Growing up, The Golden Girls were hot-ticket tarts. The clever banter between Dorothy and ‘”Maaawww” (aka Sophia) always cracked people up, and Rose’s naiveté-turned-double entendres provided that refreshing punch of dramatic irony television so desperately needed. And don’t even get started on Blanche! Her raging, overtly Southern sexuality drew men—and viewers—like a moths to a flame. The best thing about The Golden Girls, besides their adventures and the never-ending stream of pickles they found themselves in, was that we could always see ourselves being a part of their motley crew. They really were the first set of Sex and the City gals.
So many of their schemes, witty chat sessions, and heart-to-hearts happened around the kitchen table during breakfast, brunch, or a late-night cup of coffee. We were reminded of them the other day when we stopped by Chace’s Pancake Corral in Bellevue, seated among tables of Mohawk-sporting college boys, middle-aged bankers, and grandparents treating their grandkids to flapjacks bigger than their faces. Picturing Rose, Blanche, Sophia, and Dorothy sitting around with bottomless coffee while sharing potato pancakes got us thinking: What would each of them have ordered?
Let’s start with the obvious: Blanche, our sultry party queen. After a long night of “entertaining,” she’d need a full-on recharge for the rest of the weekend. She’d have the Weight Lifters’ Plate, complete with a half-pound beef patty, some salad, and a fruit cup (among other things) to get her energy back up. Rose would definitely go for the Ladies’ Plate, which offers just enough of everything a lady would want—one of everything worth having (although you may want to add a potato pancake, served with applesauce and sour cream). Sophia would get the egg-bread French-toast plate—with bacon, not sausage—because deep down, she’s just as warm and sweet as Chace’s French toast with powdered sugar on top. Then we have Dorothy, who’d order the hashbrowns omelet: a scrambled egg between two crispy layers of hash browns, topped with a slice of melted cheddar and served with sour cream and salsa. After this, Dorothy would have no problem playing up her ringleader status and keeping the other three in line.
Chace’s has had a bit of a facelift sometime in the past few years (much like Blanche), but still shows family memorabilia on the walls, keeping Bill Chace’s legacy alive. Hearty dishes keep the lines long and friendly, and the family-oriented staff brings hot coffee more often than water. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s not supposed to be—the pancakes (with blueberries, bananas, or just plain) are consistently large, hot, and doughy (much like Blanche’s rump).
