Sam’s Graces Vanilla-Blueberry Pancakes
Tastemaker
According to National Geographic magazine, ancient Greeks and Romans regularly ate pancakes, sweetening them with honey. Much later, Elizabethans enjoyed them as well, flavoring them with spices, rosewater, sherry, and apples. At the newly opened Petoskey location of Sam’s Graces Cafe & Bakery, only a select few know the restaurant’s secret recipe for pancakes — a stack of mysterious delight so delicious we suspect would impress even Caligula, one of Rome’s most extravagant emperors.
For $12, diners get to choose between a stack of three buttermilk or vanilla pancakes, both served golden brown and satisfyingly crispy around the edges. A choice of fresh blueberries or chocolate chips can be added for $2. We recommend the blueberries, which were fresh, large, and liberally applied. Together with the subtle vanilla flavor, the berries added a nice tartness to the rich and spongy cakes. A smear of real butter under a cascade of high-quality, locally produced maple syrup crown this breakfast, fit for an empress. Pair these with some Plath’s bacon or house-seasoned breakfast sausage ($5) to balance out the pancake sweetness, and you’re good to go — literally.
Find the new Sam’s Graces at 324 E. Mitchell St. (231) 489-8278, www.samsgracescafe.com.