When I was planning our trip, I knew that one morning we’d be starting a day at Matt’s Big Breakfast.  Why not start there, on the first morning?  When we showed up at 8:05 on a Saturday, the place was already packed.  We talked with the host and he said that the 15-20 people waiting were nothing compared to the expected line a little later  – which would stretch down the street to in front of the hotel on the corner.  The wait was surprisingly short – we were seated in less than ten minutes.  One thing that they seem to know how to do is push the people through this place.

Matt’s is the creation of Matt and Ermenia, who had a goal to elevate a common meal to an uncommon level.  They source everything locally and use cage-free eggs, organic milk, meats from local butchers, bread from a local bakery and fresh roasted coffee.  There is no freezer or microwave in the place.  Among the house made items is the fresh-squeezed honey lemonade – strawberry and blueberry today.  I began with a strawberry honey lemonade – tart, sweet and with the “seeds” from the skin of the strawberry floating in the glass.   The breakfast menu, which is served all day (all day being from 6:30 – 2:30) has nine regular items and a daily special.   My breakfast mate had one of the regular menu items (I failed to capture a picture): the Skinny – four egg whites, scrambled with gruyere cheese, local organic baby spinach and chicken apple sausage, cooked in olive oil and served with the Simple Little Salad,

For me, it was the Saturday special – a scramble, today’s being made with fresh jalapenos, bacon and four eggs, served with a warm tortilla and hash browns.

The scramble was excellent and the freshness of the jalapenos showed through in the overall heat level of the dish.  A tasty start to the day.

Matt’s has three locations (the place mat pictures each of the  restaurants, and a coffee shop, and says, “This is a place mat.  These are Matt’s places.”), including one in Terminal B at Sky Harbor airport.  The only complaint I could lodge with the breakfast that we had here was that we felt very rushed:  the check appeared less than half-way through our meals; they came back to pick it up well before we were finished eating; and they tried to take our plates before we were through.  I guess that’s how they serve so many people. 

(Spoiler – we went to the location near the Biltmore a couple of days later and while the food was easily as good, the service was much friendlier).