The breakfast combo at Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe (Photo by Jay Paul)
1. Breakfast Combo
$15.50 at Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe
This Jackson Ward cafe is known for hosting Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, but its hot breakfast deserves attention, too. Gracefully folded, tangy injera (spongy fermented flatbread) is a perfect vessel for scooping up tomato-y egg silsi, kinche (buttery cracked wheat) and fir fir (hunks of injera in a spicy sauce). Though coffee, or “buna,” is in the shop’s name, the honeyed keshir tea with ginger and orange juice makes for a sunny start to the day.
2. Avo-Smash
$9.95 at Baltik’s Bagel
Open-faced, toasted and slathered with a chunky avocado spread, a housemade everything bagel lets pungent garlic do the talking for its accompanying seeds and spices. Baltik’s avocado toast-meets-breakfast sandwich is misted with bright lemon juice and buttery EVOO, then topped with peppadew peppers and both pickled and crispy onion rings. While you’re there, grab a dozen bagels for later.
3. Green Light
$12 at The Beet Box
Smoothie bowls can sometimes leave me wanting more, but not at VCU-adjacent The Beet Box, where they serve up a mountainous sundae of earthy, savory and sweet. The Green Light mixes matcha, spinach, pineapple, banana and almond milk into a creamy, soft serve-like support system for hunks of granola, strawberry, blueberry, pineapple, honey and coconut flakes.
4. Deli Bar
$10.99 per pound at Good Foods Grocery
The hot bar at Good Foods Grocery in Bon Air is open for breakfast, making it an easy grab-and-go option for hearty, healthy fare. Standouts include the daily frittatas, such as spinach, tomato and feta; herby potatoes; slices of turkey bacon; and maple-roasted peppers and onions. Don’t sleep on wheatgrass shots or house-pressed juices and smoothies, which are ice-free and made with all organic ingredients.
5. Super Bowl
$11 at ShoreDog Cafe
Dig into an over-easy egg perched atop toasted quinoa in the gluten-free and protein-rich Super Bowl. Packed with color, it features a melt-in-your-mouth egg yolk that trembles over caramelized onions, charred kale, roasted heirloom tomatoes, and Parmesan or goat cheese. A warm mug of joe from Afterglow Coffee Cooperative completes a morning recharge.
