By Emme Hornung
Picture this: The roar of the morning P-51 formation just pulled you out of sleep. Usually, you hit snooze on your alarm, but there is no snooze button for the excitement of AirVenture. You unzip your tent, and the fresh smell of coffee and syrup calls your name.
Where is that heavenly smell coming from, you ask? The Tall Pines Café, of course! The breakfast café is operated entirely by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association volunteers, and all proceeds support VAA projects. So come on down and start your morning the right way: with hot food and good conversation with fellow aviation enthusiasts.
Tall Pines Café, which started in 2002 as just a tent pitched at the end of the ultralight runway, is now a permanent pavilion located on Wittman Road on the south end of the Vintage showplane area, and thanks to the open-air concept of the pavilion, you can enjoy watching aircraft arrive on the main runway and the morning activities on the ultralight runway while you eat your breakfast.
In addition to the entertainment of aircraft activity, you’ll have a hard time leaving without seeing an old friend or finding a new one. “There’s always interaction at breakfast in the morning,” Chairman Wayne Wendorf said. “[Seating] is first come, first served. I personally have sat down and met people from many different countries and many different walks of life. Aviation brings people together, but it’s really the people that make things work.”
Wayne, Vintage 719068, the new chairman of the café, is looking forward to serving even more guests with new hours and menu items for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024. “We chose to expand the hours because there’s people that are not early risers,” Wayne explained. The café opens bright and early at 6:30 a.m., and starting in 2024, it will stay open and serve breakfast until 11 a.m.
On the menu are classic American favorites like pancakes, homemade doughnuts, biscuits and gravy, eggs and sausage, and French toast. New in 2024 is an expanded menu with healthy grab-and-go options, including breakfast sandwiches and gourmet muffins. Guests will now also be able to purchase an insulated coffee mug that comes with a punch card for 16 refills.
“Tall Pines is really a close-knit group of volunteers, and everyone is very welcoming,” Wayne expressed. “Come and enjoy breakfast, watch what’s going on around, and meet new people!”
Sidebar:
Newly Expanded Hours!
- 6:30-11 a.m.
Monday through Friday (open Saturday depending on remaining supplies)
Daily Breakfast Menu
- Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (includes eggs, fruit cup or applesauce, and beverage)
- Pancakes or French Toast (includes eggs, sausage, fruit cup or applesauce, and beverage)
- À la carte: Fresh doughnuts, granola bars, cereal, muffins, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange juice, and milk
New for 2024!
- $5 Breakfast Sandwiches: Egg and cheese with sausage on a bagel, croissant, or biscuit, or egg and cheese with ham on an English muffin
- $4 Chef’s Gourmet Muffins: Apple, blueberry, lemon cranberry, or double chocolate chip
- 20-Ounce Insulated Coffee Mug: Comes with a punch card for 16 FREE refills. Punch cards for the 16-ounce coffee are also available for $15.