mmmmm, bacon. delicious, thick bacon.
Before heading to Clearwater last week to take in a few Phillies spring training games, we did our due diligence by asking seasoned baseball pilgrims what we needed to see while down in Florida. Frenchy's outfield tiki bar was a very popular answer, but perhaps the most repeated demand we heard: you absolutely must eat breakfast at Lenny's Restaurant.
So we did.
The Food
Now I don't know about you, but I like a little bit of everything for breakfast. Some eggs, some bacon, some potatoes, maybe a little pancake or waffle all washed down by some OJ and a bottomless cup of black coffee and I'm off to a great start to my day. So that's exactly what I ordered at Lenny's. It did not disappoint.
You have the option of regular or thick bacon at Lenny's. I went with the thick. In the grand scheme of things, having options as to which type of greasy pig fat you'd like to eat seems like one of the best decisions a man could ever be forced to make. The thick bacon was perfect and perhaps the most memorable part of the meal.
The silver dollar pancakes were the surprise of the spring. They looked fairly boring sitting there on their own little plate, but a little bit of butter and some maple syrup and the consequence of getting fat rapidly falls out of your mind. Extremely tasty little pancakes.
The parts that I think they overdid just a bit were the potatoes and the "danish basket." Apparently everyone that sits down gets a complimentary danish basket that is pretty much a whole meal at some hotels. The potatoes were tasty, but they were kind of Five Guys-esque with their blatant use of about seven potatoes per order. I was told you could do a half order but was not wise enough to heed the advice.
As far as breakfast goes, Lenny's hits the spot. It hits all the spots.
The Atmosphere
During spring training, this place feels like a diner in the heart of South Philly on the morning of a Phillies World Series game, only with people in a better mood because it's 70 and sunny outside and they likely don't have to go to work the next day.
There's Phillies memorabilia scattered throughout along with that of Toronto and a few other clubs that play near by in addition to the fancy paint job on the windows. Any place that flaunts their establishment as being the home of the Phillies is alright by me.
My only suggestion would be to go in small groups and just sit at the counter. Larger groups appeared to have quite the wait.
What was the special of the day on St. Patty's Day, you ask? Italian sausage and eggs.
All photos by The700Level.com
