Restaurant review: Morning Star Cafe

Morning Star Cafe

3 palms
Where: 3700 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne 
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Call: 321-610-8566 
Other: Morning Star Cafe has beer on the menu. And much of the art on display is for sale.

A new cafe near the King Center and BCC Melbourne offers something for early birds and nightowls, too. Morning Star Cafe is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily on the site of the late, great World Beat Cafe, and next to Orchid Bistro. It’s quite different from both, with a diner sensibility and inexpensive, crowd-pleasing entrees.

The decor was, shall we say, eclectic, ranging from ceramic art to Asian knickknacks to big fluffs of fake flowers. Close your eyes and think of the eggs Benedict. Benedicts are one of the major features of the breakfast menu, with variations such as Country Benedict ($7.25), with a grilled biscuit, sausage patties, over-easy eggs and sausage gravy, and Irish Benedict, a grilled English muffin with corned beef hash, over-easy eggs and hollandaise sauce.

I opted for the Mediterranean Benedict ($7.95), grilled pita topped with grilled prosciutto, poached eggs and hollandaise, with a touch of olive oil I didn’t really notice. The eggs were perfectly done and melded nicely with the salty prosciutto. The home fries, my choice for a side, were nicely browned and buttery, and like the eggs, served in a large portion. It all went well with my glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice ($2.25).

My friend went the lunch route and started with a soup special, Chicken Florentine, with lots of spinach and likable chicken. She also ordered a Reuben sandwich ($6.95), a tasty, happily sloppy combination of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and apply-it-yourself Thousand Island dressing. She also got a side of grits, which she, an unapologetic Southern belle, did not find quite Southern enough.

Not all the desserts are homemade, but we tried one that is: rice pudding ($3.50), nice and creamy with a touch of cinnamon, served with a side of golden raisins.

There are many breakfast options, served until 2 p.m. — eggs, skillets, biscuits, pancakes and more. Otherwise, expect subs, pitas, burgers, melts and other sandwiches, along with salads and entrees that include steak, pork chops, chicken breast, turkey, meatloaf, gyro, stir fry and fish, ranging from $8.50 to $13.50. They come with two sides.

In short, there’s something that will hit the spot for just about everyone at Morning Star Cafe.

Contact Kridler at 321-242-3633 or ckridler@floridatoday.com.

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