The Bacon-and-Eggs Brigade

Five Washington restaurants that serve delicious -- and affordable -- morning meals

Quick: Where's a good spot for breakfast in Washington?

I understand if you're having trouble coming up with an answer. Save for hotels, where a glass of orange juice can cost as much as a movie ticket, the city has few reliable sources for the first meal of the day. Although weekend brunches are easy to name, weekday breakfasts are -- like speedy service at CVS or low ticket numbers at the DMV -- a rare find.

But I relish a challenge, and when a reader recently asked me for help in finding bacon and eggs that didn't cost a bundle, I set out to give him some options. What I ended up with was a higher cholesterol count and a destination for every day of the (work) week.

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One reason I like to drop by Domku Bar & Cafe (821 Upshur St. NW; 202-722-7475) now and then is for the opportunity to graze on dishes from parts of the world that are poorly represented in the Washington area: Scandinavia and the Slavic regions. Another reason I like to visit this funky Petworth storefront, particularly at breakfast, is to fill up on one of the best versions of hash around. Based on diced carrots, potatoes and bits of salmon, the small mound of peppery hash shows up with a perfect poached egg draped in an assertive mustard sauce and garnished with bright red roe. Easy on the eyes and easy on the palate, the dish is a complete meal in a bowl for only $8.

It keeps good company. The kitchen also makes heart-shaped waffles fragrant with cardamom and a fine Norwegian pancake that covers an entire plate. The latter gets a cluster of fresh fruit -- creamy banana, sliced strawberries, halved grapes -- and a little pot of clear syrup. Looks are deceiving; that sweetener is flavored with lavender, a lush touch. A breakfast sandwich consisting of eggs and mild white cheese between toasted bread, shored up with brown beans, pales in comparison, but I like the option of the amber-hued Pom Fizz if I'm not heading straight to work: pomegranate wine, champagne and a squeeze of lemon proves both refreshing and delicious.

Domku will not be mistaken for a hotel dining room. With its mismatched chairs and tables representing at least four different decades, the place suggests a consignment shop. But I dig the background music selected by owner Kera Carpenter, which might segue from hip-hop to country to lounge in the time it takes you to eat your eggs.

Breakfast served 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Dishes $4 to $12.

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Johnny's Half Shell (400 North Capitol St. NW; 202-737-0400) reminds me that in the right hands quiche can be an object of admiration rather than the butt of jokes. Order a wedge of the dish here, and what you get is a tall, trembling slice of verdant spinach mixed with eggs and nutty Gruyere, plus a dash of nutmeg for good measure. The crust is a model, too: golden and tender, yet sturdy enough to stand up to the filling. And offsetting the richness of the meal are tomatoes, sliced so thin you can almost see through them, decorated with sheer rings of white onion.

Quiche is but one reason to start your day here, in the shadow of the Capitol. Johnny's light beignets, dusted with powdered sugar and served hot, and its meaty grillades with stone-ground grits point to the Southern roots of co-owner Ann Cashion. Meanwhile, the bracing espresso, elegant fruit plate, thick napkins, genuine maple syrup and abundant nooks and crannies -- this is the Hill, after all, where movers and shakers sometimes require privacy -- demonstrate attention to detail.

The vast, light-filled restaurant, decorated with mounted fish and colors plucked from the ocean, is best known for serving seafood at lunch and dinner. But its morning menu is a compelling reason not to sleep in.