Breakfast options abound in the Tri-Cities

It doesn't seem that long ago, but it has been more than a decade since The Manor restaurant in downtown St. Charles closed to pave the way for part of the First Street redevelopment project.

Many loyal patrons hated to see the popular breakfast spot leave town, many feeling owner Nick Mougros had sort of been run out in the process.

That sort of perception comes about any time an older establishment is moved to make way for something new. But Mougros stayed with it, opening a new Manor in South Elgin on Randall Road.

That didn't last too long, as Mougros closed that spot in 2010 at the height of a struggling economy. He toyed with the idea of bringing the Manor back to downtown St. Charles at some point, but that vision never materialized.

Over time, the lament was that the downtown district was in need of more breakfast options. Businessman Rob Mondi felt the same way, so he opened Abby's Breakfast and Lunch a few years ago and has since expanded his spot at 11 N. Third St.

But success breeds success on the breakfast landscape, and Brunch Café has come along and opened on First Street, while Alexander's, though not in the core of the downtown, has opened in the 1650 E. Main St. spot that most recently housed Gabby's Kitchen and Springview Restaurant. (Anyone remember when that location was a Lum's hot dogs joint?)

I have mentioned before that because my full-time job calls for me to be on conference calls and checking wire services for stories early in the morning, I rarely get out for breakfast.

This has been a change for me after more than 20 years of having breakfast at Colonial on the west side of St. Charles every week during service club meetings.

In a previous job, breakfast business meetings were the norm, and that's how Apple Villa in Batavia and Egg Harbor in Geneva became some of my favorite spots.

Since the Manor's demise and new entrants have joined the fray, the breakfast options have managed to remain consistently good in this area.

You simply can't overlook Colonial or Corfu in St. Charles as very strong mainstays. But have you seen how busy Buttermilk or Nosh in Geneva can be? And Lumes House of Pancakes in Batavia also always has a good crowd.

Readers are often encouraging me to try brunch at places like The Finery or Townhouse Books in St. Charles, and the Hotel Baker or Pheasant Run always offer excellent breakfast options.

And for those who turn breakfast into a tradition that lasts for years at the same spot? We can't forget about great places like Geneva Diner or State Street Diner, also in Geneva, or Daddio's Diner or Andre's in Batavia. Or how about Harner's in North Aurora, or Kountry Kettle in Elburn?

Yes, there are others I may have missed, but the general message is clear. We have no lack of great options for our first meal of the day.

Invest in that:

We all drive by retail and restaurant locations that seem to be thriving, and the thought of "wish I would have invested in that from the start" crosses our mind.

In that spirit, I consider this somewhat of a gold mine: The drive-through at Portillo's on Randall Road is busy at what seems like every afternoon and night, especially on a Saturday night. Not sure about the one on the east side of St. Charles, but both are always busy when I've been at them.

Another Portillo's thought:

It's probably been close to 30 years now, but after my first visit to a Portillo's in the Schaumburg area, I wrote a column saying how great it would be to have one in the Tri-Cities area.

This was well before online content, so I have no idea how he spotted my article, but Dick Portillo sent me a handwritten note at that time saying he was interested in the area as well and it wouldn't be long before we had one.

I can't remember for sure when Portillo's finally surfaced in these parts, but it's good to have one on the west side of Batavia and the east side of St. Charles.

Another investment thought:

Still kicking myself on this one. Phil Elfstrom asked me in the late 1980s if I had any interest in investing in the new minor league baseball team that the county was considering for the area.

Not even sure if he was serious, or what sort of funding group was being put together to go in on the county project.

Of course, I didn't have a spare $10,000 under my mattress, so I took a pass. But it was an intriguing thought; one I would have jumped on had my financial picture been rosier at that time.

The Cougars became a great success, but I also had to avoid any potential conflict of interest that might arise with me working at a newspaper covering the Cougars.

A Philly steak:

It was not that long ago that I gave Deane's Market and Deli in Geneva pretty high marks for its roast beef sandwich.

So, I see in a Facebook posting that the deli recently introduced a Philly steak sandwich with its great toppings of cheese and banana peppers.

It's another reason to stop in again at some point.

dheun@sbcglobal.net