Bites Nearby: Scrambler Marie's

Last week, without much fanfare, Scrambler Marie's opened in the southwest corner of Orchard 12 Plaza at 12 Mile and Orchard Lake roads in Farmington Hills. We made a visit to sample the menu, and here's what we found:

Greatest Dish Ever: Our waitress said the most popular item on the menu appeared to be the spinach and portabella mushroom omelet—and one bite told us why. The spinach and tomatoes were fresh, fresh, fresh, the mushrooms light and flavorful, and there was just enough Swiss cheese to make it interesting. A big plus: a small cup of warm, homemade salsa. When choosing a side dish, keep in mind the cubed taters may be a tad salty but are otherwise well seasoned. I picked the biscuit and honey, but all of the bread basket choices looked delicious.

Don't Miss: Try one of Melanie Marie's skillets, a tasty blend of meat and veggies with basted eggs on top and potato cubes underneath. My brunch partner pronounced the Westgate, with chorizo sausage, jalapenos, green chilies, onions, homemade salsa and melted cheese, absolutely delicious. Just for fun, we ordered the light-as-a-feather Berry Nutty pancake, which had crunchy almonds and chewy, sweet cranberries in every bite.

The Vibe: Scrambler Marie's is a family place, with clean lines and furnishings. The original Ohio restaurant chain is a family business, and the Farmington Hills location is owned by brothers Joe and Randall Carron.

Cool Factor: This restaurant is Scrambler Marie's first-ever Michigan location, which would be cool all on its own. But what we liked best about the restaurant is that the menu caters to appetites of every size. You can order a "bottomless" plate of pancakes or waffles, or just one (which, incidentally, takes up an entire plate). You can even order a smaller-size skillet.