Is it just me, or does it seem like there are more and more eating venues that are strictly for breakfast and lunch?
Denny’s is one restaurant that is noted for its breakfasts, as are many others that feature breakfast and lunch, but they also have dinner on their menus.
Personally, I enjoy just a breakfast and lunch spot, and I recently came across First Watch – The Daytime Café in the Village Park Plaza strip mall in Westfield. It took over the space of a couple of businesses that had closed or moved on. It’s definitely a nice addition to the recently updated shopping area.
And the food, service and prices are hard to beat.
My breakfast partner, who is working on adopting a more healthy eating regimen, chose a Veg’d Out omelet. It featured house roasted Crimini mushrooms, zucchini, onions, tomatoes and broccoli with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
The whipped eggs, in which the cooked vegetables were nestled, were cooked just right. The omelet was accompanied by seasoned potatoes and an English muffin. Or the diner could drop the potatoes and add a small greens salad.
I opted for pancakes. The menu lists pancakes nine different ways. Choosing the pecan cakes with butter and warm maple syrup was an excellent choice that hit the spot. The only problem was the size of the cakes. The server asked how many I wanted. When I told her three, she asked if I was sure I wanted so many because First Watch pancakes are big. I said yes, three would be the right number. When she brought the order, the pancakes completely covered the dinner plate and I knew I’d not be able to finish them. But they were delicious and fluffy and filled with pecan pieces. I’ll go for two on my next visit.
Another plus for the café is its coffee. It’s served in large mugs and tastes delicious. A pot of coffee to refill your mug was included at all the tables.
The tab for two was just over $25 and that included the tip for excellent server Alison.
A description of a couple of their other breakfast offerings indicates the types of breakfast fare that’s available:
The trademarked Chickichanga consists of whipped eggs with spicy all-natural white-meat chicken, chorizo sausage, green chilies, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, onions and avocado rolled in a flour tortilla, which is topped with Vera Cruz sauce and sour cream and served with fresh fruit and fresh seasoned potatoes.
Another specialty is the Key West Crepeggs, a thin crepe layered with eggs, turkey, avocado, bacon, tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese that is topped with sour cream and served with an English muffin, a side of house made salsa and seasoned potatoes.
First Watch promises that “everything is made to order and freshness is never compromised. We don’t use heat lamps or deep fryers … we use only the finest ingredients possible for the freshest taste around.”
There are more than 100 First Watch cafes in the U.S., and breakfast and lunch are all that’s served in them.
In the Indianapolis area, there are four restaurants. For more information about First Watch, its menu and explanations about its food preparation, visit firstwatch.com.