It's 31 degrees. Grey clouds fill the morning sky. There's a blue ice warning at the mountain. What to do after your first cup of coffee on a Sunday morning? Head to the Victorian Café - where no recession is evident. The hipsters have already beaten you there. Cuddled around the fire ring outside and cradling their ManMosas and Bloody Marys. Once through the door, it is warm and one of several bustling waitresses takes your name, hands off some menus and memorizes your drink order. The list of Benedicts is so extensive that your wait for a table - shorter if you're quick enough to pounce on freed-up bar seats - is entirely consumed by side-stepping other anticipatory diners and deciding what to order.
Our ManMosas arrive. A pint glass filled with the Vic's Private Label Champagne and a generous splash of orange juice, the ManMosa is a drink that lasts the duration of my breakfast. Two seats at the bar come available, and with satisfied smiles, we make a beeline for them. Straying from the endless list of Benedicts, I order the Chimichanga Santa Maria from the specials sheet. When it comes, I'm amazed at how perfectly light and greaseless the flash-fried tortilla is. Inside, seasoned pork tenderloin, fresh pineapple, onions, Pascilla peppers and cheddar cheese mix with three scrambled eggs. Outside, a heavy drizzle of tangy southwest barbeque sauce completes the tasty concoction.
As children giggle at a booth behind us and the door continues to swing open and closed with more hungry would-be patrons, we feel the glow of the recession-proof moment. Our rich indulgence for two is half the price of a full-day ticket at the mountain and we agree that it makes a terrific back-up plan.
The Victorian Café
1404 NW Galveston; 541-382-6411.
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