New morning pick-me-up
It’s a good bet that breakfast delivery is more of a thing now that it was in the good ol’ prepandemic days. Check out three fine choices for takeout.
Was breakfast delivery a thing pre-COVID? • Casual observation would suggest that portable breakfast was previously dominated by pastries from coffee shop display cases and greasy breakfast sandwiches from fast food drive-thrus. • I have a hard time imagining somebody saying, “Hey, let’s Postmates some oatmeal and eggs benny!” a few months ago. Of course, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. • Still, it’s a pretty good bet that breakfast delivery is more of a thing now than it used to be. I’m not sure sunny side up eggs would travel very well, but there are an awful lot of traditional morning eats that should translate to takeout and delivery.
If you’re looking for some no-contact breakfast vittles, here are a few of my favorites:
Ollie Vaughn’s
Lindsay Magee’s bakeshop and café is one of my favorite spots in town for breakfast. That she’s among the restaurateurs who are extra cautious about COVID while coming up with creative ways to keep people’s pantries full makes it even more so.
Magee runs a no-contact pickup line in the alley behind Ollie Vaughn’s every Friday, where customers can get their hands on a basket of pantry staples and basic provisions.
But breakfast is the subject of this piece, and that’s Magee’s specialty.
Order online for pickup or in-house delivery, and you’ve got access to the full complement of Ollie Vaughn’s breakfast plates.
The biscuits and gravy are so good I could write a whole piece about them, so I did. French toast made with slabs of banana bread is about as decadent as it sounds, and the only problem with her build-your-own breakfast sandwiches is that they’re so stacked with quality, messy ingredients that it’s going to be all over your car. (Not that you’ll mind.)
Or, just nab some coffee and fantastic pastries. The almond croissant is flaky and light with a righteous crisp; lemon poppyseed cake has a light crumb and a sharp, tart glaze; and Bruce Feirstein can get bent. I’m not skipping the quiche.
Details: 1526 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix. 602-254-1392, ollievaughns.com.
40th Street Cafe
40th Street Cafe is the kind of place you think doesn’t exist anymore, right up until the moment when you discover that it does.
Like a greasy spoon without the grease, this is a no-nonsense breakfast joint — the classics and nothing but the classics, hot and sizzling off a short order grill, delivered by a staff that will spare you the song and dance in favor of quick service and a genuine smile.
40th Street Cafe is low-tech as a matter of philosophy. Carryout here means you call in an order and when you arrive, they’ll run out to grab your credit card, but they’re happy to do a curbside drop.
And there’s a lot to choose from.
You’ve got eggs and sausage with a side of toast, coffee and a roll. There are misshapen pancakes — chippy, if you have kids (or wish you were one) — and big, fluffy, American-style folded-over omelets.
The chicken fried steak, slathered with gravy, is awfully good — juicy meat with a robust, crisp breading. And if you’re from Jersey, this is one of the precious few Phoenix spots I’ve found where you can nab yourself a Taylor Ham/pork roll sandwich — hot off the griddle, enrobed in melted cheese and slipped into crisp buttered toast or a bagel.
Details: 4022 E. Greenway Road, Phoenix. 602-992-2511, facebook.com/40thStreetCafe.
Vovomeena
Of course, if you want the opposite of simple, classic breakfast fare, Vovomeena might be your takeout of choice. Perched on the edge of downtown Phoenix, Vovomeena is ... not subtle. And that’s not a bad thing.
Available to go via phone or their website, plus delivery via Postmates, Vovomeena slings a collection of gutbusters that aren’t afraid to go to 11.
Sure, the tortilla Española — layered egg and sliced potatoes slathered with salsa brava — evokes some more restrained European sensibilities, but then you pivot to the Blackstone scramble, and it’s all pork shoulder and peppers, infused with a blast of fresh garlic and served with tortillas.
Pain perdu is for those who like a little breakfast with their sugar, a whiskey caramel-drenched French toast built on banana bread pudding, and the biscuits and gravy are almost like a bowl of gravy anointed with a couple of biscuits, but damned if it doesn’t work.
The full Vovomeena effect, however, might be best discovered in the B.M.O.C. How many dishes can call a smoked pork chop a topping? It joins two eggs and a fresh Portuguese doughnut atop a thick, delicious waffle, with apple-maple syrup sweetening the whole glorious scene.
9 a.m. and it’s already time for a nap. No worries. A glass of Japanese cold brew will help you push through the food coma.
Details: 1515 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix. 602-252-2541, vovomeena.com.
Tried something delicious lately? Reach the reporter at dominic.armato @arizonarepublic.com or at 602-4448533. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @skilletdoux, and on Facebook at facebook.com/darmato.
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