quote:

Originally posted by nembrionic

Being from the Netherlands I couldn’t agree with you more [8D]
Swiss, Italian and Dutch cheeses are pretty much the best in the world(some my argue the French cheese should be in there)

We are generally referred to as "cheeseheads" (no, not potheads [:p] ) for a reason.

Wow, when did the Netherlands become part of Wisconsin? Who knew, ya Cheesehead!![:D]

Man, some of these breakfasts sound excellent. I especially like the idea of a variety of meats, fresh fruits and bread and pastries. I would eat breakfast if those were the options.

My Breakfasts usually consist of a Cola beverage, or Mountain Dew, and cigarettes! Caffein, nicotine and sugar, that’s a healthy choice, eh!?!?

I have to agree the breakfast offerings in Ireland are supurb !
I even found the coffee to be far better than I expected. With or without the whiskey !
I found everything to be the freshest of quality !
Can’t wait to go back to Ireland !

I’ve had breakfast at Brennan’s and country ham, grits, eggs every way, Irish breakfasts, ackee and saltfish, great toasts, British breakfasts, pancakes, Mexican breakfasts, and waffles with real maple syrup and the single best breakfast I’ve ever had was here in North America but in Quebec; it was a perfect "real" croissant with a fried egg, ham and cheese packed in it. It was the best croissant I’d ever had (still remains so).

Guys, All that you describe sounds like a tasting exhibition at Epcot Center. That can be a wonderful experience, But give me a double order of Biscuits and Gravy with some Bacon on the side, and a liter of Mountain Dew and I will run for ‘Hoosier of the Month'(and win) !![}:)][:p]

Score one for the Old Timer in the ‘Cracker Suit’!

Uh, it’s hard to let IKEA get away without being classed as a "chain" even if it does sell mostly furniture. If you like the food there, then maybe it’s just a chain with good food. I’ve long maintained that that is a possibility. Anyway, you don’t have to go to Canada to enjoy IKEA chow. There’s one in Emeryville and soon to be one in San Mateo County I think. I haven’t checked, but I’d be surprised if there isn’t one in San Jose somewhere also (hey Frank!!).

Just got back from Canada and had really great European breakfast foods at IKEA. Yep Salmon on different breads and rolls, Shrimp, Cheeses etc.
Good coffee and regular breakfasts just get this 1.00. I know they must be a loss leader but you can’t beat the price and very good quality. Also they have a really decent lunch for a good price.
Way better than chainfood.

quote:

Originally posted by Spudnut

When I was a student in Paris, I began almost every day with a baguette with fresh butter and jam, and a bowl of hot chocolate. Very simple, and incredibly delicious. I never think to do that here even though I could get high-quality foods (although not likely AS high quality), in part because for me, that breakfast is most enjoyable when I have the luxury of time to take it all in. Too often, I eat quickly in the morning.

2005 US equivalent: a cup of decent coffee and a fresh-baked chocolate croissant. Had that Sunday morning.

When I was a student in Paris, I began almost every day with a baguette with fresh butter and jam, and a bowl of hot chocolate. Very simple, and incredibly delicious. I never think to do that here even though I could get high-quality foods (although not likely AS high quality), in part because for me, that breakfast is most enjoyable when I have the luxury of time to take it all in. Too often, I eat quickly in the morning.

Read this thread and all it reminded me of was how much I dreaded Euro b’fasts and loved Japanese b’fasts. Euro ones were artery clogging heavy gut bombs while a Japanese one was low fat, broiled fish and rice w/ green tea.

Those English breakfasts were just too much for me when I lived in England…the fried bread, the sausage, the bacon, the baked beans, the eggs; my arteries clogged just looking at them!

My favorite still: a delicious cup of rich black coffee, fresh bread spread with Nutella, and a glass of that wonderful red Sicilian blood orange juice…a glorious memory of time in Italy.

I lived in Scotland for a time and worked at a few hotels, so not only did I eat a European breakfast every day, I got to cook it, as well. I have a feeling, though, that breakfast in the rest of Europe isn’t quite as heavy as in Britain.

Standard Scottish breakfast seemed to be bangers (small mild pork sausages), which kind of taste like bratwurst. Black pudding, bacon (more like thin sliced ham…what we would call bacon they call ‘streaky bacon’), fried egg, toast, and a grilled tomato or mushroom cap. Other items are porridge (served with salt and milk, brown sugar is blasphemy) and flounder or halibut. I never opted for the fish, as I’m not a huge fish fan to begin with, especially not for breakfast. I used to have to wake up early to let in the fishmonger…those halibuts are massive. There’s also ‘fried bread’ which is basically a piece of bread soaked in the drippings from the fried breakfast. Scottish breakfast is a heart attack waiting to happen.

At the end of breakfast the patrons would return to their rooms or leave, and we’d get the left overs. Toast with black pudding, butter, and bangers is to die for. Black pudding, if you know what it is, sounds pretty gross but it’s so good. I’ve searched and searched for places in the US that make it but I can’t seem to find any.

The Scottish woman who owned the hotel did most of the cooking. She told me ‘We only fry eggs one way in Scotland…none of that eggs flapty do like you have in America!’

My only experience of a "European breakfast" is aboard Princess cruise ships, which I believe are still run by the venerable British shipping line P & O. While there was some "Americanization" of the breakfasts, I was delighted to order a breakfast with beans on toast on our SF-Alaska round trip cruise. I already sang the praises of European butters before our subsequent cruise around Ireland and the British Isles, but imagine my amazement at the fried eggs (my fave) with the ORANGE yolks! Princess serves Pr�sident butter, which I like nearly as much as Kerrygold from Ireland. My friends here in Boulder say their local Costco stocks it, and I find it at Trader Joe’s in SF for $2.39/8 oz. Have a European breakfast at home!

In Ireland we’d usually have a full fry (fried fried eggs, black & white puddings, bacon and toast or brown bread). That would take us through most of the day. I usually left off the pudding or gave them to my husband. [xx(]
The B&B in Howth (N. of Dublin) had homemade raspberry jam from raspberries grown in the back garden. Yummy!
Oatmeal, dry cereals (first place I’ve ever had Wheatabix) and boxty could also be had if you asked nice. Yoguart and pancakes occured once. [:)] I love Ireland!

Cathy

quote:

Originally posted by nembrionic

It’s easy: being a tourist I go to restaurants and roadfood places. I have encoutered only one or two places where they served good quality coffee. But if I recall correctly that was one italian place and one ‘expensive’ restaurant.

Please keep I mind I do not include Starbucks into this.
Starbucks is just fine because they offer all kinds of flavours and extra shot stuff.

Well, see that’s the thing. I don’t even like Starbuck’s. I think they are over-priced and pretentious. But that aside, the big reason I don’t like them is that they take business away from places that you might call the "Roadfood of coffee vendors". Here in San Francisco, anyway, every neighborhood and, in some neighborhoods, every block has an independent cafe’ selling everything Starbuck’s sells and more but with a lot more personality and a lot more friendliness. In such places, you can buy a latte or a mocha or an espresso or just a cup of "regular coffee" (usually from a local roaster and decent but you can avoid it if you don’t like the stuff) and, if you wish, a pastry (in fact, a whole "European-style" breakfast–or not if you just want coffee) and sit and read or work on a computer project for a few hours and nobody will bother you. Here, anyway, they function as alternative living rooms for people forced into having a roomate by the high cost of housing and most people have a favorite or two.

Here’s a list and map of places offering free Wi-Fi most of which are neighborhood cafes: http://california.metrofreefi.com/city/San+Francisco.htm . There are also many more that don’t have that. Here’s another list that includes many without Wi-Fi: http://www.graffiks.com/sf/coffee.html

Here’s the picture of Cafe Trieste, among the best known but not really the best, of the breed (but it looks typical):