Breakfast is an odd thing to me. Since leaving the regimented comfort of my parents' household, the lines between breakfast, lunch and dinner have been blurred. During the past 4 or 5 years, it wasn't unusual for me to eat cold wings and leftover pizza at 9 am. And it still isn't. Through these experiences I've come to question what makes a food a breakfast food. Are eggs a breakfast food only if the egg is cracked into a skillet and not hardboiled? What if bacon is laid atop another piece of meat? Do breakfast type foods have to be displayed separately on a plate? But what if you somehow streamline the process of consumption by putting the meal in a bread-like enclosure? Does it find itself in the lunch or brunch territory?
The dietary constraints put upon us by our forefathers are slowly falling on the wayside. Restaurants like Bagelheads and Crepevine stand as progressives in the food industry. They don't restrict their menu items to follow arbitrary rules. The customers can order whatever they want, whenever they want, as long as the place is open. For example, if I wanted an everything bagel with bacon and eggs for lunch, Bagelheads wouldn't tell me to look at the lunch menu. They'd ask me if I'd like coffee or possibly some chips with it. It's about fulfilling the customer's desires.
One thing that sets Bagelheads and Crepevine apart from other restaurants is that they make everything fresh and ready in-house. You won't find frozen egg patties in the back and you sure won't find chemically processed meats and cheeses. Bagelheads is proud to say that they make their bagels from scratch. On their website they say that they follow a simple mantra, "if we would not serve it to you in our home, we will not serve it to you in our restaurant." You can taste the quality with every bite. There's something healthier and cleaner about their bagels and I think it's the lack of unnecessary oils, fats, or preservatives.
The Loxness Monster is my favorite sandwich at Bagelheads. It quite possibly could be my favorite sandwich in general. I love how cream cheese, tomatoes, onions, lox and capers come together so magically on an everything bagel. I could eat this any time of the day and not question my intentions. Growing up in a suburban South Florida town, I've been to my fair share of delis and through that experience I won't settle for skimpy cuts of lox. They put a healthy serving of delicious salmon on this sandwich. I admit that before I take my first bite, I like to take a long look the sandwich. It looks beautiful.
The Crepevine uses a lot of love when making their unique crepe concoctions. Skilled craftsmen mix the dough and spin the crepes with care so that they come out light and crispy every time. The vegetables are freshly cut each day so you never find that funny blackish green piece of lettuce that ruins your appetite. They offer crepes that fit any mood, ranging from the sweet towards the hearty. Breakfast crepes are served all day, so eggs, bacon and sausage are always a viable option.
I would say that people come to Crepevine for their breakfast and savory crepes but stay for their dessert crepes. If you're looking for something different to satisfy the sweet tooth, try the Gilberto. It has pretty much everything a human desires in life. Within the light crepe casing lays bananas, strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and the crowning jewel of western culinary innovation: Nutella. I've been raving about this dessert since the first time I've treated myself to it. If you're feeling down, spend some time with Gilberto and he'll surely cheer you up.
These two breakfast joints are doing some great things with conventional ideas and best of all, they're local. Little gems within Tallahassee's city borders. So next time you're undecided on where to eat, check out Bagelheads and The Crepevine. You'll find their menu to be quite accommodating to those unconventional cravings.
Tags: Bagelheads, Bagels, Breakdast, Crepes, Crepevine, Dining, Food, Tallahassee
Pedro SemperteguiPedro Sempértegui is a recent graduate of Florida State University's English department. After growing up in the quiet suburb of Coral Springs, Fl, he moved to the capital to pursue writing. Since Tallahassee's nightlife has introduced him to new music, awesome food, and delicious microbrews, it's only right that tries to pass on that knowledge.
