Just like at any diner, eggs and toast, buttermilk pancakes and French toast with maple syrup don the menu. Here, however, the eggs are cage free and I always get spelt toast with them.

I’ve been trying to figure out a restaurant category to put Beans and Barley into. Upscale is definitely out and casual just doesn’t do the food justice. So I decided to make up my own category: a modern bohemian diner.

Let me explain. “Modern” because the food caters to all of these new eating habits that people are patterning themselves on lately. The vegan, the vegetarian, the red meat vegetarian, the gluten-free and the lactose-intolerant in us all can enjoy a perfect meal here.

I say “bohemian” because of the staff. When I asked if I could have soy yogurt with my granola and fruit bowl ($5.95), my server looked at me with dreamy eyes and said, “Yeah, whatever.” It wasn’t snotty; it was more laid back and semi-hilarious.

And I say a diner because the food is diner food. Just like at any diner, eggs and toast, buttermilk pancakes and French toast with maple syrup don the menu. Here, however, the eggs are cage free and I always get spelt toast with them.

Another exciting attribute of this place is the pancakes of the month ($5.95). In February, they were topped with a berry coulis, in March they were embedded with creamy bananas and coconut and in April they will be oatmeal and pecan.

I will be quite sad when this month’s banana coconut cakes fly off the menu. They were truly amazing because the flavors were at the perfect point of just overwhelming enough.

Another favorite of mine is the three egg-white omelet loaded with spinach, feta and onions ($7.00). The eggs come out fluffy and they don’t skimp on the cheese. The plate is accompanied by roasted potatoes and toast.

The true highlight of my breakfast is always Beans and Barley’s homemade strawberry jam. It has a perfect, thick texture and the flavor is undeniably sweet.

While staring at the menu deciding on something to order, don’t overlook the pesto eggs ($5.25). Scrambled eggs are folded into a light and creamy pesto sauce. The flavor combination of the intense basil and pine nuts of the pesto and the fluffiness of the eggs are to die for. For me, it’s the perfect savory breakfast.

Beans and Barley is cheap and fast – an easy choice for a great breakfast.

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