Is Hash Your Favorite Breakfast in Denver?
Hash, particularly corned beef hash, is always a popular choice for breakfast in Denver and all around the country. This simple and comforting dish is made from chopped meat and potatoes cooked together with spices and often vegetables like onions or bell peppers. While there are many varieties of hash, corned beef is perhaps the most popular and definitely one of our favorite choices at The Original Pancake House.
Like many other dishes, hash was developed as a way to utilize leftovers. If you have a piece of cooked meat left over from dinner, you can easily extend that into breakfast by adding potatoes and vegetables. Corned beef hash specifically developed in England in Ireland as a second act for the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner.
The hearty dish gained popularity in America during the World War II era and has been beloved ever since. Nowadays you can order hash of all varieties at restaurants across the country.
If you’re craving some corned beef hash for breakfast in Denver you won’t want to miss ours at The Original Pancake House. We serve it with two basted eggs and a stack of three of our signature pancakes. You can’t beat a hearty breakfast with both sweet and savory elements!
Breakfast Warmer - What will it be? Coffee versus tea!
The breakfast tea vs coffee debate has been percolating for decades – which is healthier, which should you choose, which is the best breakfast beverage? Studies show that both beverages contain many health and energy benefits, here is the break-down.
Caffeine - Coffee typically has about 100 mg of caffeine per cup, whereas tea contains 25 - 75 mg per cup depending on the variety (black teas typically have more caffeine than green teas). Depending on time of day (or just how sleepy you are feeling!) you may opt for one beverage over the over. Coffee releases caffeine in a quick burst, whereas tea is more a slow, sustained release of energy over a longer period. 
Health benefits - Coffee contains key nutrients like potassium, niacin, manganese, and magnesium. It also may protect against certain types of cancers, reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, and protect your liver. Further, coffee supports brain function and helps prevent Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and can help ward off depression. Tea, on the other hand, reduces inflammation, promotes mouth health, reduces risk for certain cancers, and improves insulin sensitivity. Tea may help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and may decrease the risk of heart disease.
Taste - Both coffee and tea come in a variety of flavors sourced from around the world. Different coffee beans will have different flavor profiles due to the unique terroir of the growing environment. Further, the brew can vary greatly depending on how the coffee is roasted and if any spices such as vanilla or cinnamon are added. Tea comes in a wide variety of flavors as well, though most are derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Tea flavors vary greatly depending on how the tea leaves are processed.
Whichever breakfast beverage you favor, you are sure to get a boost of energy, many health benefits, and of course something to warm you on a cold morning. We serve both hot coffee and tea at The Original Pancake House in Denver, so the next time you are out for breakfast in Denver, stop in and let us know which one you prefer. Cheers!
Joe’s Special: The Breakfast Dish You’ve Never Tried?
Joe’s Special is one of those breakfast dishes that shows up on just about every menu, but you might not have tried it before. It’s not quite as universally known and loved as pancakes, a Denver omelette, or Eggs Benedict, but it seems to always be around and definitely has a dedicated audience of fans. Many people may have grown up eating this dish at home, rather than in restaurants. It’s quick and easy to prepare, affordable, filling and can even stand in as dinner. So, what do you know about Joe’s Special and where it came from?
This simple and tasty dish is basically a scramble made with ground beef, spinach and eggs. Some variations add mushrooms or onions. An Italian Joe is made with sausage (that’s how we make it) and a Mexican Joe is made with chorizo. The dish originated in San Francisco at a popular restaurant called Original Joe’s. The restaurant opened in 1937 and served classic Italian-American fare. Joe’s Special became a popular dish at many local restaurants, and with home cooks, but the version at Original Joe’s is known as “famous” thanks to a proclamation by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. In 2007 the restaurant closed due to a fire. When it re-opened in a new location the mayor commemorated the event with the proclamation.
Join us at The Original Pancake House and try our Joe’s Special, we know you’ll join the proud ranks of fans.
October is National Apple Month
An apple a day will keep the doctor away and help you celebrate National Apple Month.
Would it be fair to say that apples are the favorite fruit of Americans? We love them fresh for snacking or prepared in all kinds of ways, especially pie. In fact, apple pie has become known as a symbol of American prosperity and national pride. October is National Apple Month, so what better way to celebrate the apple then by eating them. We suggest you pay homage to this delicious fruit by enjoying the Apple Pancake at The Original Pancake House.
Here are some fun facts about the apple that may help you to appreciate this jewel of nature a little more.
- 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the U.S. and 7,500 worldwide.
- Apples float because 25% of their volume is air.
- The annual apple crop grown in 35 states averages over 200 million bushels.
- The average U.S. consumer eats 19 pounds of fresh apples every year, that’s about one every week.
- The science of apple growing is called pomology.
- The word apple has five letters. Apple blossoms have five petals. The blossoms form in clusters of five. The star you see when you cut into an apple is from the five seed cavities.
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- Apples were introduced to the New York area in the 1600’s by European settlers who brought seeds with them.
- The apple that hit Sir Isaac Newton on the head is believed to be the Flower of Kent variety.
- Washington state produces more apples than any other in the country.