I wouldn’t put the Barrel in the regular rotation but I would not refuse someone who suggests it. Cracker Barrel earns a C-.
Jared: C- is the perfect rating for CB.

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter.

You can also follow Jared and Brent.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
03 Apr 2018

Panclog #38: The Egg & I

 Drinking to the Dregs at The Egg & I
3/15/18 7:00 AM
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Your faithful Pancloggers recently corrected a major oversight in planning a Panclog adventure to “The Egg and I”. The Egg and I is a restaurant we visit somewhat frequently, and, to be honest, I am surprised we haven’t clogged this fair establishment yet. Well, that oversight gets corrected today.

The Egg & I is a nationwide chain that is within in the First Watch network.  There are two locations in the Kansas City area. Lee’s Summit and South Overland Park at 135th Street and 69 Highway. We visited the latter.

Location/Environment: The Egg & I location we visited is prime real estate. Right off the highway and next to a HOME DEPOT!  Nothing can be better. The environment was clean and understated.  There are no real accent pieces in the dining area.  Some may bring the word bland up when discussing the esthetic of this restaurant. Find a location near if you if you would like.

Service: Service at The Egg & I is above average compared to many other chain restaurants. Our server went out of her way to compare and contrast two menu items to ensure that our pancloggers get the correct menu option. Coffee pots were placed on the table.  If you have read any past Panclog entries, you would know this is an easy way into the panclog pal’s hearts.

Wait for food: 10 minutes

Menu/Selection: The menu is everything you have come to expect at chain brunch spots.  Many variety and plenty of options that are tailored to the growing health-conscious diners.  The Egg & I prides themselves with sections on the menu for “Healthy Side” and Gluten Free options.  Check out this menu on their website. Here is what the dudes chose:

Blueberry Lemon Pancake Breakfast (Brentles)

The restaurant is pleasant, quiet, and bland. The Egg and I seems to be attempting to find a balance between Perkins and First Watch. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this goal, but it does not leave one with an impactful experience in décor. However, there was one small detail that did catch my attention. Behind the cash register counter was a book set on display titled, “The Egg and I.” Any restaurant named after a book is certainly a positive element to me. Surprisingly this book was actually made into a movie in 1947.  I guess I am going to have to add this tome to my reading list.

On this fair morning I ordered one of their specials – a lemon curd, blueberry, wheat pancake. The special came with sausage and scrambled eggs. The sausage and eggs were satisfactory, but not special in any real way.

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The single pancake was quite large. If you refer to a prior Panclog, you will see that I prefer pancakes smaller in diameter and multiple in count. For whatever reason I find a stack of hotcakes more satisfying than a single one.

The presentation of the specialty pancake was nice, a few dollops of lemon curd arranged in a simple design on top and fresh blueberries scattered everywhere else. The downside to this is that it precludes the ability to spread a fresh coat of butter on the confection. The restaurant probably understood this as they did not serve any butter with the pancake. While the overall flavor of pancake was good, butter on a pancake is absolutely critical.

I did enjoy the tartness of the lemon curd. It did taste store-bought and processed, kind of like the filling of a cheap donut. This is not what I would hope for of course, but it was not terrible either. The pancake itself had a decent flavor although it was a bit dry given the lack of butter and the thickness of the lemon curd.

The Egg and I is a solid option for breakfast. As noted before, it is a restaurant on the semi-regular rotation for the breakfast buddies, unfortunately, the lemon blueberry pancake was not quite worth the visit. I would like to keep it on the regular rotation, but just not at the top of the list.

The Egg & I has potential, they just need to step up their game a little.

Breakfast Burrito (Jared)

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The Egg & I has been a Breakfast Buddies repeat destination since the beginning of time.  Brent and I visit this location with somewhat regularity.  It has somehow been forgotten about when it comes to the Panclog front.  I am certainly ecstatic that this has now been rectified. My mother lives near this location and therefore, we visit it whenever my mother chooses to fulfill my obsession with breakfast.

One of my favorite dining memories of The Egg & I was with one of my favorite comedians and a man I get to call friend.  His name is Jeremiah Watkins and I am here to introduce him to you.  He has a lovely podcast called Jeremiah Wonders. He also made up one of my favorite characters, Gustav. Give him a follow on twitter and support him with all of your laughs.

I chose the breakfast burrito due to the sad lack of its critique in Panclogs of the past.  I have been developing a good bit of taste for Mexican-inspired breakfast dishes since I visited Austin and the best darned breakfast tacos that I have had.  Read about it in an old edition of this fine internet publication.

I would say that this burrito does not hold a candle to those breakfast tacos.  The biggest gripe I have with the burrito is that it did not seem to be wrapped in a burrito fashion.  It seemed like it was cooked burrito innards that was tucked in for a night’s rest with a tortilla.  This does not change the taste of the meal. It only hurts the tortilla to innards ratio. After one fork tug the tortilla seems to slip and lose all resemblance of a burrito.

The sauces were a pork green chili and a standard salsa.  I had the choice of either. I asked for both and fished my wish.  The pork green chili sauce was the clear winner of the day. It had little bits of pulled pork floating in it.  Which I have a clear and hearty “Yes Please.” to say about that. More sauces should be meat forward.  Can you imagine BBQ with some sauce that also has meat in it? Game.Changer.

I enjoy this restaurant.  But I would not say it is in my top 5.  I wouldn’t say, “You have to try this place.” to anyone from out of town.

Overall: The Egg & I is a solid choice for breakfast, but it will not blow you away. A few small shifts around will bring The Egg & I into the next level of bruncheries.

Grade:
Brent: C+
Jared: C

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter.

You can also follow Jared and Brent.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
17 May 2016

Panclog #25: Ginger Sue’s

Surely Sweet with the Sue
May 11th, 2016
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Ginger Sue’s is a bruncheonette that has 3 locations in Kansas City; the original in Liberty, the second in Lee’s Summit, and the one we frequent in Olathe, KS. Ginger Sue’s is open daily, 6:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Throw them a like if you care to.

I would like to note that this location is sadly located in the same storefront of the 3rd ever Panclog spot, 119th Street Diner. Please check out that wonderful review and enjoy the baby photo of Stephen and I.

Location/Environment: The Olathe location of Ginger Sue’s is less than a minute away from Brent Morgan’s home.  This makes Ginger an obvious choice to host many a #BreakfastBuddies meetings.  The environment is clean and simple. There are more tables than built-in booths.I believe that this gives a restaurant a more sleek and crisp feel.  The music was fantasticly fitting to the rainy morning that it was.  Ginger Sue’s makes a great first impression and is cut from similar cloth to First Watch. The restaurant is bright, open, and inviting.

Service: Service at Ginger Sue’s is excellent. It has been noticed on many occasions that they like to staff pretty heavily in the mornings. Servers tent to be quick and attentive no matter how busy they are. The church rush and families eating Saturday brunches do not slow the servers down.

Wait time for food: 13 minutes

Menu/Selection: Ginger Sue’s serves breakfast and lunch very well.  We all know which menu is the more important of the two. Breakfast > Lunch. Sometimes you have to include a lunch menu for people who don’t have the guts to eat breakfast food at every meal.

Ginger Sue’s has daily specials.  These specials aren’t really publicized any where in the restaurant.  These specials are recited to you by the server.  You may see a review of a special later on in this very Panclog.

Food: 

Belgian Waffle with Bacon (Brentley)

“You need to be very careful. You are already on thin ice.”

I heard these chilling words as I kissed my blushing bride as I prepared to leave for Ginger Sue’s. It seems that I did not properly reset the alarm in the morning and it went off a few additional times whilst I took care of my morning ablutions. In our home, we do not wake my beloved before she is ready. Her eyes must open naturally or there will be ugly times ahead.

It is at times like these that I begin uttering selfish prayers. “Please Lord, cause my children or some innocent bystander to do something that will draw my wife’s ire. Otherwise I fear that my world will crash around me.”

With fear and trepidation, I wandered over to Ginger Sue’s for the Panclog. A place that was certain to provide some calm before the storm.

Ginger Sue’s Olathe location is very close to my home, which makes it a place that I like to frequent fairly often. Ginger Sue’s has even made it into the regular rotation for the Cloggers. We Cloggers go to breakfast about once a week – consider this an open invitation to join us.

The food at Ginger Sue’s is fresh and well prepared. This restaurant is definitely not a greasy spoon. For this Panclog I ordered the Belgian Waffle with an a la carte side of bacon.
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The waffle was light and airy. I am not entirely sure why, but I gravitate to the waffle served at Ginger Sue’s pretty regularly. Perhaps it is the berry compote that is served with the waffle of which I am a huge fan.

Ginger serves a peppered bacon that is pretty good too. Although it may not be to everyone’s taste.

The coffee at Ginger Sue’s is usually quite good. However, on this fateful morning it seemed off. Also, Ginger Sue’s does not provide a carafe for the table, which is something I am beginning to prefer.

Speaking of music, give the band, BABYMETAL, a listen. The group is fronted by three Japanese, teenaged girls who sing well. What makes this group interesting is the band behind the singers plays a speed metal sound while the singers come over top with J-Pop vocals. The juxtaposition of these two styles mixes well and it is just weird. I would recommend starting with their songs, “Karate”, and “Gimme Chocolate”.

For those still wondering, I did survive the day when I inadvertently woke my spouse. I just happen to be an inch shorter now.

Waffle: $5.25
Bacon: $3.00
Coffee: $2.25

Aloha Awakea Omelette and Pancake of the Day  (Jared)

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Ginger Sue’s is a gem in the breakfast world.  At first, I wanted to not like this place as much as I enjoyed 119th Street Diner.  The sour cream pancakes are still a focal point of my mouth’s dreams. I can not forget the good times I had beginning this fine blog.  So when I come across a breakfast spot that now inhabits something I used to enjoy, I start to worry that something nice has become desecrated.  After the first breakfast burrito, then peanut butter and banana pancakes and then the aforementioned aloha awakea omelette, I knew that Ginger didn’t ruin anything of my past. She made it better.

Omelettes are eggs with stuff in it. Sounds simple. I have personally ruined at least eleventy egg dishes.  I have not learned the art of balance of flavors when it comes to sharing egg flavor.  I always think more is a good thing. I find myself thinking, “Brisket is good. A pound of brisket should be enough for a 4 egg omelette.” Turns out I am wrong.  That is the near mythical amount of too much brisket.

The Aloha Awakea Omelette is a tasty concoction of egg, ham, pineapple, cheddar-jack cheese, and toasted coconut on top. I can not state how beautiful it is when salty and sweet come together. Be it salted caramel lattes from Starbucks, potato chips covered in chocolate, or ham and pineapple together. 5 out of 7 tongues agree that salty and sweet is meant to be. Please try this and tell Brent how much you loved it.  Mr. Morgan can not  have pineapple unless he wants to take an expensive trip to the emergency room.

The omelette came with some breakfast potatoes. These were some of the most delicious breakfast potatoes that I have ever experienced.  They were seasoned wonderfully and then cooked to the crispiness that you have always heard about but have never experienced.  I want more.

Now to the reveal of the Pancake of the Day. Firstly we have the buttermilk pancake base.  A classic beginning to many pancakes masterpieces.
Secondly, we add apple cinnamon. A normal addition. Dr. Jared Söva of BSI Breakfast Studies Inc. explains “Carbohydrates love to be connected to the natural sugars that fruit possesses.”  I can not deny that I truly agree with that doctor. The most common addition to pancakes is a fruit flavor. The cinnamon is there to refresh the mouth with some spice.
Next we add bacon.  Because bacon. Do we need any other reason.
Lastly we add goat cheese. WAIT WHAT? Goat cheese!?! In a pancake?  CHEESE?? Oh cheese? That tasty stuff that you peel from a stick during lunch? But from a cute little goat. perhaps from a goat like this. The goat cheese gives the pancakes some tartness that will bring the magic of this pancake of the day together.

Altogether I would gladly get this pancake again.  Savory pancakes are a necessity in a life like mine.  I am surrounded by sweet things so much that I need a break.

The prices are very standard to the brunch industry.  I will be coming back. And I hope to one day meet Ginger. The pancakes are quite something special.  They are large and in charge.  If you don’t like pancakes.  Try the omelettes.  They are infinitely better than any egg dish that I can make you.

Aloha Awakea Omelette: $7.75
Pancake of the Day: $3.00
Coffee: $2.25

Overall: I would highly recommend paying Ginger a visit. Enjoy her breakfast and her nice mix of music.

Grade: 

Jared: A

Brent: 4.5/ 5 stars or B-

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitteror thepanclog@gmail.com

You can follow Jared and Brent on Twitter.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
29 Apr 2016
1 Comment

Panclog #24: Niecie’s Restaurant

Nice is Normal at Niecie’s
April 19th, 2016

IMG_1120Niecie’s is a locally owned diner that opened in 1985.  They have 2 different locations one in Raytown and one at 6441 Troost Avenue. The Panclog visited the latter.  You can visit their website and enjoy a lovely instrumental version of “At Last” by Etta James. Their hours re 5:30 AM – 8 PM every single day.

Location/Environment: The location we visited was enjoyable.  The route from my house took me through quaint little Brookside. The interior of the Troost location was vintage; tile floors and wooden fixtures.The décor of the restaurant was simple, relaxed, and inviting. All of these elements made the place feel like home, or at least a place that was just as comfortable. The music was classic pop.  Humming along was absolutely necessary.

Service: Service was incredible. Our server was terrific. Sharee was her name and she made us feel like we were the only people in the restaurant.  She was engaging and very fun to interact with.

Wait time for food: 6 minutes

Menu/Selection: Niecie’s has a full menu with a ton of options, most all of which sound terrific.
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The specials board on the morning we arrived had a few options that would probably be difficult to find at other places. Those items include Channel Catfish, Pinto and Hock, Tender Beef Ox-Tails, and Tender Pork Neck Bones. I don’t think I have heard of a restaurant serving pork neck bones before. I will most certainly have to go back and try the smothered chicken sometime.
Specials

Food: 

The Pancake Breakfast (Brentles)
Niecie’s Restaurant reminds me a lot of Mom’s Kitchen. Both are straight up diners with pleasant staff and great food.

I ordered a simple breakfast of Pancakes, Bacon, and Eggs. All of which came out warm and tasty. The bacon and eggs were quite flavorful and pleasing to the palate. The bacon was crisp although not overly so.

The pancakes were exactly as you would expect, fluffy and filling, with plenty of butter to spread around.

 

As noted in a prior Panclog, I prefer to spread jelly on my cakes instead of pouring syrup all over them. I am pleased to report our server vindicated that opinion expressing how good jelly is on pancakes. You need to get out there and try it, you won’t regret it.

If you do somehow regret the jelly, just fill the comments area with all manner of vitriol about the evils of jelly on pancakes. You can take extra credit for creativity if you make me laugh.

The coffee served at Niecie’s was terrific by the way. It tasted fresh, clean, and didn’t have the burned flavor that some other restaurants and shops seem to be aiming for. The coffee had very little after taste and didn’t require any adornment. I would go back just for another cup.

My experience at Niecie’s was excellent. I could heap on more praise, but don’t want to sound like I am going over the top. Basically, when you have the opportunity, head on over and enjoy a great meal. I know I will be returning sometime in the future.

It bears mentioning that the floors were kind of slick at the location we went to.

Pancake Breakfast – $7.29

Sunrise Breakfast and French Toast  (Jared)

 

Niecie’s Restaurant, I should declare that my good friend at work, Alisha, recommended this fine establishment for the Panclog.  Thank you Alisha! This Niecie’s is located on Troost Avenue.  I would like to say that both Brent and I both received concerned looks when we told people where this was.  I want to say that people shouldn’t be scared of a street only because of a name’s reputation.  Experience the city and then make your own mind up about where you don’t feel like going.

The sunrise breakfast came with sausage or bacon, 2 eggs and a biscuit.  I almost always choose bacon over sausage because I feel like bacon has much more flavor than standard sausage.  I also like to experience all types of egg flavors.  To make that happen, I rotate through different egg preparations. I.E. Scrambled, Sunny-Side Up, Over easy, Over hard.  Today I chose over easy.  The biscuit was fluffy and buttery.  It was perfect with some jam.
The French toast was spectacular.  It was slightly egg-y which I love.  I do not want a very dry French toast. I have had both sides of the wet/dry french toast spectrum. This French toast played the fence to my exact liking.

The coffee was extremely simple and nice.  It was some of the best Joe I have had in the Panclog era of my life.

Sunrise Breakfast: $3.85
French Toast: $5.89
Coffee: $2.09

Overall: Niecie’s is near the pinnacle of diner experience. Altogether friendly service, great prices, and tasty food combine for a truly splendid experience for any meal.  Check it out or be bummed.

Grade: 

Jared: A-

Brent: A

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitteror thepanclog@gmail.com

You can follow Jared and Brent on Twitter.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , ,
26 Jan 2016

Panclog #20: Corner Bakery Cafe

Coffee at the Corner
January 12th, 2016 – 7:05 A.M.

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Corner Bakery Cafe is a nationwide fast-casual chain. We went to the 11705 Roe Ave. Leawood, KS location.  You can check out their website here.  Also please check out their Twitter.

 

Location/Environment: The Corner Bakery Cafe is clean, spacious, and has an inviting atmosphere. The eatery is much in the same vein as Panera, from how orders are taken to the style of decoration. Both restaurants seem to be using the same formula. Succinctly, The Corner Bakery Cafe is Panera minus the bagels. The absolute best piece of art in Corner Bakery Cafe is this fine statue:
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If you are thinking that you feel the strong urge that you need this, you are not the only one. I need this baker in my home.

Service: The Corner Bakery Cafe is a pay-first style restaurant.  You go up the cashier, who has a large menu on the wall behind them.  This style does not often lend itself to great service.  That being said, our cashier was very sweet and our plates were cleared promptly after our meal.

Wait time for food: 7 minutes

Menu/Selection: Corner Bakery Cafe has breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  They also have some nice baked goods for snacking.  It tends to be of a lighter fare.  They have plenty of sandwiches ranging from breakfast to grilled panini. You can browse the full menu here.

Food:

Buttermilk Pancakes and Eggs (Brent)
Ordering is done at the counter where the menu is displayed high above. There is an array of baked goods and breakfast sandwiches offered. I went ahead and ordered pancakes, which did seem slightly out of place given their other menu items.

Corner

Looks tasty doesn’t it. Two-thirds of it was.

The bacon was quite tasty and well cooked. My preference for bacon is to be crispy and juicy. The Corner Bakery did an excellent job at hitting the bacon sweet spot. The eggs were also very good. They were dense but light on the palate. I was quite happy with how those two items turned out. Unfortunately, it would have been wiser of me to have opted for a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich.

As you have surely guessed, I was displeased with the pancakes. There were a few things going on with these flapjacks that left me disappointed. Firstly, the pancakes were not completely cooked through. Secondly, there was a definite waxiness to the cakes that left a sad aftertaste and texture to the pancakes. Lastly, there was a distinct pickle flavor to the pancakes that implied an accidental spill occurred in the kitchen. Hopefully we caught the kitchen on an off day and that it is not indicative of their normal output. They certainly looked nice on the plate, but those looks were deceiving.

Per usual, I had black coffee with breakfast. The Corner Bakery offered four different roasts that morning, and I went with their darkest roast available. The coffee was good, but not better than what I can make at home.

Considering its price, $2.29, that was a little disappointing for an expensive cup of coffee.

Pancakes, eggs, and bacon – $7.99
Large Coffee – $2.29

 

Commuter Croissant  (Jared)

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I went in a different direction, didn’t I? This Commuter Croissant is exactly what it looks like. Tastiness.  I could have eaten 3 of them.  That is saying more about my ogre-like appetite than about the size of this nice sandwich.  This appetite is why I built one of those “complete breakfasts” you always see at the end of cereal commercials.  I added on some oatmeal and a slice of cinnamon creme cake.

The ordering process was a bit different.  After ordering and paying, I was given a buzzer.  The same type that they give you at Cheddar’s when they are packed and you have to wait for your Monte Cristo. Not that I have a lot of experience with that.  When  I sat down, I assumed I would have to get back up when the buzzer did its thing.  It never buzzed, but I was brought my food.  This wasn’t a negative.  But it did seem unnecessary to use the buzzers.

The sandwich was scrambled eggs, tomatoes, bacon, and cheese all on a buttery soft croissant.  I enjoyed this breakfast sandwich.  The tomatoes added a nice acidity to the heartiness to the sandwich.  I added on some steel-cut oatmeal for $1!  It felt like a steal,  I could not pass on this fine deal.  The oatmeal was topped with the perfect amount of cinnamon.  It was enough to flavor the whole cup without overpowering the creaminess of the oats themselves.  The oatmeal also was not hard like when I make it at home in the microwave. So that was cool.

Cinnamon Creme Cake was a nice table share.  It was dense like most coffee cakes, and very rich.  This richness led to the urge to share it with my tablemates.

Commuter Croissant: $4.99
Oatmeal: $1.00
Cinnamon Creme Cake: $2.79

 

Overall: (Brent) Overall, I would give The Corner Bakery a C-. I am not a fan of giving out such a low grade, but I think you have to if you do not plan on returning. I’m not saying this restaurant should be placed on the banned list, where you would actively refuse going, but it shouldn’t go on the suggestion list.
(Jared) I would have to agree with the sad sad pancakes.  I had a couple of bites and I knew something was wrong with them.  I am surprised he finished them. My sandwich and sides were tasty.  There was nothing to dislike about my meal.

Grade: 

Jared: B

Brent: C-

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter or thepanclog@gmail.com

You can follow Jared and Brent on Twitter.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
29 Dec 2015
1 Comment

Panclog #19: Jerry’s Cafe

Getting Jiggy with Jerry
December 22nd, 2015 – 7:08 A.M.

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Jerry’s Cafe is a small diner in South Kansas City, Missouri, located at 1209 W 103rd St.  Their hours are 6 AM – 3 PM every day but Monday.  Jerry never has a case of the Mondays. They have no website but do offer a Facebook page.

Hello again! Good day to all readers of this fine establishment.  I would like to announce the resurrection of a sadly dormant hobby of mine.  I would like to thank Alisha, one of my favorite coworkers, for begging me to do another Panclog.  I am also truly thankful for the constant support from Stephen and Brent to eat my favorite food.  Please enjoy this very new and tasty Panclog!

My wonderful partner on this edition is the one and only Brent Morgan!  You may remember him from his fine work on Panclog #14!

Location/Environment: Stepping into the small café you can feel a false edginess, beginning with their menu that displays a skull and crossbones made from bacon and eggs, to the caricature of Vincent Vega (more like Vincent Egga, am I right?) and Jules Winnfield from “Pulp Fiction”.

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We entered the restaurant on a chilly morning and quickly took the largest table available to us.  With 5 of us, this was a necessity. The entire place could maybe hold just over 50 people.  That being said, you may have to wait a while for a table. The table we chose was right up front next to the door and was labeled the social table.  The idea here is that this table was intended for open seating and one could expect to make a new friend that morning.  Although I like this idea a lot, we were not able to make a new friend as no additional person sat with us. Granted we pretty much filled the table.

Sitting by the door does provide its challenges, as a chill wind blew across our table every time the door was opened.  This isn’t a big deal, just something worth noting, as it might take away from your experience.

Service: While our server was very nice, the service at the restaurant was a little slow.  Judging from the staff and the number of patrons I would suggest this was the result of being slightly understaffed that morning.  Another downside to the service is that not all of the food items came out at the same time.  One of our breakfast buddies ended up waiting a little longer than the rest of us.  Good thing he was able to pound away the remainder of the cinnamon rolls. 

Wait time for food: 10 minutes

Menu/Selection: Jerry’s is truly a dive.  They know how to do greasy and they do it well. They have full plate entrees or side items depending on your hunger level.  They also have lunch options if you are one of those types of people.

Food:

Breakfast Appetizers and Coffee by Brent!

I enjoy restaurants that employ an eclectic array of coffee cups showing a variety of designs.  My coffee cup must have belonged to Carl at some point, as that was the name printed on it. Reading the compliments on the cup about Carl leads me to believe that he is a pretty decent guy.  My compatriot on this Panclog, had a festive, holiday themed mug (at least if I remember correctly).  The contents of my mug, straight black coffee, left a little to be desired.  The coffee wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good. When going to a breakfast place I usually hope to get a cup a coffee that is better than I can make at home.

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We ordered a couple cinnamon rolls to be shared amongst the six of us. Each roll was significant in size and was easily shared by all of us.  In general, portion sizes were large at Jerry’s.  The cinnamon rolls oozed a cream cheese based icing and were covered in melted butter.  Too much butter for my taste in this circumstance.  If they added a little less butter the roll would have been terrific.  Like the coffee, the cinnamon roll was good, but they missed an opportunity here.

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The Big-ish John {1/2 Order}  (Brent)

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For the “main course”, as if the cinnamon rolls were not enough, I ordered the Big John.  Actually, I ordered a half sized Big John.  The half size portion was big enough in my opinion and I cannot imagine being able to eat a full sized order.

The Big John consists of Sourdough toast, top with two sausage patties, hash browns, jumbo eggs and two slices of American cheese.  This stack is then doused in country sausage gravy.

I enjoyed the Big John quite a bit. The hash browns were crispy, much to my liking, and the eggs were cooked well.  Even though the sourdough toast was a bit difficult to cut, it did add an interesting flavor to the whole concoction. The cheese, while visible when eating, didn’t augment the flavor as much as I originally expected.  The dish would have been fine with or without the cheese.  

The sausage patties and gravy really tied the dish together. The toast and hash browns provided a solid platform for these two items. And, in all honesty, how can you go wrong with a good, tasty country sausage gravy.  While I wouldn’t recommend this item every day, I would definitely recommend it when you are open to something a little heavier for breakfast.  The half sized order of the Big John was a lot of food, so be prepared when ordering the full size Big John.

Reese’s Pieces Frisbee-Sized Pancake (Jared!)

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Although you can not see the Reese’s Pieces in this picture, I can wholeheartedly declare that those little pieces were inside of this tasty cake.  I do not know if you have read my work before, if not you will soon learn that I can not understate how much I appreciate the act of putting a pancake topping inside the batter.  It is a simple act that completely transforms the quality of the pancake.

That being said these pancakes had the perfect amount of Reese’s Pieces in them.  It would be very easy to skimp on the candy bits and make more profit.  You know, work that revenue down to the bottom line and do more accounting things.  Jerry could also get crazy with his candy and make this pancake more Reese’s Pieces than cake.  That would be a tasty disaster. The Reese’s Pieces melted into the pancake to create a lovely soft texture of delicious bread, peanut butter, chocolate, and little bits of orange, yellow, brown, and red.

I would like to take this moment to announce that Reese’s Pieces is pronounced so that Reese’s rhymes with pieces.  I have heard way too many people pronounce Reese’s with a very hard E sound.  REESEES.  That is gross.  Don’t do that. Enjoy this video to forget my rant.

Back to the pancake talk.  Jerry loves butter. This love is on display when you take a bite of the giant cinnamon roll or when you take a look at any pancake served in the place.  I think this butter love is great to an extent, but Jerry crossed the tragic yet important butter line of 1947. When Albert Einstein discovered the perfect butter serving in his lab.

I was a big fan of the syrup vessel at Jerry’s.
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A squeeze bottle for syrup is lovely.  The plastic ramekin was filled with warm syrup.  But we can all agree that that little ramekin is never enough for a pancake, let alone a frisbee-sized cake.

The pancake was a great portion size.  I kinda feel lame saying I only ate one pancake.  But then I slap on the frisbee-size and people stop calling me a lame pancake eater.  IN YO FACE, JERRICK!

Price: Jerry’s Cafe is a great bang for your buck. You get some big dishes for some small change.

Huge Cinnamon Roll – $2.99
Half Sized Big John – $5.99
Reese’s Pieces Frisbee-Sized Pancake – $5.99
Coffee – $1.79

Overall: (Brent) I would certainly go again, but would not necessarily make it a regular breakfast spot.
(Jared) Due to the large portions, I will definitely be back again when I need to eat too much.  I  may ask for less butter in the future.  I am glad we arrived early because people started to wait for tables around 7:45. I do not believe this spot is worth waiting longer than 20 or so minutes.

Grade: 

Jared: B-

Brent: B-

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter or thepanclog@gmail.com

You can follow Jared and Brent on Twitter.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , , ,
04 Mar 2015

Panclog #18: Alternative FlapJacks

These hotcakes are NOT heresy!

The House that Panclog Built.
February 28, 2015 9:00 AM

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HELLLOOOO PANCLOGGERS!!!

In support of one of the most sacred holidays in the Söva household, National Pancake Day, I have decided to share with you a very special Panclog.  I would love to tell you about the delicious (spoiler!!!!) pancakes I get at home!

My wife, Megan, recently discovered that she is allergic to a incredible array of different things. (Gluten, Corn, Peanuts, Sweet Potatoes, Salmon.)  With her being the sweet thing that she is, she continues to make breakfast for us when she could easily give up on pancakes and buy some Eggos or some other sad frozen food.

Location/Environment: I really like living in my house.  It is a pretty cool house.  I know where almost everything is except for the hand mixer, duct tape, and the extra stash of toilet paper. I think it feels nice.  It smells like essential oils and food.

Wait to be seated: I LIVE HERE! ALL THE SEATS ARE MINE!

Food:

Gluten Free Caramel Apple Butter Pancakes with Eggs

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Megan has taken her allergy diagnosis in great stride.  It probably helped that she is a chef.  She makes her own gluten-free flour, some fantastic corn syrup-free caramel apple butter, and awesome everything cookies. I am constantly in awe over the skills that my wonderful bride has developed in the kitchen.

Megan made this recipe for Gluten Free Caramel Apple Butter Pancakes with a little help from Pinterest. You can find the recipe to the Caramel Apple Butter HERE!!!!  Pinterest is seemingly an endless supply of fancy recipes, silly jokes, and impossible crafts.  I recommend it if you have a computer or phone and want to waste hours of your life.

These pancakes are some of the most delicious things you will ever have. Because they are gluten-free, these pancakes tend to be pretty dense.  They soak up all of your syrup within a minute.  They also will fill you up quicker than your average flapjack.  I am not complaining about this fact.  I am just noting it for you who are lucky enough to enjoy brunch with us.

Now to the eggs, we usually cook eggs in a wok.  But when we make pancakes we use the griddle, which gives the eggs an incredible fluffy texture.  I should do some research on different ways to cook eggs.  Somebody remind me to do that!

We have begun to use real maple syrup for 2 reasons: 1. Real maple syrup tastes so much better than its artificial counterpart. 2. Fake maple syrup has high fructose corn syrup in it, which Megan cannot have. Try real maple syrup and you will not regret it. Try it! You’ll like it!

Overall: I am incredibly lucky to have married a chef who likes to feed delicious food.  These caramel apple butter pancakes are the best gluten free pancakes I have ever experienced.  I definitely recommend coming over for some breakfast, brunch, or brinner!

Price: Gluten free ingredients are more expensive at first, but are entirely worth it if you or someone you love is gluten-free.

Grade: Can I say anything other than an A+? I wouldn’t even if I could.

Email recommendations and feedback to thepanclog@gmail.com

You can follow Jared and Stephen on Twitter.

Posted by stephentshaffer in Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
13 Jun 2013
1 Comment

Panclog #14: Chubby’s on Broadway FEAT. Panclog Consultant Brent Morgan

Chums @ Chubby’s
May 29, 2013 – 12:00 P.M.

Chubby's

Chubby’s on Broadway is a staple in the Kansas City greasy diner circuit. Chubby’s is open 24 hours a day except for Monday 2 PM to Tuesday 6 AM and offers everything you can imagine at a diner. More info, as well as their full menu, can be found on their website. Be sure to check out their Facebook and Twitter pages as well.

Chubby’s on Broadway is located at 3756 Broadway KC, MO

Introduction: I hope you noticed a new face in the picture above.  This face belongs to Brent Morgan.  He has been a friend of mine (Jared) for about 5 years.  He is the man who officiated my wedding.  He has been insanely supportive of the Panclog right from its syrup-y birth.  He is crazy smart and I am glad to call him the Panclog’s consultant. Brent is also the man who recommended Eggtc. to the pancloggers.

Location/Environment:  Brent –  Chubby’s looks like your classic diner, heavy on the black, white and red motif.  There is a counter close to the kitchen and tables everywhere else.  Chubby’s itself is located in midtown kc on broadway.  The clientele runs the gambit and the place is open 24 hours.  I can say from personal experience that the food at 2am is pretty much the same quality as the food at midday.  (I have a few times found myself working into the wee hours of the night and required sustenance.  Given that my office is within walking distance, we have a match made in heaven.)

 Service: Service was exactly what you would expect from a diner.  Our waitress was always ready with more water whenever we needed.

Wait time for food: 13 minutes

Menu/Selection: This is a diner that doesn’t have any food that you should be afraid to eat.  Chubby’s breakfast is pretty extensive.  They have plenty of tasty omelette options. Chubby’s also has plenty of different types of meat you can add to your meal.

Food:

3 Banana Crunch with Granola Hotcakes (Jared!)

Jared

Let’s talk about the names of pancakes. There is pancakes of course, hotcakes, flapjacks, and griddlecakes. I personally hate the name, hotcakes, its is so weak. McDonald’s uses that name so you know of the quality it holds. So, i believe that Chubby’s made a mistake going with the name hotcakes.  I love the name flapjacks.  When I think of the word “flapjack,” I see a strong, burly lumberjack who after a long day of chopping down trees with his wicked beard, comes home to a tall stack of thick, rich pancakes.  He is instantly satisfied and is no longer sore from the hardest work you can imagine.  I mean it is terribly hard to cut down a tree with a beard. Don’t believe me?  TRY IT!
So yeah, I prefer my pancakes be called flapjacks.

Chubby’s has 5 different pancake varieties.  I chose Banana Crunch with Granola.  The granola gives the crunch.  I originally thought that the granola would be too crunchy and could make this meal a pain in the mouth.  But I was definitely wrong.  The granola added only a hint of crunch.  I believe the granola was softened from being first soaked in batter and then in syrup.  I was very pleased with these pancakes.  The only thing that made me cringe were the very hot banana slices in the pancake. My mouth was not forever injured, do not fret.  The banana cooled down soon after the first few bites.
The 3 Banana Crunch with Granola hotcakes were $7.99
I am sad to admit that these pancakes were the first I did not finish in my Panclog adventures.  This was not due to low quality, it was due to the fact that they were so filling.  Also I could be getting skinnier and may not be able to handle that many pancakes. JK LIKE THAT COULD HAPPEN!

I paired my breakfast with a large chocolate milk.  It was priced at $2.49.  I was a little disappointed to find out that this chocolate milk was just regular milk with chocolate syrup in it.  This shouldn’t make you shy away from this tasty beverage, it should just be noted.

The Billy Butler ‘nee Country Breakfast (Brent)

Brents

My first time with the Panclog and I have already deviated from the norm.  In lieu of pancakes, I went with Billy Butler.  What can I say, I am a huge fan.  Plus he is my daughter’s favorite player.  There is no way I can go wrong with this.  To get the Billy Butler, you will have to request the Country Breakfast from the menu.

As an aside, I just learned that Billy Butler’s nickname was given to him through twitter and his adoring fans.  Billy has used the sound of bacon sizzling as his walk up music.  This will forever endear him to the fans of KC.

Back to the food.  The Country Breakfast plate is simply a large biscuit, two sausage patties slathered in gravy.  The meal also includes your choice of two eggs cooked however you like them and your choice of potato.  I am a huge fan of biscuits and gravy, even though my grandfather-in-law used to make fun of me for eating wallpaper paste.  While the gravy at Chubby’s was a tad salty, the whole plate was still worthy of note.  Especially considering the shear amount of gravy that could be extended to the eggs and potatoes.  This is a win in my book.

My traveling companion asked how I felt about the sausage patty vs. sausage link debate.  He appears to lean more towards the links.  All I can say is that sausage is good in its many wondrous forms.

Overall, I would say that the food at Chubby’s is satisfying, I left a content man.  If there was anything to detract from it was Chubby’s special coffee blend that left something to be desired.

Country Breakfast – $7.99

Coffee – $1.49

Price: Chubby’s on Broadway is right on par to have prices similar to other popular diners.

Overall: Chubby’s is a great diner that has a unique personality.  It may have some flaws but we believe you will leave happier than you came in.

Grade: 

Jared: B-

Brent: B

Send recommendations and feedback to the Panclog’s Twitter or thepanclog@gmail.com

You can follow Jared and Stephen on Twitter.

Also give Brent a follow as well

Posted by stephentshaffer in Reviews and tagged , , , , , , ,

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