Peg's
offers more that ham and eggs
by Claire
Tapia,
Outpost staff
Photo
byClaire
Tapia
If you had to categorize Reno's culinary offerings, the most abundant would have to be of the burger and fries variety. Whether they're called coffee shops, cafes, or diners, they are the kinds of places where you know you can always find club sandwiches and eggs benedict on the menu. Yes, there are certainly enough of these havens for good ol' American cuisine, but few deserve to be recognized as better than the rest. Peg's Glorified Ham & Eggs is one of the select few that offers comfort food that doesn't leave you feeling, well, uncomfortable.
I first recognized Peg's when I moved to the old Southwest Reno area. The vintage-style sign out front grabbed my attention, but the tables and chairs set slightly off the sidewalk are what made me want to check it out. I remembered it a few Sundays later and went there with two friends who hadn't been there either. We sat outside and read the paper while we ate breakfast and drank coffee. After many unsatisfying meals at greasy spoons in the Reno area, I found my Sunday breakfast place.
I've been to Peg's many times since then, and while I have had to wait in line for a table a couple of times, I'm still amazed by the lack of people that know about this place. So I went to Peg's Sunday morning with an agenda. Not only was I going to try something new on the menu, I was going to inform the people of Reno of one of my favorite spots.
The wait on Sunday morning at around 11 a.m. for a table for two was about ten minutes. Waiting at some restaurants can be tedious, particularly if it means that you're pressed up against the door with a bunch of other strangers for what can seem like the longest ten minutes of your life. Peg's has a small area with benches and newspapers and a nice space outside, so waiting is no big deal. I grabbed part of the paper and we were seated shortly after in a cozy booth.
To understand the Peg's experience, you must know that everyone that works there, from the hostess to the servers, is really nice. It's a small restaurant (one room with an exposed kitchen) with a glass front so that lots of sunlight can get in. Plus, the place has a clean and simple decor that gives it a fresh, happy feel.
Immediately after being seated, we were offered coffee. I looked over the familiar menu and tried to decide whether I wanted to do breakfast or lunch. I usually get an omelet or the mushroom burger, which are both very good, but this time I decided on the club sandwich ($6.95). It may sound simple, but I have had plenty of bad club sandwiches in my time. The delicious simplicity of the club sandwich tends to elude some, and in my opinion, separates the true coffee shops from the wannabes.
Our waitress was prompt in taking our order and offered me the option of sourdough, wheat or rye for my sandwich, of which I chose rye. My friend Matt decided on the Sierra omelet ($7.50,) with wheat toast. The omelet is also offered with tortillas, and is served in a skillet. Our food came about 15 minutes after we ordered it, and it looked perfect. My club sandwich was cut into triangles and laid out in proper style with a large pile of fries. I took a bite and was extremely pleased although I thought that the mayo was a tad thick. It was however, a really good club sandwich and the fries were good, too.
Matt's Sierra omelet was especially impressive. As I said before, the omelets come in large skillets, which are also filled with black beans, hash browns and corn salsa. The omelets themselves are topped with guacamole and are filled with jack cheese, jalapenos and other veggies. This is a really good omelet.
The menu at Peg's isn't exotic, but the fresh, good food is what keeps me going back for more. If you've got a hankering for good ol' American cuisine without the grease, Peg's is a great place for breakfast or lunch.
|
Restaurant name, address and phone number |
|
High point: Good food, good prices Low point: none Hours:6:30-2 p.m. 7 days a week Prices:$4.95-$10.95 Payment policies:Visa, MC, American Express & checks & cash |
Posted April 1,
2000
Copyright 2000
Nevada Outpost
|
|
|
|