Big Daddy's Diner

Begging to be franchised, Big Daddy's prides itself on big food, big service, and big smiles, or so we surmised during breakfast last week. By 9 am on a Saturday, the Park Avenue location was standing room only, as parents broke (sticky monkey) bread with their kids, tourists plotted their day over omelets, and construction workers fueled up with sandwiches made from waffles.

As for us, we went with berry pancakes (top), which had an excellent berry-to-batter ratio, and French toast (bottom), made from not-too-chewy, not-too-eggy challah. While we waited, we played Trivia Pursuit (cards provided tableside) and listened to the restaurant's piped-in 80s remix. While there are cheaper breakfasts to be had closer to home, we nevertheless left giving Big Daddy's big thumbs up.