• Daria Bishop
• Poblano chile omelette at Firebird Café

The notion of a bargain has shifted in the past year, with prices for everything from bread to burgers showing marked elevation. Firebird Café, a breakfast and lunch mainstay since 2009 in Essex Junction, updated its menu just a few months ago to reflect not only higher ingredient costs but also pay increases for employees. Those were necessary to attract and retain staff, according to owner Jake Tran.

"I held out as long as I could," Tran said. "We had to offer more money for people to work."

Most of Firebird's omelettes, burritos and sandwiches have now crossed the $12 threshold by a dollar or two, but I'd argue that they still qualify as a Dining on a Dime deal. Tran has taken the classics and given them Cali-Mexican-inspired twists, with fresh fillings and unique seasonings that deliver solid value for reasonable prices.

One of my favorites is the poblano chile omelette ($13.95): sautéed poblano peppers, red onion and black beans swaddled with eggs. It's topped with a healthy dose of chipotle sauce and accompanied by sour cream, a bright pile of pico de gallo and crispy home fries.

• Daria Bishop
• Jake Tran

The omelette comes browned and slightly crispy on the outside, which delights me because I prefer my eggs well done. It takes more than extra sizzling time to produce that firmer finish. Tran explained that he does the omelette "inside out" by sprinkling a blend of cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top of the eggs. When they're flipped, the cheese crusts and caramelizes, mellowing into an extra-rich flavor.

The fresh vegetables inside have a nice bite, with a mild kick from the poblano pepper. The smoky chipotle sauce perks up the fillings.

On a recent weekday lunch visit, I chose the Harvest sandwich ($12.25) of smoked turkey, Havarti cheese and housemade apple chutney on multigrain bread. With its Granny Smith apples, the chutney leaned more tart than sweet, while onions and a dose of ginger added savory notes. It struck the ideal balance against the Havarti tang and smoked meat.

The new prices of each dish reflect hikes in ingredient, delivery and other supply costs, Tran said. Eggs from Shadow Cross Farm, for example, cost him $35 to $40 for 30 dozen before the pandemic. That figure climbed as high as $125 before the Colchester operation closed earlier this year, he said.

• Daria Bishop
• Harvest sandwich

Firebird also boosted pay for most employees from about $15 to $19 per hour, he said. Last summer, Tran hired a chef at $25 an hour.

In 2019, Firebird moved from its 15-year perch in a little house on Route 15 to its current quarters in a former gas station at Five Corners. When we visited most recently for brunch, my husband and I sat at a wrought-iron table on the small deck that Tran added during the pandemic, enjoying a warm late-summer day along with our delicious poblano omelette and a Supremo Burrito ($13.95) with eggs, cheese, avocado and the same chipotle sauce on top.

As my husband put it, this went beyond the usual ham-and-cheese omelette for breakfast. Firebird delivers a little something special that you can't get anywhere else — and you can't put a price on that.

Correction: September 22, 2023: An earlier version this story misstated the age of the restaurant. It was founded in 2009.

Dining on a Dime is a series featuring well-made, filling bites (something substantial enough to qualify as a small meal or better) for around $12 or less. Know of a tasty dish we should feature? Drop us a line: [email protected].