Old Town Cafe, Grass Valley
Old Town Cafe in Grass Valley, California
Old Town Cafe is in the historic downtown area of Grass Valley. After our late night we woke up at 8.30 so we didn’t set out for breakfast until 10am. For us, that is very nearly lunch time! Neither of us was very hungry after our gorgeous meal last night but Tom needed coffee.
Grass Valley is the nearest fair sized town so that’s where we headed. We found a car park which gave us three hours of free parking and headed for the historic district. One of the first places I noticed on the way there was a shop selling pasties – could they be Cornish pasties I wonder? Decided to check on that later.
The historic downtown area in Grass Valley is charming. There is a long street, with a slight kink in the middle, lined with old buildings which have been turned into cute shops selling antiques, clothes, books, furniture and, most important of all, breakfast.
Inside the Old Town Cafe it was not large but very roomy. We were seated at one of the tables in the window. The padded seats were wide and comfortable and the table was just the right height, plus, being in the window, we had a good view of the street outside. There was only one booth, seven tables for four people and thirteen stools at the counter.
As they also serve lunch, the menu had burgers and sandwiches on offer. The breakfast selection spread over two pages but mainly consisted of egg dishes and a few pancakes. They did have oatmeal ($4.29) so that was my choice. Tom ordered chorizo and eggs ($7.00) with corn tortillas and salsa. There was a note on the front of the menu which stated that the Old Town Cafe was the oldest continuous operating eatery in Grass Valley.
There were lots of photos on the walls, mostly of Grass Valley in the gold rush days. On the wall next to me were three color photos of old custom-built cars. Apart from that, I saw nothing else unusual, quirky or off the wall which caught my eye.
My oatmeal was served in a small, deep, round, bowl on a tea plate. The milk came in a stainless steel lidded jug and the brown sugar and raisins in small ceramic bowls. The oatmeal was OK but could have been hotter. Maybe it had been sitting a while before being served. Tom’s chorizo and eggs was not bad at all. He asked for extra crispy hash browns and that is exactly what he got.
The restroom was through the kitchen and up some stairs. It was OK. The water did not get hot at all so that was definitely a minus point. There was a wooden shelf with three coat pegs. Fake ivy was draped over it and was wound round exposed pipes. You know I like quirky but on the shelf were some rather odd items – a roll on deodorant, an old carton of dental floss and a table knife. Umm.
The Old Town Cafe had some commendable attractions – location, good chorizo and eggs. On the minus side – lukewarm oatmeal and the cold water in the restroom. Would we go again? Definitely.
Old Town Cafe
110 Mill Street
Grass Valley, CA 95945
July 01 2010 03:40 pm | Breakfast Log
