We revisited Mom’s at 4816 N Dale Mabry Hwy on 4 August 2012. Last time we were here was over two years ago. That’s like a million years in breakfast time. Mom’s is the kind of place where you can drive your classic v12 Jaguar and still get treated like a regular Joe.

We did not all dress alike on purpose this morning. This is a classic example of the thousand monkeys chained to a thousand typewriters for a thousand years.

Marek and Ivo are like a Breakfast Recon Team, infiltrating the pancakes.

Inside Mom’s is unchanged since we were last there. And maybe since forever. This is the way we like it.

We spent a lot of time talking about this car and what kind it may be. We never did come to a conclusion, though it probably spent a lot of time at Ronnie Setser’s.

Ivo wasted no time making a mess. He’s decreased his TTM (that’s time to mess, for technical folks) by 51% since last time he popped one of these creamers when I wasn’t looking.

The menu is exactly what you’d expect for a classic greasy spoon mom-n-pop diner.

Me and Marek, we’re having our coffee. Have you noticed, dedicated TBB fans, how Marek has grown out of looking like a little kid and into looking like a little person?

Ivo demands coffee, too. I think I’m going to start him on decaf, though.

Can’t you just imagine sitting with Marek over a slow Sunday breakfast and coffee, just talking about the news and the weather and how Grandma’s doing these days?

Every toddler ought start out this way, mainlining black coffee.

Marek of the future, read back to 2012 and this picture. When you and I are arguing over if you can take the hovercraft out for a date with your robot hybrid girlfriend and you’re mad at me because I just don’t understand, I’m going to pull up this picture and remind you how we used to be such good friends.

New tattoo. The original hand is Marek’s when he was two. Last week we got Ivo’s. Which is a bit larger than Marek, at the same age. We’re predicting Ivo will grow to be the size of a horse.

Breakfast came like Operation Vittles, a plane-load of chow. Marek is now, as of two weeks ago, on a sausage patty kick.

Pancakes this morning: Not Mom’s finest work. I mean, they were fine, but very small. We’ve encountered a lot of pancakes in our career, so I know a small pancake when I see one.

Ivo has perfected the use of the fork to deliver chow to his lap, where he then uplifts it to his maw by hand. Perfect aristocratic table manners have to start somewhere. Not here, of course.

This bacon, what tiny bit I got of it, was good. I like it just over the edge of being done plus one. This was happy bacon for all of us. The look on Marek’s face needs a caption, though.

Enough chow to feed us all, coffee, Marek coffee, and Ivo coffee all added up to a bit over 12 clams. That’s about right for a good, filling breakfast in Tampa Bay. Bacon was great. Eggs just right. Hash browns were nice. Pancakes, a bit small but otherwise OK. Sausage was a winner. And the coffee was tops, by the way. Mom’s has a great rhythm, where all the wait staff circulate the whole room and refill everyone every five minutes. That’s the way it ought to be done.

Marek and Ivo negotiated. Ivo would pay the bill, Marek would bring the change back.

This appears to be some sort of bartering about the bill.

A crowd gathered to watch the young financial wizards.

And … another Breakfast Job, well done.

The boys came away with pops when they paid the bill. That’s always awesome! Also, the 370z behind them was almost the new Pancake Mobile, but there’s no back seat at all. At least the FR-S has this thing that looks like a scale model of a back seat so I can fake it and fit them in. But not the 370, no sir.

After Mom’s, we went to the beach. What a great Florida day.

We’re pleased to award Mom’s with a Tampa Bay Breakfasts four and a half pancake rating.

It’s me and Ivo again this morning, a rare two-breakfast weekend! We’re on the bike today.

We visited the Forest Hills Diner at 9399 N Florida Ave on 8 July 2012. This used to be the Pine Grove Family Restaurant but changed ownership last year.

Excepting for the sign, it’s pretty much the same place. We’re calling this a new restaurant from our serious pancake statistical analysis approach, though.

This is our 99th unique mom-n-pop location in the Tampa Bay area. We’re so dedicated that we even wore one kid out on pancakes. I had to bring in the emergency backup kid to keep going.

There’s a kid’s menu, and drinks for kids are free with purchase of a kid’s meal.

Ivo suggests that maybe he’ll just take what he wants, seeing as how he’s got a knife and all.

This is the look you get if you say, “Ivo, are you playing with a knife, you silly little boy?”

Inside is pretty much unchanged since we were last here at the Pine Grove in 2010. Very large place.

We’re having coffee this morning! Which is a great improvement over yesterday morning’s no-coffee problem.

Knock knock!
Who’s there?
Ivo!
Ivo who?
Ivo you!

That’s how you make Ivo laugh.

Here’s breakfast! Kid’s one scrambled egg and bacon also came with hash browns and toast. It was quite a lot of food for three bucks.

Decent pancakes, size-wise. And these were really tasty, too. Fresh blueberries did the trick for me.

This breakfast is so good that we’re even wearing it.

And this look is the result of me saying, “Hey Ivo, guess how much a college education for you is going to cost me? Nothin! Join the Army! Hah!”

Two big breakfasts, coffee, kid’s coffee weighed in at 12 clams. Not too bad. Notice how I need new business cards, that say “Andy and Ivo” instead of “Andy and Marek” … we’re going to just call this what it is, a player change in mid-game.

Ivo took care of business, as he does. This time he even signed the charge slip for me since I spent our breakfast cash yesterday.

New readers may think I make this up. But off my 2yo goes to find someone to run his credit card, while I sit back and drink coffee.

Why, you ask? Because when I pay the bill no one ever offers me a lollipop. But here is Ivo, with a big one.

That pop, by the way, didn’t make it home (well, it did, but in Ivo’s tummy).

Parked outside the diner is this sweet, stock Dodge. I saw it had a club lock on the steering wheel. It’s a nice, straight old car, but why would anyone try to steal something that looks so, well, old? Kids these days probably wouldn’t even know how. Then I noticed the dual pipes underneath.

And the hood pins up front. There’s something lurking under that unassuming old-timer.

The Forest Hills Diner was a very nice experience. Folks were friendly, chow was good, and the price was about right. We’re pleased to give Forest Hills a Tampa Bay Breakfast four pancake rating.

We visited the 301 Diner at 3407 N HWY 301 on 12 May 2012. They have a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/301-Family-Restaurant/113574495337246. Notice that it’s right across the street from the Dallas Bull.

And just up the road a bit is the Veteran’s park, complete with helicopter on display.

Me and the boys, we’re so excited! From the look on Ivo’s face, you just know he’s thinking about line dancing.

We parked next to this Can Am. These things seem to me to be the worst parts of a car combined with the worst parts of a motorcycle.

Poor Marek, it turns out, isn’t really feeling swell this morning. If I’d realized earlier, we’d have just stayed home and had cartoons for breakfast.

Me and Ivo, we’re just waiting for the line dancing to start.

The 301 is a really good place. Classic greasy-spoon country diner. The menu is full of all kinds of our favorite things.

Ivo, as you may see here, is clearly his father’s son.

Good place here, full of locals wearing baseball hats. It’s a good breakfast when people know each other when they walk in the door.

Ivo starting young with the coffee. Just like Marek did when he was that age.

And today is the day before Mother’s Day! We got Favorite Breakfast Reviewer Mom some books and made her favorite supper.

Ivo is also being very agreeable for being photographed, while Marek is less so today. So I’m taking advantage of the situation.

It’s a good thing he looks like his mother.

After all that kissy-faced goofin, we surely worked up an appetite for breakfast! (Note the Ivo Yoink move)

Good size on these pancakes.

Marek works the bacon conveyor belt. It beats sucking the juices out of the bacon and leaving the gristle, which is what he was doing for a while.

Ivo and I dug in pretty well on our side, too. Pancakes! Just what the doctor ordered after a long morning of driving 20 miles to get some pancakes.

All told, the bill was pretty reasonable. Fit nicely on a Jackson.

Ivo is up-and-coming in the paying-the-bills department. He still needs big brother assistance to close the deal, but he starts out strong.

At the end of the morning, we can tell you this about the 301 Family Restaurant. It’s a gem of a diner. It meets all our marks: Cozy, full of locals and regulars, good prices, basic and tasty chow, nice people, and a bit of history. We’d go back anytime. Even if they do play country music. We’re pleased to give the 301 Family Restaurant a Tampa Bay Breakfasts a four and a half pancake rating.

We visited The Recipe Box at 147 Bloomingdale Avenue in Brandon on 21 April 2012. They also have a nice web site at http://recipeboxdiner.com. This was our first visit, and we went at the recommendation of Tampa Bay Breakfasts fans Shawn and also Will. Will was actually supposed to join us, but our secretaries had trouble getting our schedules aligned.

This was a Very Special Event: Our third anniversary breakfast! Since 18 April 2009 we’ve been exploring the ups and downs of mom-n-pop breakfast throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, with some occasional trips to Levy/Citrus/Marion counties. Almost 100 unique breakfasts and a lot of great times. This breakfast is just Marek and Andy. Ivo’s home with Favorite Guest Reviewer Mom. Well, it’s Marek, Andy, and Bumble Bee.

The first thing I noticed when we got out of the car was this vulture on the top of the light pole. I’m not going to say that made me feel comfortable about breakfast. But we soldiered on!

Family portrait, Simpson’s Style.

First thing that happened when we got in the door was coffee. It didn’t take but a minute.

Marek asked if there was hot chocolate. Of course there was, and watch us make it in this fancy machine! I suspect that this machine also calculates tax returns and could land the Space Shuttle. If we still had a Space Shuttle.

That’s a good hot chocolate! Though from the look on Marek’s face, you’d think it was a hot lemon.

Any menu that has an item named “Officer Andy” is OK by me. I really wanted to get this just because of the name, but also I really didn’t want a ribeye steak for breakfast.

One of the many points Ayn Rand made in Atlas Shrugged was that you could always trust a company that put the owner’s name out in front, but businesses with words like “consolidated” or “amalgamated” in the name were surely places that were getting it wrong. Not that we approach breakfast from an Objectivist point of view, but every time I see the owner put his name on the menu I think back to that bit of literature class lesson.

This place is licketysplit fast. Here’s pancakes, with no time to dally. And also note, they’re Not Small. The perspective is funny on this picture, but these pancakes are the span of my hand.

Marek got the scrambled eggs and bacon. And also note that I didn’t get a picture of the counter, but we’re sitting in the high high chairs at the counter, at Marek’s request. He really likes that.

The look on Marek’s face begs for a caption competition. “And now, for my next trick!”

The bill was a bit high for what we had. Not super-expensive, but I reckon that Marek’s new thing of having hot chocolate adds a few bucks to the tab. He’s worth it!

Marek, and Bumble Bee, took the bill to pay.

In line to pay the bill. It’s a good sign when a restaurant has kid artwork taped to the counter.

And there we go. Our 95th breakfast and third year behind us!

The recipe box is a good recommendation. The service is fast. The people are friendly. The prices are moderate. The chow is tasty. We’re pleased to give The Recipe Box a Tampa Bay Breakfasts four pancake rating.

We visited the Riviera Cafe on 18 Feb 2012. Riviera is in the strip mall by Michael’s craft store, or as Marek calls it, the “arts and crabs store,” 14819 N Dale Mabry in Carrollwood. Riviera Cafe was a recommendation from Favorite Guest Reviewer Mom.

Me and Ivo, we’re bringing up the slow lane. Note the smug little grin on my little guy. He knows … pancakes. He’s going to get to hurl pancakes at strangers.

Remember when Marek would bring some little cars to breakfast so we could quietly play? He’s a big boy now so he needs big cars.

Favorite Guest Reviewer Mom and Ivo strike a pose worthy of G.Q. magazine. Look at his far-away adventure look that says, “somewhere … there’s a mountain for me to climb. And … on that mountain … is something of Dad’s … something I can break when he’s not looking …”

The menu is standard, comprehensive, but no blueberry pancakes. Our waitress, of whom we don’t have a photograph, was outstanding. Super-cheerful and understood how kids operate.

We had coffee and clinked the mugs, as is the ritual in our tribe.

Inside Riviera Cafe is clean and open. That’s an ATM on the right, which is necessary since they’re a cash-only operation. I like cash-only places. They exist just off the grid and will be the last hold outs when the world slips into Gibsonish technical dystopia.

Ivo made the rounds of people to sit with. After me, I passed him to the next table over and he went around the room like a beach ball at a Jimmy Buffet concert.

This photograph has nothing to do with breakfast. I just think my wife is pretty.

Here’s breakfast! You’ll notice right away, because you’re reading this and you probably are already familiar with our routine, that there’s what appears to be a whole can of corned beef hash on the table. This was an impulse purchase. Honestly, I really like hash but just not a lot of it. And I figured I’d introduce it to the boys. Both of whom turned their noses right up at it. Mom saying, “it looks like dog food” (say that in a mocking, nasally tone) didn’t help. More hash for me, fellas!

Favorite Guest Reviewer Mom had the French toast. Whenever I have French toast I say in a gravelly, sultry voice, “oh la la, cest bon, oui? Heh heh heh.” When she has it she says, “pass the syrup.” This is why we’ve been together for so long, because I know not to get the French toast.

Ivo had some pancakes and eggs. You can tell Mom’s on the scene by the way she’s setting him up. She forgets that we’re well-practiced at all this. It’s our ding, eh. (Say in a Jersey Shore voice)

This photograph doesn’t tell the whole story. If you look very closely at Marek’s eggs, you’ll see that he just finished dumping a quart of syrup on them. He ate them, cheerfully, and completely bypassed the pancake. Ick, says I to he and thee. Ick.

Favorite Guest Reviewer Mom and I took some moments to goof while Marek and Ivo took some moments to destroy something valuable they found in Mom’s purse.

The bill came. 22 clams for three full breakfasts, including a plate of hash. That’s a fair price for a good meal.

The brothers took on the perilous mission. That’s teamwork! Sing along with me: What’s gonna work? Teeeeeem work! Also note Ivo’s shirt. Clever, no? This was Marek’s shirt. Here’s a picture of Marek in that same shirt, on the Think Geek web site where I bought it.

They paid, they got pops! It’s a good life, being a kid. No one ever offers me a lollipop when I’m alone. I’m actually known for creeping people out. They always say hi to the kids when I’m out with them, and I always say, “If I were here alone you’d have ignored me. You should say hi to me, too.” And I look sad and move closer to them. And people seem to walk away quickly. It’s a fun game!

Can you believe I took spousal abuse for allowing this to happen after breakfast? Everyone knows it’s a Tampa Bay Breakfasts tradition!

The Riveria Cafe as a good experience. The food was just what you expect for breakfast. The coffee never ran dry. Nice, neighborhood place with good value for the dollar. I’d say this was a 3.5 on the breakfast scale, with a half-pancake bump for our waitress, whose name I now have misplaced, who was really excellent. We are pleased to rank Riviera Cafe with a Tampa Bay Breakfasts four pancake rating.

After breakfast, we dropped mom off and we went to the MD Oriental Market on Fowler.

This is a great place to go if you like to look at crabs.

Though, truth be told, this is the cheapest place in town to buy goji berries. Half the price for twice the quantity of our usual health food store.

And Marek always comes here for Hello Kitty snacks.

Just a normal day for the Tampa Bay Breakfast crew!

This might be our last breakfast of 2011. We’re cruising with Marek…

And also Ivo. I’m always impressed that everyone fits in my little car.

It’s a dreary day here in Tampa. The sky is heavy. The air is cold. And we’re hungry for breakfast. Heading to Davis Island this morning to meet our old friend Loren and to re-visit The Pink Flamingo.

The Pink Flamingo is at 304 E Davis Blvd on Davis Island. We last visited in May 2010 and before that in June 2009. We’ve always enjoyed the food, kitschy/funky decor, and the fact that we can bring the family hound-dog and sit outside when the weather’s fine.

We met our TBB friend Loren this morning. If you run into Loren around town, you can say, hey man, aren’t you one of those Tampa Bay Breakfasts celebrity guests?

Loren brought finger-birds. It’s not what it sounds like. Fun finger puppets! Also notice that I’m wearing my only Christmas shirt. It’s an amazing bit of trivia being reported by People Magazine that I also wore this same shirt back in 2009 when we visited the Grecian Island, also on Davis Island.

Marek’s new thing is hot chocolate. Ivo’s new thing is trying to get his fingers in Marek’s hot chocolate. Check out Marek’s defensive maneuver. That appears to be a Jiu Jitsu wrist lock.

Can you guess what Marek’s saying here?

That’s right, he’s saying, “Hey Loren, zip that car back over to me!” I’m betting that there aren’t a lot of pictures on the Internet of Loren playing Hot Wheels cars. Once again, Tampa Bay Breakfasts has the scoop on the Bay Area social scene.

Breakfast arrived just in time, before the little cars started really flying and we got tossed out of the place. Bacon and eggs for Marek, pancakes for me and Ivo.

This is Loren and breakfast. If he looks all serious-like, it’s because he’s saying something about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Tampa Bay is the best region in Florida, and so clearly Tampa Bay Breakfasts is the most important and best web site in the world that focuses on breakfast in the Tampa Bay area.

While I’m listening politely, Sneaky Ivo slithers right in to gouge my pancakes. This kid is like a Breakfast Ninja.

And then, while I’m protecting my breakfast, Marek shows up on Loren’s side. This is nuts! I can’t keep up!

When the bill came it wasn’t bad news. For three whole breakfasts it ran a bit over $20. That’s well within the TBB budget!

Marek and Ivo paid the bill together. This is sort of a first, at least in that they both did it willingly as a team.

This scene caused the whole dining room to stop and collectively go, “awwwwwwww.” Big brother with money in one hand, little brother in tow in the other hand. It could also be that he started out with two little brothers and just completed sale of the one and on his way to sell the other, but everyone just assumed they were paying the bill together.

Which is, of course, exactly what they did. (Notice the lady giving me a good eyeballing, to make sure I’m actually paying attention to the boys.)

Here’s the winning point on the Flamingo. They appear to have pulled a booth out and made a kids’ play area. Bunch-o-toys back there and room for a handful of kids. Still the deafening sound of raucous joy, but surely was nice to let the boys just chill out there instead of turning our table upsidedown.

And then they bring me the toys that they want to take home with them. Thanks, kids! We’ll never be welcomed back.

The boys and Loren all seemed to have a swell time. Good breakfast, good coffee that never ran dry, great company, and a play area. What’s not to love?

We’re pleased to revalidate the Pink Flamingo as a four and a half pancake Tampa Bay Breakfast.

After breakfast, we went to the Ybor Saturday Market. Where Marek promptly got into a gun fight with the Creative Loafing girl.

Marek, despite being out-gunned and 1/3 as tall, ended up with the upper-hand. Don’t mess with Marek.

Then we went shopping at the Oceanic Market. The kids could each pick out one thing for lunch. Ivo went with the radishes.

Marek chose a durian. You know you wish you were at OUR house for lunch, don’t you?

Just a normal Andy, Marek, and Ivo day.

It’s suppertime. Mom’s not home tonight. I ask Marek, what do you want for supper? And so …

We had breakfast for supper at home on 26 October 2011.

Can you guess? That’s right, bacon and scrambled eggs.

So here we are having supper, Marek with his bacon and eggs.

Ivo with his bacon and eggs and raw toast.

And me with my bacon and eggs and toast. Is this a crazy supper or what? Favorite Guest Reviewer Mom won’t even know what she missed!

Marek thought this was a great breakfast-for-supper.

Ivo, on the other hand, made some editorial comments about my cooking.

Ninja Eggs! Hiyah!

For the record, Ivo did this all by himself. Like any good Breakfast Journalist, I just recorded and reported the facts.

Eggs 1, Ivo 0. But who’s keeping score?

Faithful family hound, guarding the floor against ninja eggs and other wayward edibles and potential-edibles. Now you’re wondering how Ivo’s shoe got off, aren’t you?

Clean plates all around. Dare I say … “compliments to the chef!” I had the Island of Sodor plate. Creepy place, that Sodor.

The value of this picture is largely because in 10 years I’ll be able to say, “look, Marek, when you were FOUR you could clear the table. Why can’t you do it when you’re fourteen?”

Of course, we won’t give this breakfast a real rating. We just did it because we’d missed so many breakfasts in the last couple months that we wanted to do a fun one. (Though everyone knows that dad’s crazy supper cooking is always a five-pancake-rating barrel of laughs, and usually involves the beer you may have noticed on the very first picture from this review.)