Is there a town in America whose pancakes are world-famous?  The short answer is no.  Yet the national chain, International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP), has institutionalized this breakfast and brunch staple nationwide, and in my local report on pancakes I thought I should experience how flapjacks from a chain pancake house stack up against local hot spots.

I ordered the buttermilk blueberry pancakes.  I asked the waitress if the blueberries used were Maine berries.  She said yes. I should have asked whether they were wild Maine blueberries.  They were not.  They were as large as mini-mothballs, with a striking resemblance in taste.

The conclusion is these pancakes were classically mediocre–doughy, floury and rough tasting.  What’s more, a knife and fork was needed to cut them apart.  The two big blobs of butter that topped the pancakes tasted like butter facsimiles as was the array of pancake syrup on the table: classic, strawberry, pecan and blueberry.  Real maple syrup is available for a $1.99 surcharge.  The classic syrup was nothing more that high fructose corn syrup with traces of maple flavoring and coloring.  I tried the blueberry syrup, too, which had a medicinal taste.

Filled with high-bush blueberries, choice of syrups

There’s no advantage to going to IHOp for a pancake fix because pricewise they’re the same as places that serve the “real” thing.  I felt, though, that sampling chain pancakes was in order if only for comparison.   Another choice could have been Cracker Barrel, which has an extensive pancake menu.  But that place is too kitschy for my tastes.  The IHOP décor is marginally less offensive with its laminates and orange color motif.

Maine’s distinction might be its predilection for blueberry buttermilk pancakes: nothing better than Maine’s wild blueberries, which smart restaurant kitchens keep year-round because they freeze so well.  And buttermilk is a local staple, too. From Kate’s excellent full-fat buttermilk to those that are increasingly available from Maine dairy farmers.

In 2014 I did a round up of Portland pancake hot spots, which was published in Maine Today, called Flapjack Confidential.   I deemed that the old Caiola’s made the best pancakes of the lot, found on their wonderful brunch menu.  Chaval, its successor when Caiola’s sold their business, does not have pancakes on their great brunch menu, an omission that is surprising.

Caiola’s chef and co-owner Abby Harmon produced pancakes from a heritage family recipe from her  Downeast roots.

Caiola’s pancakes, circa 2014

To me the perfect pancake is light and fluffy (not leaden and too floury) with crisp edges from being cooked on a well-greased griddle. The batter is lightened by folding in whipped egg whites to the flour, milk and egg batter.   They should be no larger than 4-to 5 inches in diameter, sensibly large compared to the dinner-plate size pancakes that some restaurant kitchens deem are likable by the dining public.

So far, here’s my current appraisal of local pancake excursions.

Cumberland Food Company.  These were the best of the samplings.  Chef/owner Bryan Dame serves up classic blueberry pancakes: puffy and gossamer light with those delicious crisp edges.  Served with butter and real maple syrup, they are a delight.  The breakfast and lunch emporium is a bright spot along Cumberland Center, an establishment that should be on everyone’s list as a comfy, cozy country hideaway on Route 9 and Tuttle Road.  It’s housed in an old barn that was spiffed up beautifully.  The restaurant serves a monthly dinner, too.

Perfect blueberry pancakes at Cumberland Food Company

Miss Portland Diner.  There are many good items on this menu, but pancakes are, unfortunately, not their forte.

Dinner-plate size pancakes with real maple syrup at Miss Portland Diner

They are dinner plate size, which I find ridiculously large; then again, the typical diner devotee generally likes large portions in such a place where plates are piled high with food.  The pancakes are heavy and leaden, though loaded with Maine blueberries.

Becky’s pancakes with sausage

Becky’s Diner.  The blueberry pancakes here are also large, though an inch or two less than dinner-plate size.  They’re standard at best and real maple syrup by request is a $2 extra.  I asked for it, though, and what came out was a small plastic contained with ice cold syrup.  Poured over the warm pancakes was like putting out a fire with a power hose.  I asked if it could be reheated.  A quick zap in the microwave accomplished that, but then the syrup didn’t really taste very good.  Stick with the counter syrup and save the two bucks.

Dutch’s.  I love their breakfast and lunch menus, but their style of blueberry pancakes was a bit disappointing.  The 4-inch pancake was a sensible serving. But the blueberries were served as a sauce over the pancakes rather than being incorporated into the batter.  The topping was too sugary. That and a dousing of real maple syrup made the serving much too sweet.

Dutch’s pancakes topped with blueberry sauce

There are a lot of other places to have great pancakes. In the past I’ve enjoyed the Front Room’s version called silver dollar size, about 3 to 4 inches, a sensible, tasty stack served with real maple syrup; add another $1.25 to have them with Maine blueberries.

Top, clockwise: Pancakes on the grill at Marcy’s; Moody’s Diner pancakes and silver dollar pancakes at the Front Room

Moody’s.  Great diner style, they serve a classic stack of three (you can ask for one or two instead) and their blueberry buttermilk pancakes are very traditional. Real maple syrup is extra, and these are large pancakes.  Their buttermilk batter has just the right tang and the pancakes are loaded with Maine blueberries.