There’s nothing fancy about Auntie Em’s Kitchen. Consisting of two storefronts smooshed together on a stretch of Eagle Rock Boulevard most notable for its hodgepodge of repair shops, churches and (only recently) a brave sprinkling of galleries and boutiques gasping for survival, Auntie Em’s kitchen gets an A+ for unpretentious décor. It also does a number of other things very well. You’ve only to see the clump of hungry patrons waiting patiently outside its doors every weekend morning to know that this restaurant has a loyal following, and though the clientele often reflects its proximity to the nearby Occidental College campus , on a couple of recent mornings the crowd seemed every bit as eclectic as the menu.

Auntie Em’s serves breakfasts and lunches with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. The breakfast fare is particularly notable, with a good selection of egg dishes, pancakes and French toast, frequent specials and wonderful offerings of apple smoked bacon, Cajun turkey sausage and, most especially, great cheeses.

A crab, corn and scallion scramble was delicious, chock full of corn and fresh crab and fairly priced at $10.95. Another special, pancakes with berries, was loaded with a medley of blackberries, strawberries and blueberries and was served with real maple syrup, set upon the table in an old coke bottle fitted with an improvised spout.

Open face breakfast sandwiches come on grilled fresh ciabatta bread with Gruyere cheese, and a variety of toppings (grilled turkey breast, roasted asparagus and brie, grilled tomato and avocado, grilled steak) and are priced at $8.95 and $9.95.

Lunches are sandwiches, soups and salads. A huge Cobb salad was served with generous chunks of white meat chicken, terrific blue cheese and bacon, topped with creamy apple cider vinaigrette. Their meat loaf sandwich (my personal favorite) was exceptionally moist and tasty. A negative would be the slight stinginess of the accompanying side garnishes: the tiny cup of sliced dill pickles on my plate was not terribly satisfying.

Coffee-very good coffee-- is offered self-serve style from a coffee bar and is sipped from thick clunky white ceramic cups that are standard issue in college cafeterias.

Auntie Em’s is rightly famous for its desserts, particularly its cupcakes and most especially the red velvet cupcake that enjoys a city-wide following. But scones and muffins, pies and cakes—all hand baked on the premises—all looked tantalizingly good.

Auntie Em’s Kitchen also boasts a gourmet shop that specializes in a slightly haphazard collection of wonderful hand-crafted cheeses from artisan dairies (Mount Townsend , Cowgirl Creamery, Rogue River, Hooks and Cypress Grove). There are also some artisan olive oils and a selection of cookbooks.

There’s something wonderfully eccentric about Auntie Em’s Kitchen. And its eccentricity—along with those great fresh ingredients—makes it a wonderful culinary resource for our neighborhood.

Auntie Em’s Kitchen is located at 4616 Eagle Rock Boulevard. They’re open Monday-Friday 8am -7pm , Saturday and Sunday 8am -4pm.