What browns do for me

I'm sure we all agree about the gravitas of breakfast, but maybe for different reasons. For me, breakfast sets my course for each day. Where and how fast I consume my morning meal colors how I feel the rest of the day. Area breakfast menus - and all the usual suspects: eggs, bacon, pastries, coffee, fruit - do vary in quality. Choose carefully.

I always leave in a better mood when I start my day at The Mandolin Café. Hash brown dishes, quiche Lorraine, waffles, oatmeal and yogurt parfaits are daily standard morning fare. Scrambles, French toast and more egg dishes up the ante on weekends - all with added twists. These dishes are just like your mother would make if she were gourmet and still willing to cook for you.

What's generating the most smiles these days are Mandolin's stuffed hash browns ($7.79). Their dense, tall stack of crispy hash browns are layered with bacon, spinach, onions, cheddar cheese, green chilies and eggs that must be designed by Tacoma Bricklayer, LLC (Layers, Luscious and Crunch, of course). The precision makes it a candidate for museums. The tasty meal makes my day.

If you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, head to The Mandolin Cafe. - Ron Swarner

[The Mandolin Café, breakfast 8-11 a.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, $4.50-$10.79, 3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma, 253.761.3482]

Café Messina

Olympia resident Giacomo Occhino opened Café Messina on Market Street in downtown Tacoma just over three weeks ago. Across from the Tacoma Municipal Building, and offering quick and simple breakfast sandwiches and wraps, soups, healthy salads and specialty sandwiches ($2.95-$8.95), Occhino picked up where previous coffee shop and sandwich sellers in this location left off. He supports the regional economy by selling pastries from Olympia's San Francisco Street Bakery, and coffee from Everett's Urban City Coffee. Open to suggestions and requests, Occhino's intent is to "give the people what they really want" - by adding and improving the menu constantly, most recently with fresh fruit smoothies.

His mother, Rita, contributes to the good vibe of the café with cheerful smile and stories of their Italian family at Pike Place Market 50 years ago. Mama Rita, aside from her stories, also uses her own hearty minestrone recipe.

On the day I tried it, the consistency was that of a thick zesty stew: vibrant orange carrots, stewed tomatoes, deep green basil, zucchini, kidney beans and more.  A highlight was the bits of black pepper and fresh chopped garlic - not the store bought pre-prepped stuff, either, Mama Rita pointed out. A little on the spicy side - no salt and pepper were needed.

Occhino hopes to have live music on Friday evenings and possibly beer and wine in the near future. - Jennifer Johnson

[Café Messina, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday - Friday, 744 Market St., Tacoma, 253.383.7559 www.cafemessina.com]