Wolfing down a substantial early-day meal before engaging in San Diego Pride’s festivities is as vital as slathering your exposed body parts in sunscreen and staying hydrated.
Amid the nonstop merrymaking, especially on parade day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m., July 18), lunch can usually wait. Breakfast can’t. We’ve zeroed in on some of San Diego’s most novel breakfast creations and where to find them. There’s no light fare here — these are meals that will supply Pride-goers with sustainable doses of calories, protein and carbs to carry them through the late afternoons.
Breakfast pasta
Parkhouse Eatery
4574 Park Boulevard, University Heights
(619) 295-7275
A steamy marriage of carbs and protein rises to the occasion in the pan-fried linguini and eggs at Parkhouse Eatery, which operates within a circa-1928 structure distinguished by stained glass windows, a brick fireplace and a pedestal clock on the front patio.
The pasta is strewn with scrambled eggs, feta cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil. It’s been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1996, and remains a top seller along with the kitchen’s high-fiber blue corn pancakes and the commendable “PH Benedict,” which is draped in avocado-infused Hollandaise sauce.
Spam musubi Benedict
Gossip Grill
1220 University Ave., Hillcrest
(619) 260-8023
Located on the Pride parade route, this favorite woman-centric bar and restaurant offers a concise menu of breakfast-brunch plates that include gussied-up avocado toast, chicken and waffles, and red or green chilaquiles.
But it is the Hawaiian-inspired “Spam Benny” that tends to steal the show with its bedding of fried sticky rice topped with seared Spam, poached eggs and sesame Hollandaise sauce. The dish is further enhanced by a few pinches of furikake and garlic-chili crunch for good measure.
Crispy duck confit and waffles
Between Us
4101 30th St., North Park
(619) 228-9453
Crispy duck with waffles are shown at the center of an array of breakfast choices at Between Us. (Photo courtesy Between Us)
This relative newcomer to the breakfast scene has given its waffles a fancier sidekick by swapping out ordinary fried chicken for a seven-ounce duck thigh. The poultry is cooked in its rendered fat (confit) and given a crispy finish. A tinge of sweetness is bestowed on the combo with a side of house-made guava sauce.
The restaurant focuses on locally grown and farm-raised ingredients, which show up in other dishes such as French omelets, fried seasonal mushrooms, curry burgers and airy beignets complemented by matcha-sesame dip.
Pineapple upside-down pancakes
Snooze Eatery
3940 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest
(858) 585-4804
Beckoning to the iconic ring cake, the fat and fluffy pineapple upside-down hotcakes at Snooze awaken the senses with alluring sweetness. Chunky pieces of pineapple give these pancakes tropical flair while vanilla cream and cinnamon-infused butter seep into their crevices. The latter two ingredients replace the brown sugar used in the classic cake recipe. No maple syrup is needed on these dreamy discs.
Other breakfast standouts served within these architecturally impressive digs include habanero pork belly with fried rice and eggs, the “sweet potato veggie smash up,” and breakfast tacos served with chili Hollandaise sauce.
Butter burger
Crest Cafe
425 Robinson Ave., Hillcrest
(619) 295-2510
Breakfast specialties abound at this retro-style landmark in the heart of the Hillcrest. But if you choose to divert from choices such as the “hash brown egg nest” or the popular lemon-ricotta pancakes, then look no further than the oozy and unctuous butter burger.
Yes, the half-pound beef patty is stuffed with herbed butter, which Food Network’s Guy Fieri drooled over on his “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” television series when visiting the cafe. The added flavor bonuses are garlic, tarragon, basil and melty cheddar cheese. Opt for the addition of an egg on top, and hunger won’t harass you until many hours later. The burger is available starting at 7 a.m. daily.
Short rib Benedict
Jo’s Mission Hills Diner
807 W. Washington St., Mission Hills
(619) 323-2035
Among tempting options at Jo’s Mission Hills Diner, which include bananas Foster French toast and “Jo’s breakfast chili” with poached eggs, is an outstanding eggs Benedict that incorporates wine-braised short rib meat. Served atop English muffins, the beef is exceptionally rich and tender and tastes similar to that of beef bourguignon. Adding to the dish’s luxurious flavor are tenderly poached eggs and glossy Hollandaise sauce that adhere to classic French techniques.
Jo’s feels more like a cheerful cafe than a greasy-spoon diner, absent the retro décor and polished chrome. The all-day menu offers a variety of gourmet milkshakes such as chocolate ganache and strawberry with sweet-wine reduction.
Shrimp and ricotta frittata
Breakfast Republic
2730 University Ave., North Park (with additional locations in Mission Valley, Ocean Beach, East Village and other areas)
(619) 642-0299
Like the playful décor that permeates Breakfast Republic, the menu at this popular San Diego-based chain greets with many creative surprises. Among them is a frittata that dares to be different with the inclusions of shrimp, creamy ricotta cheese, asparagus and red bell peppers. Think of a crust-less quiche with lots of color and flavor. Other uncommon early-day options include breakfast jambalaya, spicy eggs Benedict with crispy chicken, and a memorable vegan burrito capturing plant-based eggs, meatless beef strips, guacamole and chipotle-cashew cream.
Maple-bacon donuts
Great Maple
1451 Washington St., Hillcrest
(619) 255-2282
The maple-bacon donuts at this mid-Century style “dinette” are made to order and sold in trios. They use a secret recipe that involves yeast dough, a shiny glaze, powdered sugar and just the right amount of chopped bacon so as not to overwhelm the sweet elements. The glaze supposedly uses pure maple syrup, a claim that nobody disputes based on its rich, natural flavor.
The menu extends to silver dollar pancakes in various flavors, vegan hash, and egg scrambles. Also, on weekends only, look for “slow-turned” polenta incorporating roasted mushrooms, Mascarpone cheese and a poached egg.
Hot-stone filet and eggs
InsideOUT
1642 University Ave., Hillcrest
(619) 888-8623
Anchored on the ground floor of the bold-red Eitol apartment building, this stunningly designed restaurant and bar opens its doors at 10 a.m. on weekends for a brunch that presents customers with some tough decisions. The indoor-outdoor restaurant, always dramatically decked out for Pride, is the only place in town where you will find aged filet mignon cooked on an Australian hot stone right at your table.
The eight-ounce steak is finished off with smoked salt and garlic butter, striking a decadent match to two eggs and red potatoes. Other standouts include an egg scramble with kale and butternut squash, lemon-avocado toast, classic shakshuka with baked eggs, and blueberry-ginger French toast.
Breakfast pie
Pop Pie Co.
4404 Park Blvd., University Heights
619-501-4440
San Diego’s only eatery devoted exclusively to all-butter crust pies is a gay-owned mecca for savory and sweet pies ranging from traditional to gourmet. Among them is “The Boss 2.0,” a pie that puts all the goodness of a traditional breakfast into a flaky pie shell. The baked open-face creation brims with two fresh eggs, smoked bacon, cheddar and jack cheeses, seasoned potatoes and fresh chives. It’s served with maple sauce that isn’t overly sweet.
