RESTAURANT REVIEW:

My friend Billy had been in the restaurant business for years, and he was the manager of a nice dinner house in my hometown. When I was in my 20s, against his better judgment, he hired me to work as a waiter.

The friends you make in the restaurant business stay with you for a long time.

The working conditions are difficult, and the bonds made are often strong. Billy left California years ago, but we still keep in touch and when I am back east I try to visit him.

When he was out here recently, we got together for breakfast at a place that reminded us both of an old diner we often visited after the end of a shift.

Cappy’s Café has been an institution in Newport Beach since it first opened in 1958.

Owner Nick Panagakis took over the restaurant in the early ’90s.

The inside of the restaurant was packed, and though there were only two names on the waiting list, we opted to go outside and sit at one of the six tables, though it was a bit chilly.

It was nearing 10 a.m., and the outside would soon be filled with patrons waiting in the front of the restaurant.

The neighborhood joint is on a strip of Pacific Coast Highway that has little else. The closest true breakfast place might be Chester Drawers, a little more inland on 19th Street in Costa Mesa.

On the weekends it is a popular place with the college-age crowd, who can get an inexpensive breakfast, featuring plenty of food to soak up any lingering alcohol from the previous night.

During the week everyone from retired couples to blue-collar workers can be found in the restaurant, which opens at 6 a.m. daily.

What anyone who comes in the morning hours is after is breakfast, though they serve lunch items as well at that hour.

Omelets are king here, and there are 28 different types to choose from and are in two different sections of the menu.

The first part is the more traditional and conventional omelets, such as a cheese omelet, a Denver omelet, with ham, onions and bell peppers, and a spinach and cheddar cheese omelet.

Some of the more interesting combinations are avocado, mushrooms and Muenster cheese, or chili and cheddar cheese.

Another one that intrigued me was the cheese, guacamole, rancheros sauce and sour cream.

The next section for omelets is far more extravagant.

There is a shrimp omelet that has pico de gallo, onions, bell peppers and jack cheese.

The deli omelet has corned beef, pastrami, salami, onions, bell peppers and Swiss cheese.

One of the policies Panagakis instituted was healthier menu items and has several egg white omelet options. There is a six-egg white with zucchini and tomatoes and another that features Ortega chiles, avocados, onions and feta cheese.

The omelets are just a glimpse of a menu that can be intimidating, though I found it exciting. There are many things to choose from, and I found myself lingering over it unable to make a decision.

I finely opted for the tortilla rellena. The flour tortilla, which looked thinner than a regular tortilla, holds scrambled eggs, ham, peppers and onions. It is covered with melted cheddar cheese and salsa. I liked this dish, it was much lighter than a traditional breakfast burrito and far less greasy.

Billy went big. He got the pork chops and eggs, then substituted biscuits and gravy for toast. The pork chops were a bit chewy, but much better than I expected. The gravy was disappointing though. It almost seemed like it was low-grade cream of mushroom soup that was reheated.

While breakfast is the prominent meal here, lunch should not be ignored. There are burgers, melts and triple-decker sandwiches, as well as specialty sandwiches like a Philadelphia hoagie and an ACAO, which features avocado, cheddar cheese and alfalfa sprouts on sourdough bread.

The bar is open at breakfast, and Bloody Marys are the specialty. When we were there a couple of 20-somethings were utilizing the bar and the tomato juice cocktail. It was something Billy and I used to do frequently.

Now that we are older it is more about reminiscing about those times rather than reliving them. Cappy’s was a great place to do that.

Cappy’s Cafe

Address: 5930 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach

Phone: (949) 646-4202

Cuisine: American

Specialty dish: Omelets

Alcohol served: full bar

Dress: casual

Family friendly: yes, eight-item children’s menu

Credit cards accepted: American Express, Visa and MasterCard

Rating: ** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.