Breakfast: Ideas By the Bunch

At a fraction of the cost of berries and other fruit choices, bananas present a cost-effective way to incorporate fresh produce into breakfast menus.

By Christine LaFave, Associate Editor -- Restaurants and Institutions, 5/21/2008 5:35:00 PM

Fresh blueberries and peaches haven’t arrived at farmers markets yet, but diners still seek lighter, fresh tastes for spring and summer. At a fraction of the  cost of berries and other fruit choices, bananas present a cost-effective way to incorporate fresh produce into breakfast menus. Pancakes with sliced bananas mixed into the batter are the obvious menu option, but dishes that incorporate complementary flavors textures and play up bananas’ status as a dessert favorite and a taste of tropical climes can be innovative yet easily appealing new choices for guests.

TASTE OF THE TROPICS

Vanilla French Toast topped with fresh bananas, $9, Soleil @k Restaurant & Bar (pictured), San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego

Floridian French Toast (Sourdough French toast sprinkled with wheat germ and powdered sugar and covered with bananas, kiwi and berries), First Watch, multiple locations

Banana Fritters (“Island-spiced” banana fritters, served with an orange dipping sauce), $6.50, The Ram Restaurant, Sun Valley Resort, Sun Valley, ID

PURE SWEETNESS

Banana Breakfast Sundae (granola, yogurt, blueberries and chocolate topped with whipped cream), $7, Charleston’s Café, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Pancakes “La Plage” (four mini pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips), La Marea, The Tides South Beach, Miami

Bananas Foster French Toast (Texas-style thick-sliced toast topped with hot bananas Foster, finished with crème de banana liqueur), $7.95, Capt. Brien’s Seafood & Raw Bar Restaurant, Marco Island, Fla.

HAUTE BANANAS

Banana Brioche French Toast with crème anglaise and raspberry sauce, $14, The Garden Court, Palace Hotel, San Francisco

Dulce Banana Rumba French Toast (brioche French toast layered with warm bananas, rum and golden raisins, drizzled with crème caramel and toasted pecans), $8.75, m.henry, Chicago

MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

The Elvis Presley Sandwich (French toast banana bread, fried bananas, homemade peanut butter and honey drizzle), $9, 621 Diner, Lombard, Ill.

Peanut Butter & Banana French Toast with Star-Anise-Infused Honey, $8.50, The Classic Diner, Malvern, Pa.

DRINK YOUR POTASSIUM

Vegan Banana Smoothie with bananas, soymilk and cinnamon, with or without honey, $3, The Little Grill Collective, Harrisonburg, Va.

Fruit Energizer (pineapple, strawberry and banana smoothie with low-fat yogurt, milk and honey), $4.50, Gateway Hotel & Conference Center, the University of Iowa, Ames, Iowa