Rejoice, breakfast fans – Danielle's serves it all day

I was watching the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" recently when I saw two of the characters go out to dinner after a hard day at work. One ordered waffles, the other bacon and eggs.

The woman then said, "Why do people ever order anything besides breakfast food?" To which the man replied, "Because people are stupid."

Maybe that's a little harsh, but I'm a big believer in the virtue of breakfast all day. Breakfast as comfort food, whenever you need comfort. So I was very pleased to find that Danielle's Sebago Diner serves breakfast all day, with big portions and reasonable prices.

But I was even more pleased to find the place had a breakfast "combo plate" so I wouldn't have to choose between my favorite breakfast items.

For $6.99, the combo plate gives you a choice of one pancake or piece of French toast, two eggs, three bacon slices or sausages, plus homefries.

I chose the pancake, which was as big as the plate it came on and twice as thick, plus two sunny-side up eggs, three bacon slices and homefries. The pancake would have been enough by itself -- it was huge -- but also nice and fluffy. The eggs had bigger than usual yokes, and they were done perfectly -- not too hard, not too runny. Those of you who order sunny-side up know what I'm talking about.

And the bacon was thickly sliced and very crispy, with a smoky flavor. The big hunks of home-fried potatoes were crispy brown. In total, there was enough food for two people, but I somehow managed to finish it.

Danielle's is a homey place, where waitresses seem to know everyone. It looks like a cabin from the outside and like your grandma's kitchen on the inside.

The breakfast menu was full of interesting combinations, many of which are named for the area: The Raymond Special, two eggs, homefries, and toast for $3.50; The Little Sebago, two eggs, bacon or sausage, homefries and toast for $4.99; The Big Sebago, two eggs, two bacon slices, two sausages, homefries and toast, $5.50; and the "302 Special," a breakfast sandwich of fried egg with bacon, ham or sausage and melted cheese on a grilled bulky roll or English muffin with coffee for $3.95.

There was also a "country scramble" of three eggs with cheese, homefries and toast for $5.50, and a three-egg omelet for $5.50. You can add meat or veggies for 50 cents per item.

The menu also includes corned beef hash with two eggs and toast for $5.99, sirloin steak and eggs with homefries and toast for $7.99, and sausage gravy over biscuits with two eggs for $5.99.

And of course, there are the huge pancakes -- $3.50 for one, $6.25 for a "double stack." French toast is $4.25 for a double stack and $5.25 for the triple.

If you don't want breakfast (I can't imagine), then the lunch menu includes soups, salads, burgers, cold sandwiches and hot sandwiches, such as grilled cheese, hot dogs, steak and cheese, and various melts.

The Features staff of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram anonymously samples meals for about $7.

Danielle's Sebago Diner