Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Burger for Breakfast

At Vigilucci's in Coronado, breakfast is all about style

Thank goodness for Jan.

Carla's old flatmate is across from Florida for a couple of weeks. I'm mostly sitting watching a tennis match as these two have at it. Gabfest! Who had whose boyfriend. Who stole whose blouse. Who did the most cooking.

So Carla had to get Jan to Coronado, because it was one of their prime playgrounds. "If it's not too much, I'll pay for brunch," says Jan.

Only thing is, the place she chooses is Vigilucci's (1300 Orange Avenue, 619-522-0946). I wait while she looks at the sidewalk menu. Wait for her to ulp, and say "Why don't we try the Nite and Day instead," but she doesn't.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52908/

Instead she asks the guy playing host down here (It's an upstairs place in the old Marie Callender's) on the sidewalk if they have breakfast still.

"Yes ma'am."

"And do you have vegetarian omelets?"

"Yes ma'am."

Great. Looks like we sealed the deal. But expensive? For sure looks like it.

"How come we never go here?" mutters Carla.

"You have to ask?" I say.

Two minutes later we're sitting on a balcony surrounded by bits of sculpture...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52901/

...and actual growing grape leaves.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52898/

Love the big heavy knives and forks, cream linen napkins, and waiters hovering like a swarm of hornets.

So we get coffee ($2.50 each) and then Jan orders "omelette ai vegetali," with tomatoes, onions, feta and a "champagne cream sauce," plus potatoes au gratin ($14).

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52899/

Yowser wowser. But Jan doesn't seem to be fazed. So Carla asks for the Capicolla eggs Benedict (two poached eggs, Capicolla ham, muffin, hollandaise sauce, potatoes au gratin, fresh fruit, also $14).

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52904/

I'm about to follow suit when I see they have a burger. Yes. Burger, for brunch.

"Hamburger di carne e formaggio." Gosh, when they put it like that... We're talking half pound patty of prime, with cheddar, the usual fixin's, plus Thousand Island and fries or fruit. I go fruit. Costs $11. Cheap compared to the gals' meals.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52906/

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52909/

And you know what? It tastes really good this time of day. Specially with the different slices of melons and pineapple stacked like books on one side of the plate.

Favorite part for both of the ladies - apart from the purple orchids on the corner of their plates - is the spuds au gratin. "Cheesy inside, crispy outside," says Jan.

"That and the Capicolla," says Carla. "What a combination."

But actually it's just the atmosphere up here. Really Italian, with stone, grape leaves, outside fireplace (for winter), balustrade, and you look out straight into the canopy of trees.

Cool. And a great li'l sea breeze that actually does keep things cool. Guess some places you can have it both ways.

"Jan," says. Carla. "I don't want you to go back."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Vista imagines car-free downtown

Following Encinitas and Pacific Beach
Next Article

Codename Stasis found its format at SDSU

Local zine tells a magical local story

Thank goodness for Jan.

Carla's old flatmate is across from Florida for a couple of weeks. I'm mostly sitting watching a tennis match as these two have at it. Gabfest! Who had whose boyfriend. Who stole whose blouse. Who did the most cooking.

So Carla had to get Jan to Coronado, because it was one of their prime playgrounds. "If it's not too much, I'll pay for brunch," says Jan.

Only thing is, the place she chooses is Vigilucci's (1300 Orange Avenue, 619-522-0946). I wait while she looks at the sidewalk menu. Wait for her to ulp, and say "Why don't we try the Nite and Day instead," but she doesn't.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52908/

Instead she asks the guy playing host down here (It's an upstairs place in the old Marie Callender's) on the sidewalk if they have breakfast still.

"Yes ma'am."

"And do you have vegetarian omelets?"

"Yes ma'am."

Great. Looks like we sealed the deal. But expensive? For sure looks like it.

"How come we never go here?" mutters Carla.

"You have to ask?" I say.

Two minutes later we're sitting on a balcony surrounded by bits of sculpture...

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52901/

...and actual growing grape leaves.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52898/

Love the big heavy knives and forks, cream linen napkins, and waiters hovering like a swarm of hornets.

So we get coffee ($2.50 each) and then Jan orders "omelette ai vegetali," with tomatoes, onions, feta and a "champagne cream sauce," plus potatoes au gratin ($14).

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52899/

Yowser wowser. But Jan doesn't seem to be fazed. So Carla asks for the Capicolla eggs Benedict (two poached eggs, Capicolla ham, muffin, hollandaise sauce, potatoes au gratin, fresh fruit, also $14).

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52904/

I'm about to follow suit when I see they have a burger. Yes. Burger, for brunch.

"Hamburger di carne e formaggio." Gosh, when they put it like that... We're talking half pound patty of prime, with cheddar, the usual fixin's, plus Thousand Island and fries or fruit. I go fruit. Costs $11. Cheap compared to the gals' meals.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52906/

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/sep/09/52909/

And you know what? It tastes really good this time of day. Specially with the different slices of melons and pineapple stacked like books on one side of the plate.

Favorite part for both of the ladies - apart from the purple orchids on the corner of their plates - is the spuds au gratin. "Cheesy inside, crispy outside," says Jan.

"That and the Capicolla," says Carla. "What a combination."

But actually it's just the atmosphere up here. Really Italian, with stone, grape leaves, outside fireplace (for winter), balustrade, and you look out straight into the canopy of trees.

Cool. And a great li'l sea breeze that actually does keep things cool. Guess some places you can have it both ways.

"Jan," says. Carla. "I don't want you to go back."

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Origins: James Cameron's Piranha Part 2: The Spawning

Next Article

Coronado: Healthy burgers at the hospital?

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader