Category: Breakfast/Brunch

Categories
Breakfast/Brunch California Oakland United States

Mama’s Royale Cafe

Ambiance
5/5
Service
5/5
Food / Drink
5/5
Overall
5/5

Visited (quite a few times, but prior to this review) for breakfast on 8/6/2022

Awning out front of Mamas

Before I start with this review, I’ll just mention this is by far my favorite breakfast diner, hence the 5-star rating in the breakfast category. I have been coming here for years. I was turned on to this place around 2010, when my friend introduced me to the spot for their key vegetarian dish, the Veggie Joe. That dish is still one of my favorite dishes ever and I return about once a month to treat myself to it 🙂

There are accents and reminders of the restaurant’s past throughout

So, onto Mama’s! Mama’s is a cute diner located on Broadway in Oakland, just past auto row and Kaiser. From what I understand, the diner has been there since the 40s and used to be a Chinese restaurant. The interior still has remnants of its history, which makes its decor fun and unique. 

When walking in, you’ll stand in the walkway until seated.

When you walk in, you’re greeted by the host stand and if you’re lucky enough to not have a wait (friendly tip, go before 10 to avoid the crowd), you’ll be seated. There are three seating areas, one in the front, booths in the middle, and there is a side room with a large number of tables. Personally, I like the front room for people watching, but if you’re with a group, the side room is likely best. The owner Hooshi is often there helping out with seating and he is such a friendly and helpful guy. He took the time to learn my name since I am a frequent diner.

Seating in the first room

Inside looking out towards the street.

Seating in the larger (more open) third area

They have rotating specials, always check the white boards 🙂

As for the menu, there is quite honestly something for everyone. Pancakes? Check. Omelets? Check. You name it, they’ve got it. They also have weekly specials. This is great if you’re with a group of folks with a variety of appetites, but it can be a struggle if you’re indecisive. So, let me help you and say, just get the Veggie Joe. If you’re a vegetarian, or like vegetarian food, it’s just so good! As I mentioned earlier, I get it frequently!

The veggie joe breakfast with grits and a biscuit!

The Veggie Joe is essentially a scramble and comes with spinach, veggie sausage, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms and it’s so yum. When I order it, I replace the potatoes for grits (because….grits) – but the potatoes are nice home fries if you like those. Also, substitute your toast for a biscuit. You won’t be sorry 🙂 They make their biscuits fresh, and while some batches are a bit dense, they’re always buttery, and go great with jam or honey.

Can’t miss the homemade biscuits

Also, a secret not known to all is that they make their own salsa! It is divine. It goes great with any egg dish and I always request it 🙂

The Mama’s homemade salsa is absolutely delicious and a great add to just about any dish

Fruit cup is standard mixed diner fruits – expect melon, blueberries, strawberries, etc.

You can pay or purchase pastries up at the counter.

After the meal you can pay your server, or if it’s packed, you can take your check up to the front counter and pay at the register. Also at the register is an assortment of fresh & day-old pastries. So, if you want something for later it’s a great takeaway!

I feel like diners are typically hit or miss. This spot though always hits me with their veggie joe. If you’re a vegetarian, it’s one of the best breakfasts you’ll find. As far as diners go, I give this a full 5-stars!

So, I say give this place a shot if you’re in the mood for breakfast, you may even catch me there 😉

~Jeremy

Categories
Breakfast/Brunch Cafes Dinner France Lunch Nice

Le Grande Café de France

Ambiance
4.3/5
Service
3/5
Food / Drink
4.3/5
Overall
4/5

Visited 5/25/2022 (afternoon snack) & 5/28 (breakfast)

Le Grande Café de France is located right on the main strip of the hotels and restaurants in downtown Nice. It is definitely a ‘tourist trap’ of a restaurant, but I can say happily that it lured me in, not once, but twice for a quick snack.

I suppose I should start with that I appreciate France for it’s outdoor cafés and when I see one with the white wicker and classic vibe, I have a hard time resisting to sit down at least for a cappuccino. 

The menu at Le Grande Café de France has everything you’d expect from a Parisian tourist restaurant. Croissants in the morning, Aperol spritz in the afternoon, and Italian / sea food in the evening. The prices are a bit elevated from those of restaurants not on the ‘main street’, but the lure & draw is that you are in the mix of it all while you sit and enjoy your meal.

The ambiance of the café is so cute. Outside, which is where I sat both times, is under a covered awning. You sit and face the walking traffic, so you get some nice people watching as you sip your Aperol or enjoy your meal. I am very sad I did not take a photo of the inside, but if you do visit, please go inside and check it out. There is a grand spiral staircase that takes you upstairs (to where the restrooms are). Across from the restrooms is a beautiful bar, a chandelier, and seats with a terrific view. Plus, the staff were attentive as well.

When I stopped by the evening of May 25th, I wanted just a snack, so I ordered the cheese and fig plate. It came with so much cheese! There were brie, gouda, and cheddar. There were dried apricots and figs intermixed as well. In the center was a mixed greens salad with some pine nuts. While very cheese heavy, it was a nice snaking plate as I relaxed. 

I popped over again for a quick snack (aka croissant breakfast) before my flight on the 28th. I ordered a couple croissants (one for now, one for take away), a cappuccino and a mimosa! Basically all the delightful things. While I was only there for about 25 minutes, the croissant was buttery, flakey, and perfect. Ugh it was great! And the mimosa sure hit the spot. Cappuccino is hard to go wrong in general, but this one was darker than the one I had the previous day while out and about, which I appreciated because of the brightness of the mimosa. 

Similar to the previous visit, I was able to people watch during my snack and get one last piece of the French experience before my flight back home.

Solid 4-stars.

~Jeremy

Categories
Breakfast/Brunch Cafes France Nice

Les Petits Pains de Méditerranée

Ambiance
3/5
Service
3.5/5
Food / Drink
4/5
Overall
3.5/5

Visited for Breakfast – May 28th, 2022

My friend and I were staying in a cute hotel near the center of Nice and were looking for a place to grab a pastry and an americano for a snack, when we stumbled upon Les Petits Pains de Méditerranée. It is a small venue, right off the main area of downtown Nice. If you’re spending the day shopping, you likely will walk past it. On the street, the cafe is marked by the marble sign and café tables out front – so it’s one of those rare places that you could easily walk past, but you’d be sad if you did! Keep an eye out for the marble sign and you’ll find it just fine 😊

The shop is longer than it is wide and has an assortment of savories up in the front, with sweet pastries in the back. The ambiance is not of a café where you’ll likely sit and hang-out, but more of a grab and go, or a grab and sit for a few minutes. There are a handful of café tables out-front, but the inside is small and really just for ordering & paying.

When you enter, you’re greeted by a lovely little lady behind the counter, who definitely has her work cut out for her in serving the long line of patrons. When we arrived, there was one group of folks in front of us, but when we left there was a bit of a line out the door. So, this must be a popular spot.

The clientele were a mix of locals and tourists, which (to me) means it’s getting good support. In terms of options, they have options for whichever mood you’re in! Looking for a lunch sandwich? Got it! Want a beignet? Done! If you’re indecisive, you may walk out with more than you bargained for. 

We opted for one savory and two sweets with two Americanos. 

The Americanos were done well, no complaints. They came straight out of the nespresso 😉, but came with a cute candy.

The savory we went with was the vegetable quiche, which came with squash, tomatoes, onions, and rosemary. It was a skinny/flat quiche from the ones I’m used to from the US. It had a crispy crust (just a touch overbaked), and due to the extra crisp on the crust and all the veggies on-top was a touch dry, but still fresh tasting. It left me feeling like I had gotten my veggies in for the day and also had a solid base to go from.

My friend is really into lemon and so we ordered the pastry that looked like a lemon tart. We were correct! It was nice, flakey and just the right amount of filling. Definitely the perfect bake on the crust! We may have fought about who got the last bite 😛

I couldn’t walk out of the café without ordering a beignet! There was only one left in the case and it looked so fluffy and tasty. In typical style, it was lightly dusted with sugar and nice and puffy. It was a bit dry though, like it may have been the last of the batch. So, while I got my sweet sugary fix, I wouldn’t give it a great rating. If freshly out of the oven, I think it would’ve been great!

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick café and pastry or a sandwich to -go, Les Petits Pains de Méditerranée is a solid stop to make. They have an incredible selection, kind staff, and impeccable location. The only reason for the slight drop in rating is due to the two slightly dry pastries, but depending on the timing of your visit (& the bake), you may get a 5-star experience!

3.5-stars

~WFD

Categories
Breakfast/Brunch Geneva Switzerland

White Rabbit Brunch & Company

Ambiance
5/5
Service
4.5/5
Food / Drink
4.5/5
Overall
5/5

Visited for brunch on May 24th, 2022 

View of outside looking inside the restaurant

My friend and I were in Geneva on vacation and decided to do a day trip to Annecy (a small town just over the border into France). We needed to catch the bus at 12:00 and thought we had picked a cute breakfast place down from our hotel, but once again the Google had the incorrect opening time listed. So, we showed up at 10:30, but they did not open until 11:30! So, again we began our meander and around 11:00 found ourselves a block from the bus station and in-front of White Rabbit Brunch & Co. Since we were now starving (and a bit pressed for time), we grabbed a table and proceeded to order. Thankfully, the food came out quick, was well presented and the staff were very polite and able to accommodate our asks!

View when walking through the front door

Rabbit decor all around

The Ambiance of White Rabbit is cute. Similar to other ‘trendy’ brunch places, the interior is fun, full of flowers, bright colors, and is chic. There is a rabbit mural on the ceiling (I mean what else should there be) and a full-service walk-up café. It is definitely a great place to take photos (if you want to be an Instagram influencer, funny how I keep finding these types of places [ see Café Elena]). Also, while we were there just a short time, it was very busy when we left. Since it is only open from 11-3, reservations are recommended if you show up after 11:30.

Outdoor carpark

Outside, which is where we sat, there is a decent sized car-park with chairs & tables. The upholstery on the chairs is a nice touch. Also, they put Astroturf down to make it seem more inviting than just being on the street, although you still are (obviously) surrounded by cars.

The long black (aka Americano)

Ordering & service at White Rabbit is contactless. So, once we sat at the table, we scanned the QR code and shortly after our food came out! It was a very easy & streamlined system, from others that I have used. If you have questions or get stuck, the staff are very helpful and will answer questions for you. The first item ordered was a coffe ‘long black’, which came with a cute heart candy! It was a delicious café! My friend and I both ordered another round of them. 

Avocado Soft Egg Toast

To eat, I opted for the Avocado Soft Egg Toast, which was two large whole grain bread slices, topped with a generous amount of avocado, a side salad of spinach, and a side bowl of soft scrambled eggs. The eggs were done to have a nice texture and the bread was whole grain and perfectly crunchy. The eggs could’ve had a bit more flavor, since the texture was a fun kind of different – almost like a porridge egg, but they weren’t bad, just a bit plain.

The Omelet

My friend ordered the omelet, which also came with a side salad and small pieces of the whole grain toast. It was decent, needed a tiny pinch of salt, but overall my friend said her dish was a solid ‘four stars’ – she got what she asked for, no complaints. 

Overall, the White Rabbit is a cute brunch spot! Since we were in a bit of a rush, I appreciated that the food came out quick, was presented well, and the staff were very polite! The eggs were done to have a nice texture and the bread was whole grain and perfectly crunchy. The eggs could’ve had a bit more flavor, but they weren’t bad, just a bit plain. Ordering is simple and done on the phone, which makes it easy and straightforward. The interior ambiance is cute and great for taking photos. It is only open from 11-3, so reservations are recommended if you show up after 11:30.

There is also outdoor seating not in the carpark

 

~Jeremy 

 

Categories
Breakfast/Brunch Switzerland Zürich

Café Elena

Ambiance
4/5
Service
4/5
Food / Drink
4/5
Overall
4/5

Visited for Brunch on May 22nd, 2022

We were staying in downtown Zurich for a few days, near the river in a old hotel right ‘in the mix’ of things. The hotel was nice, but their breakfast selection left much to be desired. Due to jet-lag, my friend and I were up a bit early and decided to take a morning walk, explore, and grab some breakfast nearby. We used Google Maps, which lead us to two closed businesses (thanks Google) and one dismal looking café. So, we continued our trek and happened to stumble across Café Elena. 

 

Interior of Cafe Elena

Now, in full honesty I had not heard of Café Elena before, but as I found out while we were dining, it is a well-known Instagram (aka instafamous) restaurant! Well, let’s see if it lived up to its reputation.

 

Line beginning to que up outside

 

They really like to have flowers on the wall, but it provides a cute aesthetic.

Ambiance in Café Elena is just like you’d expect from a place with a reputation for being beautiful on Instagram. There are fun flowered walls, pink plush chairs, and backdrops galore. Since we arrived around 9/9:30ish, we were one of the first few folks in the restaurant, but when we left (approximately 11:30), it had a long line out the door. So, go early and you’ll be just fine. 

The menu is fully online, so feel free to look ahead of time. We decided on two very different entrees and then shared. We did one sweet and one savory. Heads-up that even though we went on the earlier end, the food did take quite a while to come out, I think it was closer to 40 minutes. So, just know this is the type of place you come, sit, & chat for a bit. 

 

One Pan Breakfast

First is the one-pan breakfast. This was basically an entire vegetarian kitchen sink dish all in one! If you are the type of person who likes their food not to touch, this is your worst enemy :p. The dish consisted of hash browns, beans, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, arugula, topped with guacamole – it was what else is there to want! It came with a hot tea and a few slices of bread, a white, wheat, and sourdough.

In terms of flavors, it was a solid dish. The beans were done nicely, a nice compliment when eaten with the eggs. The hashbrowns were a golden fry, not crispy, but more soft-cooked. If you’ve been reading this blog a while, you know I like crispy things, so I wanted different texture, but it wasn’t bad by any means. The bread was a nice add to be able to soak up the wetness (and combining flavors) as I made my way through. 

 

Cafe Elena’s take on Avocado Toast

Next is Elenas Chèvre Chaud Feigen meets Avocado Brötli – essentially their take on avocado toast. There are two large sourdough slices with two different toppings. 

One has brie cheese and the other has avocado. They are both topped with pomegranates and a light berry sauce. The dish is accompanied by a blueberry oatmeal cup – similar to an overnight oats. 

The over-riding factor in both sides of the toast was the vibrant pink goat cream cheese. It has a very distinct taste. Almost like a strawberry, cherry, & raspberry flavor in one (definitely ‘pink’!). It’s not a bad flavor, just one that if you haven’t had before to try, but just know it’s one of those flavors you won’t want to have it all the time (or maybe you’ll get hooked on it! – who knows!). Rather tangy. 

On the brie-toast, we appreciated the attention to beauty and toppings. The brie, with the tinge of sweetness from the pink cream cheese, found itself in nice balance of bread and flavor. The outside of the toast was extremely crisp (it was a bit over-toasted & they hid the darker side on the bottom of the toast -_^ [clever]). There was a nice honey drizzle across the top of the brie. There were a few perfectly ripe figs on-top, which were delightful and helped to set the sweet tone of the dish. So, while ordering, I had thought that the brie toast would be a savory dish, it was surprisingly more of a sweet one! Definitely a nicer sweet though – not overwhelming, just nice, sweet, and creamy (with lots of ‘pink flavor’)

The other side of the dish was the same pink cream cheese base with pomegranates alongside a well-arranged swirl of avocados with a tiny slice of orange in the center. Their menu describes it as ‘pink cream cheese with gratinated goat cheese, honey, pecans, figs, orange fillets and wild berry sauce’.

This was the more ‘savory’ side, as it didn’t have the honey drizzled across the top or the figs on-top. The avocados were perfectly ripe and the balance between this and the other side were great. Since the avocado half was a little less sweet, I surprisingly preferred this to the brie side, even though it was harder to eat due to the vertical avocados.  

 

Oatmeal cup

The oatmeal cup that comes in the middle is something you can pass on if you’re not an oats person. They were pretty, but essentially basic overnight oats with a hint of blueberry. Meaning, they provided us a slight break from the overall ‘pink’ of the cream cheese, but were mostly an empty carb added to the dish. We had a few bites and left the rest. 

 

Our breakfast

Overall, Café Elena is a solid 4-star insta-influenced breakfast. Vibes in this place are cute, from the rose wall to the pink napkins – your eyes are in for some fun. The plating of the entrees is also cute. Flavors are good, but not the key focus. That said, if you are eating pink goat cheese on sourdough, it’s an experience amongst itself. They have a variety of options and it’s very vegetarian friendly. The staff are also nice, just be prepared for those around you shooting Instagram pics :p. Overall, yes I would recommend for a cute place with good vibes and a decent breakfast.

 

Sleepy, having my first Americano @ Cafe Elena

 

~Jeremy

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