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from the Journal Inquirer, July 6, 2006:

 At The Cosmic Omelet, breakfast and lunch are out of this world!
    By Doreen Guarino
    Journal Inquirer
    MANCHESTER -- At the Cosmic Omelet, you'll find much more than a great three-egg omelet that can be ordered more than 20 different ways.
    What you'll also find is a friendly, quirky little neighborhood eatery at 485 Hartford Road -- it's hard to see from the street but it's in the same plaza as the Silk City Cafe -- with an energetic owner, Tracy Devine, and an equally energetic waitress, her sister, Tiffany Settino, who want to do all they can to make sure you have fun as you dine on "food that's out of this world," as it says on the specials menu board.
    Devine has accomplished the fun aspect of dining at The Cosmic Omelet, which she opened in 2003, in many different ways.
    There's the renovation of the restaurant -- it was formerly The Smoking Cafe but there's not a hint of nicotine anywhere -- with a new bright color theme of blue and yellow, with blue and yellow checkered flooring where the navy blue booths line the wall, blue carpeting under the center row of tables, and fun, faux vintage signs on the wall, such as "Beware of attack waitress" and "Hippies use side door."
    On the yellow bookcase in the corner you'll find all kinds of games you can play, such as Yahtzee, Monopoly, and Trivial Pursuit, along with paper and crayons so the kids can color. On all the tables you'll find a deck of playing cards in case you're in the mood for an impromptu game.
    In keeping with the eatery's cosmic theme, there's a space-age mural on the back wall, painted mainly by Devine's boyfriend, Troy Auretta, with help from Devine and her friends. It depicts a green alien -- Devine's named him Cosmo -- standing on the moon with a fork in one hand and an egg in the other. In the background is the Earth with the words, "You are here," written on it about where The Cosmic Omelet would be.
    On the mural you'll find the initials of everyone who helped paint it. You'll even see the paw prints of Devine's dog, Sofie, a half pug, half Jack Russell Terrier mix who's the eatery's mascot.
    There's also a large wall rack of magazines to peruse with everything from Spin to Vogue to Golf Digest. And Devine has a huge selection of music CDs to play, so if you want to hear something special, just ask. You can even bring your own CDs.
    "I'll put on anything to make people happy," she says.
    Of course, if you're not in the mood for games, reading, or music, you can always watch the TV that sits atop the soda cooler. Or you might want to take a few minutes to view the bulletin board of photographs Devine and her staff have taken of their customers, as a special tribute to them. There's even an ever-growing section just of baby photos.
    So if you haven't gotten the idea by now, The Cosmic Omelet isn't just a place to eat. It's a place for friends, both young and old, the ones you have and the ones you'll make there, a place for good conversation and a place where, if you tell Devine you have an idea for a great breakfast or lunch item, you just might soon find it -- and yourself -- on the menu.
    One of Devine's regular customers, a French Canadian man, told her once about his favorite breakfast of French toast with walnuts. Before you know it, Devine added it to her menu, calling it "The Nutty Frenchman" -- it's three pieces of cinnamon French toast with walnuts and it also comes with bacon, sausage, or ham.
    Another customer had an idea for an omelet that came to him in a dream. It ended up on the menu as a special called "Jack Attack" -- the customer's first name was Jack. The omelet was prepared with grilled chicken, chipolte sauce, pepperjack cheese, and guacamole.
    "I have a lot of customers who've made it their mission to have their own omelet," says Devine, who goes through 150 dozen eggs a week.
    And that's just fine with her.
    Both Devine and her sister also have omelets named after them on the menu that include their own special ingredients. There are also omelets named after Josho, Nate, Steve, Leo, Jay, and Sharman, all either current or former employees or customers.
    Regular customer Allen Waite has the distinction of having The Alligator's Cosmic Omelet named after him and, no, there's no alligator in the mix -- Devine just used alligator as a takeoff on Waite's first name.
    "He's our favorite customer, without a doubt, really, and we just wanted his name to be on the menu," Devine says.
    The Alligator Cosmic Omelet is made with ground beef, onions, cream cheese, and Cheddar cheese. Waite, a truck driver who comes in every day -- his usual breakfast order is a bacon and egg sandwich on a hardroll with no cheese and a small black coffee -- had nothing but praise for Devine during a recent visit.
    "She's got the best breakfast," he says. "The quality is always there and the prices are more than reasonable."
    But it's not just omelets that carry a special significance on the menu. One customer named Leo was still so enamored of a dish called Eggs Violet that his ex-wife used to make him -- it's made with your choice of toast with two over easy eggs, horseradish sauce, and American cheese -- that Devine put it on the menu, especially after he convinced her how good it is.
    And his ex-wife, who is also a customer, doesn't mind at all.
    For something totally different for breakfast, there's the "For the Brave and the Curious," a grilled bagel loaded with peanut butter and bacon.
    And Devine's hash browns are like no other. Called, "Timmy's Famous Hash Browns," they're named after her former cook, Timmy Mulligan, who helped her come up with a special -- and secret -- blend of spices that are sprinkled over the hash browns as they're cooked.
    One of the best things about The Cosmic Omelet is that breakfast can be ordered all day. In fact, it's led to Devine's favorite slogan, "Don't skip breakfast, have it for lunch."
    Devine, 29, a 1995 graduate of Manchester High School, oversees a staff of just four -- "I have an awesome staff." she says -- and works 50 to 60 hours a week at the eatery. But for Devine, it's all a dream come true. She knew since she was a little girl that someday she would own her own business.
    Devine had apprenticed under the former owner of The Smoking Cafe, learning everything there is to know about running a restaurant. When the owner was ready to sell in 2003, Devine was ready to take it on as her own, soon revamping everything from the menu to the decor.
    She eventually doubled the griddle size from 4 to 8 feet to whip up breakfast and lunch more quickly. And in case you're wondering, she does have a very special way of making her omelets. She uses only real eggs, never diluting them with milk or water, and cooks them on the griddle at 250 degrees instead of pan-frying them.
    And about that "Hold for the spin cycle" sign on the wall, well, it's right on the mark. You see, The Cosmic Omelet is located adjacent to Mr. C's Laundromat, and when the four triple load washers on the other side of the wall are all going at full spin cycle speed, well, you guessed it -- "It feels like a small earthquake," Devine says.
    But, really, it's just one more quirky thing to love about The Cosmic Omelet, truly a place unlike any other around.

©2006 Doreen Guarino. Used by permission.