The Old European Breakfast House, Pullman WA

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Mother and I zipped happily over to Princeton for milk this morning. On the way there we stopped in Pullman for breakfast at one of her favorites, The Old European Breakfast House.

Birdhouses, pitchers and teapots dominate the decor, with lacey valances hanging over the wide bank of windows on the wall across from the entrance. There are several crimson vinyl and tapestry booths, but the majority of seating is provided by tables and wooden chairs with curved armrests.

The room is wonderfully lit with ample light fixtures and windows. I felt cheered by the glorious amount of light flooding the room. The music, unfortunately, was so faint as to be gibberish in the background. The fairly open seating arrangement and lack of high-backed booths meant that the half-full room was loud with conversations and the sounds of people taking in breakfast.

Old European's menu is a spiral bound laminated set of pages with the main offerings being fairly carb-heavy. A fat-and-protein eater can, however, dine happily on eggs, protein and tomato slices. Omelets are also available, though I didn't venture that direction today.

We did have a bit of a wait before our order was taken, but they were quite busy so it was understandable. My over easy eggs had lovely liquid centers and firm whites. They weren't greasy or oily at all, which is a plus for restaurant eggs since few establishments would use the safer fats like coconut oil or butter. I would have appreciated whites that were a bit less dry, but these were okay. My German sausage was quite tasty. Coffee was just right. Prices were reasonable for a sit-down breakfast in a sunny room with friendly service.

Lighting: 5 stars
Music: 1 star (because it existed but wasn't truly audible)
Decor: 2 stars (the paintings, tapestry, birdhouses and pitchers are quite nice, but are only abundant on one wall. The other walls are mostly bare and seem to want more decoration. It could be, however, that they're transition between summer and fall and that we found them on an unusually bare-walled day.)
Service: 4 stars (friendly and attentive, very nice)
Meal variety: 2 stars
Taste: 2 stars

Would I go there again? Hmmm. Yes, I would. And I will for I must try their bacon. After I have done so, ask me again. :)

~L

Edited August 12, 2008: I have now sampled their bacon. A side order is a super generous four slices. They are medium thick and amply greasy, but not as salty or crisp as I normally prefer. Not bad, but not the type of bacon that would keep me coming back for more.

The two brightest jewels in this restaurant are the sunlight and the service. For people who seek friendly faces in glowing rooms, this is the place for breakfast. For those who want gluten-intolerant fare with variety and divine taste, this would be a bit of a compromise.

It's okay. Will I go back again? Only if my eating companion is truly eager to do so. I wouldn't make it my own destination.