Best breakfast in Riverside/Avondale?

[ChriswUfGator]

Went to the Fox years ago.  Made a face at the dishwater coffee.  The owner asked me what was wrong and when I said the coffee was watery, he got in my face and growled, "People love our coffee."  We left and have never been back.

Yup...that's Ian for you.

[ChriswUfGator]

I beg to differ. My co-worker had a run in with Ian just recently. He was very rude to her. I witnessed it and was astonished a business owner was acting like such an ass. No Fox for us.

+1

[Captain Zissou]

I remember that this was the appeal of places like Colonel Mustard's.

Really?  I went to Col Mustards at the beach a couple weeks ago and the staff couldn't have been nicer.  I actually remarked to a number of people how friendly they were.  Maybe I just have that effect on people

I'd kind of like a place that was intentionally mean on the superficial level.  Those places are fun and the staff are usually happy that they get to joke around.  Staff who are actually in a bad mood stink.  

[ChriswUfGator]

ChrisUF- if it's in your kitchen, it's not free. You bought it. Unless you have a magic kitchen, in which case I'm jealous. And I have to believe you would've thought of making a breakfast burrito...  

As for the Fox, steak and eggs with biscuits and sausage gravy. There I said it. Not cutting edge cuisine, but it's a diner, so expect diner food. Also, diners are supposed to have grumpy, snarling owners..it's part of the charm. I like a sarcastic waitress for good measure as well. It's all in the Diner Operational Handbook (D'Oh!), chapter 3 - The Customer Is Never Right.

Smile people. Breakfast is supposed to be fun. Be pissed off at dinner.

A whole carton of eggs is $3. A container of grands biscuits is $2. Gravy stock is $.40 a can. A whole pound of bacon is $4. For the price of one trip to the Fox you could literally have breakfast every day for weeks. And the food wouldn't be any different. I'd rather pay $70 and go to Orsay for brunch, or $50 and go to Biscottis. I can't make their food myself in 10 minutes at home. Surely you see my point? It's not that I mind paying for food. I just want to get some kind of value for the money.

Are there any urban core eateries that are best known for their grumpy management?  I remember that this was the appeal of places like Colonel Mustard's.  For regular customers of those kind of places, it must be a fun way to get a bite to eat.  I wonder, however, how do the uninitiated respond to this kind of service/treatment?  

There's a big difference between a curmudgeon with character or smart-aleck banter and some twerpy douche snapping at people for no reason. The managers and owner at the Brick give me crap for fun, the staff at the yacht club screw with me all the time, and I gladly suffer through Faux News at pinegrove, knowing they know I'm a liberal, I don't expect anyone to change their personality or their tv set for me. The kickbacks guy screw with me all the time. That's all in good fun, and it's not the same thing. You know the difference as well as I do.

I'd kind of like a place that was intentionally mean on the superficial level.  Those places are fun and the staff are usually happy that they get to joke around.  Staff who are actually in a bad mood stink.  

Exactly.

[hillary supporter]

Chris
I never get into politics but Ian at the Fox is soooo far left he is off the map. I love the outsider art. That stuff is worth some money if you know the market.
The old Fox was unbearable to watch the short order cook eat off the grill, smoke his cigarette that was hangin' off the prep table, wipe his hands on his dirty jeans and then that hand went straight to the hash browns to be used as a spatula to get it to the plate - no kidding. 

+1

I love the place.  May May Chase, Ian, and my cousin Erik.  Great stuff!

Yes, as good as any in town...... actually my favorite in the world!

[Jaxson]

ChrisUF- if it's in your kitchen, it's not free. You bought it. Unless you have a magic kitchen, in which case I'm jealous. And I have to believe you would've thought of making a breakfast burrito...  

As for the Fox, steak and eggs with biscuits and sausage gravy. There I said it. Not cutting edge cuisine, but it's a diner, so expect diner food. Also, diners are supposed to have grumpy, snarling owners..it's part of the charm. I like a sarcastic waitress for good measure as well. It's all in the Diner Operational Handbook (D'Oh!), chapter 3 - The Customer Is Never Right.

Smile people. Breakfast is supposed to be fun. Be pissed off at dinner.

A whole carton of eggs is $3. A container of grands biscuits is $2. Gravy stock is $.40 a can. A whole pound of bacon is $4. For the price of one trip to the Fox you could literally have breakfast every day for weeks. And the food wouldn't be any different. I'd rather pay $70 and go to Orsay for brunch, or $50 and go to Biscottis. I can't make their food myself in 10 minutes at home. Surely you see my point? It's not that I mind paying for food. I just want to get some kind of value for the money.

Are there any urban core eateries that are best known for their grumpy management?  I remember that this was the appeal of places like Colonel Mustard's.  For regular customers of those kind of places, it must be a fun way to get a bite to eat.  I wonder, however, how do the uninitiated respond to this kind of service/treatment?  

There's a big difference between a curmudgeon with character or smart-aleck banter and some twerpy douche snapping at people for no reason. The managers and owner at the Brick give me crap for fun, the staff at the yacht club screw with me all the time, and I gladly suffer through Faux News at pinegrove, knowing they know I'm a liberal, I don't expect anyone to change their personality or their tv set for me. The kickbacks guy screw with me all the time. That's all in good fun, and it's not the same thing. You know the difference as well as I do.

Chris --- Speaking of snapping, I don't know why you are ripping into me.  My question was not meant to justify the jack-knobs who are rude for no real reason but to be nasty, but was thinking aloud about whether we have those kind of places.  Yes, I do know the difference, but thanks for taking the time to berate me.  Have a nice day!

[ChriswUfGator]

ChrisUF- if it's in your kitchen, it's not free. You bought it. Unless you have a magic kitchen, in which case I'm jealous. And I have to believe you would've thought of making a breakfast burrito...  

As for the Fox, steak and eggs with biscuits and sausage gravy. There I said it. Not cutting edge cuisine, but it's a diner, so expect diner food. Also, diners are supposed to have grumpy, snarling owners..it's part of the charm. I like a sarcastic waitress for good measure as well. It's all in the Diner Operational Handbook (D'Oh!), chapter 3 - The Customer Is Never Right.

Smile people. Breakfast is supposed to be fun. Be pissed off at dinner.

A whole carton of eggs is $3. A container of grands biscuits is $2. Gravy stock is $.40 a can. A whole pound of bacon is $4. For the price of one trip to the Fox you could literally have breakfast every day for weeks. And the food wouldn't be any different. I'd rather pay $70 and go to Orsay for brunch, or $50 and go to Biscottis. I can't make their food myself in 10 minutes at home. Surely you see my point? It's not that I mind paying for food. I just want to get some kind of value for the money.

Are there any urban core eateries that are best known for their grumpy management?  I remember that this was the appeal of places like Colonel Mustard's.  For regular customers of those kind of places, it must be a fun way to get a bite to eat.  I wonder, however, how do the uninitiated respond to this kind of service/treatment?  

There's a big difference between a curmudgeon with character or smart-aleck banter and some twerpy douche snapping at people for no reason. The managers and owner at the Brick give me crap for fun, the staff at the yacht club screw with me all the time, and I gladly suffer through Faux News at pinegrove, knowing they know I'm a liberal, I don't expect anyone to change their personality or their tv set for me. The kickbacks guy screw with me all the time. That's all in good fun, and it's not the same thing. You know the difference as well as I do.

Chris --- Speaking of snapping, I don't know why you are ripping into me.  My question was not meant to justify the jack-knobs who are rude for no real reason but to be nasty, but was thinking aloud about whether we have those kind of places.  Yes, I do know the difference, but thanks for taking the time to berate me.  Have a nice day!

I didn't snap at you. I didn't berate you. Nor was I rude to you.

[Jaxson]

That's all in good fun, and it's not the same thing. You know the difference as well as I do.

It irked me that you seemed to assert that I was saying something that I wasn't.

[John P]

I am partial to Derby House myself.

[ChriswUfGator]

That's all in good fun, and it's not the same thing. You know the difference as well as I do.

It irked me that you seemed to assert that I was saying something that I wasn't.

I was only responding to what you wrote here;

Are there any urban core eateries that are best known for their grumpy management?  I remember that this was the appeal of places like Colonel Mustard's.  For regular customers of those kind of places, it must be a fun way to get a bite to eat.  I wonder, however, how do the uninitiated respond to this kind of service/treatment?  

And to this reply to it;

Judging from some of the posts in this thread, the do a cease and desist of patronage.

These posts appeared imply or wonder whether the negative experiences several people reported with Ian's foul attitude and rudeness towards customers at the Fox were just the result of them being "uninitiated" (your word) to colorful personalities. And my response was to point out that everybody knows the difference between a smart aleck or a wisecracking curmudgeon vs. a douche who snaps off at his own paying customers for no reason.

Nothing I said was rude to you, let alone would qualify as "ripping into you" or "berating" you.

[Jaxson]

If Ian was being a douche, I don't think it was a gimmick ala Colonel Mustard.  No worries.  I understand what you are saying now...

[geauxtigers31]

I actually posted earlier about how much I like Fox, and I do. But I do have to agree, that it isn't very innovative and I have to be honest...it isn't where I'd take visitors if I was trying to impress them. It is very simple, and is for the most part stuff I could fix at home.
Places like Metro Diner, Blue Fish, and Brick are more "Brunchy" and less "Breakfasty" than Fox.

[Atari007]

A whole carton of eggs is $3. A container of grands biscuits is $2. Gravy stock is $.40 a can. A whole pound of bacon is $4. For the price of one trip to the Fox you could literally have breakfast every day for weeks. And the food wouldn't be any different. I'd rather pay $70 and go to Orsay for brunch, or $50 and go to Biscottis. I can't make their food myself in 10 minutes at home. Surely you see my point? It's not that I mind paying for food. I just want to get some kind of value for the money.

Understandable, but sometimes its nice to walk a couple of blocks to get some good old fashioned regular breakfast food that i could make at home... without having to make anything at home.... (and especially without the mess!)  I dont mind paying for that service.

I also want to throw in that Ian has always been insanely nice to myself, my family and all (that i know of) my friends.  Even my kids think he's great.   I just hate hearing everyone bash on him. 

[ChriswUfGator]

Well I hope you never have the displeasure of dealing with him on one of his "off" days, then. He can be a real dick. And often is, from what I've witnessed. It would certainly change your viewpoint.

[Timkin]

Perhaps he is in the wrong business.  I never met the guy.