FOOD HOME APPLIANCE MART FOODIE Breakfast At Recipes By Esther Allweiss Ingber ')on't let the white tablecloths and fresh flowers fool you. Recipes restaurant in Farmington Hills looks upscale, but it's a reasonably priced family restaurant offering very good food and attentive service. Open for breakfast through dinner, Recipes is in a strip shopping center on the southeast corner of Grand River at Haggerty in Farmington Hills. Duc Vu has been a partner in Recipes, co-managing with his wife, Michelle, since they opened in 2009. He used his architectural training to design a soothing space with clean lines. Trung Huynh, a friend of Vu's from the Vietnamese community, got him going at this second Recipes outpost. Huynh and a former business partner started the original and still success- ful Recipes in Troy in 2003. It's at 2919 Crooks Road, south of Big Beaver (16 Mile). Vu said he doesn't foresee any more locations. Initially known for breakfast, Reci- pes is the kind of place where the cooks hand-crack eggs, hand-whip omelets and make their own pan- cake batter. Diner favorites on the extensive breakfast menu include Eggs Benedict (there are five variet- ies) and the variable Skillet Fixings, described on the menu as"spuds (potato chunks) tossed with meat or vegetables, topped with melted cheese and two basted eggs or eggs however you like them:' The Ram- bler, on this list, has diced chicken, mushrooms, broccoli, almonds and onion enveloped in Hollandaise sauce and two eggs. My friend really liked her City Slicker omelet — egg whites, spin- ach, red onions, tomato and mush- rooms, topped with avocado and cheese. The four listed frittatas are all vegetarian; I liked the intriguingly named "Lewd Broccoli:' Nine sandwich choices include the popular roasted eggplant, including veggies and crumbled blue cheese on a kaiser roll. I was happy with this hefty sandwich's taste, and the amount of eggplant seemed generous. Nearly every menu category fea- tures items with either a Southwest- ern or Asian influence. An example of the former is Fiesta Pasta, comprised of sliced chorizo (Mexican sausage), sauteed garlic and julienned colored peppers, pasta and a spicy tomato sauce. The crispy Mexicana Spring Rolls are filled with cheddar jack cheese, spicy chorizo and avocado. 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SAVE UP TO $6025 *Built-in oven plus rangetop/cooktop may be substituted for range. Range shown with optional backguard. ASK A SALES ASSOCIATE FOR DETAILS • vikingrange.comNOUCOOKWECLEAN VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION! (AT MAPLE NEXT TO PLUM MARKET) 6551 ORCHARD LAKE RD. WEST BLOOMFIELD 248.932.0870 • www.witbeckappliance.com Bananas Foster Cinnamon French Toast house-made creamy chipotle sauce. Another Southwestern specialty is Tequila Chicken Quesadilla. The interest in Asian cuisine is reflected in dishes like Pad Thai, West Indies Shrimp and Asian Sensation, a house specialty with panko crumb- battered chicken. I noticed two more especially appealing entrees — Pistachio-Encrusted Salmon and Mandarin Orange Chicken — under the"House Specialties"category. These dinners are priced from $9- $14, plus $2 more for cup of soup or salad. Brunch specialties rule at Recipes every weekend on a separate printed menu. A savory dish recently was Lox Bennie, an English muffin layered with tomato slices, fresh smoked salmon and poached eggs. Hollanda- ise sauce and capers top the sand- wich, which comes with spuds and a side of cinnamon applesauce. Two indulgent French toast dishes just beg to be tried. Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast is stuffed with fresh strawberries and house- made cheesecake filling, served with strawberry syrup, and has powdered sugar and whipped cream on top. A pleasant Recipes server, Jamie Idzikowski, said she suggested the delicious idea. Or, how about choosing Bananas Foster Cinnamon French Toast — only because you were good all week? This one places vanilla bean ice cream over cinnamon French toast. It's topped with sliced bananas, sauteed with brown sugar and flam- beed with rum. Both Recipes locations are open daily and offer catering services, but only Farmington Hills has a 20- percent-off"senior discount:'Guests age 60 and older can take advantage of it Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. RECIPES 39297 Grand River Farmington Hills, MI 48335 $$ out of $$$$$ (248) 477-2600 www.recipesinc.com AGGRESSIVE PRICING ON A WIDE SELECTION OF APPLIANCES 34 August 2013 I RED THREAD www.redthreadmagazine.com