Breakfast Biz: DJ’s 9th Avenue Cafe

I’ve sung the praises of DJ’s Berkeley Cafe—most notably the restaurant’s cloud-like hollandaise that adorns the eggs Benedicts and the Irish oatmeal dressed up with pistachios and dates—since it opened in 2006. So I was thrilled to learn that the Tennyson Street staple was opening a second, more central location at ninth and Lincoln. I couldn’t wait to go.

DJ’s 9th Avenue Cafe, which opened January 3, is airy and spacious with big windows and two levels. The staff is as friendly as can be, the menu is the same, and the signature sunshine-yellow coffee mugs are stacked behind the bar. And yet (sigh), the new location lacks the warmth and coziness of the original. Over bites of slightly overcooked frittata, I realized that DJ’s is as much about its dishes as it is about a sense of neighborhood. While the Golden Triangle cafe is sure to grow into itself and do brisk business with the breakfast and brunch crowds, for my next visit I’ll drive across town.

3838 Tennyson St., 303-482-1841 and 865 Lincoln St., 303-482-1841386-3375

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—Photo via Shutterstock.