In 1961, with little at their disposal apart from a few dollars and good, old-fashioned elbow grease, Bob and Marianne Poole opened the original Pig N Pancake in Seaside. The then tiny restaurant seated just 35 people and closed at 2 p.m.

Fast forward to present day, and the Poole legacy has grown to include five Pig N Pancake locations in Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Lincoln City and Newport. The community sadly mourned the loss of patriarch Bob Poole in October of last year, but his wife, children and grandchildren continue to operate each location in the original spirit of its owner: good, solid food, reasonable prices, friendly service and a family dining atmosphere.

I recently visited the Cannon Beach location, which opened in 1997. It has a decidedly more chic feel than other Pig N Pancake restaurants Ive dined at, as a nod to its upscale Cannon Beach environs, I imagine, and is an elevated dining room overlooking wetlands and quaint downtown shops.

I cant think of a better way to sum up my experience at the Pig N Pancake than to say, no, this isnt posh, bistro, white tablecloth dining but the atmosphere is warm, clean and cheerful, the service is wonderful, and they offer a damn fine breakfast. Two full menu pages of them, in fact. So many choices that you could probably have breakfast there every day for a month and not order the same thing twice.

I did my best to sample as many options as my stomach would allow. I began with biscuits and gravy (as a Nike slogan once said, go big or go home). Better than any I recall eating in a very long while, the biscuits are house made and extraordinarily light and fluffy. The country gravy is flavorful and has lots of savory bits of sausage, and the hearty consistency smothers the lovely biscuits. Each bite is buttery and smooth. I cannot think of a better comfort food, can you?

Chocolate chip pancakes followed next. Theyre delicious, buttermilk pancakes. With chocolate chips. Lots of them. Enough said.

I really had only one quibble with my dining experience, and it has to do with a side salad. Wanting to sample some lunch items in addition to breakfast items, I ordered a traditional clubhouse sandwich of turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato, which was quite good. The lunch-time menu options allow for your choice of soup, salad or French fries. I did not feel the quality or presentation of my salad was akin to that of the other dishes I tried. My mix of iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and shaved carrots seemed a bit lackluster, and the mix was quite watery; when I tipped the dish to one side, a pool of water collected at the bottom.

I might suggest that The Pig, as it is lovingly known by locals, consider offering an updated side salad. It certainly wouldnt take much more work perhaps a simple mix of spring greens, whole vegetables like carrots and cucumbers, and even just some grape tomatoes. Maybe some croutons? I think this minor complaint of mine could be easily fixed.

I rounded out the day with two more breakfast dishes, the strawberry crepes and the Swedish pancakes. I thought the Swedish pancakes particularly tasty, thinner and more delicate than crepes, and with more of a crisp consistency. The Swedish pancakes are served with lingonberries tiny, tart berries that are prevalent in Scandinavian cuisine and its enjoyable to the palate to have a pancake accompaniment that is not as cloyingly sweet as most traditional toppings (such as maple syrup).

When I take my entire family out to eat with me, I do so knowing full well that it can be a tiresome procedure, both for us parents and for the restaurant staff. Ill even admit that sometimes I like to test the moxie of self-proclaimed family restaurants by bringing my five (yes, I have five) spirited children with me.

Please know how impressed I was, then, that our server did not raise a brow whatsoever as she swiftly took down our rather complicated order, all with a smile on her face. She fitted the children with cups with lids without being asked, and even congratulated my daughter on a coloring job well done on her childrens menu. The food arrived quickly, she checked back on us often to make sure we were satisfied, and I dont think our coffee mugs were ever less than half full. And to me, that is what family dining is.

Its not rocket science: Any restaurant that has been alive for more than 50 years is clearly doing something right and in this case, lots of things right.