Snooze, an A.M. Eatery

Snooze. Just the name reminds me of lazy Saturday mornings, sleeping in, kicking back in pajamas watching cartoons, and eating Mom’s pancakes.

Eating breakfast at Snooze is kind of like that. It’s like being invited to the coolest, friendliest house in the neighborhood. The kind of place you want to hang out at all day until you realize you’ve got to get home to cut the lawn.

The ambiance at Snooze can be summed up in one word: happy. From the sunny yellow walls, to the futuristic round booths ala the Jetsons, to the cartoons playing on the big-screen TV behind the bar, Snooze is the kind of place that makes everyone feel welcome.

Upbeat music plays in the background; anything by Jack Johnson or maybe Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline (with a loud “bum, bum, bah!” coming from the kitchen).

During one morning visit, the lights went out in the galley. No frustrated shouts or breaking plates, just “woo-hoo’s!” and loud singing along with the radio. The lights came back on a few seconds later and the wait staff hustled out, arms loaded with platters, big grins on their faces. This place is FUN!

And I haven’t even gotten to the food yet. We could talk drinks, but no. Pancakes first.

BanaNutella cakes, strawberry rhubarb pie cakes, pineapple upside down cakes, sweet potato cakes, and a pancake of the day. Can’t decide? No worries. Order a flight and explore three flavors at once.

My personal, all-time, best-ever favorite? The coffee-n-donuts cakes. Two giant pancakes, the donut holes popped out of the middle and replaced with a tiny cup of warm coffee cream sauce. A little powder sugar, some roasted pecans…Mmmmmmm. The smell of warm donuts makes me drool every time a plate of these darlings lands in front of me.

Now on to the drinks.

Oh, the chai tea lattes… a moment of silence, please… Super-spicy Bhakti Chai mix, steamed up with almond milk and a dash of cinnamon. With each sip, the gingery, peppery blend heats up the back of my throat, and slides into my belly. Pure happiness in a cup.

Then there are the egg dishes. Being vegan (mostly ;-)), all I can say is how good they smell. And the bacon. My god, the smell of bacon wafting off a passing platter… Tempting. Very tempting.

It’s always bittersweet when the plate is licked clean and the coffee cup sucked dry, but then Tia stops by with the check upon which she’s written a note that says “Create a beautiful Saturday!”

It’s impossible to leave this place grumpy.

Alas, we have since moved away from my beloved Snooze, but thanks to some well- designed merchandise, I can still get my Snooze Fix from several states away. Now on Saturday mornings I just have to pull out my yellow Snooze coffee mug, slip into my navy blue Snooze hoodie, close my eyes, and dream about pancakes.