O-Town Eats: Meals With A Side of Ogden History
O-Town Eats owner Geraldine Sepulveda, with the restaurant’s murals showing Ogden. photo by Valerie Phillips
O-Town Eats serves up brunch with a side of Ogden history, at 227 25th Street.
Amid breakfast standards such as omelets, eggs Benedict, breakfast skillets, and avocado toast, O-Town Eats patrons will find a mural-covered wall showcasing Ogden and the surrounding Weber County.
The murals show the cityscape nestled up against Mt. Ogden, with the arched “It Pays to Live in OGDEN” sign, and Union Station. You’ll see crime boss Al Capone on 25th Street, back when it was called “Two-Bit Street.” Capone was rumored to have said that Ogden was too wild for him, although it’s hard to say if he ever visited or not.
Another part of the mural includes Anna Belle Weakly, who in 1947 founded the Porters and Waiters Club to provide the black community a place for entertainment, lodging and dining during segregation.
Jazz saxophonist Joe McQueen has a spot in a mural. Whenever famed musicians such as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Louie Armstrong and Ray Charles.
]There’s also a scene of the Ogden Valley and Pineview Dam.
“The whole story of Ogden is here,” said Geraldine Sepulveda, owner/executive chef. ““We want to show how much we appreciate and love Ogden. We get tons of tourists, but they don’t know what Ogden is all about.”
The scenes were painted by local artist Monis Rodrigues, using old photos and history as inspiration.
It’s a different look from when the space was occupied by Pig & A Jelly Jar, which closed last year. Chef Geraldine Sepulveda and Wilmer Valencia thought the space was a perfect opportunity, since they own the Italian restaurant, Stella’s, just two doors away.
I recently interviewed Sepulveda for a Standard-Examiner story about O-Town Eats. Here are some of the takeaways:
– Pig & A Jelly Jar, the last occupants of this space, was known for its chicken & waffles. So Sepulveda included chicken & waffles on the O-Town menu.
Chicken & Waffles at O-Town Eats in Ogden. photo by Valerie Phillips
The O-Town version uses a crispy, well-seasoned fried chicken breast served on a Belgian waffle, topped with bacon, maple syrup and an egg.
“We wanted to do a really good job with it, so that anyone coming in wanting chicken & waffles would know that we’re a different place, but a good and delicious place.”
Berry Chantilly Waffle at O-Town Eats in Ogden. photo by Valerie Phillips
– On the sweet side of waffles, you can have a Berry Chantilly Waffle, topped with mixed berries and whipped cream. Or the Nutella Banana Bliss waffle, layered with Nutella, fresh banana slices, and caramelized pecans.
– “Brunch boards” are another signature item, a twist on the charcuterie board trend. A large wooden board is arranged with shareable items such as pancakes, waffles, biscuits, bacon, potatoes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit or yogurt. They range in price from $38-50, and can feed three people.
“It’s really popular and it looks pretty when you see it,” Sepulveda said. “As soon as people see it, they want it.”
– The breakfast skillet features a protein choice of ham steak, bratwurst, rosemary chicken pieces, or chunks of tender sirloin steak. It’s completed with house-made hash (potatoes), sauteed fresh spinach and two cooked-to-order eggs.
“I try to balance my dishes with a starch, a protein and a vegetable,” Sepulveda said. She often uses fresh spinach, “because it’s a vegetable that doesn’t overwhelm, and you can do a lot of different things to it. So it elevates the breakfasts. Also, it’s healthy.”
– There are four omelets: garden veggie, a meat-lover’s country-style with diced ham, veggies and cheddar, and a crab and spinach omelet with feta and a rich hollandaise sauce.
– Sepulveda is also proud of the eggs Benedict, “because I love how our hollandaise sauce came out.” Two poached eggs are served on a toasted English muffin with sauteed spinach, fresh tomatoes and hollandaise sauce. You can choose add your choice of protein — ham, bacon or crab meat for $5.
For lunch, there are a couple of burgers, and a grilled or crispy chicken sandwich.
On the lighter side, the Berry Fresh Salad features organic mixed greens, fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, feta and crunchy caramelized pecans.
The Rainbow Cobb Salad, has organic mixed greens lettuce, hard boiled eggs, diced ham, crisp bacon, tomatoes, red onions, cheddar, and avocado.
So far the restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, and starting in February, it will be open on Friday and Saturday for dinner and tapas. Hence, the restaurant’s slogan of “Breakfast-Brunch-Bites.”
Location: 227 Historic 25th Street
Contact: https://otowneatson25th.com or 385-333-4135
Price range: Entrees, $11-$17
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