Ramos House Cafe 31752 Los Rios St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 949.443.1342 | www.ramoshouse.com Brunch: Saturdays & Sundays An historic house from 1881, the Ramos House Cafe attracts guests from all places for its vintage feel and close-knit environment. It makes a person feel as if they are at a bedand-breakfast; the owner lives in the house, the garden provides many of the ingredients, and the wines are kept in the cellar below. During the weekends, they serve only the brunch menu and for one set price “regardless of age, race, color, or creed.” If you want to partake in such an atmosphere of history and American cuisine, choose to go during brunch where they have a prix fixe choice-of menu granting the option of a drink, appetizer and entree per person (dessert is extra). We hear that the Bloody Mary is strongly recommended by visitors, as is the unique Apple Beignets. Consider this a getaway type of morning.
Anepalco’s Cafe 3737 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868 and 415 S. Main St., Orange, CA 92868 www.anepalcoscafe.com Brunch: Saturdays & Sundays
ONLY
$5
DY B L O O 'S Y R MA
Mi Casa Costa Mesa | 949.645.7626 Rancho Santa Margarita | 949.635.9538 www.micasa1.com
Heat up your Sundays with Orange County’s spiciest Brunch at Mi Casa in Rancho Santa Margarita and Costa Mesa. Serving up the best huevos rancheros north of the border as well as sweet treats like their Fruit-topped Torta Toast with organic agave and caramel syrup, Mi Casa is stirring up your morning meal with some major Mexican flair. Pair these breakfast eats with their famous $5 Mi Casa, Roasted or Habanero Bloody Mary’s. And, the best part is that everything on this Brunch menu is under $11!
hilaquiles, chilaquiles, chilaquiles. If you do not know the glory of the dish, you must not have had any from Anepalco’s Cafe. Traditionally a home-style dish made from leftover tortillas soaked in a tomato mixture, chilaquiles is not often thought of by those familiar with it from their childhood as high class or fine dining but when you have Owner and Executive Chef Daniel Godinez put his touch on it, it becomes glorious. We recall standing in long lines by a small hole-in-the-wall spot in Orange next to the CHOC Hospital, waiting for a table in the small confines indoors and anticipating forkfuls of the rightfully famous dish. The original location opened in August 2008 and became popular almost instantly. Serving breakfast and lunch only, this spot did so well that a second location opened in April 2012 by the Ayres Inn in Orange in a larger space with a bigger menu and dinner service.
Burger made with eight ounces of all-natural beef. He shows us his favorite and newest dish, the Huevos Perdidos, which is a riff on coddled eggs that come with roasted potatoes, bacon, pan-seared duck and a kickyou-in-the-mouth spicy tomato sauce. For drinks, give a nod to their inclusion of Mexican flavors by ordering their Guava Mimosa. You’ll like it. Promise.
On paper, Anepalco’s Chilaquiles seems simple—tortilla chips, omelet-style eggs, a signature red sauce, cotija cheese, sour cream, avocado mousse and pico de gallo. On tongue, it is more complex than one could imagine, and we attribute it to the secret ingredients in their sauce, which is made with seven different peppers. The cult following for this dish is astounding and hard to believe at times but every bite just confirms how brilliantly the chef has turned around a dish once confined to the home. The menu items at Anepalco’s may sound a tad standard but are far from it. Godinez’ twists make the simple more complex and the drab more glamorous. The most popular dishes come from the Mexican breakfast section of the menu. In addition to the signature chilaquiles, there is also a dish called Green Chilaquiles that capitalizes on gorgeous tomatillos and salsa verde. You will see harder-to-find dishes such as their The Modern Cemita, a Mexican torta using the aromatic papalo herb found in the cuisine but not commonly seen by others. They pride themselves in providing ingredients such as huitlacoche that are unique and difficult to find in Orange County. We see Godinez’ own diverse skill set in a Mexican Truffle
ALTERNATIVE BRUNCH STYLE: DIM SUM Dim sum is a Cantonese style of food preparation, which features bite-sized portions served in steamer baskets or small plates. Dishes are usually served tableside by carts roaming around restaurant. Hot tea is typically served with dim sum, and going out to eat the meal is usually referred to as going to “drink tea.” The meal is typically eaten on the weekend with family and served from morning to mid-afternoon. Items you might see include steamed buns, vegetables, and dumplings; fried meats, dumplings and “cakes”; lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice cakes and copious amounts of desserts. Any dish may be eaten at any time. Dishes most well-known include har gow (shrimp dumplings), shumai, bao (steamed buns), Phoenix claws (chicken feet), rice noodle rolls, turnip cake and egg tart. Pricing is determined per plate and organized via stamp card.
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| APRIL 2014