eating pancakes but missing the omelette?

Since Jocelyn announced that she is not blogging about food (I think "Dustbin" should keep his opinions to himself, personally. I enjoyed hearing about heirloom tomatoes and Humboldt fog cheese....), I have decided to take up the challenge for today. Let me preface this by saying that, obviously, I like food (my blog is named "eat cake," for God's sake. More on that later.) but I wouldn't consider myself a "foodie." I was raised on standard 1950s middle class white people food -- pot roast, meatloaf, ham and scalloped potatoes, and for some added foreign flair, American Chop Suey or Spanish Rice. As an adult, I would say that I have become a pretty good cook, and have definitely expanded my food horizons. I make a mean tagine-cooked chicken, lemon, and olives, and made the most ridiculously delicious chicken and mushroom pie (without a recipe, even) a few weeks ago.

That all being said, I still love me some old school comfort food, particularly breakfast. And even better than breakfast, "breakfast for dinner." And what's the best breakfast for dinner food of all? Pancakes, of course. There is a proud tradition of pancake-eating in my family -- my father once ate 17 pancakes at brunch at the Hotel duPont's Green Room ("But they were silver-dollar pancakes!" my father will say to defend his gluttony). Suffice it to say, I have eaten a lot of pancakes in my life -- have I mentioned that I like to eat?

If you are a Wilmingtonian, you know about the Ranch House (fondly referred to as either the Raunch House or the Roach House....you get the idea, right?). The Ranch House has recently been re-opened as Lucky's Coffee Shop -- with a full 50s retro makeover. Our old neighbor Mickey is one of the owners, and our old friend Davey is one of the cooks, so we have been going there quite a lot. Every Thursday evening before Lucy's ice skating lessons, in fact. The atmosphere is great, and the food has been good (the homemade non-Sysco chocolate cake is super-tasty), and the coffee is way better than your typical diner joe. But tonight, in the mood for some stick-to-your ribs comfort food before I headed to the 40 degree ice rink, I ordered the short stack with sausage, and reached Pancake Nirvana. Seriously. The pancakes were just unbelievable tasty -- not too sweet and not too thick and full of cute little bubbles. And once topped with butter (butter makes everything better) and maple syrup with some unidentifiable fall spice, the pancakes soared to new heights. And deserved a blog, Dustbin be damned.