Mrs. V's, great diner breakfast in Des Plaines

It doesn't surprise me not to find any posts here about Mrs. V's Restaurant in Des Plaines, since I'll bet anyone going to the vicinity eats at Paradise Pup. That was my intention, too, as I drove back from O'Hare yesterday at lunchtime. Alas, they are still closed for Memorial Day -- till Thursday.

Mrs. V's is the next restaurant north. You've seen a million Grecian diners something like it, and I admit that's a genre I'm fond of -- long eclectic menus, lots of short-order fare, breakfast all day, bottomless cups of coffee, as you find at places like Omega in Niles, Sander's in Skokie, Dapper's in Addison (I miss the one in Glenview), Ritzy's in Rolling Meadows.... Big salads, loads of sandwiches, the ubiquitous Grecian skirt steak, burgers and other such dishes are typically at least competent and often excellent.

So I figured I could get a decent, if unexciting lunch at Mrs. V's and turned in. But when I saw the menu, I quickly changed my mind and decided to order breakfast. The hard part was choosing between ham off the bone or house-made corned beef hash to go with my eggs. I finally chose the ham. A plate-filling center cut slice arrived, deep red and satisfying. My sunny-side-up eggs were just right -- a little crinkly around the edges of the whites and nice and runny in the yolks. My plate also came with a big mound of crisp American fries and two thick slices of wheat toast (I could have had pancakes if I'd chosen), all for $5.95.

Good fresh orange juice. A carafe of water and an insulated jug of hot, slightly weak, diner-style coffee left on the table. I saw a terrific looking Belgian waffle delivered to another table.

The window-wrapped dining room, nothing fancy, features the typical booths, tables and counter. The staff spoke Greek among themselves and with a few regulars. The daytime crowd made me feel positively youthful, but that just means they have the experience to know what's good.

There's a full menu, but I didn't have much chance to peruse the lunch and dinner options. I look forward to going back to sample them, and the corned beef hash and waffles.

Mrs. V's Restaurant
1640 S. River Road, Des Plaines
(847) 297-7185

Omega
9100 W. Golf Road, Niles
(847) 296-7777

Sander's Restaurant
5320 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie
(847) 673-2626

Dapper's West
980 W. Lake St., Addison
(630) 620-5600

Ritzy's Cafe
2765 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows
(847) 253-8027