Two impulses guided Bruce Lightfoot as he honed the menu for the Cobb Mountain Cafe. His chef loves cooking breakfast and, well, he has a weakness for simple pleasures.
So when Lightfoot opened quietly two months ago in the old Mutt & Jess space, he abandoned his notion of a dinner venue and set hours from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. He also populated the menu with American diner favorites — omelettes, hot cakes, burgers and BLTs.
“That’s what I like,” he acknowledged. “And other people seem to like it.”
There is an allure to comfort foods. No matter our yearnings for trout amandine, pan seared foie gras and king crab, a basic grilled cheese sandwich soothes the soul. A basic hamburger returns us to backyards and summer skies. Biscuits and gravy restore the anticipation of a day and its accomplishments.
Chef Jaime Ogle prepares the biscuits and gravy from scratch and they have become the most popular breakfast item in the cozy restaurant.
“They are arguably some of the best I’ve every had,” Lightfoot said.
The kitchen also whips up classic Denver omelettes, oversized truck stop pancakes, homey soups and more. If not an adventurous menu, it is a welcoming one.
Lightfoot once owned the popular bar and grill known as Bruceski’s. He had coveted this location for years and barely hesitated when the previous owners left following the Valley Fire. After installing a fryer and grill, performing minimal revisions inside, he opened in June — a soft opening that even escaped the notice of some Cobb residents.
Only last weekend did he set a sign out along Highway 175 to alert passers by to the restaurant’s presence.
But there is always wisdom in a quiet course, at least initially.
“We had some growing pains in the beginning,” Lightfoot said. “We have it ironed out now.”
The place is rapidly gaining attention. And why not? When one can sample a meat lovers omelette one day, a vegetarian version the next, flip a coin over eggs Benedict or eggs Florentine, or return to the good old days with a club or tuna sandwich, a little dining room can begin to feel like home.
Oh, there are still a few things on the horizon. Lightfoot is waiting for the beer and wine license to wind its way through the bureaucratic labyrinth. He plans to add phone service soon. And he hopes to offer dinner on weekends eventually. For now, however, he is satisfied.
“I’ve lived up here since ‘92 and know a lot of people,” Lightfoot pointed out, laughing. “A lot of people call this Bruceski’s. We’re just getting reacquainted, I guess.”
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
