47 - Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe - Emeryville

4081 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA. 94608, (510) 594-1221

Last visited: February 2010

When you reach Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, you'll wonder, "Why is there so many people in a cafe that's in the middle of nowhere?" But the question that's equally important is, why is there SO MANY people?

I went there for the second time on Valentine's Day 2010 and our wait was an estimated 40 minutes for a table of 6 plus 2 kids. Luckily we were the vanguard and the second half of our party didn't have to bear the wait. They carried the two young ones, so the less waiting, the better.

We got our table and ordered breakfast. They had a plentiful menu of morning food which included: eggs hollandaise (homemade sauce) and many breakfast burrito variations. The grits were actually pretty good. They also make mini cornmeal waffles there that reminded me of Eggo minis.

I ordered from the lunch menu because it was about noon time. I had the Ranchero burger which came with onions, the usual fixings, and a homemade barbecue sauce. The sauce had a little kick to it, which made it really good. I ordered a cherry coke, but they didn't have any left, so they recommended a black-berry coke. I've never had that before, but it was actually pretty good too. It would be unfair of me to not mention their helpful and accommodating staff. They did a lot of little things to make our breakfast as relaxed as can be with an infant and a toddler.

They have an open terrace for smokers and very limited seating inside. The decor is punk-rock like and the clientele is very eclectic. They also open (with breakfast) until 1am. I'm pretty sure I'll revisit this place, but hopefully the wait won't be so long next time.

Lastly, if you're creeped out by barbie dolls, you should avoid this place. Otherwise, enjoy!

46 - Arizmendi's Bakery - Oakland

3265 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, (510) 268-8849

Last visit - February 2009

400 reviewers say this place is above par, and I have to agree. They make good tasting food that makes you feel better after. Going to get their cranberry muffins have become a Saturday ritual for me for awhile, and I don't plan on stopping. They have a great window counter for you to watch people and their pastries never disappoint. It's great seeing the passersby from Grandlake move about their business.

The last time I was there I tried their cornmeal muffin and blueberry muffin: both good, but not as great as the cranberry one still. Their pizzas are good even if you don't like veggie pizzas. I often go with a slice if I'm in a lunch mood. For some reason, pizza and coffee don't turn out too bad there. The place is employee owned? I'm not positive about that but I know that they are amazingly friendly. The evil inside me wants to see if I can get away with pilfering a muffin, but it's like attacking a mac computer with a virus - why? People will always love Arizmendi's and they don't need many words to justify it, great food from great people.

36 - Mimosa Cafe - Oakland

462 Santa Clara Ave, Oakland, Ca. 94610, 510-465-2948

Last visit - October of 2009

Why do I find it odd to have Cantonese speakers in the American breakfast kitchen? I mean, they're people that have cooking skills too right? It's the fact that I'm Cantonese and I can hear what they are saying in the back that makes it weird. No bad talk about the customers, just your usual, "the egg sandwich customer wants some more coffee" kind of deal.

We went to Mimosa cafe Sunday for their breakfast because of the good feedback that its been getting on Yelp. A young Chinese guy greeted us and let us seat ourselves. I browsed the menu and saw some appetizing pictures of breakfast quiches and omelets. I asked the waiter what that was on the menu, and he actually said, "oh those are just pictures..." To that I had to take a bit of a chuckle. Rule #10 in the top 10 rules of opening a restaurant: Use the foods in your menu on your menu. From there I knew the day would be light-hearted and somewhat comical. I ordered the French Toast meal with a coffee. It came with a side of Veggie Sausages and an egg, which I took scrambled. My girlfriend ordered the scramble mix with a blue berry muffin along with a Mocha coffee.

The food came and everything was placed on Chinese dishes. The kind of plastic dishes with Chinese designs that I'm used to at dim-sum places. It was quite a site! I enjoyed it. The French Toast looked pretty dry, but it tasted a lot better than it looked. That's always a plus. They gave me way too much syrup, but it's good to know it's there. The winner of the meal was the blue-berry muffin that my girlfriend ordered, very soft and just enough flavor so that you're not dominated to blueberry. We ate to our heart's delight.

The place is a great place for vegetarians and baby lovers, as we saw three couples with their babies there that day.

33 - the Pretty Lady - Oakland

1733 Peralta St., Oakland, Ca.94607, (510) 832-1213

last visited - September 2009

"People on Yelp love us!" was the only piece of real advertisement we saw on the door. It was Saturday and me and my girlfriend were going to try a new diner for breakfast. This one I picked from scanning through Yelp: good food, reasonable prices, and homey hospitality were what they said. The only problem was the location.

Traveling through West Oakland was like going to a different city for me. For all the urban legends of crime and violence I had shut that area out of my mind in my search for food. The Pretty Lady is on Peralta Street, which was a couple streets away from everything. We parked beside a car repair shop and a side of a school. And now for the food itself.

One thing that you notice out of the ordinary about the Pretty Lady is that it's owned by some friendly Koreans. That's one thing that you don't see everyday - an American breakfast place with soy sauce on the counter. Well, that, and a customer came in wearing an African shroud with purple trims along with a Sacramento Kings hat. Amazingly, it worked well for him. The lady that works there is the server and only waiter for where I am concerned. We are greeted and given menus quickly. A quick glance at the decor reminds me of a bar I went to in Japan called "Redwood". A lot of pictures and keepsakes from the Texas west. I guess the pretty lady must have stemmed from the idea of a western Cowgirl.

We ordered a simple breakfast. I had two pancakes with ham and eggs while my girlfriend had the eggs, sausages, and toast. I had coffee and she had orange juice. Everything came out quickly and the dishes were typical diner food. My girlfriend did think the complimentary hash browns were a bit greasy, but I found it alright. Another Yelper complained about the same thing, but I tried it and didn't mind it so much. All in all, I found it a pleasant diner with small smiling crowd. I do think I'll be going back again, maybe for lunch to try their Salmon burgers.

Lastly, it's important to note that they only take cash, so please bring some.

25 - Luka's Tap Room - Oakland

2221 Broadway, (between Franklin St & Grand Ave), Oakland, CA 94612, (510) 451-4677

Last visit - June 2009

http://www.lukasoakland.com/

To snap my four month hiatus from writing about food I decided to write about Luka's in Oakland. This fine establishment located on the corner of Telegraph avenue and 22nd street, between Franklin and Grand. It is unassuming, but many a times I drive past it and the place is booming with customers and music. At night they have music venues that fill up the lounge. I am not sure of the name, "Luka's Tap Room and Lounge", but I guess they have tap dancing somewhere at some time?

I went there Sunday morning for their brunch and had a good time. They open at 10:30am, so it's not wise to go early like me. I waited in front of downtown Oakland in front of the newly constructed condos in the area. Not much goes on in this place on Sundays; most folks are at church. But by the time we got in, there were other patrons that got in with us. The tables filled up quickly and we ordered our food. I had the Scrambled Eggs with Trout and my girlfriend had the Eggs Bennedict with Catfish (fried). Both dishes came out quickly and were delightful to taste. My dish was a bit too creamy, but my girlfriend's catfish was really good. I also enjoyed their house coffee, which was a fine roast (perhaps the first roast of the morning?).

The last thing to say about this place (for breakfast at least) is that they serve a complimentary corn bread sliced into cubes as an appetizer. It's quite cute.

21 - First Squeeze Cafe - Napa

1126 1st St, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 224-6762

Last Visited - December, 2008

This little juice bar saved our morning in Napa last week. I guess that's how things are at Napa downtown after Christmas, most places are closed (like a bear in winter). We were looking for a place to have breakfast and circled around for ten minutes. The streets were bare. There was an old bakery that we forgot the location for and a falafel place that opened on the edge of the street. Luckily we spotted First Squeeze Cafe after coming out an odd small street. 

There were people inside, and they were eating relaxingly over coffee. The guy at the cashier did our orders with a cheerful attitude and we sat down with our drinks. Not much to say about the place: the food came out at a decent time, the coffee was drinkable, and you pay before you eat. I guess it's the kind of place I like. 

Just a small post before some big ones. Now for a New Year's Party to go to.  

Yelp's Review

18 - Oakland Grill - Oakland (Jack London Area)

301 Franklin St., (at 3rd St), Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 835-1176

Last visit - November 2008

The Oakland Grill locates amongst warehouses in the Jack London area of Oakland. You'd probably miss it if nobody pointed it out to you. Amongst the newly built condos and reconstructed brick houses, it nests behind long eves so you have to be on a lookout to find it. 

We walk in and are seated on the second floor. The crowd seems like the early-risers. They have their newspapers, books, and electronic gadgets laid out and slowly sip their coffee. A couple of tables are taken by officers, and there are a pair of officers sitting with us on the second deck. There's actually a third deck above us, but more like adjacent to us. 

We order our food. I  had the pancakes combo: two pancakes, two eggs, and two strips of bacon. My girlfriend opted for the waffles instead. Food came at a slow pace, but we found the view on the second deck quite entertaining as we watched the kitchen staff do their work. Not a easy place to work in. 

I think it's a good place to go if you're waiting for a movie at Jack London, or you just want to start your day with a nice plate of pancakes. Be extra careful there because it is becoming a regular joint for police officers. 

Before long, we finished our food and made our journey to the world of Emery bay. The fight with transaction refunds began and I will have to talk about that story another time. 

16 - Ole's Waffle House - Alameda

1507 Park St., Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 522-8108

Last visit: October 11, 2008

I went to Ole's Waffle house Saturday morning ready to wait in a long line. We drove past the bridge into Alameda on Park Street and found parts of it blocked off. There was a car show apparently, covering three blocks. The outlook for prompt seating was out of the realms of the question. But after a quick turn on Alameda Ave we found a nice spot a few steps away from La Pinata. We walked to Ole's and stood in line. To our amazement, they opened up a table for two right there, and we leapfrogged ahead of all the folks that were waiting with bigger parties.

We sat down to a loud and cheerful room of breakfast lovers. It seemed like Ole's would always be crowded. I have been going there occasionally for two years and I realized that they lacked one thing: an Ole-cam. Yes, that would tell people how many minutes they'd be waiting before going there. Every time we went there before this time, we had to wait; and the waits were up to 45 minutes. The food is good, and the service is accommodating, but the waits, that's the only thing that makes you not want to go.

So we sat down and ordered. I had eggs, a waffle, and a side of ham. The ham there was generously cut. Actually, I couldn't finish that slab of ham. Coffee is pretty good and eggs are usually done well. My girlfriend had strawberries with her waffle. It's no secret, the waffles there are great! I think you'll have a good time trying out all their different toppings.

We left after a morning of random banter. Nothing like starting the day out with a good hearty meal.

Yelp's two cents

01 - Jim's Coffee Shop - Alameda

Jim’s Coffee Shop, 2333 Lincoln Ave., Alameda, CA., (510) 523-5368

Date of visit: June 14th, 2008

One of the things me and my girlfriend like to do is find breakfast diners on Saturdays and Sundays. It's odd, but there's not too many if you think about the bay area. We really like Ole's Waffle house, but it's always packed. This Saturday we went to Jim's Coffee Shop in Alameda. We had spotted it before with a line out the door the week before ~ what does that mean? good food.

We arrived through the back entrance. It's pretty shady in the back, it reminded me of diners along freeways between So-Cal and Arizona. But when you go inside, the place is booming. The clientele ranged from seniors enjoying the paper to punk-rockers eating pancakes, and of course there were families. This was around 1pm. The decor is retro stuff from San Francisco before the 50's. Old newspaper clippings from 1942 and old black and white photos from the 1907 earthquake can be found lining their walls. There's also a fervor about racing there, probably the owners sponsor cars for Laguna Seca raceway.

The food is good. I had the linguisa and eggs (x3) and was stuffed. Their portions are large, and quite cheap for what it is. The coffee is nothing to rave about, but service for it is spectacular. I think it's a great place for a morning conversation. She had a waffle, eggs, and bacon. She said the bacon was crispy and tasty, which made the trip worthwhile, "Good Breakfast find" was what she called it. And that's what it is.

Yelp's two cents