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Brake for breakfast

Some of the South's best morning fare is only an exit away

By Wanda McKinney
Southern Living

Try poached eggs on sourdough with prosciutto at Blue Dog Bakery and Cafe in Louisville, Kentucky.

• Best burger stops

• Three inns for cozy comfort

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(Southern Living) -- I have a confession to make about breakfast. The best I usually manage is a piece of toast (if I'm good) washed down with juice or coffee as I head out the door. The exception is when I travel. Splurging for breakfast when I'm on the road, I delight in finding the best local spots.

So what are some of our editors' favorite non-chain Southern breakfast spots? The replies flowed in thicker than maple syrup on a pile of fluffy pancakes. Pour yourself another cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy these seven tried-and-true regional winners. Most lie near interstates or main thoroughfares.

Blue Dog Bakery and Cafe

Louisville, Kentucky

You smell the bread before you even walk in the door of this friendly neighborhood bistro (easily accessed from Interstates 64 and 71). Husband-and-wife team Bob Hancock and Kit Garrett bake up to 1,000 loaves of artisanal bread a day (each loaf is handmade with no preservatives.) For a true breakfast treat, try the poached free-range eggs on toasted levain with prosciutto ($8).

Levain, their perfectly textured sourdough, is made in a wood-fired oven and joins a delicious host of pecan-raisin and nine-grain delights as well as yummy baguettes from which to choose.

Take along for the road: Grab a loaf of incredibly fresh bread for $2-$3.75. 2868 Frankfort Avenue; (502) 899-9800. Hours: 8-10:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday. Brunch: 8 a.m-1:30 p.m Saturday.

Corner Kitchen

Asheville, North Carolina

Just off the interstate and a few hundred feet from the entrance to Biltmore Estate, you'll find a group of shops, restaurants and galleries that fill charming turn-of-the-century houses. The Corner Kitchen offers some of the best breakfasts you'll find. Co-owner Kevin Westmoreland and chef/co-owner Joe Scully cook up an All Souls Breakfast Salad (spinach salad with hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and toasted pecans [$6]), along with homemade corned beef hash ($7).

Take along for the road: Grab a bag of Joe's Chips -- homemade potato chips in four varieties ($2.50). 3 Boston Way; (828) 274-2439 or www.thecornerkitchen.com. Hours: 7:30-11 a.m. Monday-Saturday. Brunch: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

La Tropicana Cafe

Tampa, Florida

Toast takes on a completely different accent when it's the Cuban variety (long strips of Cuban bread slathered in melted butter) at La Tropicana Cafe in Ybor City. The cheese toast ($2.49) literally melts in your mouth, and the Egg Cuban -- made with scrambled eggs, ham, chorizo, and cheese -- makes a big, fragrant meal ($3.99). If you're really hungry, go ahead and order one of their famous Cuban sandwiches ($4.65). Bring cash; they don't take checks or credit cards.

Take along for the road: Fall-apart-tender guava pastry, with just the right amount of sweetness ($1.25). 1822 East Seventh Avenue; (813) 247-4040. Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant and Bakery

Staunton, Virginia

A giant sticky bun at Mrs. Rowe's in Staunton, Virginia, will set you back just $1.95.

When engineers planned Interstates 81 and 64 through Staunton, they diverted the freeways around this favorite dining spot. Clearly, it is special. The place to eat in the Shenandoah Valley since 1947, Mrs. Rowe's dishes up scrumptious pumpkin pancakes ($3.95), unparalleled breakfast gravies -- cream-chipped beef, tenderloin, and sausage -- over homemade biscuits or toast ($3.95), and sticky buns ($1.95). If you're brave try the ponhaus (deep-fried ground pork mixed with corn meal).

Take along for the road: Frozen entrees (complete with coolers suitable for travel). The popular chicken pot pie runs $8.25; apple cobbler costs $7.50. You can also grab a bag of fresh-baked cookies ($3.95) or a $12.95 cookbook with all of Mrs. Rowe's wonderful recipes. 74 Rowe Road (Exit 222 off I-81); (540) 886-1833. Hours: 7-10:45 a.m. daily.

Gaylord Texan Resort

Grapevine, Texas

This enormous buffet proves they really do make things bigger in this Texas hotel, just minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. A 60- to 70-item market-style eatery offers everything from huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos (my favorite) to grits, eggs cooked to order, huge omelets, oatmeal, pancakes, fresh fruit, breads and pastries. Get one plate at a time, and go back as many times as you are able for $18. (Luckily, the hotel's fitness center lies only steps away.) A mariachi band or magician entertains as you dine.

Take along for the road: Procure a tasty cinnamon roll for a sweet snack later, even though you're sure you'll never eat again. 1501 Gaylord Trail; (817) 778-2204. Hours: 6:30-10:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday, 6:30-11 a.m. Sunday. Brunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

Hofer's of Helen

Helen, Georgia

Owner Ralph Hofer brings an authentic taste of Bavaria to North Georgia with his German bakery and restaurant. Sip a cup of imported German coffee, and try the Hofer's Morning Delight -- scrambled eggs with Swiss cheese and ham on a huge slab of homemade bread ($5.95). Patrons also love the apples cooked in cinnamon ($5.95).

Take along for the road: Gingerbread man ($3.50), apple strudel ($2.95), or a loaf of cinnamon-apple bread ($3.95). They also sell German magazines and do a large Internet business. 8758 North Main Street; (706) 878-8200 or www.hofers.com. Hours: 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily.

The Arcade

Memphis, Tennessee

Here's a diner that looks like it came right out of central casting. It really has, in fact, been in the movies: "The Client," "Mystery Train" and "Great Balls of Fire." The food is as great as the easy-to-slide-into booths with Formica tabletops. One of the oldest restaurants in town (c. 1919), it offers breakfast all day, so sit back and relax in Harry and Karan Zepatos's terrific atmosphere. Order a No. 2: two eggs, grits or hash browns (excellent), bacon, and toast or biscuits ($5.95).

Take along for the road: Get an Arcade T-shirt for $12.50. 540 South Main Street; (901) 526-5757. Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.

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