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Champions of Breakfast

Two Midtown winners start the day right

By Greg Sabin
January 2025

Two Midtown breakfast spots span the spectrum from old-fashioned to new-fangled. Both create delightful mornings with excellent cooking.

THE MORNING FORK
The Morning Fork opened on 21st Street in 2019. Owners Keith and Jennifer Swiryn took over the site occupied by Lucky Cafe. They updated the menu, dining room and experience. The Morning Fork is one of the most popular breakfast restaurants in town.

One glance tells the story. Open the front door and notice every stool taken along the counter. You’ll find steaming cups of coffee on every table. You’ll see the grill get a workout, producing fried eggs, pancakes and crisped hash browns.

Service is prompt and friendly. The morning shift brings a ray of sunshine with them. Coffee is fast and frequent. Check-ins are quick and casual.

A standout fried chicken is a favorite. The batter is spiked with sage and more than 11 herbs and spices, the perfect combo of crispy and juicy.

There’s more. Alongside the chicken is an indulgent side of sausage gravy that puts every bite over the top. A piece of Morning Fork’s fried chicken smothered in homemade gravy is the stuff of breakfast dreams and cardiology nightmares.

Other creative offerings arrive from the sweet side. The “Waffle Queen” takes a thick Belgian waffle and tops it with marshmallow butter, banana, dark chocolate shavings, toasted coconut, Reese’s crumbles and rainbow sprinkles.

Not recommended by dentists, it’s a favorite of sweet breakfast lovers.

The Morning Fork is tuned into what this breakfast diner wants: a classic, retro, homey spot with dialed-in modern cooking.

SUNNY SIDE BREAKFAST & ASIAN FUSION
Two blocks away, a new breakfast and brunch restaurant opened in October and is generating buzz. Sunny Side Breakfast & Asian Fusion combines traditional American favorites with breakfast and brunch treats from Asia.

Sunny Side is on 19th Street at Capitol Avenue. Gelato lovers may remember the location as home of Devine Gelateria. Gone are the cold cases and Italian street scene photos. New are TV monitors playing footage of waterfalls and lush foliage.

If you don’t follow food trends on social media, you might not know Asian breakfast is having a moment. Sunny Side draws influence from Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and throws in a Hawaiian flair.

The hallmark is omurice. The Japanese dish, featuring a pile of rice topped with a soft omelet and sauce, is an internet star.

Start with a pile of fried rice, add a spiral-swirled “tornado omelet,” add a piece of grilled eel, then finish with eel sauce, and garnish with micro greens and sesame seeds. The dish is no small undertaking to make or devour. It’s delicious.

Don’t overlook Sunny Side’s version of Loco Moco, Korean fried chicken and waffles, and Korean noodles with pork belly and fried egg. All exciting dishes, done well.

The Morning Fork is at 1111 21st St.; (916) 476-6765; themorningfork.com. Sunny Side Breakfast & Asian Fusion is at 1221 19th St.; (916) 594-9384.

Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.


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