Day by Day by... Day

As I mentioned in my last post, we're having a hard time adjusting to not waking up on Sunday (or more realistically, I wake up on Sunday. Watch Sunday Morning on CBS -- best TV show ever. Switch over to the Food Network and my homegirl Paula-- That's right honey! More butter and mayo! Maybe a little Rach, BIG HEAD FREAK Giada and just as I'm about to be forced to suffer through that drunk on Semi-homemade screw up perfectly good food, Matt stumbles out of the bedroom, wanting to know if I'd like to get breakfast. At 11:30. Breafast. Whatever.) So, we'd bundle up and walk up the street to Barbette. We'd sit in Danielle's section, this little wisp of a sweet thing that wears the cutest skirts. Get some of their wonderfully strong coffee. Matt would always get the Eggs Benedict and I'd always try to get something different. We were regulars and we were comfortable. What to do now that they're so far away?

Last Sunday, I was starving and booted his butt out of bed as soon as I couldn't stand it anymore. We no longer have cable, so I didn't have to wait until that Boozy Sandy McBooze-hound and her crazy matchy kitchen drove me berzerk. We went down West 7th to the Day by Day. I'd remembered being there once before and liked it. The name makes Matt sing some song I don't know and I'm always leary of the Recovery Program. I don't exactly "like to abstain." I find it hard turning my booze over to a "higher power." I don't "work well with others." They must have been able to tell because when we walked in and waited, next to a sign telling us to do just that, in front of a completely empty and welcoming looking booth, it was a good 10 minutes before anybody showed up. 10 minutes might not seem like that long, but staring at a perfectly good seat, jonseing hardcore for coffe and sweating under five winter layers, it's an enternity!!! Plus, we went from no line, to at least a dozen people behind us, some with kids, all of them boring holes into the back of my skull, like it was my fault for refusing to admit that I even have a problem. Like they know what it's like to be hungover and surrounded by recovery people! It's not easy! I have problems, sure, but I'm cool. I had can handle it. It's not like I have a problem! Not like that!!!!

I was so glad when the waitress showed up and stuffed us into the back in a very private, sunny booth with a view of the street. She (thankfully!) left a whole pot of coffee on the table and left us to contemplate our options. I opted for the Huevos Rancheros, two sunny side up eggs served with hashbrowns, salsa and a tortilla. For an extra $1 I could get avacado. Matt got the heart-buster, or something like that. Eggs, sausage, bacon, cheesey hashbrowns and eggs. Extreme, but it was the only option for meat, potatoes and eggs, which was what he wanted.

My eggs were good, the plates were warm, which I always think makes such a difference. The salsa was all kinds of oddly shaped veggies and huge chunks of raw onion. Not spicy and really not all that great. I liked having the tortilla, though. I carefully placed one egg in there with the superfluous cheese melted atop, a fork full of hasbrowns, some salsa and a little bit of the avacado, wrapped it up, took a bite and made a mess worthy of a 1st birthday party. Everything smooshed out and went everywhere. It was damn tasty, but impossible to eat. The avacado was underripe and really cold, like it had just come out of the fridge. I'd defintly say that you can skip those if you try it.

Matt's breakfast was wonderful. The sausage was good link sausage and the cheesy hasbrowns had a nice, crisp crust under the cheese. All in all, it was a good breakfast, but a little pricey. The prices were comprable to Barbette, but the level of ingrediants weren't the same. This was pretty much diner food served at gourmet prices. I'm sure we'll be back. I'll be avoiding that avacado.

www.daybyday.com