Cafe Brazil

Happy Independence Day, y'all! This morning the wife and I rode to Cafe Brazil for breakfast. It is at 2880 West Berry Street in Fort Worth, just east of University in the heart of the TCU area. I've been there a few times, but this is the first time I'm writing it up. Service is a little different. Normal sit-down table service for the most part, but if you want coffee, you have to get your own. There are many choices each day in the rack of coffee urns, and you can pick whatever you want. Lots of different blends and flavors for the coffee snob in you. I ordered a Classic Breakfast, but for some reason my picture of it got messed up. Picture two large plates, one with pancakes (or french toast or pancrepes, which are egg-dipped fried crepes), a couple eggs and a bunch o' bacon, all cooked just right. My wife got a half order of French Toast with Fruit. Yes, this is indeed the half order. The fruit is fresh cut, and it is glazed with both Crème Anglaise and Raspberry Sauce. (Crème Anglaise is like a slightly thinner version of the frosting on cinnamon rolls.) Delicious. I would characterize the prices as medium to low; breakfast for two with coffee for me and iced tea for my wife came to under $20 before the tip. I definitely recommend Cafe Brazil, not only for breakfast, but lunch and dinner too. We rode there on our bikes, about 16 miles round trip. Cruisin' through Wedgwood: My wife holds romantic visions of restoring these two old houses on Merida, just south of Gambrell. I can't help but think of them as "drafty old houses" like George and Mary Bailey's house in "It's a Wonderful Life" and I'm not the guy to fix them up. This is how we roll through the industrial district. Pausing for a drink on the way home. Clarke Elementary School on Shaw Street, the heart of the Shaw Clarke Neighborhood and Fort Worth's 2011 Neighborhood of the Year. This is not by any means a privileged area; it is mostly working class folks and young families in a tight knit little area of the city. Stopping to pose on the campus of Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. James Grocery & Grill. It looks a little worn in, but the people there are very nice. They asked why we were taking pictures and my wife told them we like to check out different neighborhoods and write about them. Unlike our last bike breakfast date, when we got going late on one of the first hot days of the year, we finished. Last time, our son drove out to James Grocery and picked us up. This time we started earlier and we made it home.