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A Caveat Summary: Good, eclectic breakfast food in comfortable surroundings, though not interesting enough to make us go back. I first heard about the Cock-a-Doodle Cafe when someone (I presume the owner) e-mailed me to let me know about this new brunch place in Oakland. I liked what I read and suggested to Regina and Boris that we give it a try on a Sunday morning in August 2005. The little restaurant occupies the space in downtown Oakland where Toutatis, the Breton creperie, used to be. The location, a block or two from the jail, is not the most savory in town - and finding parking is always difficult. For that reason alone we wouldn't go out of our way to eat there again, but we'll certainly keep it in mind if we ever have to go visit someone in the slammer. The restaurant has a few tables and chairs in front of its semi-open kitchen, and a little outside patio in the back with more seating. It was a foggy morning when we visited, but the patio would make a pleasant place to eat in sunnier weather. The menu was quite short. It included three savory "entrees" (a ceviche, a chile relleno and a bruschetta - $9-10.25), three omelettes ($8.50-9.50), three crepes ($6.25-7.50), some sweet entrees (waffles, french toast and pancakes, $5) and a combo ($8). They also have a few specials and they feature real maple syrup . Mike, as one would expect, went for the Chicken Coop combo (eggs, potatoes, sausage & biscuit), and as usual he was underwhelmed though he really enjoyed the sausage (I thought it was just OK). He particularly disliked the biscuit, which he found to be too dense and not fluffy enough - Boris, who also had one with his meal, liked it however. Boris had the omelette with chipotle aioli, which came with Black Forest ham (they were out of whatever type of meat it usually comes with). He thought it was very, very good and also enjoyed the accompanying potatoes. Regina had the chile relleno and while she enjoyed the taste she was nonplussed at how watery this dish was - she hadn't had it before and didn't know what to expect, but she didn't really like its soupy consistency. I went for one of the specials, a french toast stuffed with ricotta and strawberries. The portion was quite generous, and I had no trouble sharing some of my entree with Mike. I liked how light the ricotta cheese/strawberry combination was, and the french toast itself wasn't bad but it had the taste and consistency of fried dough. In all, it reminded me of a classier funnel cake. It was good, but a bit too rich for breakfast. I had a cup of hot chocolate with breakfast, which wasn't anything special. Service was good and the place is child friendly. In addition to my two children, the owners had their whole brood there - and it's worth a try. Cock-a-Doodle Cafe 719 Washington St Oakland 510.465.5400