O-Town Eats brings ‘elevated’ breakfast, brunch menu to Historic 25th Street
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- Geraldine Sepulveda of O-Town Eats poses with a crab and spinach omelet and berry Chantilly waffle.
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- Chicken and waffles at O-Town Eats on Historic 25th Street in Ogden.
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- The crab and spinach omelet with hollandaise sauce at O-Town Eats on Historic 25th Street in Ogden.
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- A breakfast skillet with chunks of sirloin steak, hash, sautéed spinach and eggs at O-Town Eats on Historic 25th Street in Ogden.
O-Town Eats aims to elevate the typical brunch experience.
“We’re keeping the traditional breakfast that everybody loves, but elevated,” owner Geraldine Sepulveda said. “Everything’s made from scratch, fresh, delicious and pretty. We try to have the best presentation and best quality that we can”
Breakfast standards such omelets, chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, breakfast skillets, pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy, and avocado toast are joined by shareable “brunch boards.” Since it’s open through the lunch hours, burgers, sandwiches and salads also are offered.
The restaurant is at 227 25th St., in the space formerly occupied by Pig and a Jelly Jar until it closed several months ago.
“When the Pig moved out, we thought it was the perfect opportunity for us to open,” Sepulveda said. “We wanted to do something in the mornings, because my family always had a hard time trying to find a place for bunch.”
And it was convenient, since Sepulveda and husband Wilmer Valencia own the Italian restaurant Stella’s, at 225 25th St.
O-Town Eats, like its name, showcases Ogden. There’s a wall covered with murals showing Ogden’s current downtown, yesteryear’s rambunctious 25th Street, and the Ogden Valley and Pineview Dam. Local artist Monis Rodrigues created the murals, using old photos as inspiration.
“The whole story of Ogden is here,” Sepulveda said. “All the tourists and visitors need to know what we are all about. We want to show how much we appreciate and love Ogden.”
Sepulveda’s own history with 25th Street goes back 20 years, with her first kitchen job at Rooster’s Brewing Co. A medical student from Chile, she came to Utah to finish her training.
“But I needed to work,” she said. She eventually found a mentor in Elio Scanu, Snowbasin’s executive chef, who helped hone Sepulveda’s culinary skills. In 2008, Scanu opened Zucca Trattoria with Kirk Dean of Warren’s drive-ins and Craft Burger. Sepulveda became the sous chef, and then executive chef when Scanu moved on to Cucina Toscana in Salt Lake City. She later left Zucca to open her own place in Syracuse, naming it Stella’s.
After Zucca’s closed, Sepulveda moved Stella’s into the space on 25th Street in November 2019. Since “stella” means “star” in Italian, it was fitting that it’s marked by the old neon Star Noodle Parlor sign.
Having Stella’s and O-Town Eats practically next door to each other is the “perfect complement,” Sepulveda said. “People looking to have a nice breakfast or brunch can come here, and if you’re looking for a nice dinner, there’s Stella’s for that.”
The O-Town breakfast skillet features a choice of ham steak, bratwurst, rosemary chicken pieces or chunks of tender sirloin steak. It’s completed with house-made hash, sautéed spinach and two cooked-to-order eggs.
The restaurant’s version of chicken and waffles uses a crispy, well-seasoned boneless chicken breast on a Belgian waffle, topped with bacon, maple syrup and an egg.
“We wanted to do a really good job with our chicken and waffles,” Sepulveda said, noting that the former occupant, Pig and a Jelly Jar, was known for it. Although the O-Town version is different, she added, “we want anyone coming in for chicken and waffles to know that we’re a different place, but a good and delicious place.”
Sepulveda also is proud of the eggs Benedict, “because I love how our hollandaise sauce came out.”
Brunch boards are a breakfast twist on the charcuterie board trend. A large wooden board is artfully arranged with shareable items such as pancakes, waffles, biscuits, bacon, potatoes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit or yogurt. They range in price from $38-$50, and can feed three people.
“It’s really popular and it looks pretty when you see it,” Sepulveda said. “As soon as people see it, they want it.”
The restaurant is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. In January, Sepulveda plans to expand the hours to Friday and Saturday nights, serving tapas.
“It will be a constantly changing menu of shareable small plates,” she said.
Hence, the restaurant’s mantra of “Breakfast, brunch and bites.”
IF YOU GO
O-Town Eats
Location: 227 Historic 25th St.
Contact: https://otowneatson25th.com or 385-333-4135
Hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Price range: Entrees, $11-$17
