First Impressions

John: Let me be honest with you, you’re probably going to want to read Copsey’s first impression because I have no first impression, I was almost an hour late. I showed up in a cold sweat because I ran three red lights and broke about six traffic laws so that Copsey wouldn’t have to sit alone. What I’m trying to say is this: I am a horrible eating companion who is generally never on time for anything. We were supposed to meet at 10 a.m. sharp for breakfast, Copsey probably started to worry around 10:30 a.m. Although in my defense, I did lose my car keys, but that’s a whole other story. Anyway, when I arrived, it was very homey, like my mom’s kitchen. With one big difference though, the service at Mittie’s was a lot friendlier then anything I ever got in my mom’s kitchen.

Copsey: John “losing his car keys” (I think he just overslept) meant that he made me wait at Mittie’s for about an hour. This would have been bad if not for the attentions of owner Cindy Hoynowski and her daughter Jessica. I was able to sample something that John would have loved: the lobster bisque. This was by far the best lobster bisque I have ever had, with just the right amount of spice and creaminess, and I believed Cindy when she told me that she’s had people visit from Maine and stop by just for the bisque. Between mouthfuls of the stuff I was regailed by the history of the restaurant as well. Apparently it was started by the same person who owns Mittie’s Tea Room in Roswell, named after Mittie Bulloch, the mother of Teddy Roosevelt. Some of the dishes are purported to be Bulloch family recipes, and if it’s lasted 150 years, you know it has to be good.

John: A
Copsey: A

Appetizers

John:  Here’s the thing about being an hour late, when I finally arrived, there was a plate full of muffins on the table. I don’t know if Copsey ate the good ones and left me the bad ones or what, but I grabbed one and bit into it anyway. I was in muffin heaven. The two I ate were both similar to carrot cake, minus the cheesecake frosting. Also, Mittie’s has its own version of whipped cream, something called Chantilly Cream. Let me just say that the Mittie’s version is lighter, fluffier, creamier and tastier then whipped cream, more on this later.

Copsey: I left the tasty muffin for John (but none of the bisque) since I felt he needed something to taste before the main courses arrived. With breakfast, you have the option of including toast, scones, biscuits or muffins as well as fresh fruit salad. I was impressed by the muffins but also by the fruit salad – I’m pretty sure there were things in there I had never eaten before. Was it mango? Was it passion fruit? I’m not sure, but it was nice and juicy.

John: A-
Copsey: A

Entrées

John: When Copsey went ahead and ordered four dishes, our server must have thought he was a weirdo. First, I sampled the Ham and Asparagus Quiche. The trick here is that you have to like asparagus, if you do, then I think you’ll really appreciate this dish. However, I don’t, so this was a one bite and done experience for me. Next up was the Canadian Sausage Pie. I don’t know who at Mittie’s had the resourcefulness to think to themselves, ‘wow, if I take a pie crust, some Canadian sausage, a few apples, a little cheese and some caramelized onions, I’ll have the best breakfast ever.’ Whoever dreamt up this dish should be given a raise. Sausage with onion and apple was something that I thought would be terrible, but the flavors mixed together well. Let me emphasize that this is definitely one of those dishes that you will either love or hate. I was so busy with the Canadian Sausage Pie that I really didn’t touch the Chicken Florentine Crepes that came to the table, Copsey, how were those?

Copsey: Think of a pasta but for breakfast. If that doesn’t get your mouth watering, it should. A thick and creamy Asiago cheese sause combined with the spinach and mushrooms made for such a great opening to the morning, I seriously thought about adding this to my regular diet. The portions were also very large, so ordering four items between two of us was a little overkill. One thing is for sure, if you ever leave Mittie’s with empty room in your stomach, then you’ve done something wrong.

John: B+
Copsey: A-

Dessert

John: I say this every time and I’ll say it again, when you’re eating breakfast, the food is the dessert. In this case, I’m referring to the New Orleans Toast. Mittie’s finally does something that Chefs should have started doing years ago: they stopped giving France credit for French toast, hence the New Orleans toast. The bread was custard-soaked and topped with almond slices and fresh strawberries, not to mention a healthy amount of the Chantilly Cream. Let’s just say that I will never be eating French toast again, I’ll take the New Orleans version from here on out. While we’re at it, let’s stop crediting Belgium with the waffle.

Copsey: This was definitely a highlight of the meal – you can’t get much simpler than French toast, even if it is called something else. It was so gooey and moist it pretty much dissolved as soon as you ate it. I can see why it’s so popular with Mittie’s clientele. 

John: A
Copsey: A

Final Impression

John: As I mentioned before, this place is homey; it reminded me of a cross between a diner and Laura Ingles’ cabin on Little House on the Prairie. Oh and if you order a dish at Mittie’s and for some reason you don’t like it (this probably won’t happen, but if it does) load it up with the Chantilly Cream, it makes anything better. I put a small spoonful on my quiche and bam, I loved the quiche. Anyway, Mittie’s is called a “tea room café,” but I never ended up tasting any of the teas, it could have had something to do with the fact I was an hour late, I don’t know. However, if their tea is half as good as their New Orleans toast, then I may want to head back and try it. Copsey, you’re from England, a land known for only working three hours a day because the other six are filled with tea time. Did you get a chance to try the tea?

Copsey: No, I did not. I had some of the freshly squeezed OJ instead. And the lobster bisque. I also did not try the typical breakfast staples of eggs with the breakfast, figuring everyone knows what eggs taste like. Looking at the menu, I might just go back to sample these dishes, since they look tasty. Mittie’s is located across from the mega churches on Alpharetta’s Main Street, so they probably do some good Sunday breakfast. In fact, they have some deal that if you bring in a church bulletin (or temple or mosque or whatever), you’ll get 10 percent off your meal. To me, that shows they have their target demographic nailed down pretty well. It’s strictly a breakfast and lunch place, so don’t come by at 4p.m. expecting someone to be there. Also, for some unfathomable reason, Cindy’s daughter Jessica is a vegan, so she’s pretty picky about what she eats. Lucky for her, much of Mittie’s food works for her. So if you’re looking for a breakfast place serving dishes for just about any palette, Mittie’s should be at the top of your list.

John: A-
Copsey: A