Brunch in the Gump at Sinclair's in Old Gumperdale

In 1992 a successful group of businessmen, not unlike myself, took what at one time was a Sinclair gas station and started a "bistro" restaurant at 1051 E. Fairview called Sinclair's. As one brought to the gump from abroad at the tender age of five years, I have vague but happy memories of riding my bicycle down to 10-cent Saturday matinees at the Capri and filling my tires with air at the Sinclair station.

The movies and summer days at Cloverdale Community Center under the watchful eye and "board" of Coach Sellers taught me the ways of the South in the late 50s and early 60s in a place that was, from the standpoint of a crew-cut young chap with a funny accent, an idyllic place to grow up. Saturday's were particularly magical times when you could get on your trusty bike in the morning, with baseball cards clothes-pinned to your spokes and a small sack lunch in hand and spend all of the long summer day jumping on trampolines (without nets); boxing with oversize gloves, playing whiffle-ball and basketball in the gym and Stratego and other board games while you listed to "Paperback Writer" on the juke box. All which brings me to the present with a similarly satisfying Saturday Brunch down memory lane in cozy Sinclairs in Old Cloverdale.

This Saturday, while the Global Warming snow melted away, I popped into Sinclairs during their "Weekend Brunch" window (11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and, as an executive, ordered the "Executive Eggs" for $8.50 with a complimentary glass of Champagne or Mimosa. What I received were two poached eggs with bacon on my favorite English Muffins with a salty and delicious Hollandaise sauce. The eggs were sided by what you Southerners call "hash browns" but which looked liked chunky potatoes cooked with onions and peppers to me. Together they warmed me cockles as the Mimosa allowed the warm memories of my youth to flood over me. Why, looking out of the window I could almost see and smell Joe's Deli (pastrami burger) and the Cloverdale Pharmacy (fresh donuts) right across East Fairview.

I am well aware that "foodies" would find the fare at Sinclair's to be less than edgy. But I would ask the same food critics to name me all of the non-chain restaurants you know in the Gump that are still popular after 18 years. Longevity is some indication of quality control. And the quality at Sinclairs is rather consistent even if only slightly better than average. Their menu is very diverse--maybe too much going on--but everything is reasonably priced and the service is usually good.

Those of you who grew up in the Northern Territories and feel stuck in the Gump will not share my experience at Sinclairs. Nevertheless, I would recommend the Weekend Brunch in the Old Cloverdale location without hesitation as a good and friendly place to eat where you will usually see some of your own expatriates. Just don't mess with the "Hatman" on the trivia game.