2604 dunlavy st @ westheimer
with the plethora of wonderful restaurants in houston, why is there such a dearth of good breakfast joints? HUH? buffalo grille is so overrated. west gray cafe and bibas are best enjoyed after 2 am BEFORE i'm going to bed IMO. baby barnaby's? yawn. the breakfast klub is great but who can eat a greasy plate of food that really weighs you down for the rest of the day more than every once in awhile? okay enough bashing for now. what about really creative breakfast options beyond what you can easily whip up at home?
for this, one of my favorite breakfasts in houston is at cafe brasil and with their newly expanded kitchen comes a newly expanded menu. even more recently, the dining room expanded too by knocking out walls that previously housed a smaller kitchen and bathrooms. on a hot summer day, great! but seriously, with gorgeous weather like this, head straight back to the large garden courtyard that connects the cafe, domy books, and raye boutique, all very hip and lovely, and just-a-tad expensive. several large tables are available for big groups. soothing background music plays. it's a well designed space, minimal, and has a bohemian serenity about it.
for brunch on this particular occasion, i ordered the breakfast salad which is the tastiest AND healthiest breakfast dish i can think of. actually, i can't bring myself to order anything else but the breakfast salad - an off-menu special which they always seem to have when i'm there - ever since i discovered it.
who concocted this dish? it has the word "female" written all over it. i dunno, but it's both ballsy and genius!
the breakfast salad is composed of spring mix, sauteed egg whites and mushrooms, quinoa, and a cactus pear vinaigrette. it's warm and feels nice getting both protein and ruffage in the morning. the salad is also huge and makes a filling meal. btw, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a complete protein source: 12-18% protein and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans. it's also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. it's an extremely versatile food. i really don't have enough good stuff to say about it.
onto my friends' plates...
this is brasil's cilantro, poblano, and cheddar scone. it is buttery, cheese-y, and rich. just look at it! brasil knows scones.
breakfast quesadillas. i think i first saw breakfast quesadillas on farrago's menu, but they are better here. scrambled eggs, chunks of smokey bacon, and white cheese are layered between wheat tortillas. fresh guac, tomatoes and salsa verde for dipping.
migas are a perfect hangover cure. although i didn't taste them, they look fabulous.
a side of roasted potatoes. quite oversalted on this particular day.
as popular as this place is in montrose, it's very interesting how it doesn't have a website. there are daily breakfast specials on the chalk board when you walk in and stand in line to place your order.
cafe brasil. not brazilian at all really (named for the brazilian art gallery that previously reside there). you'll find plenty of taste, but unfortunately no wi-fi here. you'll also find surly baristas and long lines to order food, but plenty of good salads. i've realized that you can never go wrong ordering a salad here. even a breakfast salad.
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I had the scone, which was delicious - I vowed to try to replicate it at home. But I most surprised at how much I enjoyed my tastes of neverfull's salad. It was as she said healthy and tasty. BTW, the coffee was excellent as well.
The migas were excellent; I ordered them with the chorizo, which was a bit over-salted but was spicy. The black beans were bland but a great addition. Mmmm, migas
I stopped by Sophia for brunch about a week ago and the place still doesn't quite have its bearings yet.
My favorite breakfast in Houston - Gorditas Aguascalientes.
That scone is reminiscent of Rebecca Rather's Bacon Cheddar Scone from Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Fredricksburg....she is one of my fave pastry chefs, originally worked with Cafe Annie's and Tony Vallone, me thinks....
Have you been to breakfast at Andy's on Pecore near Studewood? It's my fave...
@ misha - i didn't realize gorditas was so close. i've heard great things about it, i'll try to make it there soon
@ ruthie j.- i only hear bad things about andy's. what do you order?
Your work is marvelous!!
I went the other day to try this crazy breakfast salad. Great recommendation! I finished it at breakfast on kept thinking about it all day. It's so simple I'd like to try to make it at home.
they have wi-fi now. and they put in a whole wall of transparent hanger doors. i love the renovations b/c the place feels much more open now. also, i got them to make me a breakfast salad for lunch!
This is greeat
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