Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice for Breakfast at Tartuffles

Mornings are so much easier when they include a cinnamon roll.

A really big cinnamon roll. Freshly baked, hot out of the oven and smothered in butter.

At Tartuffles, once a bakery and now a restaurant, you can get such a cinnamon roll by itself or along with breakfast--instead of the usual toast--upon request. The substitution will cost you a bit more, but it’s a treat well worth the extra dough.

As for the breakfast plates themselves, a great entree to try is the hobo omelet, a delicious combo of ham, onions and bell peppers, lavished in melted cheese and topped with a chili relleno. Another hit is steak and eggs--a tender marinated steak with a side of eggs made-to-order. All breakfast plates are served with a side of home-style fries and fresh fruit. (Add a cinnamon roll and you won’t have to eat again for a week.)

Service here is always at least a step ahead. Coffee refills are prompt, without your having to ask.

The diner’s decor is typical for a coffee shop--Formica tables with cushioned bench seats, plastic-coated menus. And there are daily specials, such as an omelet or a stack of pancakes, at great prices.

But whatever you do, don’t forget to order those cinnamon rolls. You know, the really big cinnamon rolls.

They make mornings a little more palatable.

Tartuffles, 2145 W. Chapman Ave., Orange. Open daily, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (714) 541-0053.

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Zubie’s Pizza, 1714 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa. Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; Sunday til 9 p.m. (No phone.) The pizzas here come in one size only--large--and one price only--$6.50 plus tax. That’s whether you order plain, the works or any range of toppings in between. Expect picnic tables, a varied crowd and lots of noise, but do you want decorum or good, cheap pizza?