Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
To all the graduating high school seniors in Denver, we say, congratulations and well-done! You’ve worked hard over the past four years to reach this momentous occasion and now you are off to great things! Graduation is such a special time, enjoy the celebrations and summer ahead. Hopefully you’ll have time for a few leisurely breakfasts in Denver with your friends before moving on to work and college in the fall.
This year, we send out a special congratulations to one of our staff members at The Original Pancake House, Tianna Morris. Tianna is a host at our Cherry Hills location and will graduate from Vista High School this May. After graduation, Tianna is planning to join the U.S. Navy! From all of us at The Original Pancake House, we say congratulations Tianna! We are so proud of you and wish you all the best in your Navy career. We will miss you!
And to the Class of 2018, your journey is just beginning. The world is waiting for you to bestow great things upon it. Congratulations on your graduation, may your knowledge carry you far. And our biggest piece of advice on your graduation is to make sure you start every day with a good breakfast
A New Spin on Breakfast
The New Year is under way and we can’t think of a better time to try some new recipes and spice up your traditional breakfast repertoire. With an eye for adventure, we’ve collected a few ideas to liven up your Denver breakfast table. Strap on your apron, roll up your sleeves, and get ready for breakfast fun!
Bacon Breakfast Cupcakes:
With a drizzle of spicy Sriracha Sauce, these cupcakes will add zing to your morning! 
Ingredients:
1 bag (20 oz.) refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
¾ cup crumbled crisply cooked bacon
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (3 oz)
Sriracha sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place foil liner in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. Generously spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix potatoes, oil, salt and pepper. Divide evenly among cups; press lightly. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk. Stir in bacon and cheese. Firmly press potatoes in muffin cups with bottom of 1/4-cup dry measuring cup. Top each with slightly less than ¼ cup egg mixture. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until knife inserted in center of egg comes out clean. Cool five minutes. Serve with sauce.
French Toast Kabobs
: Everything tastes better on a stick! These kabobs are fun, bite-sized, and perfect for dipping. Kids love them!
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups brioche, French or sandwich bread (cut into 2 inch cubes)
1 tablespoon butter or oil
16 strawberries, stems removed
2 bananas, sliced into ½ inch coins
8 wooden skewers
Directions:
Whisk together the milk, eggs, honey and cinnamon. Dip the bread cubes in the milk mixture to coat each side. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the bread for 1 ½ minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Skewer the French toast cubes, strawberries and bananas and serve with maple syrup for dipping.
Waffle BLT
: For this recipe you can either make your own waffles, or save time and use frozen waffles!
Ingredients:
8 frozen waffles
8-12 slices bacon
2 medium tomatoes
4-6 lettuce leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup fresh dill, chopped fine
Directions:
Prepare herb spread by combining mayo and dill. Cover and refrigerate. Meanwhile, prepare bacon in a frying pan or 400-degree oven to desired crispness. When bacon is finished, place cooked slices on paper towels and dab to absorb some of the grease. Next, either prepare your own waffles or toast freezer waffles. Prepare sandwiches by spreading 2 tablespoons of herb spread on each waffle. Top with bacon slices, tomato slices, and lettuce leaves. Top with another waffle. Serve immediately.
Make-Ahead Blueberry Lemon French Toast
: This sweet breakfast treat is a delicious new take on French toast. And the best part, you can prepare it the night before.
Ingredients:
1 (12-count) package sweet dinner rolls, cubed
1 cup blueberries
1½ cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons maple syrup, or more, to taste
Zest of 1 lemon
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For the crumb topping:
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Directions:
Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place a layer of bread cubes evenly into the baking dish. Top with blueberries in an even layer, repeating 2 more times and ending with a layer of bread.
In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. After the dish has absorbed liquid for at least two hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crumb topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add cold butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the bread cubes. Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
We hope you try and enjoy some of these new ideas for morning treats. Next time you visit us at Original Pancake House, be sure to let us know how these breakfast recipes turned out. To all our friends in Denver, we wish you a New Year filled with delicious breakfasts and adventure!
Celebrate the Season with Special Holiday Breakfast Treats
‘Tis the season for family, celebrations, and of course many delicious, traditional holiday meals. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or Festivus, you are likely planning to join friends and loved ones for at least a couple holiday feasts. At Original Pancake House, we like to make the season bright with special morning treats. Here are a few holiday breakfast recipes that we like to cook for family and friends.
Christmas “Make-Ahead” Egg Casserole:
This breakfast dish is wonderful because you can prepare everything the night before and simply pop it in the oven on Christmas morning!
Ingredients:
12 large eggs
1/2 loaf day old bread (sourdough is best)
1 package Polidori Italian sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: At least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before cooking, assemble ingredients. Grease large casserole dish. Beat all 12 eggs until fluffy, set aside. Tear day-old bread into bite-sized cubes, set aside. Cook ground sausage, breaking up meat into small pieces as it cooks, set aside and let cool. Pour eggs and bread cubes into casserole dish, ensuring bread becomes submerged and soaked in eggs. Add cooled sausage and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate overnight. On Christmas morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover casserole and place in oven, cook for 30 minutes or until eggs are set. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over top of casserole and return to oven for additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve warm with a side of salsa or hot sauce.
Overnight Egg-nog French Toast
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (melt the butter while the dish is baking), melted
7 large eggs
2 cups eggnog
1 1/2 ounces rum (optional)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
Powdered sugar
Directions:
Beat together eggs, eggnog, rum, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Dip both sides of each slice of bread in this mixture and place them side by side in a greased casserole dish. Pour any remaining mixture over the slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake in 450 degree oven on bottom rack for 20-25 minutes (watch the bottom doesn't get too brown). Place on rack to cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with Canadian maple syrup and the melted butter.
Gingerbread Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups water
Directions:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined -- a few lumps are okay. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
Don’t forget to treat yourself this holiday season as well. Join us for the best breakfast in Denver and be sure to try our scrumptious holiday specials, which include Egg Nog French Toast, Ho! Ho! Ho! Pancakes, Holiday Link Sausage and Eggs, and the Holiday Plate.
From all your friends at Original Pancake House, we wish you and your family a very happy holiday season.
Tis the season for Pancake Cheer!
Join us in spreading the Pancake Cheer this holiday season! During the month of December, we’d like to share the joy our pancakes bring with you and your loved ones. Each week in December we will invite you to participate in our #PancakeCheer promotion on Facebook. As a thank you, by commenting and sharing on our weekly #PancakeCheer posts, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a one of four gift cards. The first three weeks of December, our fans have the opportunity to win $25 gift cards and the fourth week in December, we will give away a $50 gift card to one lucky participant.
Helping us share this message is as easy as…
- “Liking” and “Following” us on Facebook and Twitter
- Participate in our weekly #PancakeCheer promotion to be entered in to a gift card raffle
Happy Holidays!
Rules: One winner per gift card. Winners will be contacted via Facebook’s messaging platform to obtain mailing address information where gift card prizes will be sent. Gift cards are only redeemable at one of our two Denver restaurants. Contest begins December 1, 2014 through December 24, 2014.
Mile High Anniversary Scavenger Hunt Answers!
Thank you to all who participate in the Mile High Anniversary Scavenger Hunt! Folks who answer each daily trivia question with the correct response will be entered to win one of three (3) $50 OPH gift cards, or one (1) Grand Prize to include a $50 OPH gift card plus OPH swag!
And the answers are:
Day 1:
Answer: The first Original Pancake House restaurant opened its doors in Portland, Oregon in 1953!
Day 2:
Answer: When she was just 11-years-old Sara started working at the Original Pancake House as a coffee girl.
Day 3:
Answer: Owner Sara Hueneke Ernst’s collection of beautiful, hand-painted plates. The collection started with family heirlooms Sara received from her grandparents.
Day 4:
Answer: Sara Hueneke Ernst is the great niece of franchise co-founder Erma Hueneke.
Day 5:
Answer: Pancake Man revealed!
Day 6:
Answer: Many of the breakfast menu items at the Original Pancake House Denver feature berries including the popular Seasonal Berry Crepes, Strawberry Belgian Waffles, Blueberry Belgian Waffles, Seasonal Berry French Toast, and our Blueberry Pancakes.
Day 7:
Answer: There are 21 delectable pancake items available at the Original Pancake House Denver, this number does not include seasonal pancake specialties.
The Mile High Anniversary Scavenger Hunt will run for one week from Wednesday, June 18 to Tuesday, June 24, during which time players can participate in daily scavenger hunt challenges. The winners of the prize give-away will be announced on the blog on Friday, June 27.
Original Pancake House Mile High Anniversary Scavenger Hunt
It’s time to celebrate! We are excited to celebrate our 18th anniversary in Denver this June. That’s a full 18 years of delicious Denver breakfast tradition!
In honor of our anniversary, we’re hosting the week-long Mile High Anniversary Online Scavenger Hunt. Kicking off on our anniversary on Wednesday, June 18, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ophdenver daily through Tuesday, June 24 to join in the fun and enter for your chance to win one of four great prizes!
Each day during the Scavenger Hunt, we’ll post an Original Pancake House trivia question on our Facebook page. Participants simply need to find the answer and reply in the comments section of the respective Facebook post. HINT: our website www.ophdenver.com has a lot of titillating information on your favorite Denver pancake house! On Friday, June 27, we will pick one Grand Prize winner and three additional First Prize winners from the correct entries to the daily trivia questions!
OPH Mile High Anniversary Scavenger Hunt prizes include:
One (1) Grand Prize: Original Pancake House Gift Package
· $50 OPH Denver Gift Card
· Adult-size OPH Denver apron
· Child-size OPH Denver apron
· OPH Denver wooden spoon
· OPH Denver mug
Three (3) First Prizes: Original Pancake House Gift Cards
· $50 OPH Denver Gift Card
In order to win, participants must “Like” OPH Denver’s Facebook page. Remember, we’ll only accept one answer per daily challenge, but participants are encouraged to submit an answer to each of the four daily trivia questions. As an added bonus, participants can receive an additional entry in the prize give-away by sharing the scavenger hunt daily challenge posts on their own Facebook pages.
We are excited to celebrate our Mile High Anniversary with you, Denver! Thank you for 18 wonderful years of breakfast tradition. Now for the Scavenger Hunt…on your mark, get set, go!
Meaningful Ways to Celebrate this Memorial Day
Memorial Day marks the non-official beginning of summer. This favorite American holiday is often filled with BBQ’s, time spent with family and friends, and perhaps the first family trip to the pool. At Original Pancake House, we love to celebrate this holiday by taking our families out to a leisurely breakfast in Denver!
In addition to relaxing with family and friends, Memorial Day is meant to be a day of remembrance and a time to celebrate those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Read on to learn other popular ways to celebrate this Memorial Day.
Displaying the flag:
Flying the American flag on Memorial Day is a great way to show thanks to those who have served our country. According to tradition, the flag should remain at half-mast until noon to honor the men and women who have fallen in combat. Remember it is customary to put your flag up at dawn and take it down by dusk.
Attend the Memorial Day Parade:
Denver will host a Memorial Day parade on Saturday, May 24 at Civic Center Park. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. and will be followed by a Veterans Memorial Day tribute at the Veterans Monument.
Learn Your Family History:
Memorial Day is a great time to pull out the family photo album and share your own family history with your children. Many of our grandparents and great-grandparents served our country and sharing their story with the next generation is a great way to honor and remember their sacrifices.
Display Memorial Day Poppies
: Red poppies are a symbol of Memorial Day inspired by John McCrea’s 1915 war poem In Flanders Fields. Since the First World War, red poppies have become a way to “keep faith with all who died,” and are a memorial tradition in the United States, England, France, and more than 50 other countries.
On behalf of the Original Pancake House family, we would like to thank all of the men and women who have served our country. Happy Memorial Day, Denver!
Eggstra Special Easter Traditions
Brightly decorated eggs, the Easter Bunny, oodles of chocolate, and a family brunch are all integral parts of most annual Easter traditions. Since we are celebrating our Eggstravaganza at the Original Pancake House this month, we decided to explore the history of Easter eggs to find out where this tradition began.
Though today Easter eggs are associated with the Christian holiday of Easter, the tradition of decorating and painting eggs extends back to ancient times. As a symbol of life and rebirth, decorated eggs have been found in ancient civilizations in Africa, South and Central America, and Mesopotamia. For example, Iranians have been decorating eggs for many thousands of years in honor of their new year’s holiday of Nowruz, which coincides with the spring equinox. The Easter egg as we know it today may have pagan roots as part of a springtime and rebirth celebration that occurred each year and involved an egg hunt.
In the Christian religion, Easter eggs are symbols of the resurrection and rebirth of Jesus Christ. In Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches, eggs are dyed red to represent the blood that Christ shed on the cross. The egg’s hard shell represents the Tomb of Christ and the cracking of the shell represents his resurrection. Easter egg rolling is representative of the rolling away of the stone in front of Christ’s tomb. In A.D. 1610 under Pope Paul V, the Christian Church officially adopted the Easter egg as a symbol of the resurrection. These Easter traditions originated in Europe and Eastern Europe and were brought to the United States over the past century by immigrant families. Today we continue to celebrate Easter with many of these old traditions including an Easter egg roll on the White House lawn and backyard Easter egg hunts.
However you plan to celebrate this Easter holiday, be it with an egg hunt or just a gathering of family and friends for brunch in Denver; the Original Pancake House wishes you a very happy Easter and a wonderful spring!
Holiday Stocking Stuffers!
It’s that time of year! The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has us bundled up and running around town finding little things to bring joy to our family and friends. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite stocking stuffer ideas! 
For the forgetful spouse
– Trying to get to your favorite Denver breakfast spot and they can’t find their keys…again? This key fob locater may be just the gift! Now they just have to remember to attach it to their key chain!
For the eco-conscious friend
– For the tree-hugger in your life, Carbonfund.org offers several gift options. Choose between offsetting their carbon footprint or planting trees, for as little as $10 you can make your green friend a happy camper!
For the over-worked
– She canceled your Saturday morning Denver breakfast date again because she had to work? Brighten up her cube with some fun games from officeplayground.com. This fun website offers little gadgets such as mind bender games, stress balls, and even solar powered flowers for her desk.
For the techie
– For the family member or friend who is attached to their new iPhone, these gloves are just the gift. The North Face E-Tip glove has full palm conductivity so you can stay connected and active on your touch screen without exposing fingers to the frosty elements.
!For the Foodie – Give the gift of Pancake Cheer! Did you know The Original Pancake House Denver offers gift cards? Share the joy of a delicious breakfast with co-workers, friends and family! Nothing says love quite like the gift of a warm and delicious breakfast in Denver.
Happy shopping and Happy Holidays from your OPH Denver Family!
Share your Pancake Cheer!
Join us this Holiday Season in sharing Pancake Cheer! During the month of December, we'd like to share the JOY that our pancakes bring to you and yours. 
Helping us share this message is as easy as...
1. Snap a photo of you and friends or family enjoying breakfast.
2. Upload your photo to Facebook and/or Twitter to share the JOY!
3. Tag @OPHDenver and include #PancakeCheer in your post (we don't want to miss your photos!)
And what is better than sharing Pancake Cheer? We'll randomly select two winners from #PancakeCheer photos on social media to receive $25 gift cards to The Original Pancake House!
Happy Holidays!
Thanksgiving Tradition…is delicious!
Funny how perfectly our saying “Tradition is Delicious” fits the Thanksgiving holiday. Whenever we gather around the table with our loved ones, it’s hard not to include tradition. And in the case of Thanksgiving, most traditions are delicious! We’ve collected a few interesting turkey day traditions from across the United States; read on to find out how folks celebrate
around the country.
What’s on the menu?
Perhaps the most important part of the holiday is the food! But the Thanksgiving spread varies widely depending on geographic location. Southerners often deep fry their turkeys, in New England you are likely to find a salt-brined bird, and in Hawaii they rub their turkeys with coffee grounds. Side dishes also vary widely with variations on sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies and cranberry sauce. In the Pacific Northwest, locally foraged mushrooms are usually featured in the meal, while in the southwest, you might find Mexican influences such as spicy chorizo, chilies and cilantro. And for desert, the most common choice is usually the pumpkin pie, but in the south you are likely to be served a pecan pie and many mid-westerners opt for apple deserts.
What do we do after the meal?
Due to the tryptophan in the turkey, many folks find themselves napping after such a large feast. But of those who manage to stay awake, many families opt for football on TV or perhaps a game of tag football in the backyard. In New York City, you can’t miss the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual tradition since 1924. And the local Turkey Trot is a great family activity for those who want to work off some of that gravy! As it is a holiday of thanks, many families also use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to volunteer and give back to those who are less fortunate in their communities.
Giving thanks
One common theme among all American families is a pause during the gathering to give thanks. It is important to remember the reason we gather on Thanksgiving Day and appreciate the wonderful food, family, and friends that we have in our lives.
At Original Pancake House Denver, we are very thankful for all of our loyal customers and wonderful staff who support us. We are so grateful to all the folks who make The Original Pancake House Denver part of their breakfast tradition.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Independence Day: Celebrating family-owned businesses and restaurants in America
In honor of Independence Day, we’d like to celebrate family-owned businesses and restaurants across our great country. Did you know the first Original Pancake House was founded in 1953 in Portland, Oregon by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke? Using her family’s recipes and traditions, Sara Hueneke Ernst, great niece of Erma Hueneke, opened the first Original Pancake House in Denver in 1996. The Original Pancake House Denver has been serving breakfast to hungry patrons for many years, but here are a few American family-run businesses that have been around even longer!
Zambelli Fireworks
Founded by Antonio Zambelli back in 1893, Zambelli Fireworks is still run by the Zambelli family out of Pittsburgh, PA. Today the company supplies more pyrotechnic displays for celebratory events than any other firework company in the country. Of the 2,000 plus annual displays the Zambelli’s create, most occur on the 4th of July. Now that is a booming family business!
Antoine’s Restaurant
We thought we’d been serving pancakes for a long time, but Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans, LA has us beat! The oldest family-owned restaurant in America, Antoine’s was established in 1840 by Antoine Alicatore. Specializing in French-Creole cuisine, Antoine’s is famous for inventing Oysters Rockefeller. Today the restaurant boasts 14 dining rooms and seating for 700 patrons!
Martin Guitars
There is nothing more American than good old fashioned Rock –n-Roll! Did you know that Martin Guitars have been an American family-run business since the early 1800s? Martin Guitars was founded by CF Martin Jr. who immigrated to New York City from Germany in 1833. Today Martin Guitars has an 84,000 square foot factory and 500 employees, but it is still run by CF Martin’s great grandson. In 2004, Martin Guitar’s produced its 1,000,000th guitar following the same standards for workmanship and quality that CF Martin outlined in 171 years prior.
On behalf of the Hueneke and Ernst families, we salute each American family-owned business on this 4th of July holiday!
