With so many breakfast choices in the area, I recently went back to visit an old friend. She looks as quaint as the day I first tried a baked German apple pancake 20 years ago. And like an old friend, sometimes time passes before you catch up, but you always remember how much you enjoy time together. This is Millie's Restaurant.

Located on Clark Road, Millie's feels homey, like you're visiting Grandma's house. The restaurant is made up of several dining areas (decorated with pretty blue and white wallpaper), filled with groups of friends that most likely gather a few days a week. In a world of fast-paced, drive-through quick serves, breakfast or lunch at Millie's reminds you to slow down and enjoy your Russian cheese blintzes.

While there are  healthy choices on the menu, don't miss the cottage cheese pancakes with lingonberries that are so fluffy you just want to almost go for a second round. Millie's signature stuffed French toast with apricots or blueberries and cream cheese is a house favorite ($8.79), and if you have an extra 20 minutes, try that German apple pancake baked with buttered cinnamon apples ($9.99). Or order a piece of homemade cinnamon coffee cake along with a side of perfectly executed corned beef hash. Southern favorites include biscuits and gravy and grits. 

If by some chance you can actually fit in dessert, try the schaum torte—beautifully baked meringue topped with ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream. The recipe is prepared by one of the original Millie's bakers. 

I definitely won't let this much time pass before revisiting Millie's again. This friendship is just getting sweeter with age.