Good Meal's A Bargain Inside Claire's Pantry

Claire's Pantry, 301 Main St., Edmonds. 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.Sunday. Major credit cards. 776-2333.

-- EDMONDS

With Claire's Pantry, you can throw out that old culinary axiom that insists good breakfast spots can't do dinner - and vice versa.

This Edmonds eatery just a stone's throw from Puget Sound is equally adept at fillet of salmon and breaded veal cutlet as it is with omelettes and eggs Benedict. And with a full array of burgers, sandwiches and meal-sized salads, lunch is nothing to scoff at either.

There's nothing flashy about Claire's. The decor is clean, modern and functional. You won't find fountains, ferns or anything other than standard coffee-shop trappings. What you will find is good food that won't drain your wallet.

Few dinner entrees dip over to double-digits, which no doubt adds to Claire's healthy gang of regulars. (You'll also find a Claire's Pantry in Lake City and Seattle.) For many in and around Edmonds, breakfast at Claire's is as much a part of the weekend routine as a brisk morning walk downtown.

Come hungry. For breakfast, you can get a cooked-to-order one-pound hunk of ground sirloin, two eggs, hash browns and toast ($6.95) that can easily snuff out any appetite. Better still is the same meal with half-pound sirloin ($5.95) if you plan to leave room for dinner.

Additional hunger-busters include the rib-cut pork chops and eggs ($6.95), Canadian bacon and eggs ($5.50) and the traditional ham and eggs ($5.50). Be forewarned: They pile on the hash browns, which on rare occasion have been known to be a bit mushy and undercooked.

And lest you think the Mamas and the Papas was simply a late '60s rock group with a propensity for harmonies, let me introduce you to Mama's and Papa's, Claire's-style.

Mama's is an Italian frittata, a rather tasty, eye-opening omelette of onions, green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni and Parmesan cheese tossed in with four eggs ($5.95). The Papa's ($5.95) is a three-egg omelette of pepperoni and bell peppers simmered in olive oil and garlic.

Both are rather interesting, tangy combinations. On the Mama's, the taste of the onions, mushrooms and Parmesan are not lost amid the eggs, and the bell peppers in the Papa's fairly jump on the tongue. Both are served with French bread.

Dinner entrees range from the standard: liver and onions ($7.95), chicken breast ($8.95) and teriyaki steak ($10.95); to a full complement of turkey dishes ("Everyday is Thanksgiving at Claire's," the menu reads). If you can't wait until Nov. 28, there's a roasted turkey dinner complete with moist sage dressing ($7.95), turkey pot pie ($5.95) and something called the gobbler, slices of roasted turkey on egg bread with gravy ($5.95).

On a recent visit, the teriyaki steak served to a companion was a generous New York cut marinated, but not drenched, in the teriyaki sauce. The flavor was somewhat more delicate than overwhelming. Rounded out by a baked potato, dinner salad and rolls, the meal was more than worth the price.

The seafood platter, however, was slightly disappointing. This combination of prawns, oysters, scallops and fish was heavy on the deep-fried beer batter. Lost was the distinct flavor of the seafood. Alas, this is a common sin among restaurants that toss together shellfish in so-called platters.

Fortunately, Claire's salmon and halibut fillet, which both come either charbroiled or oven-baked, are routinely tender and tasty, all but melting in your mouth in a delicate blend of juices and flaky fish. Check with your server for the price of each.

Restaurant reviews are a regular Wednesday feature of the Seattle Times Snohomish County section. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for all their meals. When they interview members of the restaurant management and staff, they do so only after the meals and services have been appraised.