Sweet deals to be had at HoneyBaked

Doug Tabbert

The storefront is laden with glass in a not-particularly-inviting

design, but one ought to think twice before dismissing this cafe

within a neo-butcher shop. The windows that reflect the traffic along

Beach Boulevard do not relate the modern interior of the restaurant.

The traditional motif is evident, not only in the sharply framed

pictures of roasts, scalloped potatoes and, of course, honeyed hams,

but in the menu. This menu, breakfast through dinner, screams that

the standard fare of days gone by is not inferior for any lack of

fine-tuning. The glory is in the details, as evidenced by the

description of the lean honey baked ham feast ($7.95): “The ham is

topped with a secret pineapple macadamia nut glaze and a caramelized

pineapple ring.” This dish comes with potatoes and yams, which are

sprinkled with roasted pecans and cinnamon.

I was present in the morning hours and spent some time sipping

coffee and milling through Trivial Pursuit cards in my nicely

upholstered, tan booth. There is Boggle and Connect Four, neatly in

their respective boxes, atop the other stone-slab tiled tables.

I chose from the French toast menu, even though the omelet menu

looked tantalizing. All the flash-baked omelets were under $9. I

went whole hog, opting for banana bread French toast ($6.95). It

doesn’t get any sweeter, and the banana bread dipped in egg batter

and topped with powdered sugar was almost too much. Moreover, I could

have had it stuffed with fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches or

spiced apples.

I splurged and ordered a side of the ham and scrambled eggs for $1

more. I was disappointed in the eggs for not being lighter, and I was

disappointed in myself for not getting them poached, shirred or

basted. Frankly, the famous ham’s reputation left shoes bigger than

could be filled, with descriptions such as “honey cured slices of

hardwood smoked bacon.”

In short, at least for breakfast, stick to the classic choices

like Belgian Waffles, regular French toast or your favorite omelet.

Hot and iced coffee drinks are available as well.

For lunch and dinner, there is an expansive selection of salads,

sandwiches on a variety of breads (including croissants), melts,

wraps and large entrees all from $6 to $10. These are all

meat-oriented dishes -- pork chops, tri-tips and pulled barbecue

turkey.

The cafe offers a decent selection of California wines and a

hearty selection of microbrews. For dessert, there are a few types of

cheesecakes, as well as a good old American apple torte with vanilla

ice cream that’s drizzled with cinnamon.

Elaborate frills augment tradition, without displacing it.

* DOUG TABBERT is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected]