Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Bab?s Delta Diner
770 Kellogg St, Suisun
421-1926
5 a.m. ?2 p.m.
closed Monday

Human interaction plays a large part in the experience of dining at [tag]Babs Delta Diner[/tag]. Two people greeted us on our recent visit, and then cheerfully gave us conflicting advice. One said, ?sit anywhere.? The other asked whether we wanted to sit inside or on the patio and then proceeded to clean up the one available outside table.

Inside Babs has the hustle and bustle of a busy diner. There is a long counter and wooden tables, all under a remarkable collection of Coca Cola memorabilia. The atmosphere is picturesque and festive. The noise level brings everyone into the party atmosphere.

The patio tables share a view with the Athenian Grill, the marina and the hills beyond. We sat outside under the protective canopy to enjoy this view. On the day of our visit, a large boat cranked up the music, a mix of jazz that reminded me of The Great Gatsby, and yet was perfect for the delta location.

On top of this unexpected background music, our visit coincided with our waiter?s birthday. Staff from the Athenian Grill called over the sidewalk. They appeared to be planning a surprise for the birthday boy. Another member of Babs? staff came for lunch on his day off and stayed to help. Our waiter handed out birthday cake to everyone.

Breakfast is celebrated daily at Babs Delta Diner. There is a large selection of omelets, and various egg dishes, pancakes, waffles and oatmeal. American favorites such as biscuits and gravy are available, as are plates named after people. Who are these people who had their favorite combination named after them? At Babs, I?m certain each name is connected to a story. Some of the combinations would drive line cooks I have known crazy. This indicates that the kitchen at Babs is set up to work efficiently and creatively.

The lunch menu is also large with all of the traditional American cold sandwiches and grilled sandwiches, soup and salad. There is also a daily Chef?s Special. On the day of our visit, the special was Chicken Alfredo with soup and salad. This was an enormous meal.

The sandwiches are equally hearty. We tried a double cheeseburger with fries, and a vegetarian sandwich. The cheeseburger came hot with double layers of meat and gooey American cheese. The bun was the fluffy sweet kind favored by fast food officianados. The fries were hot, but could have been crispier. They were an orange color, lightly seasoned somehow.

The vegetarian sandwich consisted of double layers of cream cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber and avocado (by request.) It?s hard to miss with such ingredients, however the combination was lacking in flavor. A fresh tomato (they are in season now) would have improved the sandwich a lot.

The unexpected birthday cake was fabulous, rich and chocolaty. Reputedly Babs herself makes the desserts. Eating dessert while enjoying the hubbub of activity at the marina and feeling included in the festivities of the restaurant is the perfect way to celebrate any day.

[tags]restaurant review[/tags]

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