OME: Gato Bizco (4.58)

Food

Combined: (4)

AT:

LM:

It would be a mistake to lead off by saying that the menu is tex-mex (wait...) — there are burritos and quesadillas, sure, but also breakfast and lunch standards (pancakes, french toast, sandwiches and burgers). It's likewise sort of a mistake to call it a breakfast joint (even though they're closed well before Atlanta's extended afternoon rush hours begin). So it's a tex-mex breakfast joint in the same sense that William Shatner is that guy from T.J. Hooker.

I had the "Paris Texas Toast" french toast with pecans and a side of sausage. Not really adventurous enough to allow me to make a judgment about whether the fifth star is applicable. What puts it into the four-star category is that the syrup was really tasty (in a way that I never got around to trying to put my finger on) and the coffee was excellent. The sausage was standard breakfast patty fare, so no plus or minus there.

Arica's blueberry pancakes were really, really good. She had me try a bite without syrup or butter and I was impressed that, unlike a lot of other places, Gato hadn't gone overboard in making the pancakes themselves sweet. The predominant flavors were grain and a bit of salt, which I'll bet means that when you put the sugar and butter on, you'll get a sweet (and fluffy — did I mention fluffy?) bite in which you can still taste the pancake. Good stuff.

We got a biscuit/egg/grits combo for sg to graze on, and the biscuit was fluffy and buttery. Why is it so hard to find a good homemade fluffy biscuit in Atlanta? The Flying Biscuit, despite its name, serves leaden sugar-frosted crumbling scones that have nothing — nothing — to do with southern heritage biscuits. The Radial (we love you Radial, don't take this personally) just doesn't even try. Java Jive does a better job, but thanks to Gato Bizco, we no longer have to drive all the way up to Ponce for a fluffy biscuit.

Grits: nothing to write home about. You either make awesome grits, or you don't. Gato Bizco doesn't. I can live with this.

AT: "I'd agree on 4 stars - but my pancakes were terrific (I love that you can add pecans, blueberries or chocolate chips to the pancakes for like 50 cents more)!!"

Service

Combined: (5)

AT:

LM:

Solid. We got served drinks while we waited for a table, my coffee cup was never less than one-third full (despite my best efforts) and we generally felt very well attended-to without feeling pestered. More on this under "Atmosphere", below. I'm going ahead to five stars on this one, because restaurant service is, I think, a bit of a tightrope walk. Too little, and I get annoyed. Too much is also possible, and is equally bad. The size of the sweet spot depends a lot on the warmth and competence of the staff. The folks at Gato Bizco this morning set themselves a broad sweet spot and never left it. I really don't know what else I could ask for.

Atmosphere

Combined: (5)

AT:

LM:

I'm going on to five stars here, too. I know, what am I, high? There are five booths and a few more barstools in the place, and that's it. Everything was taken when we walked in, but another couple was getting up, so we sat down. As I was doing so, I noticed that we were getting a look of concern from the guy behind the register. I mimed back "can we sit here?" No, as it turns out. There's a sign-in sheet by the door, and someone was on it. We relocated to a bench outside

Patterson, the guy with the look of concern (who also happens to be the owner) came outside a minute later and was very apologetic (even though it had been our blunder) and offered to bring us some drinks.

A detour: next time, I will go in and get a cup of coffee, and gladly retire to the bench on the sidewalk. I will sip that rich and tasty roast and watch the suckers and tourists across the street in the 40-minute line to get in to the Flying Biscuit with smug satisfaction and a vague — no, a distinct — sense of superiority. This, friends, is the stuff the good life is made of.

Inside, the CD player hit Miles Davis, John Coltrane, early Elvis and Johnny Cash, among others. Patterson stopped by again to chat and flirt with sg — I wonder whether he knows just how happy it makes yuppies like me to "know the guy who owns the place"?

In all, a great experience. Not for you, though. Don't go there. You wouldn't like it. Go to the Flying Biscuit instead. Lord knows I'd be miserable if I ever learned that someone who went to Gato Bizco because of anything I said or wrote was keeping me from getting in the door.

AT: "Agreed! You could also add that Patterson introduced himself and got our names too, which added to the in-neighborhood experience IMO."

Value

Combined: (4.5)

AT:

LM:

You know what, I forgot to even check the prices. Our total for the meal (my french toast and sausage, AT's pancakes and the eggs/biscuit/grits plate we all picked at, plus two coffees and a milk) was, um — AT, a little help?.

AT: "Under $35 with tip (and I tipped over 20% b/c I was so happy with the service and atmosphere). I'm going 5 stars on value! Cheaper than the FB or Java Jive, and better food, IMO."