During the week, this restaurant is a seat yourself kind of place, but on the weekends you’ll have to put your name on a list and wait a few minutes for the crowds of people to finish their pancakes. For once this worked out in my favor — I had time to run to the ATM, since Chute’s only takes cash or checks.
I checked out the bakery case, filled with homemade muffins, before we were seated. So many choices, so early in the morning. Would I go with the orange and cranberry or the chocolate chip and raspberry muffin? Of course it had to be the chocolate.
After we took a seat, I started thinking about how boring I am when it comes to breakfast. I like my eggs over medium with a side of unexciting toast. So I glanced at the special’s menu. The crab, red pepper, onion and cheddar omelet ($7.59) sounded different. Or should I be really adventurous and try the pancakes or the hash — big heaping mounds of potatoes with meats, cheeses and/or veggies. (At the risk of sounding like Bubba Gump, they have steak hash, hunter’s hash, hobo hash, veggie hash ... I could go on and on.)
I chose the French toast, bacon and fruit cup special ($5.95) for my 3-year-old daughter and basic eggs Benedict ($5.95) for myself. Brooklyn played with a train borrowed from the kiddie corner and I sipped my coffee while we waited for our food to cook. Couples, families and friends sitting around us all seemed to be enjoying their breakfast on this busy morning.
Before the waitress set our plates down, I was already stealing a piece of Brooklyn’s bacon. Crispy and thick, exactly the way bacon should be. She gobbled down the fresh fruit bowl and, as usual, refused to eat anything else on her plate. But I only ordered her a meal so I could try her French toast anyway. It was a little dry, but I could see the potential in the large serving and freshly-made bread.
Chute’s definitely knows how to make a good-looking eggs Benedict. It was a thick homemade English muffin, topped with ham, perfectly poached eggs and a dollop of hollandaise sauce that pleased my palette. With a huge helping of homefries and another cup of coffee in my stomach, I was ready to buy some bigger pants.
“Check, please.”
We paid our tab and said our goodbyes to the dining room fowl. Chute’s has all of the appeal of Grandma’s house and my family loves Grandma.
Chute’s Family Restaurant is located at 690 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. The restaurant is open seven days a week, starting at 5:30 am on weekdays and 6 am on weekends, and closes daily at 1 pm. Breakfast is served all day and lunch starts at 11 am.