By Megan Gillette
It was about Month 5 into my first pregnancy that I succumbed to my cravings and visited The Original Pancake House in Champaign. To my great, pregnant delight, not only could I order a sumptuous salad of spinach, boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, and mandarin oranges with sesame dressing, I could eat a whole bowl of freshly-sliced strawberries and whipped cream. I was in super-food heaven.
Since having children, breakfasts there have become a family tradition. Every Friday, we make the pilgrimage — kids, parents and grandparents — for everyone to order exactly what they want. Salad orders have become pancakes and cravings have turned into splurges. My children ate their first eggs, pancakes and mashed bananas there. Always comfortable and efficient, the warm atmosphere is bustling and friendly. Lester, the host, always has a new super-hero coloring page and crayons for the boys upon arrival. They only retreat to this after they’ve solved every Search and Find page of the variety of Dora, Pixar, and Disney books waiting in the foyer. Cups of coffee never become cold or empty and the fresh orange juice is always rejuvenating!
Presently, pumpkin pancakes are on the menu. I like mine with toasted pecans, whipped cream and maple syrup — it’s a harbinger for the Thanksgiving flavors I start hungering for this time of year. Our order always includes at least three sides of bacon, which my boys eat steadily until it’s gone. Then they start on their pancakes and eggs. (What is it about bacon and little boys?) Since we load up on carbs and protein, I make a point to start with a bowl of mixed berries and bananas, which we all use as a vehicle for the giant fluff of whipped cream that comes on the side. Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium, um, right?
On the foodie side of things, the best part about the OPH is that all of the food is REAL food. Eggs are cracked from their shells. The bacon is thick, salty and toothsome. The whipped cream is real, rich cream. The pancakes may vary from time to time because they are mixed in batches and not squeezed out of a giant udder of pancake batter. The food IS comforting because someone has taken the time to source good, quality ingredients and not over-process them before preparing and serving them. I’ve never left unsatisfied.
My personal favorites are the lacy, Swedish pancakes with lingonberries, the bran pancakes with strawberry syrup, and the veggie omelet — minus mushrooms, plus bacon. If I’m without kids, the Dutch Baby — a custardy-in-the-middle, fluffy-on-the-edges German pancake — is a must. (It takes longer to make.)
Really though, why come here without kids? This place is for friends and families. It is a joy to indulge with some of the pickiest eaters who lose themselves in mounds of waffles, pigs in a blanket, and rivers of syrup.
Verdict: FAMILY!! Let everyone order just what they want because how many times do they get that kind of control over what they eat? Enjoy the family meal and know that what they are eating was made with care and quality control.
The Original Pancake House is located at 1909B W. Springfield Ave., Champaign.
Megan Gillette is a mother of two active little boys — FIT kids (Foodies in Training). In her “spare time” she is a senior graphic and web designer at Wolfram, a real-estate broker with TeamKay at Keller Williams, and a real-estate maven for the family holding company. Megan is in constant pursuit of perfect food, exciting dining experiences, and farm-to-fork meals with her husband and personal sous chef, Kurt.