Family Fun – Things To Do on Summer Vacation
Ah, summer vacation! We still have a few weeks left before the kids go back to school and the lazy mornings and leisurely breakfasts are over. At the Original Pancake House Denver, we love to start our dog days of summer off with a nice big stack of pancakes followed by a little family fun. Here is a list of some of our favorite South Denver attractions to try with the whole family!
Speed Raceway
– Are the kiddos getting a bit restless as home? Perhaps they have a need for speed! The Speed Raceway is an indoor electric go-kart track and provides hours of fun and racing for the whole family. Siblings can race each other (at moderate speeds) around the indoor track and cheer on their friends and fellow racers.
Pirates Cove Family Fun Aquatic Center
– AHOY! For the hottest of summer days, Pirates Cove is just the place to cool you off! With pools, water slides, a lazy river, and play area, Pirates Cove provides hours of refreshing fun for the whole family. We recommend starting with a big breakfast first so everyone has enough energy to swim all day!
Littleton Museum
– Step back in time and enjoy the adventures of life in Littleton circa the 1860’s and 1890’s. Located on 39 acres, the Littleton Museum has served as the primary repository for the history, art, and culture of Littleton. Often cited as one of the top ten local history museums in the United States, the museum consists of two living history farms, a small lake, a collections center, and a main exhibition and administration building.
Centennial Center Park
- The 11-acre, award winning, Centennial Center Park provides children of all ages hours of fun on one of three climbing walls, two expansive, age-appropriate play areas and the Nautilus water play area in the center of the Park. Ideally situated on a slight bluff adjacent to Centennial Civic Center, Centennial Center Park also features “butte” and “meadow” nature areas, three decorative water fountains and a two-story covered shelter to overlook the plaza or enjoy a spectacular Centennial sunset.
Belleview Park
–Located just adjacent to Pirates Cove, Belleview Park offers numerous family friendly activities. Visitors can enjoy a ride on the Miniature Train, play by the creek or on the playground equipment, ride their bikes along the bike paths, and cool off with some concessions sold at the farm. The miniature train has run in Belleview Park for over 30 years, averaging 60,000 riders annually. The train runs every summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Kids can enjoy getting to know some farm animals, which include pigs, goats, chickens, and sheep just to name a few.
Westlands Park
– Westlands Park is a hidden jewel in the middle of the Greenwood Village corporate park area. The Westlands playground includes three play areas sized for toddlers to teens. There are two large climbing structures which satisfy both the technical climber as well as the inexperienced child. In addition to the main play area, there are three multi-use playing fields, an in-line hockey rink, a natural water sculpture, a pond and a hike / bike trail.
Cherry Creek State Park
– You can’t beat Colorado State Parks! Cherry Creek State Park has it all with biking and hiking trails, a shooting range, a miniature airport for model planes, and did we mention that nice big reservoir to cool your toes? Bring a picnic and spend the day playing in the outdoors!
Brunswick Zone XL Bowling
– Cool shoes, slick lanes, the sound of pins collapsing, no wonder they say “fun is bowling!” At Brunswick Zone the whole family can escape the heat and get in on the action. Kids of all ages are welcome to take their shot at breaking a score of 200! And when the bowling is done, Brunswick Zone XL also offers laser tag, a large game room and billiards!
You’ll need lots of energy for whatever activities you choose, so be sure to fuel up Original Pancake House Denver with a big breakfast before embarking on your adventures!
Golfing for Firefighters
On June 23 and 24, The Original Pancake House Denver helped sponsor the annual South Metro Professional Firefighters Foundation Gala and Memorial Golf Tournament. One of the largest charity events in the state of Colorado, the tournament raises funds to support professional firefighters and their families who face financial hardships as a result of off-duty emergencies such as accident, injury or death. The foundation is a non-profit organization and provides funds to firefighters and police officers from Denver Fire, Englewood Police, Aurora Fire, West Metro Fire, Arvada Fire, Cunningham Fire, Littleton Fire and many other neighborhoods.
This year’s event included a Sunday night gala followed by a charity golf tournament on Monday. The Original Pancake House Denver sponsored a booth along the course where we gave out fun OPH swag and refreshments to the golfers. With over 200 participants, we had the opportunity to meet several firefighters and their families, as well as members of our community who also support the South Metro Professional Firefighters Foundation.
On behalf of all The Original Pancake House Denver staff, we are proud to participate in this wonderful event and support those who protect and serve local community!
Independence Day: Celebrating family-owned businesses and restaurants in America
In honor of Independence Day, we’d like to celebrate family-owned businesses and restaurants across our great country. Did you know the first Original Pancake House was founded in 1953 in Portland, Oregon by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke? Using her family’s recipes and traditions, Sara Hueneke Ernst, great niece of Erma Hueneke, opened the first Original Pancake House in Denver in 1996. The Original Pancake House Denver has been serving breakfast to hungry patrons for many years, but here are a few American family-run businesses that have been around even longer!
Zambelli Fireworks
Founded by Antonio Zambelli back in 1893, Zambelli Fireworks is still run by the Zambelli family out of Pittsburgh, PA. Today the company supplies more pyrotechnic displays for celebratory events than any other firework company in the country. Of the 2,000 plus annual displays the Zambelli’s create, most occur on the 4th of July. Now that is a booming family business!
Antoine’s Restaurant
We thought we’d been serving pancakes for a long time, but Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans, LA has us beat! The oldest family-owned restaurant in America, Antoine’s was established in 1840 by Antoine Alicatore. Specializing in French-Creole cuisine, Antoine’s is famous for inventing Oysters Rockefeller. Today the restaurant boasts 14 dining rooms and seating for 700 patrons!
Martin Guitars
There is nothing more American than good old fashioned Rock –n-Roll! Did you know that Martin Guitars have been an American family-run business since the early 1800s? Martin Guitars was founded by CF Martin Jr. who immigrated to New York City from Germany in 1833. Today Martin Guitars has an 84,000 square foot factory and 500 employees, but it is still run by CF Martin’s great grandson. In 2004, Martin Guitar’s produced its 1,000,000th guitar following the same standards for workmanship and quality that CF Martin outlined in 171 years prior.
On behalf of the Hueneke and Ernst families, we salute each American family-owned business on this 4th of July holiday!
Summer Favorites
Temperatures are rising, the flowers are in bloom, and flip flops abound - summer is here! At The Original Pancake House Denver we like to enjoy the season with a few breakfast items that celebrate summer from beloved vacation destinations. So though you may be dining on breakfast in Denver, your taste buds will be on a summer vacation!
COCONUT BELGIAN WAFFLE –
Dreaming of warm sand between your toes? Take a summer beach vacation with the Coconut Belgian Waffle. Our golden brown Belgian waffle is filled and topped with toasted coconut and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Served with whipped butter and warm tropical syrup…can you hear the waves and music of the ukulele?
CONTINENTAL CREPES –
If the art and culture of a European adventure are more your style, then slip away to Paris with our Continental Crepes. Enjoy three delicate crepes rolled with sour cream, tempered with Triple Sec and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Topped with our warm tropical syrup, you’ll be touching down at Charles de Gaulle in no time!
BLUEBERRY PANCAKES –
When it’s a “sco-cha” in Colorado, you might want to head up to Maine! This beautiful northern state is filled with cool lakes, fireflies, campfires and blueberries, yah? To show our appreciation of summer in Maine, we love to dine on Blueberry Pancakes! These classic buttermilk pancakes are filled with plump blueberries and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Each order is served with whipped butter and warm blueberry compote syrup. It’s wicked good!
Who knew you could travel the world while eating breakfast in Denver? Pack your bags and slide on into a booth at The Original Pancake House Cherry Hills or Denver Tech Center location…your flight will be boarding soon.
Congrats to the 2013 Graduates!
At The Original Pancake House in Denver, some of our favorite breakfast customers are our neighborhood high school kids. As May comes to a close and summer is fast approaching, we would like to extend our congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2013! You’ve spent many a morning with us, and we thank you for making The Original Pancake House your favorite spot for breakfast in Denver!
We would also like to congratulate a few of our favorite employees on their graduation this month! Your service at The Original Pancake House has been top-notch and we appreciate your hard work. Best wishes in your future endeavors!
Meet the Original Pancake House Denver's Graduates:
Korbin Kinney with DTC Manager and mom Karen Kinney
Graduate Braydin Mehnert
Graduate Aaliyah Navarro with DTC Managers Karen Kinney and Jennifer Cheshek
Graduate Kelsey Amsberry with her twin brother Blake Amsberry
Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Who doesn't love bacon? The smell, the sizzle, the crunch and the taste…bacon is so scrumptious it’ll rouse even the sleepiest from their beds. At The Original Pancake House in Denver, we LOVE bacon. People come from near and far just to get a plate full of thick-sliced goodness. In fact, our bacon is so popular we served 30 tons last year. Yes, you read that right, 60,000 pounds of our delicious bacon. Thank you Denver!
In honor of this pork treat, here are a few fun bacon facts:
1. A 250 lb. pig yields approximately 23 lbs. of bacon.
2. Bacon is an ancient treat! The Chinese began curing pork belly around 1500 B.C.
3. In 1924 Oscar Meyer created a patent for the first sliced and packaged bacon.
4. The average American consumes 17.9 lbs. of bacon each year.
5. Dry-curing bacon is the oldest curing method. The meat is rubbed with salt, spice and sugar, and then is hung in a cool place for two weeks.
6. In 1920, a Parisian butcher created the formula for Bacon Cologne.
7. In the U.S. we make bacon from pork belly; however, in Canada they use the loin and in Europe they use the pork shoulder.
8. National Bacon Day is the Saturday before Labor Day.
9. Bacon contains a micro-nutrient called choline. Expectant mothers should eat bacon as this nutrient boosts intelligence levels in unborn children.
10. Bacon is actually addictive! It contains umami which produces an addictive neurochemical response in the brain.
Hungry yet? Brain full of bacon facts? If you are looking for a big bacon breakfast in Denver, The Original Pancake House is here to serve you! We leave you with this quote from one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson: “I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage with my books, my family, and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splendid post.”
Sources: www.friendseat.com, www.bacontoday.com, www.yumbacon.webs.com, www.baconsocial.com
What's up with all the plates?
If you’ve ever been to The Original Pancake House, you probably noticed that our restaurants’ walls are decorated with plates. These aren’t just any plates that you can find on today’s department store shelves. Beautiful, hand-painted and handled with care, our plates are just one of the family traditions that makes us The Original Pancake House.
Owner Sara Hueneke Ernst grew up seeing plates displayed in both of her grandparents’ homes. They were collectors and traders and they could never show off all their plates at once. So as family does, they passed them down to Sara, who now proudly displays them here at both of our Denver restaurants and at home.
If you ever see one you just can’t live without, Sara’s been known to trade plates right off the restaurant wall – as long as you bring something equally beautiful to replace it.
The Original Pancake House plate tradition is as old as our original recipes, and serves as a reminder of those special family breakfasts on weekend mornings. Come on in to enjoy one of your own. We’re serving up memories daily!
Throwback Thursday: Back to Our Roots
Let’s take a little walk down memory lane today, and discover how we got started serving breakfast to Denver.
In the beginning…
Sara’s great-aunt, Erma Hueneke, and her chef partner, Les Highet, purchased the very first location in Portland, Oregon in 1953. Back then, it was known as The Pancake House.
There at The Pancake House, Erma and Les introduced their now-famous traditional recipes which remain largely the same to this day.
Then in 1958, Sara’s grandparents, Ferdinand and Genevieve Hueneke, purchased the first official franchise of The Pancake House from Ferd’s sister Erma and her partner Les. They opened up a new location down the road in Salem, Oregon.
That same year, the franchise re-branded as The Original Pancake House, a name which continues today across the country at more than 120 other franchise locations.
Ferd and Gen continued to operate their restaurant until 1970 when their son Tom Hueneke took over. Tom later opened two more locations in Oregon and continued active operations well into the 2000s.
In 1975, Tom brought his 11-year-old daughter in to help out as a coffee girl. That coffee girl worked at The Original Pancake House in many roles for more than 10 years, plus another three years as sous chef in New York before heading out west to open two Denver locations in 1996 and 2000.
Today, we know that coffee girl as Sara Hueneke Ernst – owner, operator and living legacy.
Even as the years have passed, we’ve made sure to stay true to our roots – both in our family tree and in our recipe books. We welcome you and your family to enjoy the same home-cooked dishes we’ve been serving for 60 years, because tradition is delicious. Start yours today.
What's Cooking? Breakfast Foods from Around the World
Ever wonder what restaurants in other countries serve up for breakfast? We were curious to see if anything came close to our Denver breakfast, so check out our round up of morning cuisines from around the world.
South India and Sri Lanka: Appam
(Image: Wikipedia.org)
These bowl-shaped pancakes are made from rice batter and coconut milk and are typically served with a spicy sauce, honey or eggs.
Japan: Nattō, Steamed Rice and Miso Soup
(Image: Myspace.com)
This Japanese breakfast consists of nattō (fermented soy beans) served with steamed rice and a side of miso soup.
France: Croissants, Tartines and Café au Lait
(Image: Smithsonianjourneys.org)
In France, breakfast is usually a small affair, with most people simply enjoying a variety of fresh breads and coffee.
Egypt: Ful Medames
(Image: SeriousEats.com)
This Egyptian breakfast consists of fava beans mixed with garlic, onion, olive oil and lemon juice. It is usually served with a fried egg and pita bread.
No matter where you are in the world, be sure to enjoy the popular breakfast dishes of the area. Because whether it’s the Dominican Republic, Denmark or the Mile High City of Denver, there’s always going to be a local tradition that’s delicious.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
"There are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were."
-Anonymous
We have to admit we’re guilty on this one, but we like to think we do a pretty good job at pretending. Last year, Jenn Wohletz from Westword wrote that our corned beef hash was the best she’s ever had.
We’ll go ahead and take her word for it, and you should too. Our recipe of freshly ground corned beef brisket, onions and diced potatoes is served with two basted eggs and three of our buttermilk pancakes. So this St. Patrick’s Day, we invite you to come get your day started with the best breakfast in Denver and embrace the Irish heritage you may or may not have been born with. Sláinte!
Important Ingredients: 5 Reasons to Love The Original Pancake House
We recently came across this article profiling the most important restaurants in America. The author noted that it wasn’t the fanciest, trendiest or most popular ones that made the list, but the ones with consistently good food, unique recipes and happy customers.
Even without any breakfast restaurants topping the list, we’re confident that we have all the ingredients necessary for an important restaurant:
- 15-Ingredient-Made-From-Scratch Pancake Batter: You can’t find stuff this good in stores, folks. And we’re not giving away our recipe either.
- The Dutch Baby: If a pancake and a crepe had a child, it would be The Dutch Baby. Oven baked and served with whipped butter, lemon and powdered sugar, this is one of our favorites.
- Salty and Sweet: There’s a reason people don’t mind a little syrup getting on their bacon. It’s the perfect combination, and if you haven’t tried it yet, our Bacon Belgian Waffle will win you over.
- Breakfast for Lunch: More commonly known as brunch, this is the most important meal of the weekend. Anyone care to disagree?
- Green Chile: Coloradoans love their green chile, and we have some of the best in the country – Mark Schlereth’s Green Chile Sauce. It’s gluten-free and has become the official green chile of Coors Field and Pepsi Center. Try it on one of our omelettes, or with your bacon and eggs.
And when the most important stop of someone’s day is having breakfast at our Cherry Hills or Denver Tech Center location, well, that just tops the list. We invite you to come in and try one (or all!) of our important ingredients, and find your own reason to love The Original Pancake House.