Where:

Louisa’s Cafe and Bakery, 2379 Eastlake Ave East, 325-0081Time of Entry: Tuesday, 7 a.m. Level of hangover: On a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being a soul-crushing blow to your will to live), I came in at a 5. No, I didn’t get disastrously drunk on Monday night, but I needed to catch a flight to the east coast at 10 a.m., which is never fun. I’d spent the night running around like a crazy person and waking up early to tie up loose ends. Also, I’m not a morning person. At all.Staff’s level of hangover: It was 7 a.m. That is too early to live, much less live with any amount of panache. The dude that took our order was alive and functioning, which is all one can really expect. Remedy: Louisa’s morning menu consists of the usual suspects – omelets, bagels and oatmeal – with some fancier options like the French Toast special of the day thrown in for good measure. I needed something filling in order to avoid gnawing hunger at 30,000 feet, so I went with the Montana Potatoes topped with scrambled eggs, sausage, peppers and green onions. My partner-in-crime played it safe with The Standard: two eggs, potatoes and meat.Depending on the time of the day, Louisa’s is either counter or table service. During weekday mornings, customers order at the counter, snag a seat and the kitchen brings the food out. From order to delivery, our food was tableside in less than 15 minutes, giving us just enough time to scarf down our grub and catch the bus downtown. The coffee hit the spot, but I can’t say the same about the food. Maybe the early hour confused my stomach, but I only made it halfway through my hearty meal before I gave up in defeat. The potatoes had that tell-tale “sitting around” taste that signifies they’d been cooked earlier (earlier than 7?!) and then been reheated for my order. On the other hand, the eggs and meats were prepared and seasoned well, so the whole thing balanced out to an average meal. If the potatoes had been fresher, Louisa’s definitely would have hit a home run. Hair of the Dog: We caffeinated with two large Caffe Vita lattes; not nearly as satisfying as a good Bloody Mary, but they did the job. Success of the Soak: Moderate. I left feeling less agitated than before but I suspect that had more to do with my caffeine pick-me-up than the meal. To Louisa’s credit, I stayed adequately full until lunch, even though I’d only eaten half of my meal.