Emle's

For Labor Day Lunch we went to Emle's in Northridge (9250 Reseda Boulevard).  I had always been curious and Buzzard is apparently a huge fan ("the food is impeccable!" he declared on the way there.)  Buzzard also approved of the glass windows.  The crowd was a good mix of the Buzzard Generation and rowdy CSUN fratboys.

Since Emle's is apparently voted the Best Breakfast (of all time? of the Valley? By who?) we all went with breakfast except Jeff, who ordered a turkey cranberry wrap.  It was pretty much a romaine salad with turkey and dried cranberries in a wrap.  I thought it had way too much lettuce but Jeff loved it.Grandma Buzzard had the smoked salmon omelet with onions and hollandaise sauce. Buzzard declared, "Who needs a deli!" I am not sure I'd go that far, but the bagel was a huge hit with Nathan. Buzzard had the "Nick's Special" or "More Breakfast Meats than Any Human Should Eat."  He thought he had to pick one but no, it comes with ham, bacon, and sausage.  The sausage is made on site and was fantastic, peppery and laced with fennel. I'd go back just to pick up some sausage to go.  Buzzard also declared his french toast to be "like Miami, Florida."  He explained that he used to go to a deli called Wolfie's in Miami that made the thickest french toast he'd ever had- this version wasn't as thick, but tasted the same.  It was extremely eggy and next time I'm going to try their special french toast- lots of tables around us ordered it and it looked more like a big plate of beignets than french toast.  

I have a compulsion that forces me to order Eggs Benedict whenever I see them on the menu, even in the most unlikeliest of restaurants.  Emle's seemed like a moderately likely restaurant, though.  The selection of meats you could get in place of Canadian Bacon was intriguing (Filet mignon I can see, but calamari steak?) and I went with corned beef hash, which I haven't eaten regularly since college, when I swore by it as a hangover preventative.  The corned beef hash was extra crisp and exactly like the canned stuff I ate in college (which in my book is a good thing) and the hollandaise was rich, if lacking in flavor.  The black olives were an inexplicable touch.

The potatoes, though, were a home run- cut new potatoes cooked soft to almost mashed consistency inside, crispy outside.

We did not need any more food after that but Buzzard swears by their special desserts- todays was sweet potato pie with a graham cracker crust topped with vanilla gelato. (Buzzard like that since he feels no dessert is complete without "white ice cream.")   They brought one and a half slices.  The pie tasted of canned pumpkin, though, and was not too remarkable. (To be fair, Buzzard and Nathan were huge fans of it.)

Nathan of course does not have the most discriminating palate.  He ate half a bagel (see the cream cheese under his nose) and a banana pancake (rubbery, but brought out nearly immediately when the owner and his wife saw me pacing with Nathan, who does not like to wait).  

Is Emle's the best breakfast? No, not really. (I'll get to the best breakfast in a future post, don't worry.) Is it a good breakfast? Yes, and at the price (and with no wait!) it's a good local choice, particularly if you are eating with toddlers and/or senior citizens.

(Edited to add: I forgot to mention the Buzzard's best quote, about Nick, the owner: "He is very skilled in the culinary arts. And also, an attractive man."

Also, Jeff feels "loved" is too strong to describe how he felt about his wrap. He did eat the whole thing in about two seconds, but apparently he was just hungry.)