On an unseasonably sunny December morning, my dining companion and I had breakfast at the Hartland Café in the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel before we ventured out into the city for a little holiday shopping.

We’ve reviewed the Hartland Café in this column before, but I thought it might be helpful to know where to go if you have a special breakfast planned during the holidays. The Hartland Café delivered, even when the delivery had a few obstacles to overcome.

As expected, the already breathtaking lobby was filled with Christmas lights and evergreen foliage. The sound of a waterfall created atmosphere, even in the middle of winter.

We were greeted by two friendly faces and offered the morning buffet. I believe the restaurant is primarily set up for the buffet during breakfast, as the staff was surprised when I asked to see the menu. This is understandable, because any fool could see the buffet has just about everything on the menu including waffles, eggs and omelets to order. Perhaps the only breakfast not on the menu is a hearty steak and eggs dish. My dining companion opted for the buffet, but I chose to order off the menu because I wanted to try a specific omelet – and because I didn’t trust myself to eat in moderation once I took a look at the buffet.

The buffet included scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, two kinds of hash browns, fruit, cold and hot cereal, muffins, toast, pastry, yogurt and more. My dining companion was hoping to get a cappuccino but had to settle for a hot chocolate instead. The hot chocolate came in a packet with hot water to mix your own. She liked being able to regulate the amount of chocolate in her cocoa; to me, this seemed too casual for the otherwise white-tablecloth environment. By the same token, the tea I ordered did not come in a basket or bowl, but as loose, packaged bags for me to choose from.

Just as my dining companion went to get her meal from the buffet, we noticed that the restaurant had filled up. Our waiter let us know that there was a basketball tournament in town and, although it had been quiet all morning, we were now going to be joined by a full house. This made it difficult for my dining companion to get to the omelet station, because a line remained for over half an hour.

This also meant that my omelet took longer than usual, but my waiter stayed on top of the situation. Unfortunately, there was a substitute cook that day and my California omelet arrived disguised as the low-cal omelet, with mushrooms, broccoli and onions. The waiter explained the chef mistook the &#8220cal” in California for the &#8220cal” in low-cal. Not to worry, though, this first obstacle played well into our meal, because instead of having to wait in line at the omelet station, my dining companion was offered this omelet and was more than glad to accept it.

The waiter apologized profusely and set out to get the California omelet. He also brought me toast and homemade potatoes in the meantime. Again, because the omelet station was backed up with basketball players, the wait was much more than it would usually be, but when the California omelet finally arrived, it was delicious. It held an abundant amount of bacon and avocado and just enough cheese to add flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients. I did have to wonder, though, how good would it have been if the usual chef had been in that day.

True to fine-dining form, the waiter did not charge us for my omelet, making amends for a difficult time already remedied by good taste. To me, this is the sign of a true first-rate restaurant: when I can be assured that no matter what happens, I’ll be satisfied when I leave. No one’s perfect, but his apologies, explanations and offerings (without having to be asked) offered peace of mind before we ventured out for a hectic day of shopping during the season that promotes peace on earth.

Hartland Café

Holiday Inn

University Plaza

1021 Wilkinson Trace

745-0088

Breakfast Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday-Friday Buffet; menu to 11 a.m., Saturday and Sunday buffet 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., menu to 11 a.m.; Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Specialties: Breakfast buffet

Cuisine: American

Price range for breakfast: $6.95 to $13.95; buffet $8.50.

Smoking: No