Richard Walker's ~ December 27, 2006

I woke up in the morning to the sound of traffic on wet pavement. The whole time we were out the day before and even at night it didn’t look like there was any bad weather coming, so I couldn’t believe it. But I looked out the window and sure enough, the sky was gray and it was raining steadily. That was okay, though, as we could just make this day our museum day instead of our beach day. By the time we all got ready to go, the rain had disappeared just as unexpectedly as it had come, though it was still cool and super windy, so we continued with our museum plan.

For breakfast we went to Richard Walker’s Pancake House (520 Front Street, just south of Market St. in the Marina District of downtown San Diego, www.richardwalkers.com). I love pancakes, and I’m also a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, so I wanted to see this award-winning restaurant that was voted “Best Breakfast” while also viewing its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired décor. It’s a relatively new restaurant, having opened over the summer.

Richard Walker’s does serve lots of delicious pancakes - including plain old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes (with a hint of sourdough), chocolate chip pancakes, a giant oven-baked apple pancake, German pancakes, Swedish Lingonberry pancakes, blueberry pancakes, strawberry pancakes, banana pancakes, cinnamon pancakes, potato pancakes, buckwheat pancakes, healthy wheat germ pancakes, Gold Rush flap jacks, raisin and pecan pancakes, etc. They also offer classic Eggs Benedict, several different kinds of crepes, Belgian waffles, French toast, scrambled eggs, omelets, fresh squeezed juices, and for chocolate lovers – a chocolate-filled crepe topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

The menu design is whimsical and fairy tale-ish, apparently to match the Children's Museum soon to be opening around the corner, although the restaurant itself is not really designed with young children in mind. Instead, the upscale interior is reminiscent of a classic Frank Lloyd Wright design complete with hand-blown glass fixtures, stained glass windows, wood paneling, and a juxtaposition of high and low ceilings.

The restaurant is rather small and cramped, seating 50 inside a compact room and another 30 outside on Front Street. The bathroom door is right there in the middle of the seating area and only one person at a time can use it. Classical music plays in the background, but it’s difficult to hear because the restaurant is noisy with people talking and dishes clinking, the sounds of which bounce off the hard surfaces.

Richard Walker’s Pancake House is right next to the new Pinnacle Museum Tower, a luxury high-rise condo. Hold onto your hat, because the buildings create a wind tunnel effect when walking between them. Expect to pay around $10 per person, which for a family of five turned out to be a rather expensive breakfast!