Addi Hand and her massive hotcake
PHOTO BY TODD COOPER
BOUNTIFUL
BREAKFAST
S
Morning eats in Springfield
BY KELLY KENOYER AND MAX THORNBERRY
ashay over to Springfield for breakfast, and
you can’t go wrong. There are morning
repasts for early risers and late sleepers alike.
We don’t recommend trying them all in one
day, unless you want to explode. Take a
couple mornings to savor the offerings.
Starting off on A Street, check in at Addi’s Diner. It’s
not a real American diner unless it’s open all night, or at
least opens in time for hungry truckers to grab some grub.
Addi’s fits the bill. Black-and-white tile floors, Route 66
signs, Betty Boop and license plates are mixed in with old
coke bottles for décor.
Owner Addi Hand says the throwback décor came from
“just whatever people give me, you know, just kitschy and
fun.”
Addi’s opened in 2006, and Hand says it took a while
for her to develop her strong base of regular customers.
“When I first opened I was damn near begging people to
come in.”
But now Addi’s often has a line out the door on weekend
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mornings. “It’s been work, but I got it there.”
Not only does Addi’s have the right aesthetics, it has the
right attitude. You can get a pancake the size of a mountain
for $4.50. The menu says, “The Hotcake (one is all you
need … Trust me!).” A signature dish, The Trainwreck, is
a mess of scrambled eggs covered with cheese, home fries
and gravy. If that’s not American, we don’t know what is.
It’s also home to some pretty damn good diner coffee at
a reasonable price, which is surprisingly rare in the Eugene
area.
Hand always has a wink or a good word for whatever
kids are hanging around the booths. We once overheard
her make a bet with an 8-year-old. “If my team wins today,
you have to draw me a picture,” she said. “But if your team
wins, I’ll give you a free hotcake!”
Despite the popularity, she says it’s not really her goal
to expand the restaurant. “You can only really grow so
much.” If she gets bigger, she’ll lose the opportunity to
chat up her customers, she says, and “that’s the best part.”
Meanwhile, continuing down the road, steak and eggs
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are magical at Todd’s Place, a bustling little diner, also on
A Street. Walk in and the sun begins to shine and your soul
is warmed — though the warmth might be the result of the
coffee pot they leave on the table for you.
Or the fact that you can feast on a delicious medium
rare sirloin, three perfect over-medium eggs, hash browns
and a blueberry muffin — for less than $12. We could only
finish half.
No one at Todd’s seems to be in much of a hurry and,
like Addi’s, it’s a good place for a coffee fill up. They just
leave the coffee on the table for you — don’t mind if we do
help ourselves to a third or fourth cup!
Finally, walk on over to Main Street and don’t miss The
Pump Café and The Washburne Cafe on your breakfast
sojourn. The brick-walled Washburne has a historic but
open, bright feel, and serves Slightly Coffee Roasters,
in-house made pastries and locally produced gluten-free
items.
The Pump Café, named for the gas station it used to be,
also plays to its historic past in its classic décor. The Pump
has your basic breakfast items such as corned beef hash
and eggs, omelets and pancakes, but also gets fun with
breakfast specials — recent repasts have featured chocolate
chip and peanut butter waffles and banana cream cheese
stuffed French toast covered in strawberry compote. ■
Addi’s Diner is open 4 am to 2 pm Wednesday through Sunday at 207
S. A Street; 541-747-9482. Todd’s Place is open 7 am to 2 pm daily at
1909 S. A Street; 541-345-9976, eugenetoddsplace.com. The Pump Café
is open 7 am to 2 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am to 2 pm weekends
at 710 Main Street; 541-726-0622. The Washburne Cafe is open 7 am to
4 pm Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm Saturdays and 8 am to 2 pm
Sundays at 326 Main Street; 541-746-7999, thewashburnecafe.com. All
are in Springfield.
We are now taking online submissions for our What’s Happening calendar.
Head over to eugeneweekly.com, click the menu button at the top
and select “Submit an Event.” Fill out the form and you’re done!
This is replacing the email system we used in the past.
CHOW SPRING 2018
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