SAUGATUCK, Mich. -- Saugatuck comes alive in the summer, welcoming both new and frequent visitors from all over the country. Many spend the rest of the year waiting to return to the small lakeshore town.
The one-of-a-kind restaurants are a big part of Saugatuck's charm. This week's Taste of My Town brings us to "Ida Red's" for an epic breakfast.
"It's a Saugatuck tradition!" explained a diner from Holland. Ida Reds has been a Saugatuck treasure since 1986. And there is no place proprietor Roy Gondeck would rather be than cooking up the breakfasts that keep his customers coming back year after year.
"Well we try to think of ourselves as a little more upscale breakfast and lunch restaurant, we like to cook everything from scratch as much as possible.Good eggs and delicious French toast," Gondeck explained.
For many, a vacation to Saugatuck isn't complete without a stop at Ida's."We're from Milwaukee, we've been coming here for maybe 15 years since our children were little," one diner said. "Personally the buckwheat pancakes are my favorite. I think about them all year long and this is the only place you can get them."
"The food is absolutely outstanding, it is probably not only the best breakfast you can get in Saugatuck, it's one of the best you can get anywhere I've ever been," said another diner.
So what's the secret? Well at least one of them is a special ingredient in the eggs."It's a nice big shot of cream in the scrambled eggs, all eggs are cooked with butter so it's you know, maybe not the thing you are looking for if you have issues with eggs but make it a treat. If you are going to eat eggs eat them here," said Gondeck.
"We have been coming here for quite a few years and all our children and grandchildren have been coming here and the food is wonderful," said another Ida Red's regular.
And while the patio is just lovely in the summertime, Roy is quick to remind us that "We aren't just open in the summer time, we are here in the winter too."
Ida Red's cottage is on Water St. in downtown Saugatuck. Click here to learn more.
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