For a place so small, Loomis has an incredible amount of variety from which to choose when it comes to great places to eat. There's terrific pizza, fabulous pub food, curated baked goods that rival anything you find in a city, the best milkshakes in the region, excellent Chinese and Burmese food, and a top-shelf coffee house. But telling the story of Loomis' food offerings wouldn't be complete without talking about a place called The Ugly Mug Café. This oddly named café is a favorite eating spot for locals and is frequently patronized by people outside the Loomis area. The Ugly Mug Café is a great choice for breakfast and lunch. Read on to learn why you’ve got to try The Ugly Mug Café soon.
Everything You Want and Then Some
Whether you visit The Ugly Mug Café for breakfast or lunch, you'll see that this place spares nothing to make your experience a very positive one. Everything about this place is done to perfection, starting with ambiance and ending with excellent service. If you're like me, you prefer a cozy experience when eating out for breakfast or lunch. Granted, I won't deny that I also enjoy a more formal experience occasionally, but for the most part, I like the feel of a homey restaurant for those first two meals of the day. The Ugly Mug Café hits all marks regarding the elements that make a restaurant the ultimate in coziness.
For ambiance, you can’t ask for more. This café is separated into two seating areas so that both rooms feel spacious enough to have elbow room and small enough to provide an intimate ambiance. The wait staff is attentive and takes extra time to chat with each diner. No beverage glass goes empty, and no coffee mug goes below its halfway mark. A sure sign that a place is all around great is that the waitstaff appears to love working there. That’s certainly true for The Ugly Mug Café. Just ask anyone who is a regular there, and they'll tell you one of the many things they love is how they're treated like family by the waitstaff. So, in addition to the restaurant's aesthetics being comfortable and cozy, the service further enhances that feeling. And the food? Wow, it’s comfort food at its best.
Home of the Amazing Eggs Benedict
I think it's safe to say that Eggs Benedict is one of the choices for breakfast that creates loyalty to a restaurant. It won't surprise me if The Ugly Mug Café has a huge following standing on its eggs Benedict alone. Don’t get me wrong, there aren’t people literally standing on dishes loaded with eggs Benedict, but those who love this dish believe that you can't find a better version of it anywhere nearby. I happen to be married to someone who judges restaurants by the quality of the eggs Benedict, and he too has named The Ugly Mug Café the best producer of this mystery dish. I call it a mystery dish because no one seems to agree on its origins.
After much research, I learned three theories for how eggs Benedict came into existence. Theory number one is that it all started with a restaurant called Delmonico’s of New York. Known as a fine dining establishment, this restaurant was a trendsetter for several components of eating out. Opened in 1837, it was the first restaurant to offer what’s now known as fine dining. It was the first American restaurant to use tablecloths in the dining room, was the inventor of several fine dining recipes still used today. It was one of the few restaurants that allowed women to eat alone without male companions, had a practice of letting regulars customize dishes on the menu, and is said to have created the first eggs Benedict.
But from there, this theory contains a few versions. Apparently, one of Delmonico's regular customers was a woman named Mrs. LeGrand Benedict. Some say that her alteration of the menu led to the first eggs Benedict. In this theory, Mrs. Benedict named each component of the dish she wanted and later became so popular. But others say that Mrs. Benedict had no input, and it was the restaurant's chef, Charles Ranhofer, who created eggs Benedict for Mrs. Benedict absent of her specific input. In 1894, Chef Ranhofer published his recipe for what he called Eggs a la Benedick in his cookbook called The Epicurean.
A second theory is that it was actually created by a hungover stockbroker named Lemuel Benedict. This story holds that Mr. Benedict asked for the ingredients now found in eggs Benedict to be put together for him to recover from the previous nights drinking. And a third theory is that Elias Cornelius Benedict, a New York financier and close friend of President Cleveland, asked for the dish to be created based on his mother's recipe before her death in 1885. So it is that the origins of such a popular breakfast dish remain unclear. But what is clear is that you'll find a delicious version of eggs Benedict when eating at The Ugly Mug Café.
Coffee is Icing on the Cake
I hold that many a breakfast can be sent over the top or completely spoiled based on the coffee pairing. I am over the top thrilled when I order breakfast and also find myself enjoying a great cup of coffee. The Ugly Mug Café's coffee is delicious, rich, crisp, and always fresh. It would be a pleasure to drink no matter what, but given that it's served with great food, it makes breakfast at The Ugly Mug Café even better. Whether you order one of several versions of eggs Benedict, choose a creative omelet, have one of the specialties which never disappoint, or delve into the wonderful world of sweet and sticky treats, everything is even more remarkable because of that wonderful coffee served along with your breakfast.
Of course, there’s more than breakfast to be enjoyed at The Ugly Mug Café. Lunch is equally fresh and delicious! There are several creative burgers and sandwiches to enjoy, including fresh salads and homemade soups. If you're a Monte Cristo sandwich fan, please order The Ugly Mug Café's version with complete confidence. You'll love it. Actually, everything I've ordered and seen others enjoy at The Ugly Mug Café is great. If it isn't already one of your favorite places to eat, please come by The Ugly Mug Café and treat your stomach and soul to a lovely meal.
Stanford Ranch Self Storage
There’s no doubt that the choices of great places to eat are almost endless in Rocklin, and its neighbor, Loomis. As your neighborhood self-storage facility, Stanford Ranch Self Storage takes great pride in being part of such a wonderful community and loves to share what we know makes the community so special. We appreciate our community neighbors and like to spread the word about places like The Ugly Mug Café. Please help us keep our tradition of sharing by stopping by and telling us what you enjoy in the community. Our state of the art, self-storage facility is open and practicing social distancing. At Stanford Ranch Self Storage, we welcome visitors, so please come by and see us soon!
Ugly Mug Café
3589 Taylor Rd
Loomis, CA 95650
916-652-5241
Hours of operation are Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please note this is a cash-only restaurant. If you forget to bring cash, there's an A.T.M. on-site for your convenience.