CALGARY: Over Easy Breakfast

The corridor at the top of Edmonton Trail near 8th Street should be renamed the Breakfast Belt, or the Bacon Block, or French Toast Township, or the Huevos Hood (WOOO! Someone’s had too much coffee this morning.)

Joining the always popular, lined-up Diner Delux, and the weekend brunches of fairly new AKA Bistro, and Big Fish in that area is now Over Easy Breakfast.

The chef/owner, who has worked all over Europe and Dubai, has transformed the former Country Kitchen into a bright, modern and welcoming space that makes dragging yourself out of bed less dreary.

The long menu really has something for everyone: from basic bacon and eggs, to omelettes, to four different Benedict variations, to pancakes and French toast, to sweet and savoury crêpes. Non-eggy people can choose from burgers, sandwiches, and even two pastas.

The breakfast panino ($7.69) comes on homemade challah bread, barely able to contain a mushroom, Swiss cheese and roasted tomato omelette. “Fresh fruit garnish” are large slices of grapefruit, canteloupe, watermelon and pineapple that other places would charge as a separate fruit salad.

My Monte Cristo crêpe ($8.49) is amazing, the thin pancake wrapped around spinach, Swiss cheese and an entire grilled chicken breast draped with Hollandaise sauce. It’s so big I take half home (in a biodegradable container to boot) and eat the rest the next morning. It’s still good.

On another morning, the two-egg breakfast ($7.89) hits the spot with pork sausage from local Paolini’s Sausage & Meat, addictive herb potatoes, roasted tomatoes (LOVE these) and rye toast.

Portions are not lacking. And neither is attentive service. And here is my only issue, as minor as it is: I appreciate being checked on — but three times after my meal is served and interrupting what is obviously involved conversation at a table isn’t really necessary.

Too much service? Yup, that’s the only criticism I can come up with. Over Easy is easily my go-to breakfast/brunch place in town now.

Over Easy Breakfast, 824 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, (403) 278-EGGS (3447). Closed Tuesdays. Open Wednesday to Monday 7 a.m.-3 p.m.