The Most Important Meal of the Day
Old Vine Cafe
2937 Bristol St. Suite A-102, Costa Mesa, 714-545-1411 www.OldVineCafe.com In the small, earthy-trendy retreat of The Camp in Costa Mesa, sits the Old Vine Café. The atmosphere is an organic, and unpolished yet intentional, mod cool. The menu (which is printed and mounted on roughly executed impressionist canvases) reflects the same vibe, offering seemingly effortless breakfast dishes, all upgraded to a contemporary grandeur. Old Vine is a family affair, owned and operated by Mark and Brandon McDonald. Marc is the chef and mastermind behind Old Vine’s menu. He’s cooking up big taste in big helpings. It’s the perfect little hideaway for oversized taste at a great price. With the zingy fresh Wild Berry Lemonade ($4) as my
Haute Cakes Caffe
1807 Westcliff Dr., Newport Beach, 949-642-4114 www.HauteCakesCaffe.com
By Jennifer Hood My stint at Haute Cakes Caffe begins with a sprinkle-adorned mocha in an oversized mug. Chocolatey and cozy, it’s the perfect way to start the mild but sunny California morning I welcomed from a niche patio on the border of Costa Mesa and Newport. Paul Taddeo, owner of the 20 year-old restaurant and the creator of the diverse menu, has already greeted me with his cafe dog, Rufus, who stays obediently outside, wandering throughout the blue checker topped patio tables. The menu features fresh, healthy, and elegant turns on the classic favorites. The golden child of the menu, is obviously the haute cake itself. Today I try the Orange Ricotta Cakes ($9.25), a stack of rich pancakes infused with ricotta cheese, fresh squeezed orange juice, and
Bruxie
292 N. Glassell St., Orange, 888-927-8943 | www.Bruxie.com Walk by Bruxie on an average summer day and you’ll see the small streetfood stand coiled by a line of people that disappears around the corner. Bruxie draws in the masses with a favorite but sometimes misunderstood breakfast item: the waffle. “Ninety-nine percent of waffles in America are actually pancakes,” explains owner Dean Simon. “What we sell at Bruxie are true Belgium waffles.” And boy do they sell ‘em. They sell ‘em for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. And they have an inside man to guarantee authenticity. Phillipe Caupain, a Belgium-native, is Dean’s longtime business partner. Dean and Phillipe created their original waffle recipe about 10 years ago. Their recipe, which they initially sold as a mix to high end buyers like the Montage Resort, incited raving fan letters that inspired Dean and Phillipe to open Bruxie. They teamed up with Kelly Mullarney to develop the menu, and opened shop in an historic location in Orange.
faithful companion, I start my breakfast triathlon through each category. It begins with the Open Face ($12), from the “comfort” section of the menu: a behemoth helping of oversized, homemade buttery biscuits, spicy sausage, and fluffy scrambled eggs, smothered in hearty chipotle gravy and topped with ricotta cheese. This is comfort in a mound with a side of potatoes. The Pizza Omelet ($12), a selection aptly found in the “savory” menu category, is a football sized helping of fluffy eggs folded over mozzarella and homemade meatballs, then blanketed in pomodoro sauce. The last leg of my breakfast is the Banana Pecan Crepe ($10). Simply put: it is sweet bliss. Two crepes are gingerly rolled around caramelized bananas, pecans, and sweet cream, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and laid out on a plate drizzled with caramel and strawberry syrups and garnished with pecans and a dried fruit medley. You will literally melt in the consolation of Old Vine’s hearty, homemade cuisine. Even better, breakfast is served until 3pm!
orange zest, topped with maple syrup and warm mixed berries. The flavor is sweet but citrusy, with that unexpected touch of smoothness from the ricotta cheese. A beautiful display of color with bold and decadent flavor. Next, Paul brings me out the Pesto Eggs ($11), a pyramid of poached eggs, fresh greens, cheese, sautéed spinach, and heirloom cherry tomatoes, placed atop a crispy chewy baguette and draped in olive oil and house-made pesto. The flavors are fresh, subtle, light, but by no means boring. The haute state of mind doesn’t stop at the food. Paul also supports the Orange County art culture, featuring different local artists on the walls of the café. During my breakfast, I feasted my eyes on an epic chalk mural of an old ship. Paul works to create a sense of community, bringing the talent and good humor of friends, neighbors, and strangers together under the uniting umbrella of great food.
The rest has been lauded history. It might seem strange to some that a waffle could command a whole menu, but to Dean and his partners, it makes perfect sense. “The Brussels waffle is the perfect neutral platform for sweet or savory dishes,” he explains. Bruxie features two kinds of waffles in their gourmet sandwiches: the Brussels and the Liege. The Brussels is an understated light, crispy, and eggy waffle, perfect for menu dishes like the Smoked Salmon and Dill ($7.95), a delicious and unassuming sandwich with supple salmon, herb cream cheese, cucumbers and chives; or the Green Eggs & Ham ($6.95), a savory ode to Dr. Seuss. The Liege waffle, which is the sweeter of the two, is a more pastry-like concoction, with caramelized pearl sugar bits that add a delightful crunch. The Liege is perfectly suited to host menu items like the indulgent Lemon Cream & Berries ($5.95), and my favorite, the S’Mores ($5.95). Breakfast waffles are served with real maple syrup, and everything is homemade. The chocolate, the marshmallow, the lemon meringue, the caramel, and, the pastry cream are all whipped up fresh. Bruxie is the real deal when it comes to waffle pageantry.
Courtesy of Bruxie
All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.” -John Gunther
Preach it, Gunther. Science proves it:
breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But who needs science for an excuse? Breakfast is the frontrunner, the maker or breaker of your afternoon energy, the pre-game team huddle that will determine your game day. And Orange County is serving up some of the best breakfasts around – maybe even the best in the nation if you take Zagat Survey's word for it.
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summer lovin’ 2011
Filling Station
201 N. Glassell St., Old Town Orange, 714-289-9714 www. FillingStationCafe.com The Filling Station is now open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday! The Filling Station is a quaint 1920s gas station turned nostalgic cafe. Inside, the restaurant has a diner feel, with vintage photos and gas station memorabilia on the walls, high-sitting maroon booths, a counter bar, and a fairly open kitchen that creates a friendly clinking soundtrack to the morning. Outside is a spacious patio dotted with Victorian lantern posts, gurgling fountains, and patio sets covered in flavored Mimosas, all surrounded by leisurely crowds. This is the kind of place where ambience
is everything. People come here because it feels like home, and they know that it will always be consistent. For almost a decade, The Filling Station has served up classic breakfast dishes. They excel in the basics – no frills, no reinterpretation – just the classics the way you want them sometimes: classic. A local favorite at the cafe is the Pancake Breakfast ($8.75), served with two eggs any style and two bacon and sausage links. Another crowd pleaser is the Eggs Benedict ($8.50): two extra large poached eggs and thick cut ham atop an English muffin, then drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. The sentimental feel of yesteryear makes everything taste better. “La Vie en Rose” comes on the radio as I bite into a buttery fluffy pancake. From beneath an old, knotted tree at the Filling Station patio, life feels quite rosy indeed.
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