They say in the days of the old gods that men awoke in the mornings and were hungry until the sun reached it’s apex; St. Anthony then came with all his bacony ways and blessed the heathens, giving them the gift of breakfast.
Breakfast is a funny thing for us Americans. Unlike most countries where people either eat essentially nothing in order to prepare for lunch (Latin-speaking countries) or those who eat the same sort of things for breakfast as for lunch (see: Asia), we inherited a unique set of foodstuffs from our Germanic forefathers which we think of almost solely as breakfast food, yet we are willing to eat at almost any time of the day.
We are also fiercely particular over our breakfast foods. Like pizza, it is almost ubiquitous and can be found anywhere, yet everyone has their “own place” where they break their fast (how liturgical). I felt that the time had come for me to explore the breakfasts of Hillsdale and weigh the pros and cons of the various options. While I know that almost all of you have eaten at one if not all of these places, I aim to put things in perspective a bit.
The Coffee Cup
Fierce rivalries exist on this campus between those who like the Coffee Cup and those who like the Palace Cafe, and both places are often packed until they close at 2 p.m. Let me throw my lot in: the Coffee Cup serves the best breakfast for the money, hands down. The omelets are massive, the pancakes come in a wide range of sizes and thickness, and the bacon is immaculately cooked. I myself greatly enjoy the mini-special, which, for the price, is the best breakfast in town in regard to the number of calories purchased. The Coffee Cup will also let you swap in ham steak for free as a substitute for bacon or sausage, something absent from other restaurants in Hillsdale. While it’s not breakfast, they also serve the only good ethnic food in town with their Thai options.
On the negative side, don’t come to Coffee Cup with more than four people. Space is extremely limited and you end up inconveniencing everyone, including the staff, if you try to amalgamate a bunch of tables to squeeze everyone in.
The Finish Line
While the Palace and Coffee Cup could be defined as “diner” style restaurants and thus be expected to have good breakfast, the Finish Line is a family style restaurant that just happens to have good breakfast on the side.
If you enjoy Nascar and senior citizens, the Finish Line is for you. It’s also the place you’ll probably take your parents on Sundays when they visit because it’s the only decent restaurant besides Saucy Dogs that’s open then.
The prices are also good at the Finish Line. I personally love both the chicken fried steak and the breakfast burritos, which are cheap, and I can rarely finish either of them.
Also, the ice cream is delicious and should not be passed up. The restaurant is open every day until 10 p.m., and they do take cards.
The Finish Line doesn’t quite have the atmosphere or quality of the other two, but it was never trying to be the other two in the first place. Don’t go to the Finish Line if you want a diner experience, go because you’re hungry and it’s open.
The Palace Cafe
Just recently the Palace announced they would be open 24 hours on the weekend. Hopefully, they will be able to reclaim the legendary status of the now-defunct Pink Panther, whose late-night offerings sated many a student’s post-consumption desires. The Palace also wins the charm award; its turn-of-the-century decor with its raised ceilings and low bar feed my Americana loving soul. The Palace can also accommodate larger groups, a definite plus for any late night outings. It’s food is decent, while not incredible. Their specialty is their belgian waffles. Be sure to order the sausage links, as they are quite good.
The Palace is cash only. This is stupid. If you don’t have a Square at this point, someone needs to drag you kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Also, the Palace is overpriced. If you’re going to skimp on portion sizes, at least let me use my debit card to pay.
