The Cupertino Courier
Dining
Five breakfast restaurants are packed with weekend customers
By STEPHEN BAXTER
On Sunday at 11 a.m., it can seem as if everyone in the South Bay craves an omelet or a stack of pancakes.
You could get that impression driving past popular such breakfast spots as Bill's Café in Willow Glen or Stacks' in Campbell. Some magic must be happening in those kitchens to lure people to wait up to an hour for a table--but is the food worth the wait?
Bill's and at least four other breakfast restaurants in the South Bay are worth it, customers say, including Stacks', the Los Gatos Café, Hobee's in Cupertino and Cozy Restaurant in the Rose Garden.
"It's all about tender loving care," says Bill's owner Jimmy Zafiris.
His servers, some of who have been waiting Bill's tables for 15 years, wear white shirts and ties and try hard to be attentive and friendly. They have become pros at balancing a stack of plates while weaving around customers' dogs on the patio.
Before the rush on a recent Sunday morning at Bill's, Zafiris, 33, sipped the third of his daily 10 cups of coffee, and chatted with customers on his umbrella- and tree-shaded patio.
"We make everybody feel at home. I think it's as important as the food," he said.
Bill's is busiest from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays, and its 40 tables can seat more than 100.
Since Zafiris took over Bill's from original owner Bill Rizos in January, he has added 20 new items, including "Poached y Papas" ($8.95), which is a twist on eggs benedict. Two potato skins are carved out and filled with poached eggs and covered with hollandaise sauce, bacon bits and a dash of paprika. Fresh fruit is served on the side, and the dish is rich and satisfying.
Other popular items include chilaquiles ($8.95), a scrambled egg dish with chorizo, salsa and tortillas, and Petaluma scramble" ($8.50), which has chicken apple sausage, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and salsa.
Zafiris develops new items in the kitchen, and he isn't shy about testing his creations on staff and regulars. At a customer's suggestion, Bill's also began offering free wireless Internet service in August.
Willow Glen resident Sue Kimura arrived at Bill's on Sunday at 9:30 a.m., and said she didn't mind a 10-minute wait.
"There's usually a short line; we're just late," she said.
She and her husband, Rick Erhart, also frequent Stacks' and Hobee's.
Erhart said he usually prefers Hobee's whole foods approach, but "it depends on what you're in the mood for."
Hobee's
Hobee's in Cupertino is the largest of its 12 restaurants; the original opened in Mountain View in 1974. The chain focuses on health-conscious and vegetarian dishes, and it also has the usual omelets, pancakes and hash browns.
The Cupertino restaurant has wood floors and wooden chairs, and it can be loud with weekend crowds.
General manager Mario Bayona said one of Hobee's strengths is its versatile cooks who are trained to make substitutions and alter dishes for vegetarians. It also does not charge extra for egg substitute.
"I've had people order scrambles without eggs," said Bayona, who has been with Hobee's for eight years. "And thank God tofu was invented."
After Bayona read canola oil can contain genetically modified crops, he checked it out and switched to soybean oil four years ago.
Some recent breakfast diners said the food is worth the wait, but others said details like crisp toast and frequent coffee refills can be overlooked when it's busy.
Its busiest times are 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays, Bayona said. Free coffee and tea is offered to those waiting in line, and if the wait is more than 30 minutes, coffee cake samples are usually available.
Magnificent Molé Enchiladas ($8.95) are popular, and Bayona said Latin flavors such as molé are strong sellers. Eggs benedict variations, such as the vegetarian portobello and green onion eggs benedict ($9.25) are also hot.
For customers in a hurry, Bayona suggested ordering food to go. Phone orders are also accepted.
Stacks'
Stacks' in Campbell can be one of the most, well, stacked places around on a weekend morning. The wait here can top an hour.
Customers often add their names to the list and wander to the farmers market two blocks away. Asked if the wait deters many people, assistant manager Andreas Hernandez said most people already know it's going to be jammed and plan accordingly.
The full stack of pancakes ($5.25) is one of the most common orders, as is Betty's Chicken Alfredo Omelet ($9.75), which incorporates onions, mushrooms, parmesan cheese and creamy alfredo sauce.
Dick Trezise, a 60-year-old San Jose consulting engineer, and his wife, Debbie, said they didn't mind an estimated 50-minute wait on a recent Sunday.
The Trezises' favorite breakfast spot was Alie's Corner Café, at 360 E. Campbell Ave., but it closed this summer, so they were searching for a new spot. At Stacks', a cart serves free coffee, decaf, water and iced tea.
Beth Roberts of Campbell eats at Stacks' four or five times a week. She said, "People are just nice here. They're well organized and well run."
Stacks' restaurants are also in Burlingame, Redwood City and Menlo Park.
Cozy Restaurant
The simple vinyl booths and traditional lunch counter at Cozy Restaurant in Rose Garden haven't changed much since it opened 29 years ago. But the place is usually teeming with people--even on a Monday morning--and its popularity is remarkable considering few walk by this stretch of The Alameda.
"I think most people know the Cozy," said owner Alex Kaldis, 56, who lives in Rose Garden, "and I'm there all the time." Kaldis has spent less time there because of minor health problems, but he said he plans to be around more often.
The Cozy serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has everything from a stack of pancakes ($4.45) to a 12 oz. New York steak ($14.95).
There are 11 types of omelets, including the "pizano," ($7.75) with Italian sausage, mushrooms and provolone covered with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Waits are not uncommon, but at 11:30 a.m. on a recent Sunday it was nearly full with no wait.
Eduardo Correia, a 53-year-old cabinet maker from Santa Clara, had scrambled eggs and Canadian bacon, and said he liked it.
"I probably waited 10 minutes," he said. "The wait doesn't matter."
Los Gatos Café
On a typical weekend morning, Los Gatos Café tables can take up to 45 minutes--plenty of time for some window shopping on posh N. Santa Cruz Avenue.
Co-owner Robert Morcate says its peak time is "anytime after 8 a.m." With just 16 tables inside and eight outside under umbrellas, it is considerably smaller than other breakfast spots. It has comfortable padded chairs, an L-shaped lunch counter, and when it's quieter, jazz plays on the stereo while fans whir above.
The gorgonzola scramble ($7.95) is popular, a mix of scrambled eggs with spinach, mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese served with herb potatoes and a "bakery item."
That might be homemade raspberry coffee cake and carrot walnut bread, or a choice of muffin, bagel, or toast.
"We've pretty much found our niche, and we're always looking to make it better," Morcate said.
Lunch choices are also ordered often, including hot and cold sandwiches from $6.50, one-third-pound burgers and salads. The Asian chicken salad or Greek salad will set you back $8.95.
Deborah Tham, 36, had a late breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs at Los Gatos Café, and said she was seated with her friend immediately.
"I'd been there before and there was a wait, but I didn't mind," Tham said. "It just depends on how hungry you are."
Bill's Café, 1115 Willow St., San Jose, 408.294.1125. Open daily 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are accepted for 10 or more.
Stacks', 139 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell, 408.376.3516. Open daily 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations are accepted for six or more.
Cozy Restaurant, 2089 The Alameda, San Jose, 408.244.9085. Open Monday-Saturday 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are accepted for five or more.
Hobee's, 21267 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, 408.255.6010. Open Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Reservations are not available.
Los Gatos Café, 340 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos, 408.354.4647. Open daily 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cash and local checks only, ATM inside. Reservations are not available.
