Don’t dawdle; waddle to Penguin Cafe

Lauren Vane

In search of fuel for a much-needed session of spring cleaning, last

weekend I hit up the Penguin Cafe to kick-start my Saturday.

When we walked up and saw the little restaurant packed with a

cheery breakfast crowd, I knew I had picked the right place. A

seemingly seasoned patron of the cafe guided me toward the makeshift

waiting list -- a clipboard tacked to the door -- and I put my name

down and took a seat on the bench outside.

Within a few seconds, a friendly host called my name and led us

inside to a tiny table near the front. There was barely enough room

between tables, and we got to know our neighbors pretty quickly, but

I didn’t mind. It only added to the cozy atmosphere.

As I perused the menu, two hot mugs of coffee appeared on the

table. It only takes one glance up at the walls to understand that

Penguin is more than just a name here -- it’s a theme. The walls are

covered with sun-faded penguin art of all kinds. From posters to

figurines, this is penguin central.

The breakfast menu -- the cafe also serves lunch -- reads like

most breakfast menus, augmented with some spicy alternatives like

chorizo and cheese ($6.25) or the tamale and eggs ($6.95), consisting

of a beef tamale, covered in chili cheese and onions, accompanied by

two eggs, potatoes and toast.

Remembering that cleaning my house from top to bottom would

require a lot of energy, I sought out the dish with the best

combination of carbohydrates and protein -- the Griddle Combo

($7.25), which is a plate of two pancakes, two eggs, two slices of

bacon and potatoes.

The house specialties appealed to my boyfriend, who ordered the

Breakfast Penguin ($6.25), a fried ham and egg sandwich with cheese,

lettuce, tomato, mayo and potatoes. He loves spicy food, so he poured

on the cafe’s homemade salsa and gave the sandwich five stars.

It took a valiant effort to keep all the plates, silverware,

condiments and coffee cups balanced on the small table, but if you

don’t mind reaching over your dining companion’s plate to get to the

sugar, then no worries. As the music of ABBA played loudly in the

background, my fork was dancing all over my plate, from the pancakes

to the bacon to the eggs and back again.

The Penguin Cafe is funky, and there’s nothing fancy about the

decor, but it all adds up to a unique experience, one that obviously

keeps customers coming back.

With the sweet combination of syrup and several cups of coffee in

my stomach, I felt inspired to wipe a winter’s worth of dust from the

floors of my house. The feeling was likely a result of a lot of

caffeine and sugar, but nonetheless the Penguin Cafe left me full and

ready to clean -- or ready to nap.