Breakfast With Breakers on the Side : Up and down the wild Mendocino coastline are restaurants that take special pride in the No. 1 meal of the day.

Even though I migrated here in the mid-1970s, I am still moved by the dynamic ocean views, Victorian structures and frenzy of wild and cultivated flowers that bloom in the fog-spackled air most of the year. Others must agree because travelers from around the world drop by our little village of 1,200. They know about the scenery and the history and perhaps that there are good meals here and there. But what they may not know is that breakfast is the meal Mendocino does particularly well.

For me, morning means a jog around the Mendocino headlands, skipping over banana slugs and searching for whales on the horizon. It is a trot along craggy bluffs edged with wildflower-lined trails. That is, until an offshore breeze circles the village, catching wake-up aromas of sausage, pastries and freshly brewed coffee. I am lured back to the village by the scents from bakeries and cafes on the Victorian-facaded streets of this town where I live.

But even someone who hates morning, as well as breakfast, could be tempted by our local fixation on early morning dining. And even the visitor who doesn’t stay in one of the local inns where there are signature morning feasts (the Agate Cove Inn in Mendocino cooks breakfast over a wood stove; Glendeven Inn in Littleriver delivers baskets of pastries to the rooms each morning) can discover plenty of breakfast opportunities from Mendocino to Elk, about 20 miles south.

Many restaurants serve it, and settings range from cozy to panoramic, funky to ritzy to Victorian. Menus reflect the personalities of the cooks while being as informal as befits breakfast hours and Mendocino’s dress-down style. Here are a few of my favorite places:

That Cafe Beaujolais--our only nationally recognized restaurant--serves a good breakfast will come as no surprise to its fans. For the past 15 years, Margaret Fox’s restaurant has been known for fine food. I live across the street and still find my way down there as often as possible, especially when a south wind sends wood-fired bakery invitations across my yard.

Fox never seems to tire of creating great omelets. My favorite is filled with spicy black beans, salsa, guacamole and cheese. Another is robust with Italian sausage, roasted eggplant, peppers, ricotta and pesto. Although locals might consider the prices high at $7.95 for an omelet with a side of coffee cake or an order of cheesy garlic country fries at $4.50, the portions are generous. Add to that the pleasure of eating in front of the fireplace in the country-style dining room, and the experience is one as likely to draw locals as out-of-towners.

In addition to the omelets, I love their peppery potato and carrot pancakes served with homemade applesauce and chicken and apple sausages ($9.25). I also like the Mexican tofu scramble that combines potatoes, roast garlic, guacamole and the cafe’s famous black bean chili ($8.95).

If the deck is open, ask to be seated there. The greenhouse-like atmosphere, with a view of the garden, is warm, even on foggy days. I come here for special occasions and for the early bird breakfasts served during the winter.

Down on Main Street, with its panorama of unspoiled forest to sea, stands the Victorian-era Mendocino Hotel. Built in 1878, the hotel was refurbished in 1975 in the affluent style that epitomizes the grandeur of its turn-of-the-century epoch.

Next to the dark formal dining room appointed with antique stained glass and oak furnishings, the garden room provides a lustrous setting where I like to go for chef Colleen Murphy’s breakfast dishes. Settled into the wrought-iron garden furniture, I orderitems that sound familiar but are embellished with a special twist. Pecan pancakes come with a not-too-sweet pear marmalade ($6.95). Biscuits and gravy turn out to be homemade brioche topped with pancetta and a pork-and-brandy-based gravy spiked with green peppercorns and softened with cream ($6.50).

Starting the day with the hotel’s version of eggs Florentine ($6.50) is sunrise itself in its presentation of two sunny-side-up eggs framed by a border of sauteed spinach flecked with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese.

If none of this tempts you in town, there are more options down the coast.

Just two miles south on California 1, the Little River Inn is the place to go for a pancake fix. A beautiful resort with forest-green-and-white gingerbread trim, it overlooks Van Damme State Park beach--a favorite spot for abalone divers and whale watchers.

The focal point of the dining room is the Monet-like flower garden that fills the picture windows with color. But this is really a place for pancake lovers. From an old family recipe, the Swedish pancakes are light but rich with butter and cream ($4).

Further south down the coast is the best place for both food and view. It’s the most expensive breakfast in town, but it is perfect for a splurge.

As the Heritage House sign of a handshake comes into view, so does the inn itself--one of the oldest in Mendocino County. Set in a grove of cypress and pines, lawns and bountiful flower and vegetable gardens, the gracious cottages and 1877 farmhouse-cum-restaurant offer the best breakfast and view on this part of the coast.

Whether the day is sparkling or foggy, the panorama from the dining room focuses on the wild surf crashing into a cove with a colorful history. During the gold rush, schooners were loaded with redwood lumber. Later, the farmhouse became a base for smugglers of Chinese laborers during the logging boom of the late 1800s, and for rumrunners and bandits such as “Baby Face” Nelson still later during Prohibition.

But until the current chef, Eric Lenard, showed up, the Heritage House restaurant was not celebrated for its food. In his two years here, Lenard has put his creative signature on the fixed-price ($14) breakfast, even though I’m happy to say he hasn’t taken the toasters off the tables.

Inside the main dining room, a pastel fruit-and-flower fresco painted by local artist Stefan Kehr graces the ceiling dome. The adjacent window-enclosed porch, where bouquets of flowers grace pale peach tablecloths, is the best place for breakfast.

On the menu are eight to 10 selections, ranging from corn waffles reminiscent of Grandma’s old-fashioned spice cake to omelets with different fillings each day.

I love the pan-fried rainbow trout. It reminds me of my childhood camping days. Lenard’s version has the fish fileted and butterflied and served with poached eggs, sauteed spinach and a tart Bearnaise. The corned beef hash with poached eggs is another of my favorites. It comes with a choice of two chili sauces, both hot and slightly smokey. The one called Rico’s Chipotle Hell is guaranteed to wake up your taste buds. After deciding which entree, and whether a basket of scones, biscuits and muffins should be ordered in addition to bread, it’s time to hit the fruit and cereal buffet.

From Heritage House, California 1 twists south along the rugged coast for 12 miles until the next breakfast treasure--one worth the 20-minute trip. The Road House Cafe is a surprise find. At first glance it might be mistaken for the town garage. That’s because Sue Matson’s cafe is in the same building as her husband’s auto repair shop. There, in what was a Studebaker showroom during the 1920s, are Mexican omelets, crepes and an eclectic collection of pastries.

On weekend mornings when breakfast is served until 1 or 2 p.m., great coffee and espresso drinks steam the windows of the small dining room packed with loggers, artists and an ambitious menu. In addition to the printed menu of eggs, omelets, pancakes and French toast are the chalkboard specials that are generally the most fun. The fluffy omelet special might hold roasted garlic, sauteed red bell pepper and goat cheese or chicken apple sausage, scallions and Jack cheese with country potatoes ($7.25). But one thing I never leave without tasting is at least one of the scones, flaky and light with currants and grated orange peel.

In addition to these six places, there is another way I enjoy breakfast on the Mendocino coast. Some days I pack a breakfast picnic of coffee and pastries from one of the bakeries, and fruit and newspaper from the market. I head to a grassy bluff on the headlands, spread a blanket at the beach or rest on a log along one of the trails heading up to Van Damme or Russian Gulch state parks. Feasting on bagels and cream cheese, scones and strawberries, I contribute my own breakfast aromas to the sea-and-salt-filled air.

GUIDEBOOK

Breakfast With Breakers

Cafe Beaujolais: 961 Ukiah, Mendocino, (707) 937-5614. Breakfast served Thursday through Monday.

Heritage House: 5200 N. California 1, Littleriver, (707) 937-5885. Closed January and part of February. Breakfast daily.

Little River Inn: 7751 N. California 1, Littleriver, (707) 937-5942. Restaurant closed January. Breakfast daily.

Mendocino Hotel: 45080 Main St., Mendocino, (800) 548-0513 or (707) 937-0511. Breakfast daily.

Roadhouse Cafe: 6061 S. California 1, Elk, (707) 877-3285. Closed Mondays and some days during the winter.