Taste test: Comfort Cafe

Comfort Cafe, adjacent to Bodybuilder's Gym on Hyperion, is likely the closest restaurant to my house. But I didn't get a chance to try it until they started opening for Sunday brunch this weekend. It's a small place with a modern design where you order at the counter, with lots of magazines to read while they cook the food.

For brunch, there's omelettes, eggs benedict, waffles and baked French toast, along with plenty of sandwiches and salads for lunch. I chose the eggs Florentine -- poached eggs with spinach, sliced tomatoes and fruit cup on the side. This dish isn't served on an English muffin -- it's for those who are attempting to be healthy at breakfast time. But the eggs and spinach were perfectly cooked, and I felt terribly virtuous after eating it, even though I stole a piece of Matt's wheat toast.

Matt had salmon hash with scrambled eggs (above) which seemed tasty, but a little dry. I guess all that sinful fat in corned beef hash is what kind of holds it together. Anyway, there's lots of healthy options for bodybuilders and regular folks, from flank steak 'n eggs to sides of broccoli and brown rice to smoothies.
Verdict: Going out to breakfast is like going out to any other meal -- it's not just about the food -- it's the buzz, the people, the whole package. It's like, you're pissed you got to Madame Matisse after the guy with the trucker hat and his girlfriend with the artfully frayed clothes snagged the last table, but you're still kind of glad you get to look at them while you eat. The cafe was kind of deserted and lonely, but it will probably get more lively when more people hear about Sunday brunch. Brunch dishes are in the $8-10 range -- I guess that's the going rate these days, but it seems a tad high. In short, it's a good place for healthy fare if you don't feel like cooking -- but not a place for peoplewatching or truly special dishes.
Comfort Cafe
2520 Hyperion Ave.
(323) 666-5616