What To Have

So i got a call early one sunday afternoon about a place called Gaks. Gaks is a Coffee House & Tea Room located at 3048 Medlin Drive. It’s a little outside of downtown, but wow what great food.

I went there one a Thursday for breakfast and i was extremely impressed. To start, the coffee is roasted locally at a place called 8th Sin Coffee Company, it was some of the best i’ve had. My friend, Dylan, called me about the great food and the inviting atmosphere. It’s not what i expected for the middle of a little shopping center. You walk in and there are a some small tables (4 tops) and some couches. It’s what i would think of for a coffee shop, not the great breakfast place he described.

The way Dylan desribed the pancakes, my grandmother could have been in the kitchen cooking. I’ll have to say i was impressed and pleased. The owner, Sally Finch, cooks them almost like grandma used to make. The only difference is they are the biggest pancakes i’ve ever seen. I like crunch outside edges and fluffy inside in my pancakes. These had both, except the inside fluffy was about an inch thick. No joke. It was like sweet fried pancake biscuits that were 5-6 inches around, and these were in the small order. I cant imagine the large pancake, but i’m tempted to try it (like the ole 96′er).

Top the coffee and pancakes with made to order breakfast, eggs, bacon or sausage, homemade grits, toast etc.. and it’s a filling home cooked meal.

If you like a good hearty breakfast you’ve got to try this.
They’re open:tues-fri from 7.30-3, Sat 9-3 and Sun 10-3.

–Matt

I affectionately call brunch at Hibernian the “meat buffet”. This was on my short list of places to go for a hang-over cure. Greasy food etc.. seemed to fit the bill. This last trip completely surprised me though, it’s no longer just what I’d consider a meat buffet, everything was excellent and very fresh.

Now, I will say that I ate my share of meat during this trip, the bacon they have is crispy and there’s tons of it. They also have English sausage, which you don’t find many places. They’ve branched in their offering to a few local favorites and some things you’d never expect to find in a Pub here in the states.

They offered biscuits and gravy. It was traditional white sausage gravy, but the biscuits had baked in cheese. Very good, I’d never thought of that. Here’s a short list of some additional items I’d suggest:

• fresh sliced tomatoes with crumbled blue cheese (on of my favorites).
• Eggs benedict
• Excellent pastries stuffed with cream cheese, cinnamon or apple
• Fresh salad, both traditional and Caesar
• Seared filet. One of the best items here, medium steak sliced thin and piled high
• Potatoes au gratin
• Smoked salmon

This list is nowhere near inclusive, this is just what I remember trying and really enjoying. If you’re in the area early Sunday, stop by Hibernian and give their buffet a try, I’m sure everyone in your group will find something they like. And nursing a headache or not, I’ll be back soon.

–Matt

I truly enjoy brunch on an early sunday afternoon in downtown Raleigh, whether getting ready for an afternoon of watching football, nursing a headache from a long night out on the town or getting ready for whatever Sunday might bring.

Humble Pie offers one of the best brunches around. I’ve had brunch at Humble Pie many times, their menu ranges from the traditional southern biscuits and gravy to huevos rancheros. This trip however, I got another one of my favorites. The Cobelt Sandwich. Brunch starts with their fresh made biscuits with jelly/butter. Try the fresh squeezed OJ as well.

I am a fan of BLT’s, I’d consider them one of my favorite comfort foods right up there with mac and cheese. This sandwich is definitely something to try. They start with texas toast (already good in my book) along with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo, they add cheese, sliced onion and a fried egg. If it sounds sort of like a fried egg sandwich and a BLT to you, then you’re catching the drift. The taste is like nothing I’ve had before in a sandwich. I’d suggest cutting the sandwich down the middle so the egg yolk runs out and touches every bite. Come hungry, this one is a monster.

–Matt