Baker's Crust

Baker's Crust is a small chain of cafe-style restaurants in the Hampton Roads area, with a couple of locations in Richmond.

I've only ever had breakfast at the Norfolk 21st Street location, so I can't talk about the lunch/dinner menu, but breakfast is mighty tasty! It opens at 7am Mon-Fri and 8am on Sat-Sun, so it's a good stop for early risers who want more than a bagel, but not heart-attack-on-a-plate diner food.

There's not a large breakfast menu, but there is good variety. The omelettes are excellent, with fillings ranging from your plain ham and cheddar to Chesapeake Bay crab, spinach, and muenster cheese. The French toast (called 'Riviera Toast') is beyond stellar. Cinnamon-y, not too sweet, not too eggy, made with a soft, thickly sliced, brioche-like bread, will leave your stomach stuffed and your heart happy. There's the standard eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, potatoes and pancakes (or flap-jacks), and some pastries, yogurt and fruit too. Avoid the croissants though, they're disappointingly tough even at 8am. Everything can be ordered a la carte as well, so it works out well if you're health conscious or super hungry and want more food than what the set breakfasts have to offer.

The coffee is also excellent. It always taste freshly made, and it gets poured out into large, colorful handmade mugs, so you're unlikely to run out while you eat. And if you do, free refills! If you don't drink 'plain' coffee they offer a full menu of espresso drinks and a fabulously rich hot chocolate.

Baker's Crust was actually recommended to me by a few people at work, and it has become one of my favorite places to take family and friends when they come visit me. Everyone that I have taken LOVES it. Service is a little slower than the diners and the bagel places though, so it's not the best place if you're on a tight schedule (or getting off of work at 8am and wanting a quick bite).

Fresh Bread made daily. I had an amazing salad with avocado, mesclun mix greens, tomatoes, goat cheese. It was so very delicious. The three of us from my current office went there for an afternoon lunch on a Friday. It is quite busy in the heart of Norfolk, but the service was top notch and the desert of coconut cream cake/pie was unbelievable. You can even purchase the homemade cakes and pies for a special day for someone. All the baked goods are made on the premises.