How often have you found yourself yearning for blueberry pancakes at 11 a.m., only to discover that your favorite neighborhood café ended its breakfast menu at 10:30 a.m.? Instead of grouchily ordering a sandwich (when you really want those darned pancakes), consider visiting The Terrace, a cheery restaurant tucked back in the Town & Country Village shopping center. This kitchen clearly understands that folks want what they can’t have, and has kindly decided to offer breakfast and lunch—all day. So for those of you who want jambalaya at 8 a.m. or biscuits and gravy at 2:30 p.m., The Terrace is there to serve it up, with a friendly smile. This family-owned establishment has a very ambitious menu, considering it’s offering two meals simultaneously. Breakfast fare includes omelettes and frittatas (don’t miss the gorgeous sausage and vegetable frittata), griddled items like pancakes (yes, they have blueberry pancakes) and French toast, as well as various morning-ish dishes such as steak and eggs and oatmeal. Sunday brunch features a stellar Eggs Benedict and very kid-friendly caramelized banana pancakes. The lengthy lunch menu has a nice selection of salads (of special note is the “Sac Valley baby greens” salad, tossed in a bacon-sage dressing and sprinkled with goat cheese, green apple slices, dried cranberries) and “hand-held” items such as the briskly selling barbecue pulled pork sandwich and a hefty salmon BLT. Swankier choices include a linguine with tiger prawns and an herb-marinated chicken breast, pan-roasted with Havarti cheese. If you’re a meatloaf lover, try The Terrace’s yummy version, plopped in a brightly flavored pool of tomato sauce and accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes—and, yes, you can have it for breakfast. — Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: The Terrace has a pleasant, shady outside dining area that affords patrons a good opportunity to people-watch and relax on a warm day. When making reservations, you can specify an outdoor table.

Reservations: Recommended

Payment methods: AmEx, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Wine and beer

Corkage fee: $10

Hours: Tuesday–Saturday: Breakfast and lunch 8 a.m.–3 p.m. (one menu, all day)
* Available for private parties in the evenings