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A Pearl of a Place

Perly's Restaurant

111 E. Grace St.

649-2779

Breakfast served 7-11 a.m. daily Setting:

In a section of downtown that has been reduced to just a few businesses like Richmond Newspapers, Dementi Studios and some adult nightspots, Perly's is an oasis of style and good eats for the whole family. There's street parking along Grace and surrounding side streets (Second and First). Inside, the owners have done a nice job of creating a warm Art Deco feel with muted colors, paneling and a delightful collection of lamps, one perched over each booth. Menu:

Perly's serves a traditional deli lunch with a specialty being Brunswick stew, but we went for Saturday breakfast, a meal we don't often get to slow down and enjoy. Happily, Perly's is into breakfast big time. The menu includes four "Good Morning" specials featuring every imaginable configuration of breakfast goodies,including eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, oatmeal, bagels, English muffins, etc. Elsewhere on the menu, you can find eggs with either ham or knockwurst or pastrami or corned beef or salami. There are omelets, croissants with a selection of stuffings, breakfast sandwiches and lots of side orders.

We ordered a little bit of everything and ended up with a tabletop of delicious eggs, bacon, bagels, yummy homefries and fluffy pancakes served with real maple syrup - what a nice surprise! Service:

Prompt, efficient, experienced and attentive. The folks at Perly's are pros. Wait time:

We arrived at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday and had our pick of booths. By the time we left, an hour or so later, things had picked up considerably. Our breakfast arrived within 10 minutes of ordering.

Kid quote:

"All the lamps are really cool! I like the yellow one the best!" Grown-ups say:

Nothing beats fast service, decor that distracts a child's restless eye and a very flexible menu with lots of choices. Though there were plenty of adults dining there at the time, no one seemed to bat an eye at the 9-year-old child accompanying us Price:

Really, this place couldn't be more reasonable. You can even order just one pancake for $1! Everything is priced under $5. Breakfast is certainly the most cost-efficient way to dine out with children because, if they can't eat all of their meal, it's no great financial loss. Breakfast for three of us was a total of $15. Definitely worth the trip downtown.