The All Night Egg Plant

Atmosphere: 4 of 5

Service: 5 of 5

Distance: 3 of 5

Taste: 5 of 5

Price: 5 of 5

Hurtling down Erie Boulevard on the way to The All Night Egg Plant, I mused over what kind of delicious vegetable meal to order. Some of my ideas included eggplant Parmesan or eggplant lasagna.

Turns out, The All Night Egg Plant doesn’t serve any eggplant at all. Instead, its specialty is breakfast food. 

Inside the eatery, an eclectic assortment of posters decorates its walls. My favorite one depicted ‘Famous Brains on Drugs’ via different styles of eggs in frying pans, like serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s pan: a deviled egg. My big ‘aha’ moment came when I noticed pictures of chickens all over the place. Yup, the diner’s name refers to that type of egg. Points for cleverness.

At our waitress’ enthusiastic suggestion, my dining partner and I ordered a small fretta with a honey bun for dessert. It sounds pretty standard, but the meal ended up being anything but usual. 

When the fretta arrived, I noticed its color first. Even the most jam-packed omelet, the less jumbled equivalent of a fretta, couldn’t match this meal’s wide range of hues. The dish had dark green peppers, yellow egg and cheese, red pepperoni and bacon, pink ham, brown sausage and tan home fries. The pile made for a massive smorgasbord of food.

‘I like to call it ‘The Kitchen Sink,” our waitress joked as she placed the gigantic plate between us.
The different flavors combined to create a distinctively scrumptious taste. The four kinds of meat and seasoning on the home fries added just the right amount of saltiness while the abundance of vegetables convinced me that the meal must be good for me. The ultimate touch: Our waitress brought over a big bottle of hot sauce. My taste buds buzzed happily with the heat. 

Two big slabs of rye toast came on the side of the fretta. Unlike a lot of diner toast I’ve had in the past, the bread wasn’t soggy with butter and maintained a satisfying crunch. 

I don’t think any future egg-based breakfast meal will ever measure up to the fretta. My dining partner and I ordered a smallserving to share for only $6.75 and would not have finished a single bite more. 

Instead of waiting to eat our dessert separately, we asked that it arrive at the same time as the eggs. When I initially saw the $3 honey bun on the menu, I pictured the plastic wrapped Little Debbie treats of my middle school days.

When it arrived, my eyes widened. The giant honey roll is cut in half, buttered and then grilled. Its sweetly wafting scent reminded me of something homey and cooked up by someone’s grandma on a lazy Sunday morning. Under the first crisp layer, the soft roll was thick and gooey. The caramelized butter allowed every bite to melt. You can choose to top it with ice cream and chocolate syrup, but any added sugar on the already sweet treat might be too overwhelming.

A woman sitting nearby overheard our ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ of contentment. As she was leaving, she stopped to mention she has frequented The All Night Egg Plant for more than 30 years. After only one meal, it was obvious how the diner garnered such lasting loyalty. I already know where I’ll be this Sunday morning.

jidonfro@syr.edu

Published on March 20, 2012 at 12:00 pm