Whipping breakfast into shape

DINING OUT

You might need a trail of crumbs to lead you to the Bread Crumb Cafe,

which relocated a few weeks ago to the corner of Garfield Avenue and

Beach Boulevard Huntington Beach. Deep in the corner of an L-shaped

shopping center, it’s an informal come-as-you-are short of place

where you’d be comfortable in shorts or jeans. It has blue

vinyl-cloth tables and chairs(no booths) and a small patio.

The smiling manager Missy Chun whips around the place, taking

orders for breakfasts from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. acting as if you’d

just dropped by her kitchen on you way to work. And what breakfasts

she brings to your table! Breakfasts come on hot platters,

half-filled with crispy shoe-string hash browns, the other half with

your selection of eggs, pancakes, French toast and more.

One day mine was the Denver Omelet ($6.95), a firm egg envelope

filled with onions, al dente green pepper and deli-type ham pieces

topped with melted Monterey and cheddar cheese. It was piping hot and

a perfect combination of soft and crisp texture, and plenty to bridge

breakfast to dinner.

Owners Lorrie and Larry Lawrence are very health conscious when it

comes to eggs and will substitute egg whites for whole eggs in any

dish. In fact, one of their most ordered dishes is the white scramble

($8.25) with six egg whites scrambled with chicken and your tow

choices of vegetables an a serving of fresh fruit.

For breakfast with a Mexican touch, my friend ordered huevos

rancheros ($5.50), two eggs served on corn tortillas, topped with

fresh salsa, a dab of sour cream and gobs of sliced black olives

served with the hash browns and a spicy mash of refried beans. Now

that’s a breakfast!

If you’re one of those who wants a quick simple breakfast, there’s

the Mini($2.95) with one egg, bacon or sausage and toast or a half

order of hot oatmeal ($2.25).

A real bargain is the Bread Crumb Special (6.75) three big

beautifully browned pancakes, two small meaty pork sausage patties

and a pile of scrambled eggs. It’s a hot, well-done combination ready

to start you on your commute. According to the manager Brian Chun

Lachapelle, regulars just come, in sit down and read the paper until

their usual order arrives hot already. It’s almost like home.

The bread Crumb has a vegetarian breakfast sandwich (6,25) served

on a croissant or English muffin with egg, cheese, avocado, sprouts

with those crispy has browns and fresh fruit. Or there’s the Garden

Omelet ($6.95) with egg whites, mushroom and spinach topped with the

homemade salsa.

You might say Lorrie and Larry Lawrence have got the egg problem

whipped; this is more than a bread crumb, it’s the whole loaf.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. Call her at

(562) 493-5062 or e-mail hbindy@latimes.com