Motto

Never work before breakfast; if you have to work before breakfast, get your breakfast first.

--Josh Billings (1818-1885)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Windhill Pancake Parlor, 3307 W. Elm St., McHenry, Illinois 60050

My good friend Cheryl is a fountain of information when it comes to local diners in general and breakfast spots in particular.  I emailed her the other day to get her to remind me of a suggestion she gave me in the fall.  Her suggestion, The Windhill Pancake Parlor, was worth the 25 minute drive from my house.  And, the best part was that Shelby was with me.

The pancake parlor is down by the Fox River and features a Mid-western proverb and doodad decor. The owners obviously love the place. It shows in the decor of the parlor and the food they serve.

The menu is a book, and Shelby and I wanted to read the entire thing, so our server brought us coffee and juice and checked back with us several times to see if we were ready to order. This often leads to a server becoming less attentive, but not here. We were never overlooked. We were encouraged to read and take our time. We got a suggestion or two from our server.


My Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with
Shelby's Waffle in the Upper Left
I ordered the Cinnamon Roll Pancakes that the menu describes as "buttermilk pancakes served with a swirl of cinnamon roll filling in the cakes, topped with cream cheese icing" for $7.25, with a side order of bacon and coffee. They were simply delicious from the first bite to the last--sweet, cinnamony, hot, and buttery. There were only two things that could have made them better, and I had them sitting right next to my plate--bacon and coffee.

Shelby and I both remarked that we could taste the individual ingredients in our food--cinnamon, cream cheese, butter, eggs, and TLC. Is freshness an ingredient? It must be. Shelby ordered a Belgian Waffle, a side order of ham, and orange juice.

I'm not one to comment on the coffee in a diner since I don't really like the stuff, but this was good. I prefer my bacon to be crispy at one end and not so crispy at the other--just like these.

There are so many things to award Perk Pennies for.  Our server's attention was worth at least $1.00. The decor added another $1.00 worth of entertainment. No Penalty Pennies here!

The Bottom Line:  $7.25 - 1.00 - 1.00 = $5.25!

If I'd seen a delighted child have his food delivered by the train, the score could have been even better. I have a suspicion there's a perfect $4.00 on the menu here.
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Scoring Guide

The best score a breakfast can receive is, of course, The Perfect $4.00. A base score is determined by the cost of the entree. That score could rise if the other factors that contribute to breakfast (service, atmosphere, and food quality, for example) warrant a penalty, scored in penalty pennies. The worst score a breakfast can receive is $10.00.

Theoretically, a breakfast could score better than a $4.00 if we walked in, were given the best seat in the place, got called by our names, were served pancakes, two eggs, bacon or sausage, and hash browns for $3.95 with great coffee or ice cold juice. But, if that happens, we won't tell a soul about it because we don't want a horde of other cheapskates messing up the place.

Let's say that Shelby ordered a plain Belgian waffle, a side order of bacon, and orange juice. Since the waffle cost $5.25 and the bacon and orange juice were sides, the breakfast's base score begins at $5.25, and Shelby could opt to begin the score at $5.00 if the conditions warranted it. If the service were bad, then Shelby might add a quarter penalty. If the seats were uncomfortable, he might add a dime, and if his syrup had that icky film on the top, he might add a nickel, resulting in a final score of $5.65. I have to say that $5.65 is a very respectable score.

Let us know how well the scoring guide works for you.