There are certain dining establishments around town where APD vehicles may be seen quite often: Dario’s, IHOP downtown, and Luby’s at Oltorf are examples. The Bakehouse on Manchaca is another outfit where vehicles of civil servants are familiar sights.

Breakfast begins at seven every day of the week. This was not a bloody Mary morning for anyone that I noticed, but that’s an option always available. What brought us was the homemade Hollandaise sauce that tops the eggs Benedict variations. Not that we didn’t enjoy the completely homemade pan-fried potatoes! Biscuits, with or without gravy, are available, and I fell upon mine with relish. These are the large, free-form, lumpy kind, not the dainty flaky ones made shaped with a cutter that are Frisco specials. The Bakehouse product is light, also, and a very fine example of its kind, perfect for stawberry shortcake.

The Bakehouse has an intimate and well stocked bar, plus three dining areas: one with booths lit by lamps in the form of illuminated pendant terrestrial globes, a sunlit luncheonette space, and an outdoor deck with large canvas umbrellas for shade. I know the Bakehouse by daylight only, but I intend check it out in its evening incarnation sometime soon. I know someone who’s interested in trying that chicken pot pie, and we saw fresh fish being delivered first thing this morning. I think that this would be a great place for work-related get-togethers, whether at lunchtime or during the dinner hour. There’s a tempting glass case exhibiting baked goods of several kinds, including homestyle cookies.

The accents of the diners were pure South Austin. There were family groups, working people taking a break, solitary readers, people whose laundry was spinning at the Kwikwash next door, and a very large and laughing group of women discussing their experiences dining at Jeffrey’s. We recognized the hostess at another well-known restaurant (not Jeffrey’s), and she recognized us. I’m not sure whether the Bakehouse ever takes out ads; it has been in business, I think, since the early ‘Eighties and I hope it’ll be there for a long time to come.