Breakfast has always been my culinary Achilles’ heel. Ironically, I love to eat it, but my ability to cook it is completely subpar. I do okay with eggs, but sweet breakfasts are a source of heartache and shame. I’m a good baker. Shouldn’t French toast, waffles and pancakes come naturally to me?

Pancakes are particularly difficult because I never know when it’s time to flip them, and flipping itself yields a slew of creative curse words. As a result, my pancakes don’t always look pretty, but they taste good, thanks to an adapted version of this recipe. They’re lightly sweet and golden brown thanks to banana and brown sugar. They have a nice texture thanks to dried oats and a combination of white and whole wheat flour. I’m hardly a pancake expert, but I’m starting to hone my technique and hope to one day be known among my children’s friends as the awesome mom who makes killer pancakes. (Either that, or the awesome mom who makes killer pasta carbonara. Maybe my kids will hang with an advanced culinary crowd.)

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

adapted from Food Network

makes 6 medium-sized pancakes

1/2 c old fashioned oats

1/4 c all purpose flour

1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 c packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 c Greek yogurt

1/3 c milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large banana, mashed

2 tbsp butter, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, milk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined. Fold in the mashed banana and melted butter. Allow the mix to rest as you preheat a skillet or griddle to medium heat. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the batter, 1/3 cup at a time. Cook for three to four minutes or until bubbles form on the surface of each cake, then flip and cook for an additional three to four minutes.

There’s no denying that Brenda’s French Soul Food is my all-time favorite spot for breakfast/brunch. But if you take a look this page, you’ll note that Zazie is my second favorite. Zazie is an adorable French bistro located in one of my all-time favorite San Francisco neighborhoods, Cole Valley. The sun always seems to be shining in Cole Valley, and everyone walks around with adorable dogs and adorable babies in adorable strollers. It’s no secret that I am dying to live there.

Anyway – Zazie. The food is delicious, and I’m a huge fan of the fact that you can order their sweet dishes (i.e., pancakes and french toast) by the piece. Hungry? Order two pancakes, or three slices of French toast. Not so hungry? Order just one. It’s great, and I wish more restaurants would follow this trend. On our recent visit to Zazie, I caught Corey looking like a supermodel:

(this photo makes us both laugh…a lot)

And then I sat down to one of the most amazing breakfast treats I’ve ever had…Bread Pudding Pancakes. Look at this fluffy deliciousness!

These pancakes were like a cross between bread pudding and a souffle. They were creamy, soft and light inside, and not nearly as cakey as traditional pancakes (which I happened to like). Zazie served them up with carmelized banana, maple syrup and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

The Bread Pudding Pancakes were a special item that day, so if you go to Zazie you may or may not be able to experience them for yourself. Never fear, however – their Gingerbread Pancakes and Challah French Toast are regular menu items that are equally fabulous.

Alongside this plate from heaven, Corey and I shared an omelet filled with roasted tomatoes, cheese and sausage and topped with sliced avocado. Looks pretty, doesn’t it?

Sadly, we had to send it back because it was stone cold inside…and the replacement omelet wasn’t much better. I think they put the fillings in cold, expecting the residual heat from the omlet to warm everything up – it didn’t. Oh well. Every restaurant has its off days, and the pancakes were good enough to make up for this shortcoming. I see many more trips to Zazie in my future since my good friend Leslie is moving to a new apartment a few blocks away…jealous isn’t the word to describe my feelings on that topic!