Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
Getting a puppy is fun and exciting. However, once she comes home, that’s when the fun begins. First thing: housebreaking. We hung a string of bells on the patio door and taught Rosie to ring them when she has to go out. Unfortunately, she loves the outside and rings those bells every 15 minutes. If we don’t take her out, she sits in front of us and looks at us as if to say, “do you feel lucky”? Secondly: The trips to the vet. You experience the fun of driving in your car with a warm, steaming bag of Rosie’s daily constitution. And presenting it to a vet tech. Last but not least: The ever-popular weigh-in at the vet. This is like trying to get a two-year-old who’s hopped up on too much sugar to sit still. Grandparents can relate to this, but with grandkids you send them home and let their parents deal with it. We just put her on the scale and let the vet tech deal with it. As far as anyone can tell, Rosie weighs between two and 127 pounds. With all the trips to her vet, we pass by the Garden Berry Café in Hampshire. After we imprison Rosie in her crate, we headed out for a late breakfast.
Garden Berry Café
199 S. State Street
Hampshire 60140
(224) 218-7073
gardenberrycafeshampshire.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to Rte. 72 West to State Street North to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 16 minutes
This location previously was home to the Rose Garden Restaurant. This restaurant is handicap accessible but be advised, there is only street parking available, but there is plenty of it.
Inside, this venue is reminiscent of a small-town family restaurant.
There is nothing pretentious or fancy about this restaurant, it’s just warm and inviting. The waitstaff goes out of their way to make you feel at home.
They have a very extensive breakfast/lunch menu to satisfy everyone. One item in particular caught our eye, potato pancakes. We mean REAL potato pancakes!!! These are an old school favorite. We’ve been to restaurants where they have smashed hashbrowns or worse yet, put potatoes in pancake batter.
Jim spotted the Stuffed Potato Pancakes ($11.95) which was two potato pancakes stuffed with scrambled eggs, bacon, and topped with cheddar cheese. What arrived were two frisbee sized potato pancakes, crispy on the outside, seasoned and stuffed to perfection. He was pleasantly surprised how delicious it was, and he took half his meal home in a doggie bag.
Nancy had to one-up me in the potato duel. She ordered the Create Your Own Omelet ($13.95) which comes with four ingredients. She chose bacon, green pepper, onion, and American cheese. This came with two sides and she chose hash browns (extra crispy) and potato pancakes (2). The omelet was chock full of all the ingredients, and the eggs barely held it together. The entrée was a big hit, especially the potato pancakes!!! She took half her meal home with her in a doggie bag for herself, not Rosie.
All in all, this family café was an unexpected treat. The food was delicious, the service was friendly, and their portions were huge. It is only a short distance away and it is well worth the drive. All of the breakfast entrees coming out of the kitchen looked awesome.
The price for our “Potato Pancake Palooza” was $31.50. Finding good, authentic potato pancakes, priceless…
Jim’s take: This breakfast was tasty, reasonably priced, and very satisfying.
Nancy’s take: The price for a create your own omelet was very affordable. The potato pancakes are a nice addition to any breakfast.
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
