Irish Breakfast

The Outer Richmond is not far to travel for farls, but our money is on the griddle cakes.

The former are flat triangles of griddle-cooked bread associated with Northern Ireland and, like its scones, are mainstays of John Campbell's Irish Bakery on Geary. Though perfectly delicious, we're suckers for the puck-size griddle cakes ($2), a lesser-known item not listed on the bakery's website.

Outside, a gentle char gives the cakes texture and color, and the cinnamon-and-sugar crust conjures soothing visions of cinnamon toast. But the airy, chewy griddle cakes' singular texture murmurs of an English muffin gone blissfully light-headed.

Skillet-cooked breads have a lengthy history in Ireland, as doughs made from gluten-free grains like the country's indispensable oats cook more readily on a hot surface than in an oven. John Campbell's four-inch round griddle cakes, though, use the same tender, leavened dough as the bakery's focaccia.

Consider slicing them crosswise like a scone, then toasting. But we can't help but tear into them before they can get anywhere near a heat source.

John Campbell's Irish Bakery, 5626 Geary Blvd. (at 20th Ave.); 415-387-1536 or johncampbells.com