I discovered that two things were missing from my website: a recent review from a Batavia restaurant and a review of a breakfast place. I realize that I have been absent a lot from the Fox Valley area, unable to do reviews of local restaurants, but I was a bit amazed at how dated some of my reviews actually are… sorry ’bout that. In any case, I had heard that Apple Villa Pancake House was a great place to have breakfast.
Was the Wait Worth What I had Expected?
I had driven past the place on several occasions — only to keep driving because the number of people heading for the entrance indicated that hundred dollar bills were being given away! Actually that is generally good news for a restaurant… so I decided that I would get up a bit earlier and go see for myself whether or not the place is worth the wait that I had expected. I could also fill in both missing items at the same time.
Luck was with me recently and there was no wait. I had arrived before the crowds! Initial impressions were good ones: the interior was clean and brightly lit, there was no smoke in the air and there was someone at the door with a smile to greet Lauren and me. The hostess seemed as if she may have been a new employee, unsure as to where to seat us… but she was very pleasant. We were seated at a booth next to the window. A large carafe of ice water sat on the table, along with two inverted glasses (for the water) and coffee cups, paper-napkin-wrapped silverware and assorted flavors of individual creams for coffee. The tables were otherwise bare.
The House Specialty
A server came to the table almost immediately and asked if we would like coffee or juice and were we ready to order? When we said that we would like a few minutes to decide, she nodded politely and left us to ponder the very LARGE number of items on the menu. Those items included myriad egg selections, omelettes, crepes, pancakes — apple pancakes being the house specialty — waffles, skillets, French toast, blintzes, sandwiches, wraps, soups… whew!! Need I say more? Apple Villa has another location in Hoffman Estates, so I imagine that they have a pretty good idea what is going on in terms of breakfast.
Let’s Order Breakfast!
Lauren decided to order the Veggie Benedict (“Two poached eggs with sautéed artichoke hearts, fresh spinach and fresh mushrooms on a toasted English muffin topped with our famous rich hollandaise sauce, served with premium homemade hash browns“) along with a glass of their fresh-squeezed orange juice, and I chose a basic pair of eggs, accompanied by an order of corn beef hash. My breakfast also came with the homemade hash browns, so I guess I got the double potato order. What can I say… I love spuds! I was tempted to get the New York Strip Steak & Eggs and also tempted to try one of their Supreme Skillets or one of the Extraordinary Omelettes… As I mentioned, the menu is large and the choice can be difficult!
Our breakfasts were brought out quickly and everything looked — and tasted — just the way I would have wanted it to: very good. Lauren could only manage to finish one of her two Benedict muffins, while I finished my entire breakfast. I will tell you that the portions are very large, so make sure that you come to Apple Villa with a healthy appetite.
Great Eggs-Perience
On the positive side, the prices were very reasonable, the service was very good and I was glad to see servers that were well-dressed and in uniform. The food was cooked well and the plate presentation was good, although a garnish on the plate such as a slice of orange or a piece of parsley would have gone a long way toward adding eye-appeal to the breakfasts. The potatoes were perfect: crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. The hash, although very tasty, was barely warm. Lauren’s Benedict however, was steaming hot and she raved about the flavor. My only real complaint was that the server never asked how I wanted like my eggs cooked. The good news is that they came out over-easy — exactly as I would have cooked them myself.
Over all, I enjoyed the eggs-perience (pardon the pun) and would recommend that you put Apple Villa on your list of breakfast places to try… except, from what I can tell, you have already done that. Good job Apple Villa! Oh and by the way… the answer to the very first question (asked above) is… YES! And I give apple Villa three and a half Zins.
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
Apple Villa is located at 1961 W Wilson Street in Batavia.
