Dodo

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star


Restaurant: Dodo
Location: 935 N. Damen


A little ways back my work brought in a “consultant”. He would sit in meetings, keep his mouth shut, and every now and then chime in. But it wouldn’t be with some earth shattering knowledge or insight. He would just start with a, “You know…” then pause for a couple of seconds as everyone waited with bated breath, then continue with some cliché, like “K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.” Then he’d push up his glasses with his index finger and lean back in his chair. And he got paid for that. A lot. Now, I’m not sure if he was giving sage advice or if he just enjoyed calling me stupid. Either way, I wanted to punch him in the face.

And I bring this up because Dodo, a new breakfast and lunch place (otherwise known as brunch, or breakunch) on Damen (in the old Privata spot) seems to have followed the consultant’s advice. They have kept their menu simple. For the most part, there is nothing fancy here. Breakfast choices include omelettes, eggs, pancakes, French toast, and that’s about it. Lunch choices include about five sandwiches, like pork and ham and cheese. And some salads. The only “fancy” things they have on the menu is Japanese pancakes, which is…I have no idea. I know it has carrots and cabbage and some sort of sauce and mayo. And Dodo also has breakfast tamales, which looked pretty good. But that’s it. That’s almost everything on the menu. They have the sides you’d expect – toast, sausage, bacon, etc… - and the drinks you’d expect – OJ, milk, coffee.

And you know what, I like it that way. As much as I loooooove Bongo Room and places that have these great, elaborate breakfast choices, I also appreciate a place that keeps it simple. Even the omelette is simple, with the choice of three cheeses and that’s it. Nothing more. No ham, no spinach, no chorizo, no nothing. Just cheese. And only three kinds to choose from. It’s surprisingly refreshing.

I ordered the omelette with the sharp cheddar and a side of potatoes. And a side of the French toast. And a side of toast (rye bread). And a bottomless cup of coffee. And an endless supply of bad breath. Now, when I was checking out the menu I was pleasantly surprised at the prices. Everything was $6-$7, and the sides were all about $2-$3. My real complaint was that the coffee was $2.25, but then again I had 5 cups, and it was pretty good. So, when the food came out I shouldn’t have been surprised that it wasn’t the ginormous portions you get at most places. These days a “normal-size” portion means your pancakes are as big as a flying saucer, or your omelette is the size of a piece of fire wood. But not at Dodo. Sizes here are old-school normal size. The kind of portions your parents or grand parents are probably used to. So, you get satisfied without getting so full that you can’t get up from your seat.

And the food is good. The omellete was good, the potatoes were good, the toast was good, and the French toast was great. And, I had the pleasant surprise of being joined by my neighbor, who was also eating alone. He’s been here once before, so he knew what he was doing. He got the French toast with bananas. I was jealous. They looked great. My favorite part of the French toast is that they give you two pieces that are the typical bread you’re used two, and two pieces that are baguettes. Why is it my favorite part? I have no idea. I just like the way it looks on the plate.

At this point the only complaints I have is that the servers seem overwhelmed. When my neighbor sat down the waiter came over and asked if he was going to eat, and my neighbor, Mike, said, “Yeah, and I know what I want.” But the waiter wasn’t expecting to take his order, and said he’d be right back. But it took him at least 5 minutes to come back and take the order. And he was just running around the whole time. It’s not like it was bad service, it was just sporadic service. And the place is small, so it’s not like they have to run around a huge restaurant. The place only sits about 20 people, so it’s tight, and at the wrong time, you might have to wait a minute. But, since the place is still relatively unknown, I didn’t have to wait. And neither did my neighbor, thanks to me. Looking forward to trying the lunch menu next time I go. I’ll keep you posted. Or not.

I’m gonna go with a fist bump and a manly ass slap. I’m excited to have a good breakfast place steps from my front door. If you’re in the area, give it a shot; I think you’ll like it. And if you don’t, then suck it.

Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.