The food was pretty speedy. These ladies have this place down to a science, and they still manage to chat up the regulars. My eggs came nicely over-easy, with two pieces of soft, toasted rye bread buttered perfectly. Now, there are two things that make this place stand out above all the others we've reviewed so far: the first is the tasty grated potatoes, the second is the kielbasa (kubasa, koubasa, koulbasa, however you want to spell it) that you can get with breakfast. While the sausage and bacon options were perfectly scrumptious (sampled by others in our group), the garlic sausage came nicely seared and in five huge chunks. It’s almost a meal in itself.

The thing to note about the grated potatoes is that they take much less time to cook, so they're put on fresh. They have a satisfying feeling in my mouth that I can't quite explain. It stimulated basal instincts in me of wanting to catch and kill my food. With the potatoes already shredded I felt I was rending apart my kill.

I know that not too many people have stalked the wild potato across the plains. They have never felt the thrill of pouncing on a wild one and ripping it apart on the spot.

Reading this last paragraph, I have to conclude that my enjoyment of potatoes is so deep-seated that it is necessary to cite my Irish heritage for this passion.

As for the decor, it wasn’t very overt. The place is pretty tiny (adding to it's busy atmosphere) and aside from the plastic covers on the tables, is devoid of kitsch. It is however, a pleasant, inoffensive decor with some items on the wall that weren’t particularly memorable.

I'm trying to keep in mind is that since there were so many people in the place, it was difficult to get a good feeling for it and it's decor. It's entirely possible that there is kitsch in there to be found, but it was being eaten on when we were there.

The best potatoes so far. Mind the short hours it's open during the week (not open Sat. or Sun.), and go eat sausage with some police. It's garlicky good!

SEPTEMBER 12 2007

WANABEES DINER

639 BROADWAY

Breakfast Special $4.87 after tax

w/free coffee refills

This was our second attempt at breakfast here this week. We came earlier looking for eggs but were told they stop serving breakfast after 11am so that they can free up grill space for burgers, etc. This isn't a review of the lunch we ended up having that day, but I will say that I enjoyed their breakfast more.

So when we came back on time it was quite busy; it’s a testament to the quality of food that the place is usually packed. I could mention the fact that a large part of their clientèle consists of the police, but I don't know exactly what that signifies. I'll refrain from making jokes; however, the fact remains that donuts are NOT served at Wanabees.

Even though it was busy, we still got prompt and efficient service. The two ladies who run the place are constantly running around, covering the entire restaurant in an omnipresent sort of way. They truly seemed everywhere at once.

Coffee came fast and was completely adequate. It's almost as if there's generic 'diner' brand coffee, and this came from that pot. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, it was enjoyable. I appreciate the metal containers they have for the cream for aesthetic reasons, much more than I do individual creamers that other places have.