Front Porch: Breakfast and nostalgia served at the Hoot Owl Café

We’ve enjoyed a lot of great meals in Sandpoint over the years, but when a work assignment prompted a recent visit, we decided to expand our culinary horizons.

I reached out to a Facebook foodie group to uncover a new breakfast spot in the area. The Hoot Owl Café in Ponderay got several mentions, so on a recent morning we showed up hungry.

Some folks dubbed the venue rustic. Others said redneck. We found it absolutely charming.

We parked in front of a large stone etched with the Hoot Owl logo and slogan “The wise place to eat.”

Entering the wooden building through the creaky front porch, we stepped into a window-fronted dining room complete with a breakfast counter.

“Welcome. Find a clean spot and sit,” said a server.

The cheery yellow wall behind the counter sported a shelf filled with brightly colored vintage Fiesta ware pitchers and gravy boats.

Glass-fronted cabinets displayed ball caps and shirts featuring the Hoot Owl logo, and a wire basket featured a handmade sign that read “Free Bibles.”

We slid into a booth next to a wood-framed window topped with ruffled curtains. It felt like we’d ventured back in time to Mayberry via “The Andy Giffith Show” minus Andy and Aunt Bee but with an Opie.

As Derek and I perused the menu and sipped some delicious coffee, I spotted a boy hoisting himself up to a seat at the counter. Clad in blue jeans topped with a yellow and white striped T-shirt, he looked like a brown-haired version of Opie.

“I’m not sure what I’ll have this morning,” he said to the woman at the counter. “Maybe I’ll try the special.”

Meanwhile, Derek decided to get the Moon Man country sausage gravy over two biscuits topped with more sausage and two eggs. I opted for Del’s Chicken, a breaded fried chicken breast topped with country sausage gravy, hash browns, eggs, plus toast or a biscuit. (Pro tip: get the biscuit.)

An elderly man in jeans and a flannel shirt slowly shuffled past us pushing his walker in front of him.

The kid at the counter hopped down and patted the gentleman on the back as he made his way to a table.

“Good morning, young man,” he said.

“Good morning, Papa,” the kid replied.

All of the servers stopped to greet him. “Hello, Papa.” “How are you today, Papa?”

The miniature maitre d’ then greeted a pair of regulars in a nearby booth and showed them his new (empty) leather holster. A lengthy conversation about shooting commenced. When the woman said her daughter was going to buy her a rifle, the kid quizzed her on the make and model and advised, “You need to look up gun safety videos on YouTube.”

Not everyone was a regular. A guy who appeared to be a bit older than us with three kids in tow stepped up to the counter to pay and asked about the Bibles.

“Are they really free?”

His server assured him they were and told him that they always kept the basket stocked.

He handed a Bible to each of the kids.

“You don’t usually see things like that in a restaurant,” he said.

Our breakfasts arrived, and we tucked into them with enthusiasm. If a restaurant has good coffee, it’s a sure bet the food will be great, too. And it was – especially the gravy!

When our server came by with more coffee, I asked about the friendly kid sitting at the counter.

“That’s the owner’s son,” she said. “He’s 8 and very social.”

We finished our meals and lingered over one more cup of coffee, reluctant to leave this unexpected bit of Americana. Breakfast served with a side of nostalgia satisfied our appetites and warmed our hearts.

The Hoot Owl Café is located at 30784 Highway 200, Ponderay, ID. Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063629257297

Tell us about your favorite breakfast spot and why it’s your favorite. Email Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com Please include your full name and contact information as your response may be included in a future column.