I could miss every meal all week long, but I never miss brunch and there is no place that I have been eating brunch longer than Sugar n’ Spice. Sugar n’ Spice opened an unbelievable 75 years ago on Reading Road in Bond Hill just south of the current location of the Norwood Lateral (OH 562). In those years, ownership has only changed hands 5 times. The previous owner nearly ran the beloved diner into the ground, but current owner Steve Frankel understood the elements that made Sugar n’ Spice great and very quickly returned the restaurant to its former glory.

Now, when I say glory, don’t get any fancy ideas. Sugar n’ Spice is a diner, a diner in Bond Hill no less. No one would describe Bond Hill as an aspirational neighborhood, that’s for sure, but that is also part of what makes Sugar n’ Spice great. What many people don’t know is that Bond Hill and neighboring Roselawn were once affluent, predominantly Jewish areas of town. Many of these families who moved out following illegal real estate practices and unrest in the 1960’s and 1970’s still return for breakfast at Sugar n’ Spice. They join hungover students from nearby Xavier University, Sunday crowds from Avondale’s African American churches and the always present gay brunch mafia (of which I am a proud member) to make Sugar n’ Spice a real life melting pot. On any given morning, I have seen television anchors, city council members, prominent clergy and business executives seated at the counter next to the families from all walks of life who enjoy breakfast at Sugar n’ Spice on a regular basis. And no matter where you live, the trip to Sugar n’ Spice is worth the drive.

I hear that Sugar n’ Spice has a great lunch menu, but I wouldn’t know. In the 22 years I have been eating at Sugar n’ Spice I have never felt the need to venture far from the breakfast menu. (The kitchen closes at 2:30 so there is no dinner service at all.) The highlight are the “Wispy Thin” Pancakes. Much as they sound, they are thin, with an almost crispy edge as well as a bit of an allspice or cinnamon kick. I can’t completely place the taste, which is part of the mystique I’m sure. In addition to the standard plain variety, you can also order blueberry, banana or chocolate chip Wispy Thin Pancakes too. The batter for the waffles also has the same mysterious (and delicious kick). If you are a fan of omelettes, Sugar n’ Spice might just be heaven for you. Enormous is the only word that accurately describes their size, but describing their taste is another matter entirely. I could tell you how mine tastes (delicious, fluffy, etc.) but chances are that yours will taste nothing like mine. There is a myriad of options, including the old stand by’s of sausage, ham and bacon, in addition to less common options such as chorizo, kosher salami, goetta, gyro meat, and corned beef (and others) not to mention eight different cheeses and twelve different vegetable choices. If you like potatoes with your brunch, and who doesn’t, you will have to decide between home fries, hash browns, french fries and cottage fries (think Chick-Fil-A waffle fries, but without the evangelical bitter aftertaste).

The remarkable consistency in the staff (I try to sit in Patty’s section, just like I have for the past 15 years) probably contributes to the also remarkably consistent food. Sugar n’ Spice is not one of those restaurants that you will leave saying, “That was just OK this time.” It is always great. Restaurants don’t stick around for 75 years if they are just so-so.