5 /5 Daniel Todd: Avanti’s: Where Breakfast Is a Family Tradition (Whether You Like It or Not)
One of the best things about northern towns like Erie, PA, is that people still appreciate mom-and-pop restaurants. You can leave the upper Peach Street jungle of Chick-fil-A and Chipotle behind and instead choose to support a place where your money doesn’t vanish into the pockets of corporate overlords.
Nestled between an insurance office, a T-shirt shop, and a few residential homes on West 8th Street, Avanti’s is the type of place where you better know the Sunday and Mother’s Day strategy: arrive before the church crowd forms a line that looks like a holy pilgrimage. We showed up at 8:30 a.m. and got our pick of tables in either of the two dining rooms. There’s even extra seating at the counter, where you can pretend to be a local regular, even if you’re not.
Our server, Deanna, got our drink orders and gave our two daughters, who showed up fashionably ten minutes late, time to scan the menu. I quickly found myself facing a dilemma: the cheeseburger omelet was calling my name, but then I saw the corned beef hash. And just as I was about to decide, I laid eyes on the pierogi and Polish sausage hash—a combination that I’m pretty sure would make my ancestors proud. But in the end, I committed to the corned beef eggs Benedict.
And let me tell you, my eggs Benedict was everything it needed to be. Salty corned beef, perfectly poached eggs, a toasty English muffin, and a velvety hollandaise sauce that I’d probably drink by the cup if it were socially acceptable. Served alongside crispy hash browns, the portion was just right. We also sampled the coffee cake on special—dense, sweet, and honestly more like a pound cake, but I’m not complaining.
Daughter #2 went for a garden omelet with sourdough, keeping it wholesome. Daughter #1 and Mom both kept it classic with eggs and toast, though Mom ventured into adventurous territory with raisin bread toast. They split a chocolate chip pancake, which they insisted was amazing. I refrained—because I’m a pancake purist. Pancakes are supposed to be maple syrup delivery devices. If you must contaminate them with something, blueberries are the only respectable choice (okay, my rule, but a good one).
Don’t expect a barista experience here—no espresso machine in sight. But the house coffee is just what you want for a double-double, and there’s an off-menu iced coffee option “if someone remembers to make it,” according to Deanna. Now that’s the kind of place I can appreciate—coffee without any pretension.
I have a feeling Avanti’s is about to become a Gannon graduation weekend tradition, even if we only have one more of those weekends left on the calendar. Great service, even better food, and a warm, unpretentious atmosphere—what more could you ask for? Stop by, support a local gem, and eat well. You won’t be disappointed.
