The month-long Munch Madness breakfast bracket came down to a showdown between two No. 1 seeds – Cozy Diner and Countryside Cafe – and the finals were anything but a letdown.
With omelets getting rave reviews in the late rounds, I opted to judge both on the merits of their egg-wrapped meals, served with potatoes and toast.
I had to try the Cozy Diner's Californian after hearing tell of the burst of flavor found inside. I wasn't disappointed.
The vegetables, bacon and cheese were enhanced nicely by light hollandaise sauce and nicely cooked eggs to pack a punch with every bite. Sliced avocado on top let me make every few bites even more delicious.
The hash browns were crispy and hot when they arrived and, had it not been for my enthusiasm to dig into the omelet, the potatoes would have been gone before fork ever touched egg.
The toast was good, but honestly, this breakfast was about the omelet and there was no way I would let myself fill up on bread.
Overall, I left the table stuffed and very happy. You won't go wrong with the Californian or, from what I saw at the tables around me, just about anything else on Cozy Diner's breakfast menu.
Countryside was quiet the morning I visited, with only two other groups of diners – one of which chatted away about the breakfast bracket throughout their meal. This was a sharp contrast to Cozy, which is full most mornings. But it was a relaxing place to start my day.
The closest omelet to the Californian on Countryside's breakfast menu is the Veggie Omelet, so I ordered it and a side of bacon to get roughly the same combination of filling.
The Veggie lives up to its name, absolutely brimming with al dente peppers, zucchini and just about any other treat from the garden you can think of, all topped with sharp cheddar cheese.
The bacon was ideally crisp and delicious, but masked the delicate balance of flavors coming from the vegetable medley. After a few bites both with and without bacon, I opted to enjoy the bacon on its own – allowing me to savor the taste – and then return to the omelet and its crispy filling.
The potatoes at Countryside are, fittingly, country style. But they are diced very small, ensuring that each bite is cooked through – moist on the inside, with plenty of crispy goodness in each cube. Nicely done and as good as most hash browns.
Only able to finish one slice of toast, but it was lightly golden and not overly saturated with butter.
In the end it was a tough decision. Both omelets were amazing and flavorful, accompanied by equally impressive potatoes and fast, friendly service.
The biggest difference between the two experiences was the restaurants themselves – Cozy being an everyman's diner bustling with activity, and Countryside a peaceful oasis beautifully decorated and furnished.
Maybe it's just me, but breakfast just tastes better in a busy diner full of a cross-section of the community swapping stories, sharing a laugh and lingering over a meal or a cup of coffee.
The Cozy Diner fits this description perfectly and the Californian earns it a narrow victory in the 2010 Munch Madness Chompionship.
Editor's note: The best breakfast in Tehama County is the one you most like.
We have had a great time sampling the community's top 16 eateries and our waistlines attest to the fact that we've had plenty of fine, filling breakfast dishes.
The intent of Munch Madness is to introduce readers to a variety of local restaurants and their dishes, perhaps encouraging a reader to venture out of an old favorite and discover a new one.
Thanks to the handful of readers who let us know their favorites were left out – I'll be stopping by Hal's Eat 'em Up soon after getting a number of calls regarding its omission.
On behalf off all the judges, we hope you have enjoyed our tour of Tehama County's most important meals of the day and look forward to the 2011 Munch Madness.