There isno shortage of restaurants in Delaware geared toward breakfast.
But, especially this year, the morning chow line choices havestacked up like pancakes on all-you-can eat day.
Here are some places to findthe first meal of the day:
Sandy PonyDonuts
115 Garfield Parkway, Unit 2, Bethany Beach,301-775-2005;sandyponydonut.com
The formerSandy Pony Donutsfood truck, owned byBrea and Ben Wang, hasmorphed intoa brick-and-mortar location thatopened in May at 115 Garfield Parkway in downtown Bethany Beach.
The Wangs stopped operating the Sandy Pony food truck in South Bethany Beach andtheirWang's World food truck at the end of last summer.
But their new, snug Bethany store features 24 varieties of glazesand toppings forcake doughnuts that are made-to-order,served hot and mostly taken to-go. (There are some picnic tables out front.)
Specialty doughnut flavorsinclude surfer dude, yabba dadda doo-nut, cookies 'n' cream, jingle shells, chocolate-covered pretzel, blue moon, pony party, cow trail, banana cream, thin mint, sand dune and big pearl.
We especially liked the "Ms. Sandy," a honey-glazed doughnut topped withcinnamon sugar, and the "Charlie Brown," a peanut butter-glazed doughnut with mini chocolate chips. One doughnut is $1.65, six is $8 and a dozen is $14.
Sandy Pony doesn't forget about our four-legged friends. They offerDoggy Donuts for$3 each. They're made by Sweet Paws DogBakery in Severna Park, Maryland.
Looking for something offbeat? Try the $4Bana-Nutella Roll. It's bananas and Nutella in an Asian spring roll wrapper that'stempura-fried and then rolled in cinnamon sugar.
The shop also sellsacai bowls, $8.50; deluxe funnel cakes, $9, and 16-ounce bubble tea, $4.25, with such flavors as green tea, coconut, taro and mango.
Hours: 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. It's a seasonal operation from May to September, weather permitting.
First Watch
74 Geoffrey Drive, Stanton,302-894-4030;firstwatch.com
First Watch wasone of the first in a waveof new breakfast-brunch-lunch eateries opening in New Castle County.
The Florida-based chain eatery is planted in a complex off Churchmans Road in Stantonthat includes Naf Naf Grill and Chipotle.
The restaurant's name is a nautical term referring to the early shift for a ship's crew.
Restaurants offertraditional morning foods likeomelets, frittatas, French toastand lemon ricotta pancakes. Some dishes change with the seasons.
Right now, you can get the summer crab omelet made with crab, house-roasted corn and red peppers, Jack cheese and scallions that'stopped with hollandaise and Cholula sauces.
It comes withlemon-dressed organic mixed greens, whole grain artisan toast and all-natural preserves.
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For a cool down, try theSummer Brush, a drink made with watermelon, pineapple, Fuji apple, lemon, cane sugar and mint.
The coffee isProject Sunrise coffeefrom Huila, Colombia. When you order it, theybring an entire pot to the table.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.
Eggspectation
507Stanton-Christiana Road, Marvel Plaza, Stanton,302-842-2515;eggspectation.com
This Canadian chaincame to Delaware in late June compliments of High 5 Hospitality, the group behind allof Delaware's Buffalo Wild Wings, the Stone Balloon Ale House in Newarkand Limestone BBQ & Bourbon.
It's in ashopping center that includes aBuffalo Wild Wings and it'snext to the Border Cafe, also known as the "Eat" place.
A day menu is served from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the evening menu comes into playfrom 4 to 9 p.m., but you can still get brunch for dinner.
Eggspectations are known for their widevarieties of eggs Benedict. We like the soundof the Avocado Toast Benedict, $13.99, which includes smashed avocado with grilled tomato on multigrain toast topped with two poached eggs, along withhollandaise and chimichurri sauce.
Other brekkie items include omelets, bagel sandwiches andegg-based dishes including the Eggs San Marzano, $12.99, or two eggs poached in San Marzano tomato sauce with fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, topped with fresh baby arugula.
It's served with Lyonnaise-style potatoes and garlic crostini.
They also serve pancakes, salads, burgers, pasta and dinner entrees such as lasagna and lobster macaroni and cheese.
Most breakfast options range from $10.99-18.99. Dinner prices are comparable.
The drip coffee, $2.99, is custom-roasted with Arabic beans. The espresso is from Italy.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily.
Turning Point
Christiana Fashion Center, 3204 Fashion Center Boulevard,Newark, 302-738-4326;theturningpoint.biz/christiana
The New Jersey-based chain, founded in 1998, serves breakfast, brunchand lunch in dining rooms decoratedwith natural wood floors, bright traditional colors and real plants.
Turning Point founders Pam and Kirk Ruoff said they don't open the restaurants in the evening because they want to go hometo family.Their motto: “Work to live, don’t live to work.”
A porky start to the meal is the bacon lollipops, $6.95, or thick, brown sugar-smoked bacon wrapped around a golden apple wedge. We also likethe "flight of pancakes,"$10.25, which includes three different varieties of hotcakes.
A different take on an omelet is the Key West shrimp, $10.79, which is three eggs mixed withsautéed shellfish, avocado, bacon, tomato, cilantro andMonterey jack cheese. It's served with anEnglish muffin and eitherbreakfast potatoes or tossed greens.
A "Popeye skillet,"$9.89, is an egg dishwith baby spinach, sliced mushrooms, potatoes, melted jack cheese, a big plopof sour cream and an English muffin.
TheFrench press coffee, fromWarrington, Pennsylvania-basedCowabunga Coffee Roasters, is ground per order and infused with purified water.
Prices for coffee range from $5.75 to $8.99. Turning Pointoffers oversix varieties, including flavored coffees.
Hours:7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
WiLDWiCH
405 N. King St., Wilmington,302-654-0500;wildwich.com
UPDATE: WiLDWiCH closed its King Street location in August.
Owner Mike Stanley started his popular WiLDWiCHfood truck in 2014, and two years later he added a brick-and-mortar cafe at 800 Delaware Ave. in downtown Wilmington.
This year, Stanley added a new cafe on Wilmington's King Street when he took over the formerCocina Lolo Mexican eatery.
Breakfast sandwiches are a house specialty.
Looking for a regional breakfast of champions? Try the Dumpster Fire sandwich, or scrapple, American Cheese and spicy "dragon’s breath" spread with an egg on a grilled English muffin.
And if you wake up really hangry, there's the Double Trouble sandwich, a choice of two cheeses, twomeats and two eggs on a grilled English muffin
Coffee comes in two sizes: 12- and 16-ounces.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Rise Up Coffee Roasters
502 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, 302-567-2588;riseupcoffee.com
Rise Up Coffee,an independent small-batch coffee roaster and retailer for the past 14 years, has popped upnext to the traffic circleas you drive into downtown Rehoboth. It takes overa former 7-Eleven location.
The business was founded in St. Michaels, Maryland, by owner Tim Cureton in a tricked-out coffee trailer.
It has afull breakfast, lunch anddinner, as well as a full bar. There's also outdoor seating and, a rarity in downtown Rehoboth, a parking lot.
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You order at the counter. House specialties include $9made-to-order burritos such as the Sunrise which comes with organic eggs, potatoes, peppers, onion and cheese.
Bangers and smash, $9, is afried organic egg with a sliced sausage link, peppers and onions on smashed potatoes.
A breakfast board, $20, is a good sharing option. It's served on a wooden board, almost like a morningcharcuterie spread. One order includes fresh seasonal fruit, habanero candied bacon, sliced avocado, hard-boiled eggs, turkey tamale pie, local cheese, crusty bread with local honey and brown sugar-cinnamon butter.
Rise Upserves onlyorganic coffees that are generally considered a mediumroast. At the front door, they offer a self-service coffee to-go station for $2.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
What else:
Breakfast Guru at 19 Wilmington Ave. inRehoboth Beach is afamily-owned breakfast restaurant, which opened in early May. Ittakes over the spot of a short-lived Italian eatery.
The Legend isa new American restaurant and bakery near the New Castle County Airport thathad been the home of the formerArner's restaurant.
Metro Diner, a Florida-based chain,has opened several Delaware locations within the past two years includingat745 Middletown-Warwick Road inMiddletown,4601 Ogletown-Stanton Road in Newark, and5600 Concord Pike near Talleyville.
The Food Bank of Delaware's new facility at 222Lake Drive in Glasgow, launched theDiscoverCafé. It servesa variety of breakfast sandwiches, coffee drinks, homemade baked goods. Everything is baked in house by chef/instructor Tiarra Thomas.
Faire Market & Cafe at216 W. Ninth St. in downtownWilmington is a new operation from Stitch House Breweryowners Dan Sheridan andRobert Snowberger. The market serves $7 breakfast sandwiches named for city neighborhoods.
The Forty Acres sandwich is pork roll, a fried egg and Cooper sharp cheese served on an everything bagel.
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The Cool Springs, $7, is a flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheddar cheese and jalapenos.
What's coming:
Drip Express is a new business for Greg Vogeley, owner of Drip Cafe locations in Hockessin and Newark. Vogeley plans torenovatethe Espresso Coffee Bar at 1201 N. Market St. in Wilmington.He said the new look likely will be unveiled in January.
Newark Deli and Bagels, which operates its flagship operation at 36 E. Main St.in downtown Newark, will be moving into the space at the Wilmington Riverfront Market formerly occupied by Eeffoc's coffee. Owner Eduardo Cardenas says he is hoping to open this month.
Goober's is a coming-soon, old-school style diner from an owner of Buckley's Tavern. The two-story stainless steel diner, which will bebuilt in Atlanta, will be located in a now-vacantlot behind the Dunkin' Donuts off Wilmington's Pennsylvania Avenue and North Lincoln Street. It could be openby the end of the year.
Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico
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