A friendly spot to roll into

Mary Furr

When Sherrie and Dale Theiss bought the Harbour Galley restaurant,

eight years ago they wanted a casual place where friends would drop

by for coffee and a roll -- which is exactly what happened.

Sherrie had worked as business manager at Hughes Aircraft in the

Space Division but had always wanted a small cafe to indulge her love

of baking breads. Harbour Galley is her baby.

Muffins, rolls and breads are baked on the premises and Sherrie is

there every day to fill your thermos to take to work or package

muffins for parties and business meetings. But mainly she packages

friendliness and, as she says, she wants to give you a good start on

your day.

Open at 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, you can call

ahead for the popular breakfast burrito ($3.85) with eggs, potato,

bacon and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla to pick up and eat on the

way to work or come in, sit down and have a complete breakfast

($3.75) of two eggs any style (I like mine over easy) with home

fries, toast or muffin. Add bacon or ham and the check will be $4.25.

The five strips of bacon are crisp with little fat, and Sherrie will

substitute fruit for potatoes -- a nice mix of oranges, banana and

strawberries. A truck stops by to sell her fresh fruit every day.

If you are one to skip breakfast, lunch is served from 11 a.m.

with salads and inch-high sandwich choices (half $4.25, whole $5.25)

spread with mayo/mustard, layered with lettuce, sprouts and tomato on

good wheat bread or a bagel, corn chips and a big juicy dill pickle.

You can add a cup of soup (small $3.25, large $3.75) which is

prepared daily -- the minestrone has a tomato broth with carrots,

celery, pasta and pieces of tomato but could be hotter.

The recommended chicken salad sandwich (half $4.25, whole $5.25)

is one that has chunks of white meat mixed with diced bell pepper and

red onions. The chicken, cooked each day, is not cut until ordered.

As food critic James Beard once said, “Too few people understand a

really good sandwich.” Sherrie does.

Scones, a Scottish biscuit/muffin, is also special here, not dry

but moist since Sherrie makes them with buttermilk and a light flour.

They’re saucer-size with a firm brown crust but fluffy and tender

inside.

A selection from more than 40 varieties of coffee are served. The

roasts are prepared by a friend in Irvine who has traveled widely and

even knows the plantation where the coffee is grown. Sherrie has her

own label, “Harbour Galley.” We like the French roast best. As an old

Hungarian saying goes, “Good coffee should be black like the del, hot

like hell, and sweet like a kiss.”

Harbour Galley, at the corner of Edinger Avenue and Bolsa Chica

Street, is a small place -- four tables inside, four outside with

umbrellas. It’s high energy, Sherrie is everywhere -- taking orders,

clearing tables, answering questions, giving hugs to little girls she

has known since they were babies. She has achieved her goal -- “a

hometown place” place in a big town location.

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

comments or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062.