Tag: 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 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

Categories
Breakfast/Brunch London United Kingdom

Mallow

Ambiance
4/5
Service
4/5
Food / Drink
4.3/5
Overall (4.0)
4/5

Visited for Brunch / Lunch on 5/29/2022

After our experience at Mildreds the night before, we were delighted to find Mallow! With the similar blue and window pane aesthetic that Midreds Soho had, it was hard to miss. It’s located right next to a huge outdoor market, which was packed with locals and tourists alike. Definitely something to check-out after dining if you’re into that sort of thing. As for Mallow, in similar fashion to when we walked up to Mildreds, the place was packed and there was a wait for a table (we arrived around noon). However, after a few moments, the host mentioned that we were able be seated at the bar right away (if we so chose), which we did.

The ambiance & decor of Mallow is a quirky casual vibe with fun light fixtures, blue colors and generally friendly staff. Our server as a bit curt at times, but since we were sitting at the bar, which faces into the kitchen, we were able to have a few great conversations with the chef, sous chefs and general manager! All were very friendly and happy to talk about the food, history of the restaurant, or anything else. We actually had a nice chat about what notes I had taken and that this blog post was forthcoming! It’s not often you have a GM notice you’re documenting the experience and comment on it. So, to me that means they are taking note to ensure their patrons are taken care of. That said, I did take some points off in Ambiance because the restrooms were quite untidy – picture overflowing trash and things scattered about – and that is usually a reflection of something else going on in the establishment.

Similar to Mildreds, the Mallow menu can be found online.

They also have a robust wine list if you’re interested in some bubbles or wines with your brunch

The entree I selected was the Full English (I mean I was in England, how could I resist). The full english comes with: scrambled tofu, baked beans, flat mushroom, home fries, grilled tomato, sausage, and sourdough toast

Presentation was excellent – doesn’t it look appetizing?! Looking at this picture now that I’m home it makes me crave it again!

  • The Maple Baked Beans were by far the tastiest thing on the plate. They were *packed* with flavor. My mouth is still watering. I believe they must’ve marinated for quite a long time, that was such a tasty hearty mouth-filling taste. 
  • Tofu Eggs: I usually struggle with Tofu eggs, because they just leave you wanting eggs. Unfortunately here, that was also the case for me. They were a bit salty and missing pepper.  
  • The grilled tomato was well executed and with a sprinkle of salt on top, the flavor was punched up to where it needed to be. 
  • The grilled & marinated mushroom was perfect. Nice umami flavor, great texture (chewy and not rubbery), no complaints
  • The vegan sausage was interesting. The link was made from, (I believe) quinoa and sage, which provided a coarse texture. While it was definitely fried in oil, it was missing the punch of flavor like the beans and the mushroom had. I didn’t quite care for the link.
  • Home fried potatoes were just how I like them, crispy outside and melt in your mouth inside.

Buttermilk plant chick’n sandwich was ordered by one of my friends and I was allowed to try it too 🙂 It came with cacio e pepe mayo, peperonata relish, brioche bun, and fries.

The faux chicken was perfectly crispy and delicious. There was a really nice vegan mayo on the bun that accompanied the chicken well. It made me want more than one bite!

I will warn you that to enjoy this tasty sandwich, be prepared for a bit of a mess! The sandwich does fall apart as you make your way through it, but it’s worth the mess as the patty with the sauce was done extremely well.

Fries are also crispy, so for a person like me who loves crispy it’s perfect! If you don’t like crispy fries, well you may be sorry, but I’m a happy camper :p

Our other friend ordered the carrot dill haricot patty & aubergine burger (phew, what a mouthful!). The patty & aubergine (eggplant) were grilled nicely and accompanied by two sauces: harissa and tahini all on a brioche bun. It was also served with the crispy fries. She had no complaints (aside from mentioning she doesn’t like crispy fries like I do) so we agreed to disagree on that. In terms of the burger she said that it was ‘tasty’. She also ordered the Blueberry Prosecco, which she loved (and ordered another of)!

Overall, the vibe of Mallow was similar to Mildreds, but a bit more casual, relaxed, and perfect for catching up with friends. I appreciated talking with the chef and GM and also the food. I recommend and would return.

~Jeremy

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