Walking around Long Beach, I came across the Lightship Restaurant with fantastic ocean views from their second-story location. Their menu, posted downstairs, looked good too. We decided we’d go there for breakfast on a weekday, but it was not to be. Up the elevator we went with my mouth watering for omelet or scramble; the restaurant was CLOSED. I’d missed the fine print on the menu that stated breakfasts served on weekends only – the idea! So where were we to go now? I remembered the cheerful sunflower-sign at Debi’s, a breakfast and lunch place downtown, so off we drove. Entering Debi’s it’s apparent sunflowers are the motif here, from the sunflower and vines pattern on the comfy couch in the waiting area, to sunflower prints on the walls, to painted wooden sunflowers sticking out of the Please Wait to be Seated sign. But we didn’t have to wait, and had a choice where to sit, which was easy. Though the inside dining room was cozy and popular, with a combination of booths and tables, we headed straight for the solarium, its ceiling-to-floor windows offering a pleasant view of the pretty little park next to it, with lots of greenery and a pond. As might be expected for a restaurant specializing in breakfasts/lunches, there are lots of menu choices, 2 pages of breakfasts and 3 pages of lunches. Full breakfasts (omelets, scrambles, meat and eggs) run between $6.50-$9.99, with some of the seafood breakfasts at $10.99. My choice was the veggie scramble for $6.99, Bob’s the chicken fried steak and eggs for $7.99.
We settled down sipping our cups of coffee and alternated between reading the local paper and looking outside. Our server was young, friendly, laughed at Bob’s silly jokes and, much to his delight, even teased him back. She quickly brought me a local phone book for me to call around for an eye appointment since I’d been having trouble with red eyes each time I tried to wear my contacts. After making my appointment and a short wait, out came our steaming plates, each garnished with... a flower. No, not a sunflower, but smaller, delicate blooms such as pansies.
The servings were reasonably portioned with our egg orders, hashbrowns, and a slice of toast, so that we were both able to finish without feeling stuffed. The veggies in my scramble were generous, fresh, and not overcooked. Bob’s steak was topped with country gravy, not good for him but good-tasting. Another nice feature is a whole page of children’s choices, available for those under 10, between $1.99-$2.99 for breakfasts, and $1.99-$4.99 for lunches. Beverages include the standard ones, plus beer and wine. Desserts feature home made pies and ice cream.