The weather this weekend was to die for. It was the perfect summer day (even though it’s February – I would complain but I’m going to NY next week so I know I’ll get my winter fix). It was not too hot and not too windy; it was just right! So, Allie and I decided to go to breakfast somewhere with a view. And boy did Shutters on the Beach deliver.

The atmosphere was so serene and relaxing. And the food was pretty darn good too!

^^They brought out complimentary sourdough bread, banana bread, and cranberry pistachio bread…so amazing!

^^Here comes our food!!

Unfortunately, the restaurant did not serve blueberry pancakes. But, they did serve this amazing Belgian Waffle with fresh berries and whipped mascarpone. It was like a dessert! So, we didn’t mind that we missed out on the blueberry pancakes this week.

^^First Bite!

The Eggs Benedict was prepared traditionally with an English muffin, Canadian bacon, and, of course, hollandaise sauce. And luckily, it was way tastier than last weeks traditional dish.

 ^^First Bite!

I have come to realize that restaurants seem to underestimate the power of the meat part of the Eggs Benedict. The Canadian bacon is usually pretty wimpy, and is a missed opportunity to make the dish fantastic. The Griddle got the meat part right with their version of the Eggs Benedict.

Even though, Shutters did not win the award for the best Eggs Benedict, it was still delicious. And the atmosphere was so amazing. So, overall it waas a wonderful experience.

So far, the Griddle is in first place. But, I am feeling confident that there might be something a bit better out there. So, I’m going to continue the quest!

Please let me know if you have any suggestions on what restaurant Allie and I should try next!

Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with our search for the best breakfast this Sunday. We went to The Marmalade Café in Calabasas, which is the same chain restaurant as the Marmalade Café we have in Malibu. And you would guess that the two restaurants would be pretty similar. But, it was actually the opposite. The restaurant in Malibu is so much better. The service is much better (but that is a whole other story). The food is much better. But, with that being said, the food at the Calabasas restaurant wasn’t so bad that I didn’t want to eat it. It was a decent breakfast. Pretty classic and somewhat bland. But…edible!

(Also, another bummer about Sunday breakfast…Allie’s camera died and the battery seems to have disappeared. So, I only have the pictures I took with my phone to share with you. Hopefully, the battery turns up soon!)

The Blueberry Pancakes

There was nothing special about these blueberry pancakes. At all. They were really cakey and bland, to the point where your mouth seemed to dry up after one bite. But, put some syrup on anything and it’s bound to taste somewhat good. And that’s exactly what I did.

The Eggs Benedict

Overall, there was really nothing special about this dish either. Except for one thing. It’s hollandaise sauce recipe is spot on!! There is a bit of a kick in it and I absolutely loved it. Now, I just need to find that sauce on a better version of the Eggs Benedict and we will be good to go!

Even though we didn’t have the best experience this Sunday on our quest for the best breakfast, I am looking forward to continuing our search! Because when the day comes that we find the best Eggs Benedict and the best blueberry pancakes…oh it will be a very magical day!

Yesterday morning, Allie and I continued our quest for the best breakfast! When my big sister in Kappa heard of our little adventure, she suggested we try a restaurant called the Tavern! And if we were rating on the best atmosphere, this restaurant would have won.

The Tavern was almost like three restaurants in one! At the front of the restaurant, there was a section dedicated to prepared foods, pastries, to-go sandwiches, cookbooks and other sorts of quick treats.

Then, the center section of the restaurant had a more formal dining area with a bar.

And continuing past the center section to the back is another room. A magical room. It had glass ceilings and trees growing through it.  It made you feel just like you were outside, except you didn’t have to be bothered by the bugs or wind. It was so serene and simply exquisite!

But, Allie and I aren’t searching for the best atmosphere, now, are we? So, let’s get down to business!

The tavern serves their version of the eggs benedict with prosciutto, gruyere and brioche toast.

I loved it on the toast and the prosciutto on the benedict instead of the traditional Canadian bacon was to die for! I could have done without the gruyere and with a bit more hollandaise sauce. (The hollandaise sauce lost its power when it had to compete with the prosciutto and brioche) But, overall it was still quite delicious! I still don’t think I have found the best benedict though.

As for the pancakes, the Tavern prepared them with ricotta, blueberry compote and touch of lemon, which was a different twist on the traditional blueberry pancakes. But, it totally works! They were very tasty. The Griddle still wins in my book! To see what the blueberry pancake judge thinks about the blueberry pancakes be sure to check out her blog within the next couple days!

Stay tuned.