To be perfectly honest, I have not always been a fan of breakfast foods.  I didn’t like bacon until I became pregnant with my oldest and then I couldn’t get enough of it.  Since then, I have been a huge fan of breakfast foods, especially when eaten at dinner time.  So when I saw America’s Best Breakfasts: Favorite Local Recipes from Coast to Coast by Lee Brian Schrager and Adeena Sussman (Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2016), I got incredibly excited to see what this book could possibly teach me about making awesome breakfasts.

There was one recipe in particular that I wanted that this book contains: Shrimp and Grits from Hominy Grill in Charleston!  When we lived in Charleston I became incredibly fond of grits, it was a texture thing, basically it was love at first bite.  It is a food that has been refined for hundreds of years into this simple, rustic, down-home goodness – well, that is the food I want to be eating.  Living on the west coast now, it is a rarity and not a breakfast staple here, so having this recipe in my hot little hands was a must.

I do have to say the major complaint that I have heard about this book is that it does not represent every state…however, the states and restraunts they do cover…well yum.  Some of the cities that are heavily represented in this book are San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and New York.

Some of the recipes that I was most excited to read and add to our weekend breakfast menu are:

From the West Coast:

• The Yolko Ono Sandwich from Fried Egg I’m in Love, in Portland, OR
• Lobster Scrambled Eggs from Connie and Ted’s, West Hollywood, CA
• Avocado Toast from Plow, San Francisco, CA

From the Midwest:

• Fruit Crepes from Bluestem, Kansas City, MO
• Graham Cracker Waffles from Jack Flaps, Cleveland, OH
• Bacon Cheddar Potato Pancakes from Ann Sather, Chicago, IL

From the South:

• Shrimp and Grits from Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC
• Barbecued Brisket Breakfast Burrito from Elwood’s Shack, Memphis, TN
• Brioche Cinnamon Buns from Honey Bee Bakery, Oxford, MS
• Creole File Gumbo from Li’l Dizzy’s, New Orleans, LA
• Frito Pie from Lambert’s, Austen, TX

From the Northeast:

• Coconut Pancakes from Miss Lily’s, New York, NY
• Cannoli French Toast fromCafe Lift, Philadelphia, PA
• The Big Hot Mess from Heritage, Richmond, VA
• Fried Chicken and Waffles from Birch & Barley, Washington DC

As if this cookbook wasn’t making you salivate just by reading these recipes then they go and add a Bloody Mary list!  Come on, this book is now my new travel guide, because I want to eat in just about every one of these places.

This is the first breakfast cook book that I have, and I am thrilled with it, I think that these are recipes that are accessible to most home cooks, the pictures are gorgeous.  Not to mention it is also a travel guide in a way, because you will want to add these breakfast spots to your next travel itinerary.

The downside, many states don’t get love – Washington is one of them…honestly, I was a little bummed.

Bloggers Note: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review, however, the opinions shared are my own.