The belief that Moody Street alone is the "culinary capital" of the Metro West is a serious exaggeration. Waltham offers many dining options, and while there are a lot of restaurants on Moody Street, not every one is a viable dining location. Furthermore, the world is not limited to the realm within the Branvan loop; there are culinary gems hidden beyond the hustle and bustle of Main and Moody.Any well-informed foodie should have a proper knowledge of quality go-to restaurant locations. If one place is packed, you have to have other options. For instance, by now, you've probably dined out rather than ventured to Usdan for brunch when lines are too long or the cafeteria too busy. Thankfully, Waltham truly shines in providing options for mid-morning culinary experiences. According to the collegiate lifestyle, breakfast is usually consumed during normal lunch hours. Luckily for us, the one-mile radius around this University is home to a number of delicious breakfast places.

Certain locations, however, are just too crowded. Long waits for relatively mediocre pancakes are simply not acceptable when you have a huge pile of chemistry to study on Sunday afternoon. Greasy and cheap are lovely on some days, but not exactly ideal for every occasion. Fortunately, as an esteemed Waltham breakfaster, you know of yet another culinary delight hidden from the spotlight. A short detour from the usual Main and Moody loop will lead you to a tiny location literally hidden inside an old factory building.

Victoria's Café at 241 Crescent is almost wasted on its tiny location. The old brick building looks completely abandoned except for this one shop. The café advertises with just one white sign situated outside the iron gates and word of mouth. They're so surprised by new customers that they even asked me how I had found their restaurant. The owner's husband, Rafael Tiza, remarked, "We don't have a web site . but some people have reviewed us online."

The restaurant is aptly named after the owner herself, Victoria Tiza, a native of Huacho, Peru who came to the United States 25 years ago. She worked for Mariott for 10 years, some of which were spent at the nearby Newton location. After a career in hospitality, she decided that she would apply her cooking skills to her own business. She developed upon what she learned from the Mariott and made up an entire menu of her own recipes at Victoria's. Although the lone white sign advertises Peruvian and American food, their menu sticks to classic American meals. Victoria noted that she has limited the menu due to the small size of her kitchen.

Still, her cooking shows professional training. The food is very well done and has rich flavor without pools of dripping oil, which is common among certain breakfast foods. They serve full breakfasts and an absurd variety of iced coffee (lg. $2.25 sm. $2.00) in flavors that include French vanilla, coconut, hazelnut and pumpkin for autumn lovers. They also have a full lunch menu comprised of wraps and even an 8 oz. steak.

The Hungry American ($7.49) consists of three eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and two pancakes or pieces of French toast. The All American Breakfast ($5.49) has slightly less food with two eggs, home fries or hash browns, toast and a choice of bacon, ham or sausage. Their home fries are surprising, sautéed with peppers and onions for a full array of flavor. The hash browns are light and crispy on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside. The egg sandwich ($5.95) is served with bacon, ham, sausage or Canadian bacon and a choice of home fries or hash browns. The sandwich itself is somehow served in the least greasy manner possible, with the bagel grilled to perfection before being topped with two eggs and sausage.

Omelets range in price from $5.65 to $8.35 and include a number of creative and delicious combinations. They use liquid eggs, but according to Rafael, "[their] customers prefer the flavor." Had he not told me explicitly that the eggs came liquefied, I would not have noticed as they had true egg consistency and flavor.

The tiny shop is decorated with flowers and traditional Peruvian-Incan pottery. They have one large postcard depicting Huacho near the front counter. The tables and chairs are very simple, but comfortable. The restaurant seats no more than 25 people at its peak, but it is rarely packed to capacity. And, while I appreciate the unhurried dining experience, it is almost a shame that the café is so unknown. Victoria has noted that she would like to expand to a larger location with better foot traffic.

Her cooking skills are very good. I would love to see her expand to true traditional Peruvian dishes. But, for what she has to work with, Victoria cooks up some very high quality breakfast foods in such a quaint establishment. The prices are reasonable and the dining experience is much less hectic than any other breakfast place in the area. They also have extremely ample parking due to the lack of other businesses in the area.

Victoria's Café is open seven days a week from 6:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during the work week and from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Though you may shudder at the idea of waking up before two on a weekend, I suggest you take yourself to breakfast at Victoria's for a comfortable and quiet meal while the café is still a hidden gem. Word's getting out, and it might not be so empty for long.