First Impression

John: So I was walking through Wal-Mart last week when someone asked me if I was the guy that does the Dining Duo. I thought about saying no, but since I am the guy that does the Dining Duo, I said yes. Anyway, the loyal reader only had one question for me, "When the heck are you guys going to eat breakfast again?" After getting the question, I drove straight to the office, checked the Beacon archives and noticed that we haven't done a breakfast review in over five months. Well loyal reader I met in Wal-Mart, that ends today. This week we headed out to Mansell Road's newest dining establishment, Lakeview Bistro. The restaurant specializes in breakfast, lunch and early dinners, which is why it opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. I'm not sure that there is a table with a lakeview anywhere inside of the Lakeview Bistro, but when you walk in, you definitely get a bistro feel. Bistros are known for their low prices while European bistros are known for their outdoor settings. Lakeview had both of these. If you’re there on a crisp, sunny morning, make sure you sit outside. Outdoor breakfasts are the best way to start your day.

Tim: My first thought upon hearing that we were going to a place called "Lakeview" was that there better be a view of a lake. I hate it when people name their place something like that just to be catchy, and the place is nowhere near a lake. Luckily for them, there is a lake. They have a door to a little walk-on balcony where you can view the lake that gives the Lakeview Bistro its name. I don't know if the lake itself has a name, but from now on I'm going to call it Lake Lakeview Bistro. So if you wanted to get technical you could call the restaurant Lake Lakeview Bistro-view Bistro. That's not as catchy though.

John: 8
Tim: 8

Appetizers

John: Breakfast isn't exactly a meal where you eat appetizers, so I'll talk about our side dishes here. I had hashbrowns and sausage. Tim had oatmeal, grits and bacon. Since Tim is a purported 'grits' expert, I listened to him when he said 'you have to put salt on them.' Let me make a long story short, Tim ruined the grits and we both agreed that he is not allowed to touch the food anymore except to eat it. The hashbrowns were phenomenal. They weren't your every day hashbrowns either. The chopped potatoes were blanketed with seasoning and spices that you usually don't find on hashbrowns. As far as side dishes are concerned, they were the best thing on my plate. The oatmeal was a little to thick for me. If you've ever made oatmeal at home, the directions usually say, 'add four more ounces of milk for creamier oatmeal.' Lets just say that I always add the four more ounces.

Tim: I grew up in south Georgia where grits and breakfast go hand in hand like hot oil and breading. So I love grits and I know how they're supposed to taste. But I don't know if I can retain my unofficial title as a grits expert because I made the rookie mistake of salting the grits before I tasted them. One bite and I knew I had messed up. But if I mentally scale back the saltiness to what it originally would have been had I not added more, I think the grits would have been perfect. As for the other "sides," here's my quick advice: Dodge the oatmeal, get the hashbrowns (the menu called them hashbrowns, but where I come from this style of potato is called home fries) and savor the bacon and sausage (they were excellent).

Hashbrowns: John 9, Tim 8
Sausage: John 7, Tim 8
Grits: John N/A, Tim 8 (based on my mentally scaled back saltiness)
Bacon: John 7, Tim 8
Oatmeal: John 5, Tim 3

Entrées

John: For the main part of the brunch, we went with French toast and scrambled eggs. Lakeview also has quiche, pastries and assorted quesadillas, but we didn't realize that until after we ordered. I blame Tim, he was assigned the task of menu research this week and he failed miserably. Back to the French toast and eggs. The French toast was absolutely tasty. On the outside, it was crispy and soft at the same time. If you're a home French toast enthusiast, crispy and soft is what you should be shooting for every time. The scramble eggs were just that, scrambled eggs. Lakeview didn't add anything special; they just serve them up the old fashioned way.

Tim: My favorite thing to do with breakfast is to mix my eggs and my grits together and create one big mosh pit of breakfasty goodness. After I wrecked the grits, I knew that wasn't going to happen. And unfortunately the eggs needed all the help they could get. They were runny. This is a matter of personal preference, but runny eggs aren't my thing. Perfect scrambled eggs are tough to define, but you know them when you see them, and I didn't see them at Lakeview.  Fortunately, they're eggs. They're not inherently bad. The problem is easily remedied by leaving them on the skillet for a few more seconds.

I'm with Breech. The French toast was excellent. Also, Lakeview serves pancakes if you get there before 10:30 a.m. We got there right after 10:30 so we missed out, but based on the French toast, I'm guessing it's worth getting out of bed a few minutes earlier to get there for pancake time.

Scrambled Eggs: John 6, Tim 5
French Toast: John 8.5, Tim 8

Desserts

John: Dessert was definitely the best part of the meal. For three dollars, you can get a giant slice of cake that should probably cost 10 dollars. I went with carrot cake, Tim went with the red velvet cake. I don't know who decided to put carrots and cake together, but if I ever meet that person, I'm definitely going to give them a high five or a hug. Anyway, the carrot cake had everything you want in a carrot cake: nuts, cream cheese frosting and bits of carrot. If my parents are reading, can you please buy me a carrot cake for my next birthday. Thank you.

Tim: First of all I'm not the least bit surprised that Breech still relies on his parents for his birthday cakes, even though he's almost 30. He probably still has pinatas and petting zoos at his parties too. Secondly, I know cake is not exactly a breakfast food. But as Breech said, Lakeview also has many brunch items. And technically you can have dessert after brunch, so we used that as our excuse. And it's a good thing we did. I'm thinking of adding cake to my regular breakfast regimen. I liked the red velvet cake better, but at this point we're only really talking about which $100 bill is crisper.

Carrot Cake: John 9, Tim 8
Red Velvet: John 8, Tim 9

Final Impression

John: Now here's the best part about Lakeview's breakfast: it was only $3.99. And yes, you read that right. For just under four dollars, I was able to order French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage and hashbrowns. And don't think it was just my meal, Tim's also cost $3.99. There's a big chalk board menu hanging over the counter and it explains the breakfast offerings clearly, "Pick any four items for $3.99." And don't think Lakeview skimps you on the portions. Had I been so inclined, I could have made my plate full of food last me all day, the hashbrowns on my plate alone could have fed three people. Not sure if I mentioned this yet, but breakfast is only served until 11 a.m. After that, you're eating lunch.

Tim: This is, bar none, the best breakfast deal in town. Four heaping portions of breakfast items for four dollars. Sure there's room for improvement, but why would I go anywhere else to get a basic, well-rounded breakfast when I can get it at Lakeview for four dollars? I almost felt like I was stealing or something. And there's plenty of reasonably priced variety if you don't want to get just the four items. Solid food, good environs, and Lake Lakeview Bistro - what else could you possible want in a breakfast place?

John: 7.5
Tim: 7