Eggs-actly what you need for breakfast

DINING OUT

What food can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, have books

written about it and even a movie made about it? The ‘credible,

edible egg’ no less, starring in “The Egg and I”, a sophisticated

comedy with Fred Mac Murrey and Claudette Colbert (circa 1947)

And the egg in all its variations has been featured at Kathy May’s

Restaurant, on Gothard Street and Center Avenue, since it opened in

May, 1999. Here is ‘home-style’ cooking to wake you up on a bleary

Monday morning. But Kathy didn’t learn to cook in her mother’s

kitchen like so many restaurant owners. She learned on her first job

in 1973 at Bob’s Big Boy where all managers-in-training were required

to learn how to cook.

Breakfast choices at Kathy’s fill the first pages of the menu and

range from the simple, two fresh eggs any style with potatoes and

bread ($4.99) to an imaginative combinations in omelet’s like the

Works ($7.49), which begins with three hand-whipped eggs folded over

pieces off sausage, crisp bacon, ripe tomatoes and, would you believe

broccoli, cauliflower and carrots? Topped with melted jack and

cheddar cheese, it fills half a hot platter.

The other half is a great pile of very good home fried potato

cubes tossed with onions and green peppers. A fluffy, very light

homemade blueberry muffin with choice of bread, but you could have a

biscuit or bagel. Always seeking to please, Kathy will substitute egg

beaters ($.50 extra) to make this platter exceptional.

Our server Donna had to use both hands to deliver my choice, the

Tower Power($6.99) two hot platters that would have made two

breakfasts and is certainly designed for the legendary farm worker.

On one is two eggs over nice and easy beside two strips of bacon, two

mild link sausages and a slice of orange. On the other four thick

triangles of French bread lightly dipped in egg, fried and sprinkled

with powdered sugar or I could have chosen two biscuits and gravy.

There are coffee variations from espresso ($1.99) to cappuccino

($2.99). Our regular coffee ($1.49) was at times not as hot as it

could be.

Though Kathy oversees the recipes and creates the menu, Refugio

Garcia (Cuco) is top cook among five that keep the orders coming

fresh and hot. Kathy’s features specials not on the menu at a dollar

less on weekdays until 11 a.m., which is one way she introduces

dishes that may later make it to the regular menu like the turkey

sausage and two eggs with potatoes and toast ($6.49), corned beef

hash and two eggs ($6.49) or huevos ranchero with three eggs ($7.49).

Now you will see why the egg here is so incredible -- it comes in

many disguises all day long at Kathy May’s.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail

hbindy@latimes.com.