Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.
To me, it's a not-to-be-missed ritual.
So, when we were in Pittsburgh, we asked: "Where's the best breakfast in town?"
And the answer was always one of two choices: DeLuca's or Pamela's.
Both are down-home joints in Pittsburgh's Strip District. The District is a gritty row of warehouse-style food vendors, variety stores, bars and cafes similar to South Philadelphia's Italian Market. But the Strip District is more eclectic and the street itself is wider allowing for more room to roam.
Anyway, we settled on the one closest to our hotel -- DeLuca's, a long, somewhat narrow storefront that includes tables, booths and counter service. Folks described it to us as a "diner" but since we're from Joizee it's really not like any diner we ever saw.
A diner is a place that you drive up to. But it's best to simply walk to DeLuca's as parking in the Strip can be a problem.
When we arrived at DeLucas we encountered quite a long line. We were warned. No reservations. No beepers. No waiting list. "Just get in line, hon. We'll tell ya when we're ready for ya."
And the truth is that we really didn't have to wait very long. It was a bright, sunny, exceptionally pleasant day and after about 30 minutes we were seated in a comfortable booth. Comfortable but not plush. No padding, just plain wooden booths.
Coffee arrived within seconds.
DeLuca's breakfast menu is vast. Pancakes. Egss. Omelets. Waffles. Lots of breakfast "meat". And they will ask you: "What meat do you want with that?"
Do you want waffles or pancakes with whipped cream and chocolate chips and all kinds of other sweet gooey stuff early in the morning? You can have it at DeLuca's. Do you want a mammoth six-egg omelet with your choice of ingredients? You can have it at Deluca's.
Well, our appetites weren't nearly that large. But we did enjoy coffee, eggs, bacon, waffles and the usual accompaniments.
The atmosphere in DeLuca's is loud, bustling, real. The joint obviously hasn't changed in quite some time and people like it that way.
Service was prompt and direct. And the prices were reasonable -- in the $5 - $10 range, but no credit cards, please.
Our over-easy eggs came with slightly-burnt edges around the whites, just the way we like them. The bacon was incredibly crisp and fresh. The coffee was strong and flavorful. And the waffle? Well, it was the best we've ever had. The best waffle ever!
DeLuca's boasts "Pittsburgh's best breakfast." We haven't tried Pamela's yet. But for now, we can't argue with DeLuca's claim.
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