by Kathleen Horner
Dreaming of soft pancakes and stuffed French toast, fruit plates and smoothies, loaded burritos, fresh pastries, and eggs just as you like them? Despierta y disfruta (wake up and enjoy)!
To start, Mexican eggs are as uniquely flavorful as they are easy to order. "Huevos estrellados" means eggs sunny side up, but a hand gesture usually clarifies for eggs over-easy. Eggs "medio" means lightly cooked with a soft yolk. Order "huevos revueltos" and you'll get scrambled eggs.
"Huevos rancheros" is a popular dish of eggs estrellados served with red salsa asada (a blend of plum tomatoes, shallot or onion, and serrano chile) over lightly-fried corn tortillas. A variation is divorciados style (divorced eggs): one egg served with salsa asada and the other with green salsa, usually made from tomatillos, chile, onion, and garlic. So, the salsas are divorced, not the egg whites from the yolks (which is what I feared). Good to know.
Use your egg-ordering skills at Pacifico Beach Club, where Huevos Rancheros or Divorciados are muy buenos. Or try the Croque Madame, where your egg sits on a croissant layered with ham and cheese and a little bechamel sauce. A tasty twist on the French classic, the croissant is warm and flaky. Ask your wait staff to show you a basket full of these and other fine pastries, including chocolate croissants, scones, and traditional Mexican conchas, topped with a crispy pastry coating scored to look like a seashell.
Tail of the Whale's Egg Burrito is a big, toasted flour tortilla packed with three scrambled eggs, Oaxaca cheese, sautéed onion, black beans, and country ham (salsa and refried black beans on the side). Word is, Lorena Ochoa prefers hers with bacon instead of ham, and who are we to question the former top-ranked female golfer in the world? Also at Tail of the Whale are serious stacks of fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes and a Berry Parfait with house granola and a pile of berries.
At Boca Deli in Plaza Ollin, watch passersby over a leisurely breakfast of French Toast, a marvelously rich, egg-soaked, thick-cut brioche, fried in a little butter. You can ask for it with chopped almonds, or without the sprinkle of sugar but really? You're off the deep end anyway. There's a healthy side to the menu, with smoothies and juices. Don't miss the crave-able Oatmeal: cooked, rolled oats served with a side of steamed milk (so every spoonful stays hot) and ramekins of fresh berries, sliced banana, diced apple, toasted coconut shreds, and cracked cocoa nibs. Throw them all in!
Thick slices of whole grain sourdough bread at El Cafecito de Mita (next to Si Sushi in town) are toasted and topped in two of my favorite bites: Avocado Toast, and Peanut Butter and Banana Toast. The Avocado Toast is a generous smear of avocado topped with a fan of thin cucumber slices and a sprinkle of chopped sunflower seeds. Who knew fresh strawberry slices can elevate peanut butter and banana so nicely? Now you do. Find an assortment of bowls, smoothies, and juices there, too.
So, wake up and try breakfast in Punta Mita and Punta De Mita. Or sleep late: most breakfast menus here are served all day!
