Reviewing a restaurant you're visiting for the first time is a precarious task. What if the experience is bad? Or even if it's good, you wonder if it's consistently that way.

     So I consider it a joy to visit an eating establishment that is familiar, and that I know consistently offers top-quality food and service, which is the case with The Cookie Jar, the blue-gray building located off Danby Street .

     I had already discovered that just about any time is a good time to go to The Cookie Jar, having enjoyed delicious dinners and great lunches, but I hadn't tried breakfast there.

     If you haven't had a morning meal a The Cookie Jar, make a date with yourself or a friend and go. It's definitely a treat.

     From the Minute you walk in the door, the homey smells of cinnamon, espresso and freshly baked cookies entice and invite. Temptation at its best is Nolan's Own Breakfast ($6.25), a homemade cinnamon roll split in half, dipped in egg batter, grilled and dusted with powdered sugar. A side of Virginia ham enhances this sweet meal.

     On a recent rainy morning, I found The Cookie Jar as cozy and clean as ever.
I opted for the French Toast Platter ($7.25), a good choice, with more food than I could possibly eat, with six fat slices of French toast, two perfect eggs and tasty link sausage.

     The good news for breakfast lovers is you can't go wrong, and select breakfast offerings are served anytime. The bad news is there is so much to pick from you may have a hard time selecting just one dish.

     In addition to the French toast, the other platters are: pancakes ($7.25), ham and cheese omelet ($7.95) and biscuits and gravy with home fries and ham, bacon or sausage ($6.95).

     For the really hungry, there are a variety of omelets. Then there are the skillet breakfasts –three eggs and other ingredients scrambled and served on a bed of home fries and topped with cheddar cheese, accompanied by toast. Omelets and skillets run around $7 and feature such additions as sausage, ham, chili, broccoli, red onion, green pepper, fresh mushrooms and tomatoes.

     And that's not all. Waffles, quiche, steak and eggs, country chicken-fried steak and more grace the menu.

     The Cookie Jar is the sort of place where ladies meet for lunch or couples talk quietly, but it's not the kind of eating establishment you visit when you're in a hurry. There's a leisurely pace here and that is appealing if you have the time and could be annoying if you are rushed.

     The seating is smoke-free, and skylights brighten the mood on the darkest of days, ceiling fans lend an airy atmosphere, and plants add cheer. It's also fun to check out the ceramic figurine cookie jar collection placed on the high shelves (away from little hands) throughout the restaurant. In addition to the pleasant dining room there is an enclosed courtyard with a found and flowers for warm-weather dining.

     Getting to the parking lot can be a challenge. Watch out for killer potholes as you approach the restaurant from Bainbridge Boulevard off Danby or go the other way (through Aurora Motors). The Cookie Jar has been in its current freestanding location, at 1,006 Cadillac Court , for three years, and prior to that was tucked away in two shopping centers for the previous 10 years.

     Co-owner Bob Burcell said, “This isn't rocket science we're trying to do here, but what we do, we do well. And we pay attention to service.” Burcell runs the restaurant with his wife Gloria Burcell.

     While breakfast is worth noting, lunch and dinner are equally exceptional. Lunches feature pastas, salads, soups, hamburgers, prime rib sandwiches and lost of other cold and hot sandwiches.

     For only $5.95, you can try the beerock (think meat pie), calzone, stromboli or quiche of the day.

     As for dinner, you'll find coq au vin ($11.95), vegetarian lasagna ($10.95), rib eye steak ($14.95) and much more. No alcohol is served.

     Desserts include homemade pies, Death by Chocolate ($4.50), carrot cake and ice cream deserts such as a banana split ($4.95).

     Children get their own selections, with spaghetti (cutely called “pasketti”), French bread pizza, burger, chicken fingers, all around $4 or $5, but frankly, unless the children are halfway grown or more, there's plenty to share from the generous portions on the adults' plates. The French toasted cinnamon roll breakfast is available for children at $4.50.

     The Cookie Jar bakes its own breads, hoagie rolls, hamburger buns, pies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and of course cookies. Freshly baked, chewy, rich cookies are available in bins by the register for 75 cents each, along with brownies and other pastries. Specialty chocolate truffles are also sold, but not made in-house.

     Deliveries are available. Call 479-8319. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.