My memories of breakfast as an adolescent are shoveling in two bowls of Cocoa Krispies then blasting out the door to make the bus. The All-American ideal of the nuclear family sitting around a table, eating bacon and eggs, chatting — not at our house.

That could be why I’ve never been much of a breakfast guy. Coffee and a banana or a piece of toast usually suffices — with the exception of Sundays, when Bonnie is gracious enough to make a late-morning, eggs-potatoes-etcetera meal.

That said, I recognize the need to feature breakfast in FFF from time to time. So, skillets.

Now and then I like to pit a chain vs. a local brand. This week’s contestants are Village Inn and Buttermilk Eatery, with locations in St. Pete and Pinellas Park.

VILLAGE INN

If I’m not much for breakfast at breakfast time, I’m definitely not much for breakfast at 7:30 p.m. But that’s how the schedule fell on Monday, so I was game. And I was hungry.

Perhaps it’s the cynic in me, but I’m surprised when the service crew at a budget chain restaurant is cheery and eager to please. The front-of-house folks at the Village Inn on 4th Street in St. Pete truly impressed me. The host radiated sunshine, so nice she must’ve been new; our waiter, Kevin, was a fun dude.

I ordered the Ultimate Skillet ($14.99), which comes with a triple-stack of pancakes. According to the menu, the meal clocks in in at 1,490 calories. Kevin convinced me to get blueberries (99 cents) in the pancackes, so I’m pretty sure I broke the 1,500 barrier. I usually like my eggs over easy but ordered them sunny side up because I figured it would make for a prettier picture.

Two yellow orbs stared right at me, inviting me to pounce. The side of pancakes loomed. I’m not a calorie counter, but this meal was imposing. But also inviting.

Texture and Taste

This breakfast-at-dinnertime was fine by me. The single piece of bacon and two sausages links were basic. The concoction below — chunks of potato, diced ham, green peppers and onion — melded together for a tasty indulgence. The egg yoke seeped through it all, making a glorious muddle. Another plus: this skillet was only moderately cheesy. I plowed through the entire thing.

I have a complicated relationship with pancakes. I slather them in maple syrup, and the first few bites give me a high. But if I don’t pay attention and go too far, I can end up with the collywobbles. I played it right this time, and put down my fork about halfway through.

BUTTERMILK EATERY

If I’m not much for breakfast at breakfast time, and I’m definitely not much for breakfast at 7:30 p.m., then I’m definitely certainly not much for breakfast at 2 p.m. But that’s how the schedule fell on Wednesday. I made sure I had my coffee-and-banana breakfast and no lunch. So I was game. And hungry.

Buttermilk Eatery, which opened its St. Pete flagship two years ago, occupies a large corner space in a shopping center in the far northeast part of town. The interior was filled with natural light, the booths and tables spaced well apart. In all, a comfortably modern setting. The restaurant was scheduled to close in a half-hour. One other couple was dining.

We could’ve ordered on a screen at our booth but chose to go old-school with a physical menu and a server. I had the option of toast or pancakes with my Teddy Boy Skillet ($14). I went with the latter to match up with Village Inn, even though I wasn’t too enthusastic about it. I go for pancakes about twice a year, not twice in a week. I got my eggs sunny side up.

Appearance

The yokes, resting languidly on top, stole the limelight. They were not joined by sausage links or bacon strips. The potatoes underneath were shredded hash browns, covered in grated cheese. I didn’t think to ask for blueberries in the pancakes. They came dusted in powdered sugar with a dollop of butter in the middle. Here was proof that all breakfast skillets are not alike.

Texture and Taste

Some folks like the crunchy exterior of hash browns. I’m not one of them. I prefer cubed or sliced taters. Plus, these hash browns were more brown than I prefer — and more chewy, especially when combined with half-melted cheddar.

The sausage, cut into small slices, joined hard little nuggets of bacon and tiny cubes of ham that had spent too much time on the grill. This skillet didn’t have any veggies, and I missed the bright punch of peppers and onions. The egg yoke oozed into the mix, adding gooey moisture.

The pancakes came up short on the fluffiness scale. But Bonnie liked them a lot, and set aside her salad for a 2 p.m. carbo load.

And the Winner of the Chain vs. Local Skillet Skirmish Is …

Village Inn.

We expected a solid meal, an old-reliable experience, and got consideably more. The skillet was prepared and served with care. Was it a matter of the restaurant clearing a low bar in our minds? I don’t think so. This Village Inn just gets it.

Buttermilk probably had an off day, or maybe ordering breakfast in mid-afternoon is not a good idea — for me, at least — especially 30 minutes before close. That said, Buttermilk’s Teddy Boy skillet could use some vegetables.

One last bit of advice for the fellas: If you have chin hair, avoid ordering eggs sunny side up.

A Final Note: Thanks to my good friend and former hoops partner Buck Lynge for suggesting skillets.