Gypsy Den (Anaheim) 8.11.14

Yesterday, I was looking for a healthy brunch place to meet with some out-of-town friends but also make my 11:30 pick-up time for my son from his half-day camp.  So, we ended up at Gypsy Den near the end of Center Street Promenade.  I had been to Gypsy Den for lunch and for coffee, but not for breakfast/brunch so we decided to give it a try.  We settled in with iced coffees & jasmine tea and looked over the brunch choices.  Our server noted the popular dishes as the Eggs Ole, Breakfast Sandwich and Brioche French Toast and while I really wanted to try the French Toast, I figured, protein would be in order so I went with the breakfast sandwich.

Breakfast Sandwich

The Gypsy Den Breakfast Sandwich is fried egg, lettuce, tomato and choice of real or veggie bacon on a potato bun, served with fresh fruit or red potatoes (they were out of red potatoes when we went but I wanted fruit anyways).  The bacon was a little crispy for me, but probably not for a normal person (I really like soft, some would call it soggy, bacon), but the egg was nicely cooked with a runny yolk and the potato bun was a soft delight.  I appreciated the assortment of fruit that clearly wasn't melon from a bag.  It was a pretty yummy breakfast sandwich.  Definitely simple, but satisfying.

One of my friends ordered the house made granola with seasonal berries, yogurt and honey (adding almond butter and banana which came out beautifully presented and she said was really tasty.  (I would have considered getting this too, but this is my breakfast staple at home so I thought I'd splurge a bit on the breakfast sandwich): 

Housemade Granola

Our other friend ordered the spinach scramble: spinach, feta, onion, egg with veggie sausage (or bacon) served with toast and fruit (or potatoes) with added avocado.  He also enjoyed his plate and was impressed with the presentation of the food: 

Spinach Scramble

Both my friends really enjoyed the funky vibe of the Gypsy Den space (where they also hold Open Mic and host live music regularly in the evenings) and we enjoyed eating on the outside patio (which is also dog-friendly) as we caught up and talked about their Southern California adventures and the importance of GPS.  I often forget about the Gypsy Den because it's all the way down Center Street Promenade, but I was glad to have a good excuse for brunch to rediscover this gem.