The Bread Crumb keeps piling it on

Lolita Harper

Do not walk into the Bread Crumb with your nose in the air. Do not

walk into the Bread Crumb if you are not hungry. Do not walk into the

Bread Crumb if you don’t like killer whales.

Do visit the Bread Crumb if you are in the mood for a real, family

atmosphere. Do visit the Bread Crumb if you like big, friendly

smiles. And do visit the Bread Crumb if you are a die-hard

breakfast-eater.

I strolled in on a sunny Sunday morning, with a rumbling tummy and

sleepy gaze, and was met with the sultry smells of real breakfast.

You know, the kind of breakfast in which the aroma of sausage wafts

swiftly through the air, down the hall and into your bedroom to wake

you out of a deep sleep. Yep, it was like that.

With my senses awakened and ready for a feast, I was eager to be

seated. Not a problem, said the smiling waitress, who ushered me to a

table in the corner of the quaint eatery, next to the grass-trimmed

counter and just under a large mural of a killer whale.

We sat next to a family with a cute little baby, quietly resting

in her stroller. The hostess handed us our menus, and as I took one

more glance at that adorable little bambino, I realized that family

was the cornerstone of the Bread Crumb.

Right there on the menu, it explains the eatery’s story. It was

started by owner and patriarch Larry Lawrence, who retired from a

career in whale training and opened the Bread Crumb in 1983 on Main

Street. It quickly gained a regular clientele, who loyally followed

them to their Atlanta Avenue location in the Vons shopping center.

And it was those same faithful customers -- along with others who

have heard from word of mouth -- who enjoyed a Sunday breakfast at

the cafe’s new spot in the Stein Mart center on the corner of

Garfield Avenue and Beach Boulevard. It was a little hard to find,

tucked away in the corner with a sign that only says “cafe,” but the

crowd of people waiting for a seat was a good indication.

Oh yeah, and the food was terrific, as well. I had the Mainlander

Special with pancakes and eggs -- what I thought would be reasonably

small meal. I was wrong. The plate was huge and stacked with fluffy

pancakes and a hearty serving of scrambled eggs, cooked just the way

I like them -- not too runny. The two of us ate heartily -- plus

unlimited coffee and a tall glass of orange juice -- for $21.77. Not

bad at all.

I walked away from the Bread Crumb feeling full -- not just in my

stomach, but in my heart.