3 Eggs-cellent Omelets in Central CT

Reflecting on the awesomeness of diners.

Bleary-eyed and ravenous, you have awoken on a fine weekend morning to discover your fridge devoid of groceries. What to do?

If you're in the vicinity of central Connecticut and a fan of omelets, then you, my friend, are in luck.

I'm here to share my three favorite picks for some of the most reliably tasty omelet-makers around.


Listed in no particular order, here they are:

1. Ken's Corner - Glastonbury, Conn.

Hours: M-F, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 7 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Serves: Breakfast and lunch
Location: 30 Hebron Ave., Glastonury, Conn.

I live in Glastonbury, so there's no way I would NOT make it my personal mission to find some manner of fine eating establishment to satisfy my love of breakfast foods. And Ken's is it.

Behold: The bacon, avocado, and Swiss cheese omelet,
courtesy of Ken's Corner.

Here, all the standard sorts of omelets are available, served with home fries and toast, but it's the omelets on Ken's list of specials - posted above the register by the door - that are really worth a look.

Nearly every time I visit, I cannot help but order their bacon, avocado, and Swiss cheese creation. Sooo tasty and satisfying. It's got the perfect amount of gooey cheese, with lovely slices of fresh avocado, and - duh - heavenly, crispy bits of bacon, all skillfully fried up in a mound of eggs. It might sound unusual, and sure, it kinda is, but it's also perfectly awesome, I assure you.

The neighborhood agrees, apparently, because this place almost always has at least a short wait. So if you've only just rolled out of bed at, say, 11 a.m. on a Sunday, you had better expect a line out the door.

Ken's is a popular spot,
particularly on weekends.

Mind you, Ken's Corner doesn't just do omelets, either. They've got plenty of other breakfast fare (and lunch, too), but again - be sure to check out that board of specials, which boasts such rare and delicious concoctions as pina colada pancakes, apple walnut crepes, and pumpkin French toast. It's all quite tasty, in my experience.

By the way, if you're into flavored coffees, Ken's Corner always has a pot of something other than regular brewing - I've tried blueberry, raspberry, pumpkin, butter pecan, vanilla ... Just ask your server what the special coffee is that day. I've always liked the coffee here, even when I'm not indulging in some fun, random flavor.

Best part? The service. Ken's never fails to be bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, uber-friendly, and accommodating.

2. Cosmic Omelet - Manchester, Conn.

Hours: Tues-Sun., 6 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Serves: Breakfast and lunch
Location: 485 Hartford Road, Manchester, Conn.

Cream cheese in omelets. Cream cheese, I say. Trust me, dear readers, when I tell you this is ingenious.

Yes, it lives up its name.
Omelets = Pretty much out of this world.

The good people at Cosmic Omelet know what they are doing. And the folks around here love them just as much as I do, as evidenced by the restaurant's recent construction work, which has quite literally doubled the size of the place.

My favorite concoction here is Tracy's Cosmic Omelet (named after the owner). It includes a freaking ridiculously good combination of eggs, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, cream cheese, and cheddar. Dude. No words.

Of course, what Cosmic Omelet does best is create, ahem ... cosmic omelets. The wacky-yet-scrumptious choices range from the Cosmic Cloud Nine Omelet (eggs with turkey, tomato, bacon, and the aforementioned awesome cream cheese) to the McOmelet (eggs with hamburger, onion, ketchup, yellow mustard, and American cheese - with optional pickles).

My brother swears by Leo's Death Dog Omelet, which is an omelet that includes - that's right - hot dog, as well as bacon, onions, BBQ sauce, and American cheese. All omelets are served alongside toast and a heap of shaved, fried potatoes, but these sides obviously pale in comparison to the stellar main attraction.

The atmosphere here is laid-back and informal, and I'll admit that sometimes I find the service on the slow side. At the same time, once I've snagged a table, it's going to be hard to convince me to leave before I've scarfed some of their tasty food. While you wait, you can always take advantage of the deck of playing cards that's kept at every table - a nice touch, in my humble opinion.

3. Ford News Diner - Middletown, Conn.

Hours: Mon.-Sat., 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Sun., 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Ford News: A fab discovery.

Serves: Breakfast and lunch
Location: 358 Main Street, Middletown, Conn.

On a recent trip to a diner in Middletown, my husband and I were sad to find that our intended destination had a line snaking out the door. Seeing as it was February, and I'm not a fan of the cold, I wasn't about to stand outside and allow my arse to freeze off.

But Middletown rarely disappoints. Its Main Street is one of those places where all sorts of cool restaurants and fun things to do are hiding out in plain sight - from the Vinnie's Jump and Jive to the NoRA Cupcake Company to the Buttonwood Tree.

And so a brilliant iPhone app called Around Me led us to the doorstep of Ford News Diner, a tiny little place with just a couple of tables and a row of trusty chrome stools lined up along at the counter.

Ford News Diner's veggie omelet is classic,
but it hits the spot.

I came for an omelet, although there are a good number of other options, from their 'famous' pancakes to various combinations of eggs, bacon, homemade hash, toast, and more. The Ford News veggie omelet - eggs, mushroom, tomato, onion, peppers, and cheese - is pretty standard as far as omelet ingredients go, but it was also cooked perfectly. And with a dash of hot sauce, it totally hit the spot.

(And P.S., those 'famous' pancakes? Really good. I don't know what on earth they put in them, but damn, they are amazing. My husband was kind enough to share a few bites with me, but this calls for a return trip.)

Good coffee.

The vibe in this place is no-frills yet friendly, and immediately reminded me of the diners on Steinway Street in Queens, New York, where I used to live (fortunately, minus the guy behind the counter, smoking his cigarette over the open grill).

And if you like, Ford News has also got a takeout menu (which offers lunch options, too), so that you can order up ahead of time and take your food to go.