Griddle Cafe   

Bring a newspaper or your unfinished copy of 'War and Peace' if you're going to endure the grueling wait for perhaps the best pancakes this side of the South Bay's Uncle Bill's Pancake House. As throngs of hipsters unite on the sidewalk pondering hangover cures while volleying club stories from the previous night, an efficient hostess seats parties of two and four amid grumbling stomachs and cool, prescribed do-it-yourself-coffee containers. If there's any doubt whether they do "AM chow" right, consider that Griddle Cafe closes its doors at 3PM, eliminating any and all uncertainty about their focus. Portions are quite big at Griddle Cafe, so be ready to take your first bite starved and your last with a disclaimer that ''you'll never do this to yourself again!'' Pancakes come either a la carte or as virtual dessert, evidenced by the quirkily titled "Boysenberry Rain" (boysenberry-filled flapjacks drizzled with boysenberry icing) and "Yellow Brick Road" (butterscotch, caramel and walnut filled pancakes). Whipped cream, M & M's and rainbow sprinkles also make cameo appearances, while the "Apple Cobbler French Toast" with baked cinnamon apples can ignite a sugar buzz with the best of 'em. Safer, more protein-packed picks include egg dishes, such as the "Tequila Sunrise" (decadent huevos rancheros), "Hunger Pangs" (three eggs and an over-sized slice of tender-baked ham) and more than 25 varieties of Chili My Soul concoctions that add substance to the sandwich-filled lunch menu. -- Gregg Rosenzweig