Call me crazy, but any restaurant with chandeliers made from pastel colored tea cups and pepper shakers with little fried eggs painted on them should get five stars. If I had any authority to do that, Cafe 222 would get five stars from me.
The day I tried breakfast here, at their great Downtown location on 2nd and Island, was a lucky day. I found a meter right around the corner with an hour of time still on it, there was no wait for a table, and we got to sit on the patio out front without requesting it. That was it. If you’re waiting for me to tell you I won the lottery, I’m sorry but the rest of this review will disappoint you.
The chandeliers (they sell them!) and the pepper shakers are just two small details that create a comfortable and quirky atmosphere. The round dining room and the dog friendly patio were full of people having a laid back breakfast in this thoughtfully designed space so I know I’m not the only person who thinks that.
Most people I saw eating breakfast were enjoying pancakes and waffles, or maybe that was my subconscious taunting me because I didn’t order either. I had breakfast with my vege friend who had a spinach and cheese scramble which looked pretty amazing. She didn’t offer any to me but she did say a few times that it was very good (which might be why she didn’t share).
Last but definitely not least: Their website. They had me at the colorful flying dots and the picture of a sassy lady with a waffle on her head but the best part is the recipe page. Yes. There are five videos of owner, Terryl Gavre, creating their recipes, including the popular stuffed french toast which was featured on Bobby Flay’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”!
The videos are funny. In the recipe for the Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast, she almost forgets the secret ingredient: rum. She says she uses cheap rum because, “At the restaurant, if I had the good stuff, my cooks would be guzzling it all day in their orange juice.”