eggbaconchipsandbeans

Antonio's Cafe, 14-17 Piccadilly South, Manchester, M1

Antonio's is right next to Piccadilly Station in Manchester, so if you start your day with a big fry-up at the Double Six you could hop on the train and have lunch here. Or vice versa.

You cannot beat a fry-up like this. I like way the chips are scattered as though they've been dropped from a plane. The bacon has a splendid industrial quality and the egg is nicely mottled, as though with age. And I like those dark and gorgeous beans.

Excellent condiments, reaching for the sky. The sauce colours are for indication only. You wouldn't eat ketchup if it was that red. But you know which one the ketchup is in.

A high density of high visibility vests is always a good sign. These  men know a good cafe.

Fantastic signage at Antonio's. Slightly non-traditional spelling to upset the purists but I think it's a sign of character. Maybe all the asterisks are there to offset the spelling.

Toasted dishes. I want Toasted Dishes.

Double Six Cafe, Eversholt Street, NW1

I've always thought that being early is a bit like being lucky. If you're early good things happen. And if you're early for a train at Euston you can wander up the Eversholt Road and pop into the Double Six cafe. And that's a good thing to do, because this is a little gem of a traditional greasy-spoon. You always seem to find them near stations.

I love those chips. They almost seem like salmon leaping over some rocks to dive into the beans. While nearby lies a limpid pool of egg. And a sylvan glade carpeted in bacon.

I think this is my favourite condiment picture ever. It's almost art. The colours. The composition. The mustard. Prints of this are available at Tate Modern.

I like a nice stripey cup of tea. Especially when it contrasts nicely with the table.

This bloke's wearing a splendid 'shop local' t-shirt. I wonder if I could get an 'eat local' one. But then I don't. I eat all over the place. But wherever I am, I eat local.

Plain. Simple. Honest. Good.

And it's always nice to have a telly on in a cafe. Just in case the banter dries up. As you can see we were having a right laugh in here.