Dining Out: Red Bird Cafe soon to become coveted treasure for Dayton
DAYTON, Ind.— Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.
Granted, I rarely take the time to eat breakfast unless it's the weekend, and I often find it difficult to make the time to sit down and actually eat something of substance in the mornings.
This week, however, I made the time to sit down with my mom at Trish's Red Bird Cafe, which recently opened at 696 Walnut St. along State Road 38 running through Dayton.
If you haven't driven through Dayton in the last year, the site of the Red Bird Cafe will come as a complete surprise, as the home that once sat on the property is gone and the accompanying cinder block garage was completely flipped into a restaurant.
Mom beat me to the cafe, so she grabbed a booth in the back where we had the up-close view of Dayton schools' memorabilia, which hung on the walls, as well as on the coffee mugs.
After ordering my coffee, I was so excited to get a mug I could comfortably wrap my hands around that I didn't even notice the mug was from a celebration of an East Tipp class of 1964 reunion. Along with the local notes in the decorations, little red birds could be found throughout the restaurant as well, in a bicycle basket hanging from the wall or painted onto a miniature version of the cafe.
Shortly after we both got our drinks, our waitress took our order. Mom got a stack of pancakes with a side of extra crispy hash browns and bacon. I went for my go-to breakfast order: an omelet with bacon, cheese and every vegetable the eatery offers, along with a side of extra crispy hash browns and wheat toast.
While Mom and I caught up and looked at all of the memorabilia on the walls, our waitress brought us each a beignet to try, tossed in cinnamon and sugar. Still warm on the plate, the small pastry reminded me of an elephant ear, while Mom thought it tasted more like a doughnut. Either way, we both agreed they were delicious.
The wait staff, including our waitress Destiney, was very attentive to my coffee cup, never allowing me to see its bottom, while the owner of the cafe bounced around to tables checking in on patrons.
From the time we sat down in our booth to the time our food arrived at our table was just 25 minutes. For someone who is commonly in a hurry to get in and get out of a restaurant, this was perfect for me. The food didn't disappoint, either.
Mom and I have similar tastes in wanting our food cooked "well done" and we were both overly pleased with our hash browns. Not only were they cooked to crunchy perfection, the flavor was an absolute stand out. I don't know what all is used in the cooking process, but I sincerely hope they never change it.
Mom loaded her cakes with butter and syrup, and said she was very pleased with how they turned out. Asking for all of the veggies in my omelet didn't disappoint, as they loaded it up with onion, tomato, spinach, broccoli florets, green pepper and, of course, bacon and cheese.
I wish I would have had more room for all that was on my plate, because it nearly killed me to not finish my omelet. I know the next time I come, I'll bring a bigger appetite knowing what's in store. With Mom's stamp of approval, too, I know she will be back soon as well, as she had an eye on the cafe's lunch menu for the near future.
With the combination of great service and even better food, I feel confident that the Red Bird Cafe will become a coveted spot by Dayton residents and all else who walk through its doors.
- by Jillian Ellison — Journal & Courier
https://www.jconline.com/story/entertainment/2018/05/25/dining-out-red-bird-cafe-soon-become-coveted-treasure-dayton/636325002/