Monday, 1/31/11

I thought I would try a new place this morning so I went to Voluto Coffee on Penn Avenue. I remember going there shortly after it opened and they had a fairly nice selection of pastries. Well, not any more! The selection was so bad I left. I just continued down towards Lawrenceville and had breakfast at Dozen. I was not disappointed in that they had a delicious cream danish with blueberries on top that was to die for. Unfortunately, the ambience was somewhat marred by employees in the bakery who were laughing and cackling like they were at a Chris Rock concert.

Coffee: Average (I am not a coffee connoisseur, so I usually am fairly liberal with my coffee grading, but their coffee this morning was not hot enough)
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Marred by loud employees
Newspaper: None. Had to settle for a City Paper they had in the establishment

Sunday, 1/30/2011

I had a clever plan this morning that totally backfired. I was going to try the Crazy Mocha in Squirrel Hill but before arriving I stopped at the Allegro Hearth Bakery across the street to get a nice pastry. Unfortunately, the selection at Allegro Hearth was positively awful, so I entered Crazy Mocha pastryless! I had to settle for a totally nondescript cinnamon bun wrapped in Saran Wrap.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Average
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent - nice and quiet which allowed me to read my book about John and Abigail Adams (The First Family)
Newspaper: Not applicable (I already had read the Sunday P-G at home).

Saturday, 1/29/11

I headed over to Make Your Mark this morning whereupon I encountered a recurring theme at this institution. The service can be unbearably slow at times. This happens when you get several people in front of you who want their half-caf mocha chocha ya-ya drinks along with a fancy breakfast. Since there's only one person behind the counter, he/she cannot keep up. That's what happened to me this morning, so I left and walked over to the Coffee Tree at Bakery Square. I was disappointed there because they didn't have any pastries that appealed to me. I settled for a zucchini muffin, which was only so-so. Altogether, an extremely vexing breakfast morning.

Make Your Mark - F for bad service

Coffee Tree:

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Disappointing
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent
Newspaper: Free P-G at Coffee Tree was the highlight of an otherwise exasperating morning.

Friday, 1/28/11

I dined at Panera in Wilkins Township this morning on my way out to the Laurel Highlands. I had a cinnamon scone with my coffee. Panera's scones are pretty good. It's interesting that the scones in every coffee shop in town are entirely different. I guess you get a lot of leeway when it comes to classifying something as a scone.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent
Newspaper: Had to buy a P-G from the rack outside.

Thursday, 1/27/2011

I had another nice breakfast at Caribou Coffee in Fox Chapel. The only negative was I wimped out on the trivia question (how tall is a newborn giraffe?). Anyway, I once again had 2 mini-bun breakfast sandwiches.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent
Newspaper: Had to buy a P-G, but at least they had them there.

Wednesday, 1/26/11

I walked over to the Coffee Tree at Bakery Square this morning. My main complaint at this place is that you never know what they are going to have in the pastry category. I arrived well before 9 am so I thought I had a good shot at their raisin bran muffins, but they didn't have any. So I settled for a very average cranberry scone.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Average
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Average (a little too crowded)
Newspaper: Can't beat a free P-G!

Tuesday, 1/25/11

Takeout breakfast this morning at Make Your Mark was excellent. I was the first one there shortly after 7 am so no waiting. However, they did not have scones so I settled for a bagel with cream cheese to go.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Good (but I wanted a scone!)
Service: Excellent

Monday, 1/24/11

This is it! The perfect breakfast for January was this very morning at the Coffee Tree at Bakery Square. The key seems to be getting there early before they run out of the good muffins and scones. I had their raisin bran muffin, which is unsurpassed in the city of Pittsburgh.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent (Reading about the AFC Chamionship Game and discussing with Emily)Newspaper: Excellent (Free P-G)!

Sunday, 1/23/11

Breakfast at our home in the mountains this morning. Delicious cinnamon toaster strudel and delicious Donut House Coffee from the Kuerig. No problem with the toaster strudel icing either. I think my manual dexterity is improving when it comes to opening those icing packets.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Couldn't be better (myself)
Ambience: Couldn't be better
Newspaper: I got a Sunday P-G yesterday, so that was excellent

Saturday, 1/22/11

I was out in the Laurel Highlands near Somerset this morning, where breakfast options are slim. I had to settle for a cup of coffee and a donut at Sheetz. My only other options out there are Burger King, McDonald's, and Starbucks, none of which are particularly appealing. Maybe I should open my own coffee shop!

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent (Boston creme donut!)
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Terrible (since it was below zero outside, I wolfed down my donut inside the Sheetz)
Newspaper: Terrible. You can't buy Post-Gazettes outside of Allegheny County nowadays.

Friday, 1/21/11

This morning was nearly a disaster, but it was rescued by a nice breakfast at Caribou Coffee in Oakland. We had about 5 inches of snow last night, and as I was scraping the ice and snow off of my car, I somehow dropped my key into the snow and couldn't find it. Fortunately, I had another car key so I could get to work in time to give a talk at 8 am, but because of the time I wasted searching for my key, I didn't have time for breakfast before my talk. Finally, half-starving and dying for some coffee, I dragged myself into Caribou at about 9:30. My spirits were buoyed by a correct trivia question response and then I had coffee and 2 mini-bun breakfast sandwiches. Yummy!

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent
Newspaper: Had to buy a P-G, but at least they had them there.

Thursday, 1/20/11

I had to run some errands at Waterworks this morning so I had breakfast at the Caribou Coffee there. Somewhat to my embarrassment, I got the trivia question wrong (who knew that Confederate officers carried copies of Les Miserable with them during the Civil War?). Anyway, I tried another of their breakfast buns, and it was pretty tasty.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent
Newspaper: Had to buy a P-G, but at least they had them there.

Wednesday, 1/19/11

This morning I had a somwhat hurried breakfast at the Pete on the way to a meeting. The cashier was raving about some exotic new coffee she had brewed but it turned out to be quite ordinary. I had a cinammon scone to go which was OK.

Coffee: Average
Food: OK
Service: Good
Ambience: Excellent (daughter Emily accompanied me)
Newspaper: Free P-G!

Tuesday, 1/18/11

Takeout breakfast this morning at Make Your Mark was not as perfect as last week's. There were 2 problems. Unbelievable, on this icy morning at 7 am there was a guy in front of me in line so I had to wait while he was chatting up the cashier and getting his fancy, schmancy latte. In addition, there were no scones this morning so I had to get a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese. It was delicious - it just takes a few minutes to make so I incurred an additional delay.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Good (but I wanted that scone!)
Service: Average (not the cashier's fault)

Monday, 1/17/11

Another breakfast at our home in the mountains this morning. Delicious cinnamon toaster strudel and delicious Donut House Coffee from the Kuerig. I am delighted to report that this morning was not a gooey mess toaster strudel icing morning.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Couldn't be better (myself)
Ambience: Couldn't be better
Newspaper: Alas, no newspaper

Sunday, 1/16/11

Breakfast at our home in the mountains this morning. Delicious cinnamon toaster strudel and delicious Caribou Coffee from the Kuerig. My only compliant was about those icing packets that come with the toaster strudel. I would say that approximately 50% of the time, the plastic doesn't tear correctly, and you wind up with a gooey icing mess. This morning was a gooey mess morning.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Couldn't be better (myself)
Ambience: Couldn't be better
Newspaper: I got a Sunday P-G yesterday, so that was excellent

Saturday, 1/15/11

Breakfast at McDonald's this morning on the way out to the Laurel Highlands for some fun in the snow! I know it's bad for you, but I love Egg McMuffins and McDonald's coffee is the best (this is according to Consumer Reports and I wholeheartedly agree).

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent (I can't believe they got our order correct at the drive-thru; that almost never happens)
Ambience: Excellent (my car listening to NPR)
Newspaper: None available

Friday, 1/14/11

A real disaster breakfast this morning, which I could have predicted since my morning started off at the VA Hospital, which has absolutely nothing palatable to eat to accompany my morning coffee. So I had some coffee and waited until after my meeting to have something to eat at the Pete. They were out of cinnamon raisin bagels, so I settled for a corn muffin, which I nearly destroyed while trying to spread ice cold butter on it.

Coffee: Average VA coffee
Food: Bad
Service: Good (an exception to the rule at the Pete)
Ambience: OK
Newspaper: Excellent (free P-G at the Pete)

Thursday, 1/13/11

Breakfast at the Petersen Events Center this morning. The highlight of having breakfast at the Pete is they have free newspapers. Otherwise, it is usually disappointing, and this morning was no exception. The service is almost always rude (the cashier was talking on her cell phone while taking my order). They were nearly out of hazelnut coffee, so I had to combine it with some light roast to get a full cup. I had a bran muffin to eat, but it had no raisins so it was awful.

Coffee: Bad
Food: Bad
Service: Bad
Ambience: OK - nice and quiet
Newspaper: Excellent (free P-G)

Wednesday, 1/12/11

Had breakfast at Caribou Coffee in Oakland this morning. I was very proud of myself for answering their trivia quiz and getting ten cents off, but the question was insultingly easy (How many sides on a snowflake? - gimme a break!). Anyway, I had 2 complaints. First, the checkout counter has too much junk on it. There's no room to put down your coffee, food, and newspaper so you can get out your wallet to pay! Clear all that crap out of the way, for God's sake. Second, there's way too many people in there acting like they're doing something important on their laptops when all they are doing is taking up valuable space. Drink your latte and get the hell outa there!

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Average (New breakfast sandwich - too much cheese and too much spinach)
Service: Good - One demerit because I had to remind the cashier to take ten cents off for my correct trivia question answer
Ambience: Good: Nice and quiet in spite of all the laptop people
Newspaper: Good: Was able to purchase P-G (not free, however)

Tuesday, 1/11/11

Perfect breakfast this morning at Make Your Mark, but I have to give it an incomplete because it was takeout. So I can't give it an ambience score today.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent (Cranberry scone)
Service: Excellent

Monday, 1/10/11

Had breakfast at our neighborhood coffee house, Make Your Mark. It was almost perfect until my neighbor walked in. She has 2 loud, yappy dogs which I think she knows cause me endless displeasure, so I tried to avoid eye contact. I think I was successful, but it was an awkward moment nonetheless.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent (Toasted sesame bagel with ample cream cheese on the side)
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent, until my neighbor arrived
Newspaper: Excellent (free P-G)

Sunday, 1/9/11

Shocking, but I got up late and skipped breakfast today.

Saturday, 1/8/11

Had breakfast at Pittsburgh International Airport this morning at Nature's Kitchen while on an airport pickup mission. The muffins and danishes there suck. I sure miss ABP, which was the old coffee shop at the airport. Fortunately, they had plain bagels, which the nice cashier (she was very nice) toasted on what looked like a panini maker. I had only 2 complaints. First, since it was an airport, there were tots in the eating area, but I heard only one scream. Second, the cream cheese I received comes in a tubular package that you have to squeeze out, and when it comes out it always reminds me of a cream cheese turd.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Average
Service: Excellent
Ambience: OK (marred by one kiddy scream)
Newspaper: Good (bought one at airport news stand)

Friday, 1/7/11

This almost never happens. I actually had breakfast at home this morning! Maxwell House coffee from the Tassimo machine and a bagel with cream cheese. No newspaper, however.

Coffee: Excellent
Food: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Ambience: Excellent (Emily Hoffman was there to entertain me)
Newspaper: Deplorable - but I'm too cheap to get home delivery

Thursday, 1/6/11

Somewhat of a change of pace today. I went to Wendy's for breakfast. I had previously purchased a Post-Gazette at a convenience store to satiate my newspaper craving. The service at Wendy's was downright rude. The cashier looked like she hadn't smiled since the Kennedy administration. But the coffee and breakfast panini were pretty good. However, the worst part of my Wendy's experience was that there were a bunch of old guys on the other side of the restaurant with really loud voices having a discussion and carrying on like they owned the place. They were so loud I couldn't concentrate on my newspaper and had to leave.

Coffee: Good
Food: Excellent
Service: Deplorable
Ambience: Deplorable
Newspaper: OK - but I had to buy it myself at another location

Wednesday, 1/5/11

A bad morning for my first breakfast blog post. I drove to the Coffee Tree at Bakery Square and got disgusted because they didn't have any pastries that I liked. So I left in a huff and drove to Whole Foods, where I bought a cranberry-orange scone and their house coffee. Their eating area was quiet and not crowded. However, I was crushed to find out that they no longer have a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette rack outside to purchase a paper. If I don't have a decent newspaper to read with my breakfast, I am miserable. The Tribune-Review does not count as a decent newspaper. So to summarize:

Coffee: Excellent (Whole Foods);
Pastry: Excellent (Whole Foods); Deplorable (Coffee Tree)
Service: Excellent (Whole Foods)
Ambience: Excellent (Whole Foods)
Newspaper: Deplorable (Whole Foods)

Initial Post

Be forewarned. This is a stupid blog. It centers around my daily search for the perfect breakfast. I almost never have breakfast at home even though I am a cheapskate and it makes no sense financially to eat out for breakfast. Usually my breakfast centers around coffee, some kind of pastry, and a newspaper. More on this to follow.