With Pancake House closed in McCall, a new brunch restaurant is coming to town
When The Pancake House in McCall closed at the end of 2021, it was a statewide story. The oldest restaurant in the popular resort town, it had operated in some capacity since 1949.
What will the new owner do with the building? There’s been no official revelation. But there is encouraging news for locals and tourists hungry for another notable breakfast and lunch spot.
Brunchette, a growing Boise-based brand, plans to expand to McCall. The location, called Brunchette on the Lake, will be at 317 E. Lake St.
It won’t be nearly as large as the old Pancake House. But it will be right in the middle of the action, next to the shore of Payette Lake, in a space currently occupied by Lakefront Oriental Cuisine.
Owner Boomer Godsill said the plan is to open in May.
Prior to the pandemic, Godsill explored the possibility of purchasing The Pancake House, he said.
“But it just never happened,” Godsill added, “and so I started planning on opening my own brand in the area, and it was just luck that The Pancake House closed at the same time we announced our opening.”
The Idaho chain’s first restaurant, Huck House Brunchette, held its grand opening in June of last year at 7135 W. State St. in Boise. The second one, Blue Bench Brunchette, celebrated its grand opening last week at 4218 W. Overland Road.
Brunchette restaurants aim a little higher than typical family-style breakfast joints. Craving chicken fried steak? The gourmet-style menu makes sure it’s “hand-cut USDA prime steak.” Want to munch some memorable toast? Build your own “masterpiece” of Hipster Toast. Brunchette’s fruit is freshly cut. The “Idaho home fries” come from, of course, the Gem State.
Menu options include 12-hour Smoked Brisket and Eggs ($15.99). There’s a Wild Garlic Shrimp Omelette ($19.99). Or dive into one of the tempting bowls, including the Keto Harvest ($15.99) — “a sampling of our locally sourced chicken sausage and smoked brisket atop our keto hash browns, wild mushrooms, garlic, roasted sweet onions and arugula. Topped with three farm fresh eggs.”
Brunchette restaurants feature an array of keto- and vegan-friendly selections, along with vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Lunch entrees include sandwiches such as the BLTerrific ($13.99), grilled country white bread with roasted red pepper aioli, Tender Belly bacon, arugula, sliced tomatoes and pickled red onions.
Brunchette also has its own signature blend of house-roasted coffee, and plenty of sweet-sounding espresso concoctions.
Will eating at Brunchette on the Lake feel the same as filling up at The Pancake House, a venerable comfort-food cathedral? Probably not. But Brunchette definitely will add vibrant flavor to McCall’s restaurant scene.
▪ Online: brunchette.com.
This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 4:00 AM.