By Katie Feindel for LONGMONT MAGAZINE
From the moment you walk into this bright, quaint café, you will feel comfortably right at home. Located right off Hygiene Road in Hygiene, you can’t miss it and the truth is, you won’t be able to resist coming back time and time again. Crane Hollow Café is known and loved for fantastic food, friendly and excellent service and breathtaking views off its famous patio. Its charm is enough, but your belly will be more than satisfied with all the scrumptious selections on their breakfast and lunch menu.
Did I mention it’s not just food at this gem of a spot? Come ready for a full coffee menu, prepared hot and ready. Whether you like a simple cup of Joe or a specialty coffee, you’ll be set. Don’t leave without a visit to the bakery. Their cinnamon rolls are so popular, new people come just to try them! They bake them from scratch nearly every day.
What makes this café so special is it’s one of a kind and locally owned.
Owner, Debbie Schlepp, puts extraordinary care into everything from the eclectic table settings to the freshest ingredients for every dish. “At Crane Hollow Café, and in all my cooking, I try to focus on fresh and healthy. We prep all our veggies on a daily basis so whether we use them in an Omelette, a Veggie Egg Scramble, a Tofu Scramble or a Veggie Hash the result is a freshness and slight crispness left in the vegetable that will make any dish fresh and lively to the taste.”
The attention that Debbie and her staff take in all they do at Crane Hollow Café is the distinguishing factor that keeps customers coming back for more. And don’t worry, the prices are easy on your wallet.
While hearty fare is popular, you can also choose healthy items off the menu too. One of them is their famous Veggie Omelette, which you can have bright and early for breakfast or for lunch. And if you want to get creative, they have a fantastic “Build Your Own” omelette menu where the variations are only as limited as your imagination! There are also vegan breakfast options that will not disappoint your taste buds.
There’s no doubt about it, Crane Hollow Café leaves an impression. Come hungry because excellent food is what you’ll get. The impression of warmth, comfort, satisfaction, and delight will all be part of the experience, not to mention friendly faces and conversations every time you stop in for breakfast or lunch; an experience that will bring you back for the comfort cuisine at Crane Hollow Café.
OMELETTE BASICS
(Note from Debbie Schlepp: “I let the owner of their omelette season it as desired with salt and pepper as that is all the omelette will need. The tastes of the individual ingredients are what create the deliciousness of your omelette.”)
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon water
Fresh veggies, meats and cheeses of your choice
Instructions
The secret to a perfect omelette is starting out with a heated pan and oil of your choice. The temperature should be hot enough that a drop of water will sizzle when splashed into the pan. If the oil is too hot, then your egg will brown all around the edges before the interior is cooked.
Whisk water into eggs thoroughly to get the best results. The added water will create steam when the egg mixture hits the hot pan causing the eggs to rise beautifully.
As you see the edges start to cook, pull the cooked egg to the middle and let the loose egg flow to the outer edges. As the egg cooks throughout then pull up the cooked edges and tilt your pan to let the uncooked egg on the top flow underneath the cooked egg.
As this uncooked egg hits the pan over and over again the water will puff up the egg to create a very fluffy omelette. Without this step, you will end up with a very flat and rubbery omelette.
The other secret is to have the filling ingredients hot and ready to put right onto the omelette as you plate it so that the omelette does not have time to deflate. The timing may sound difficult, but once you do it a few times it will become easy and the reward of presenting this to family and friends is in all the oohs and ahhs you will get!
To keep it healthy, choose veggies or tofu or add potatoes and serve up with veggie hash. For additional flavor, add a cheese, chile or sauce — you have many delightful options.
—Courtesy Debbie Schlepp, Crane Hollow Cafe
