It occurred to me it would be nice to start at home base or ground zero for Los Bruncheros. Although we represent a diversity of tastes, which sometimes makes finding common ground a challenge, we have settled for most of the last year on a little french bakery and bistro on Norman's west side, LaBaguette. Interestingly, my wife and I live two blocks from the original LaBaguette on Main Street, but we have found a real Saturday home at the west side location.

The reasons, in my opinion, are strikingly simple ... good coffee, good food and good service.

Now, you need to understand, I'm something of a walking contradiction in that I am an organic gardener, save-the-earth, hug-that-tree type who loves biscuits and gravy, preferably sausage gravy, steak and eggs, and cheap, but tasty, beer & wine. So the idea of sitting down for an average two hour brunch at a rather fancy shmancy french place was not my idea of an ideal environ.

But, if it works, don't knock it. For slightly more than what you would pay in a down home cafe you get the same quality of service you would expect at an evening meal in a fine dining establishment. Here are few of many things which make them great:

(1) Service. Nice people who take very good care of you! This is one place that still remembers it is a part of the "service sector" and reminds you of it with everything they do.

(2) Coffee. Good strong coffee which they bring to you first thing. And for those of us who like something a little more pronounced in our caffeine they make a good espresso and Cafe Americano (although my personal favorite for Americano is Cafe Plaid on Campus Corner, but that's another blog). The LaBaguette coffee is a step above the coffee served in most local cafes which are not coffee houses.

(3) Menu. As cited previously, a good menu which ranges from a simple sausage or bacon and eggs for $6 to Steak & Eggs or Brined Pork Chop (singular) & Eggs for $9. My personal favorites are the eggs & sausage, steak & eggs, eggs benedict, and bagel melt. Special note for steak lovers... their chef can actually cook a steak medium rare (something others don't always hit on the mark). Every breakfast entree comes with potatoes and a fruit cup (sorry, no gravy ... they would call it sauce anyway). And if this is too pricey or too much food, several of the bruncheros have ordered just a toasted bagel or fruit bowl.

(4) Real napkins. Okay, this is a small thing, but its very nice. Coffee cups with a saucer. The little things.

(5) Lingering. They let us do it. They clear the table, keep the coffee coming, and let you, the patron, just visit, which is what you came there to do. For us bruncheros, this is huge!

(6) Other amenities. They bring you dinner rolls & butter while you are waiting for your breakfast / brunch. You can order something from the non-breakfast portion of the menu for breakfast. They offer you dessert after brunch, several of the bruncheros have been known to have giant chocolate covered strawberries.

And, at the end of brunch, they are also a French Bakery! So you can pick up bread, bagels, and pasteries for home on your way out.

Its a great place to spend a Saturday morning.


Norman's Own

Labels: La Baguette, Norman OK