Breakfast, not just in the morning, anymore
Seems like restaurants, supermarkets and all kinds of take out places are vying for the quick and easy dinner crowd, but a few places are ignoring dinner entirely. Given the locations, they’re not even going after the quick-bite, walk-from-the-office crowd. Could it be that breakfast/lunch/brunch is a new trend?
Two of these no-dinner eateries are transplants from Florida. FirstWatch, which calls itself “the daytime café,” does serve only breakfast, brunch and lunch, starting with eggs in all styles and, as the menu moves from breakfast to brunch to lunch, evolving to more substantial stuff, like burritos, wraps, crepes, salads and sandwiches. Its two locations — Fair City Mall (9600 Main Street, Fairfax) and Worldgate Center (13007 Worldgate Center, Herndon)--are
Virginia’s first for this Florida-based chain.
It is easy to see why FirstWatch is such a hit in Florida. If the local versions are an indication, the place is perfect for retirees, the budget-conscious, and anyone who likes simple but well-prepared food, ample servings, healthy foods, very reasonable prices, and a menu with enough variety to appeal to all ages--even a three-year-old, kept busy with crayons, was happy with a hot dog and keeps begging to go back. She wasn’t particularly interested in the chickichanga (a crispy tortilla wrapped around a mix of spicy chicken, chorizo, eggs, Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses and avocado) or the Cobb salad others ordered. None was exactly gourmet fare or haute cuisine, but hearty and substantial--and when three can eat for about $20, who can beat that?
OyVey deli in Herndon (150 Elden Street) is another of those breakfast and lunch only discoveries, but one that is not only not open after 3 p.m., but is also closed Saturday and Sunday. That is a pity because OyVey has brought some
of the best of Manhattan to Herndon. If you want some at night or over the weekend, you have to plan ahead.
Anyone who has ever lived or spent any time in Manhattan must be familiar with the Carnegie Deli’s heaping corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, trying to eat one of the over-stuffed Reubens without making a mess and, of course,
finishing with a slice of unforgettable cheesecake, the one that made New York-style cheesecake famous.
Well, OyVey has brought the Carnegie Deli to Herndon, at least its corned beef, pastrami, turkey breast and cheesecake. Those are certainly a lure, but the transformation takes place at OyVey where the basic ingredients are a
starting point for the same super sandwiches that have made Carnegie Deli so famous, plus a lot more. (I don’t remember Tofu Turkey or mozzarella and tomatoes on a sub at Carnegie, but times have changed!)
Like FirstWatch, OyVey is something of a bargain since the sandwiches are so huge, they could easily appease two normal appetites—or leave enough for another snack and most are in the $6-$8 range. In addition to the requisite bagels, with cream cheese, lox and the usual, OyVey serves the expected chicken soup with—noodles, Matzo, Kreplach—and split pea soup.
If breakfast-brunch-lunch only, out-by-3, is a trend, is anyone else doing it? Comments and suggestions most welcome.