Breakfast at Bellaire Coffee Shop

We woke up from the usual weekend of overindulging in Houston's late-night amenities with a craving for breakfast at noon-thirty. Not wanting to deal with crowds, pretentious brunches or high-priced egg dishes, we opted for keeping it real at Bellaire Coffee Shop (5422 Bissonnet), a total throwback to a bygone era before cholesterol counts and going green for the sake of being seen.

This genuine "coffee shop" is old, greasy and cheap. We love it! BCS only serves breakfast and lunch from early in the morning till 3 p.m., but the place does it right. The menu is covered with simple and inexpensive choices like chili and eggs or chicken-fried steak and pancakes.

We went for the corned beef hash with poached eggs. When eggs are perfectly poached, they are sublime. With a belly full of hash and coffee, we were ready for Bloody Mary and a nap.