Nothing beats breakfast - no matter what time of the day you're eating it. Baltimore is blessed with some great breakfast spots, from greasy spoons to gourmet bistros.
1. Blue Moon Cafe
Photo by Mike Unger
What Makes It Special: Blue Moon serves perhaps the most imaginative breakfast in town. Items like the Captain Crunch French toast (highlighted on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) set its menu apart, and fresh ingredients are the rule, not the exception. The hash browns are remarkable, perfectly crisp on the bottom yet comfortingly mushy inside. If you have a sweet tooth, Blue Moon's cinnamon rolls are not to be passed up.
Special Hours: Blue Moon closes at 3 p.m. on weekdays, but on the weekends it reopens at 11 p.m. and stays open all night.
Phone: 410-522-3940
Where It Is: 1621 Aliceanna St.
Special Hours: Blue Moon closes at 3 p.m. on weekdays, but on the weekends it reopens at 11 p.m. and stays open all night.
Phone: 410-522-3940
Where It Is: 1621 Aliceanna St.
2. Papermoon Diner
Photo by Mike Unger
What Makes It Special: Its funkiness factor - and the food, of course. Papermoon's menu features sandwiches and dinner entrees, but breakfast is what sets it apart. Fat omelettes, huge pancakes, and especially tasty crispy little hash browns cubes are among my favorites.
Special Hours: No longer a 24-hour option, Papermoon is open from 7 a.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays, and from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Phone: 410-889-4444
Where It Is: 227 W. 29th St.
Special Hours: No longer a 24-hour option, Papermoon is open from 7 a.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays, and from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Phone: 410-889-4444
Where It Is: 227 W. 29th St.
3. Greg's Bagels
What Makes It Special: Imported from around the world, Greg's selection of smoked fish is second to none. Their bagels consistently rank among the best in the city in reader polls, and Greg's offers unique flavors you won't find anywhere else (cornbread bagel anyone?) The food here is top quality, and the atmosphere is just what you're looking for on a lazy, relaxing Sunday morning.Phone: 410-323-9463
Where It Is: 519 E. Belvedere Ave.
4. Broadway Diner
What Makes It Special: A menu that includes everything. Literally (almost). Italian, seafood, Greek, down-home American and traditional deli offerings are on the menu, which basically is a book. Breakfast-wise, Broadway Diner is solid if not spectacular. Omelettes and combo plates are straightforward and satisfying, and the sausage links are particularly gratifying in an artery-clogging kind of way. Try the Lumberjack: three pancakes with ham, bacon, sausage and two eggs. If you can finish it, you're more of a man than I.Hours: Broadway Diner is open 24 hours a day. It never closes!
Phone: 410-631-5666
Where It Is: 6501 Eastern Ave.
5. Sip and Bite
What Makes It Special: Open 24 hours and situated at the corner of Aliceanna and Boston streets, Sip and Bite is the perfect greasy spoon for the post-bar crowd. The food is, frankly, unremarkable, but after a dozen Alabama slammer shots, a plate of scrambled eggs with a generous size of hash browns is just what the doctor ordered.Hours: Sip and Bite is open 24 hours a day. It never closes!
Phone: 410-675-7077
Where It Is: 2200 Boston St.
