Highland Kitchen, Somerville

Readers of The Tipping Point will recall the claim that a small bunch of super-influencial East-Village hipster-trendoids started wearing Hush Puppies and, hey presto, they were tranformed into must-wear footwear for the masses. Which begs the question: if the cool kids start eating hush puppies for breakfast, will they trigger the breakfast food fad of 2009? To find out, I urge all foodie fashionistas to get on down to Highland Kitchen, 150 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA, Tel +1 (617) 625-1131, and order a side of deep-fried pups.



Not everyone agrees with Malcolm Gladwell mind you. Duncan Watts reckons the super-influencer theory is toast, and that mere mortals are just as likely to trigger a fashion epidemic. What matters is whether the world is ready for deep fried corn bread. If the food is right, any idiot could trigger an outbreak. Even me.

So, all you need to decide is what to have with your hush puppies. I couldn't resist the chicken liver omelette. Tasty chicken livers, fried up with chunks of bacon and smothered in real cheddar cheese (not the plastic American cheese you find in diners, etc). A bit too rich and heavy, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

Other options include: smoked trout and bacon hash, or smoked pork hash, each served with 2 fried eggs and collard greens; shrimp and grits with smoked bacon, mushrooms and collard greens; buttermilk pancakes; organic granola; Iggy's plain or chocolate croissants; and, of course, biscuits with sausage gravy.

Most breakfasts are under $10, the coffee and services is good, and the venue has a warm buzz.

15/20 "chicken liver omelette"

Annie Smithers Bistrot, Kyneton

You don't often see chicken livers on a breakfast menu. And it's not like I stumbled out of bed this morning thinking "mmm... I feel like a bit of liver." But there it was... chicken livers, bacon and spinach on toast. One of several tempting dishes on offer at Annie Smithers Bistrot, 72 Piper Street, Kyneton, Tel +61 3 5422 2039. I love the smell of offal in the morning.



If liver doesn't float your boat, I can also vouch for the eggs benedict (slightly under-poached but with good quality ham and an excellent tarragon-infused hollandaise), the corn fritters (with delicious thick-cut organic free-range bacon), the poached eggs (with a generous side of smoked salmon and spinach) and the croque monsieur (not bad, but a bit heavy on bread and light on filling).

The problem for Melbournians is that you have to drive an hour and a bit to Kyneton in order to enjoy these treats. But Kyneton is a dinky little town, so it makes for a good road trip. We even stumbled on a Saturday morning farmers' market.



The venue is country style with a touch of France, ie, Parisien cafe chairs with a nice blue and white weave. Sandblasted brick and bluestone walls are softened by hanging Persian rugs, while high ceilings and big windows give the room a spacious - if chilly - feel (a fireplace would make all the difference in Winter). And I was very pleased to see a Peugeot pepper grinder, and cool little eggs-shaped salt shakers, on every table. Real cloth napkins, too.

16/20 "mmm... liver"



Eggs & Bacon $8.50 BB100 -15%