Hometown feel, hearty breakfast at Nix

By AnnaLisa Michalski

Tucked into tiny Churchland Crossing Shopping Center on the less-traveled end of Churchland Boulevard, Nix could easily be a secret. But the eatery is a local favorite. Nix enjoys a healthy following of loyal repeat customers. On a recent Saturday morning, my family joined their ranks.

We came for the breakfast/brunch offerings advertised in the window. We found only one empty parking space and a small crowd of people outside the door and almost decided not to go in. It turns out the dining room is far more spacious than it looks from the road. And all those people outside? They were not waiting to get in; they were regulars chatting together on their way out. Nix is that kind of place, a comfortable, hometown gathering spot.

The breakfast portion of the Nix menu is far more extensive than most: three full pages in the printed menu alone, plus several new breakfast items listed separately. There are the standard egg, sausage, bacon and pancake combinations, as well as the less-common omelet, waffle, French toast, biscuits and gravy, crab, creamed chipped beef, salt herring and pork chop meals.

The many omelet choices are especially impressive. My mouth watered over a Feta cheese, olive and tomato-stuffed omelet topped with tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt sauce). My husband dug into "Sailor Joe's," a four-egg omelet filled to bursting with green peppers, onions, ham, mushrooms and Jack cheese. Both came with sides of toast (white, wheat or rye) and potatoes or grits.

We were truly unprepared for the portion sizes. For the kids, we had ordered pancake meals. Each plate had only three pancakes, but those pancakes were a whopping 7 inches in diameter! Every meal at every table around us was generously portioned as well. What's more, these hearty breakfasts are all under $8.

Needless to say, with all the food before us, we probably should not have ordered an extra plate to share. But the fall seasonal special was too tempting to pass up: pumpkin pancakes. Rich with pumpkin-spice flavor, these fluffy pancakes are topped with whipped cream and pecans and cinnamon butter on the side.

Nix also has a popular American lunch menu, including reasonably priced salad, sandwich, sub and hot plate combinations. But breakfast is truly when Nix shines.

AnnaLisa Michalski, aminquiry@yahoo.com