The Purple Place in El Dorado Hills—half restaurant, half bar—prides itself on fresh, delicious food and drinks served in an upscale diner-like atmosphere (and it should). But with a name like The Purple Place, there’s bound to be a “colorful” history that is just as compelling.
The restaurant is built on land that once served as a stop on the Pony Express, and there is at least one customer who still rides in on horseback for his Purple Place fix. Perhaps the most interesting story is how The Purple Place earned its name. Legend has it, according to owner Mike Hountalas, Folsom Prison donated leftover paint for The Purple Place. There wasn’t enough of any one color, so the owners mixed all of the paint colors together. The result? You guessed it—purple. And later, when the owners considered repainting it a different color, there was such an outcry from patrons that The Purple Place remains purple to this day.
I’d been hearing about The Purple Place for some time, so on a beautiful March morning I had the pleasure of ordering three of their breakfasts: the waffles with berries, a pancake and the vegetarian eggs benedict. I happened to be dining alone and planned to sample just a bit of each. That was difficult! The breakfasts were fresh, delicious and beautifully presented. The single pancake was the size of a plate (and easily the equal of a stack of four regular-sized pancakes). The coffee was hot and plentiful, and the friendly service (thanks, Hillary!) made the experience truly enjoyable.
The Purple Place’s breakfast menu offers a variety of choices from healthy (organic granola and berry parfait, fresh berries and cottage cheese) to items from its griddle (a variety of pancakes and waffles), to omelets and specialty eggs (think every type of egg benedict you’ve ever dreamed of).
There are a couple of surprises on the menu—in particular the B.O.C. (a.k.a. Breakfast of Champions) which includes a 24 oz. can of Budweiser or Bud Light in a brown bag, along with a heaping plate of hardwood, honey-smoked bacon, plus ranch and syrup for dipping. There was a diner interested in trying this breakfast, so thank you to Carey Stewart for being a great sport and trying the B.O.C. so I could get a photo.
If you’re looking for a great breakfast place, head over to The Purple Place (they also serve lunch and dinner). Eat at the counter, in the dining room or outside on the patio—and bring the kids (they do have a kids menu). They are particularly busy on the weekends; however, they open up the bar area for additional breakfast seating so the wait isn’t very long.
I can’t wait to head back to The Purple Place (and not alone this time) for another breakfast. Although, I think a review of the bar may be in order!
Tell me, do you have a favorite breakfast spot?
The Purple Place
363 Green Valley Road
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
(916) 933-2313
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