content=Breakfast is the most undervalued of restaurant meals. Not enough places serve it, and not enough people eat it. But what's a better start to the day than scarfing a plate of eggs, bacon, and English muffin, then washing it down with a hot cuppa joe?
The Eggshell (300 Josephine St.) has been doling out classic breakfast fare for decades. A recent redesign has regulars confused (hey, change is never easy), but the menu's the same: waffles, pancakes and skillets. Don't miss the granola French toast. Mona's (2364 15th St.), makes sure Platte Street residents get a good start on the day with the crab cake Benedict: Two crab cakes with poached eggs and orange-chipotle hollandaise. Good old standby Racine's (650 Sherman St.) still provides the croissant egg scramble to those who jones for it.
Lucile's (2124 14th St., Boulder; 400 S. Meldrum, Fort Collins; 518 Kimbark St., Longmont; 2093 Curve Plaza, Steamboat Springs; 275 S. Logan St., Denver) has the Creole breakfast market cornered; with four Front Range locations serving Eggs Ponchartrain (poached eggs with trout) and Pain Perdu (French toast) to an entirely loyal clientele. In Boulder, community hangout The Kitchen (1039 Pearl St., Boulder) touts the local origin of its eggs and other ingredients, which are always delicious and at breakfast at least, fairly cheap.
On weekends, hit the Handle Bar and Grill (305 S. Downing St.) for nice big omelets and home fries. And for breakfasters on the go, Little Anita's (1550 S. Colorado Blvd.; 1050 W. Colfax Ave.) knocks out some pretty good, car-friendly breakfast burritos.
Families headed from Denver to Boulder, Lyons or even Rocky Mountain National Park would do well to fill up at Tia Maria (7260 Pecos St., just off the Boulder Turnpike), which serves big Mexican breakfasts (burritos and huevos) alongside American fare like pancakes. Don't feed Grandpa the Grandpa breakfast (Three slices French toast, two eggs, home fries, ham, butter, and syrup); his cholesterol count likely can't take it.