Kathy and Dave’s Café
949 Forest Ave., Portland
878-6575
Given the choice, I usually look for a breakfast restaurant that offers something a little different: Artemisia’s graham-crusted French toast, for example, or a flank-steak-and-gouda omelet from Bintliff’s. But sometimes I’m in the mood for something a more straightforward. On days when only comfort food will do, it doesn’t get much more comfortable than Kathy and Dave’s.
Located in an unassuming commercial area of Forest Avenue, between Woodford’s Corner and Morrill’s Corner, Kathy and Dave’s is unknown to Portland hipsters who rarely venture off the peninsula. But pull up on a weekend morning and you’re likely to find it packed. The typical crowd is a mix of young families and senior citizens; on a recent trip, I saw more Bermuda shorts with navy blue dress socks than I ever care to see again. Kids are welcome, and a dozen or so extra-large booths make this a natural destination for large parties.
Hungry and bleary-eyed, my wife, three-year-old daughter and I paid Kathy and Dave’s a visit on a recent Saturday morning and found our way to a booth. Our server had coffee on the table in seconds — it was hot and fresh, if a little on the weak side. Refills came quickly and often, and service throughout the morning was impeccable – prompt and courteous almost to a fault.
The menu offers standard diner fare, ranging from the $2.75 two-eggs-and-toast to an 8 oz. steak and eggs for $11.25. Most breakfast entrees are in the $5-to-$7 range, though it’s worth noting that homefries are an add-on.
Taking our cue from the sign out front (“Great Muffins”), we ordered a date-nut muffin to pick at while we waited for our food, and a three-berry muffin (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry) as part of my daughter’s meal. I wasn’t especially impressed with the muffins themselves — I prefer a hearty muffin with a nice, crusty muffin-top; these were more of the soft-and-sweet variety — but they were grilled to perfection and cut in thirds to absorb more buttery goodness.
For my meal, I chose a combination plate of two eggs, bacon, sausage, and cinnamon French toast ($6). Real maple syrup is 75 cents extra. That’s more reasonable than most places, but I still say, We live in Maine, where the stuff practically flows from the ground! It’s time to rise up as one and rebel against this abominable practice! OK, off the soapbox and back to business.
My over-medium eggs were a little closer to medium-well, but still edible. The bacon was thin and nicely crisped. The sausages were basic, standard-issue breakfast links, cooked through and not greasy at all. The French toast was nothing special — supermarket-grade, cinnamon-swirl white bread coated with egg — but it served as a perfectly fine vehicle for the aforementioned maple syrup. My daughter gave thumbs-up to her bacon and scrambled eggs with cheddar, while my wife went for her personal comfort-food favorite, corned beef hash, and proclaimed it, “just like Mom used to open.” High praise, indeed.
Kathy and Dave’s may not be the place to go for a special occasion, but for excellent service and honest, unpretentious diner food, they hit the mark every time. The bottom line: If you’re looking for a reasonably priced breakfast at a place where words like “caramelized,” “chevre” and “pecan-encrusted” aren’t on the menu, this may be just the place for you.
— Dan Zarin
Kathy and Dave’s Café is open Mon.-Fri. 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are served weekdays; breakfast only on weekends.
