Mornin' Sunshine

Brookside by Day has come to be known as one of the best breakfast destinations in town. You're extremely lucky if you find yourself not having to wait for a table on a Saturday or Sunday morning. In the heart of Brookside, this neighborhood diner has been flipping flapjacks and pouring hot cups of coffee since 1991.

Manager Everett Estes described BBD as simply a popular "local neighborhood joint."

I've been there many times during the years, and only on a few occasions have I not been fully satisfied with my meals. In fact, I like it so much that I recently sampled two breakfasts on two separate occasions to get my morning fix.

My first visit was on a Sunday morning a little after 9am. I was flabbergasted by the overflowing crowd, dining both inside and outside, waiting in line for a table and phoning in their orders. I planted myself at the bar because I was dining for one, and because that was the only open seat. After a few minutes, I was greeted warmly by a server who was bustling about at full speed--working the register, taking orders and moving food and dishes in a timely fashion.

No time for small talk among servers this morning. Orders were flying in and out of the serving window, waiters and waitresses were attending to customers, and the atmosphere was a gleeful one. Cacophonous chatter filled the air and mouth-watering aromas wafted around me. I love breakfasts, and simple ones are my mainstay, but that day I was up for what Estes said was very popular among BBD regulars and happens to be one of my BBD favorites, the Basic Murrito ($7.75).

Under the "House Specialties" section on the menu, the Murrito is a large, slightly warm flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, crumbled pork sausage, chopped fresh green onions and shredded cheddar cheese. This was served with small portions of fresh, homemade guacamole, sour cream, picante sauce and BBD's famous homefries. This Murrito can be dry without the accompanying sides, so I spread all three atop the Murrito. Actually, a little more of each is needed to cover the entire tortilla. The eggs were scrambled hard, and the sausage was free of any excess grease. Each bite was a tasty blend of all the ingredients' flavors. Fresh jalapeños would have been a great final touch to this meal.

The homefries are diced potatoes, baked and sprinkled lightly with seasoned salt. Because they were baked, they were light and slightly crisp.

Round Two

Seats were readily available on my second visit, an early Tuesday morning shortly before 8am. I selected a two-top table by the window looking out to Peoria.

Another House Specialty menu item caught my eye: Country Benny ($7.75). My server explained the Benny like this: an English muffin is halved, each side is then topped with a flat sausage patty, a poached egg, smothered in white gravy, then topped with crumbled pieces of bacon. This comes with homefries.

I wanted to tackle this gastronomic challenge. I ordered the poached eggs cooked to be on the "runny side." This breakfast was all I imagined it would be. Cutting through my first mound of muffin was a delicate matter, needing a certain amount of agility. The cut was clean, and the runny yolk, once pierced, blended nicely with the gravy, adding a nice cohesive, fuller dimension of flavors. The Benny was a bit messy to eat but well worth the effort and the calories. The crispy bacon collaborated well with the soft and almost soggy muffin, the creamy gravy and the soft poached eggs.

Giving three stars for atmosphere may raise eyebrows, but for what BBD is, it does it well. It has all the charm of a well-worn restaurant, and perhaps in some estimation, a classic Tulsa dive. Photos of Tulsa scapes were on some of the walls.

Estes said BBD is primarily known for its breakfasts, but customers should give their lunch menu a glance. He said their hamburgers and sandwiches are lesser known but are equally as good. In addition, the lunch menu features soups and salads, hot and cold sandwiches, a few entrees such as Chicken Fried Chicken ($7.95), Chicken Fried Steak ($7.95), Pork Chops ($8.95), Fried Shrimp Basket ($9.50) and Grilled Chicken Breast Dinner ($7.95). There is also a children's menu.

Brookside by Day

3313 S. Peoria

745-9989

Hours:

Mon.-Sat. 7am-2pm

Sun. 8am-2pm

Rating:

Atmosphere ***

Food ****

Service *****