Take a break

Maggie’s Breakfast & Lunch is nothing if not cozy, with seating for perhaps 16 inside and another eight on the patio. The menu is similarly small, with fewer than 30 items, including bagels, oatmeal, omelettes, pancakes, sandwiches, burritos, wraps, salads and a daily soup. A half-inch thick slice of strawberry almond layer cake was included with each order, a friendly touch from a very welcoming brunch spot.

Pancakes ($7.99) are offered in banana, chocolate or plain varieties, with syrup, margarine, and apricot or strawberry jam on the side. Our pair of plain cakes were each a bit more than an inch thick and six inches across. They were crazy fluffy, lightly browned and great with the chunky apricot jam. These—and every dish we ordered—were accompanied by a fresh fruit cup of diced melon, blueberries and grapes.

There was a little bit of confusion when my friend thought he’d ordered a breakfast sandwich but instead received a sausage omelette ($10.99) with homefries, toasted “house bread” and pico de gallo. The herbed not-quite-crispy diced spuds were fine, the mild veggie relish a nice touch, and the folded eggs were loaded with meat and cheddar cheese. A chorizo cheddar omelette ($10.99) included plenty of spicy Mexican sausage both inside and out.

We also ordered a Philly cheese steak sandwich ($11.99, also available in omelette form). It featured a large, nicely toasted sandwich roll stuffed with chopped ribeye, grilled vegetables (onion, bell pepper, mushroom), special spread and a combo of Swiss and provolone cheeses. There appeared to be an entire sliced orange bell pepper in the mix, so much so you could call it pepper steak à la accoutrements. Having said that, it was a fantastically satisfying combination of flavors—perhaps not a textbook example of “cheese steak” but a grand sandwich on its own.

A chicken bacon club on toasted bread ($8.99) combined chicken breast—which appeared to have been pounded flat before grilling—with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, provolone and ranch dressing. The bacon was chopped and a bit melted into the cheese. The veggies were fresh and plentiful. I couldn’t detect the squirrely signature of bottled ranch, so perhaps they’re mixing up their own dressings and spreads. The friend who ordered it seemed happy with his selection, and I agreed it was a pretty good bite of lunch.

A super wrap ($9.99) of arugula, spinach, turkey, tomato, crispy bacon, avocado chunks and cilantro dressing in a large, spinach flour tortilla weighed at least a pound and a half. I was a bit stunned by the heft of this monster—and grateful it was sliced in half. The bacon was the same crumble found in the club, and there was plenty of it. There was actually plenty of everything, with a nearly equal ratio between ingredients. I can’t recall when I’ve been this impressed by a wrap. The lone negative note was turkey “breast” that was diced, processed meat—deli quality, sure, but nowhere near as inviting as the chicken and steak had been. Replace the meat cubes with sliced bird that still has grain and a less spongy texture, and this would be a wrap to remember.