Tupelo Junction Cafe - Santa Barbara, CA

PART II OF CHARIESE'S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Overall Rating: 3.75

He Said: 3.8 So we might have been slightly hung-over from a night on the town but this place definitely came through for us when we needed it. I wasn't particularly blown away by the cuisine but the food and environment came together to get me off on the right foot for the rest of the day. We saw several other cafes on the way that I would like to make a run at before fully advocating this decent yet comfortable breakfast spot. 

She Said: 3.7. I liked the ambiance and set up of this place more than I liked the food. While it was tasty, it wasn't THEBESTBREAKFASTEVEROMGYES. Like Kevin said, there are tons of cute little cafes around the area that I'd much prefer to try before coming back here.

Price: $$

Ambiance: Vacation, brunch

Good for: quality

Would you go again? Sure

Date Visited: 3/19/2011 (Saturday)

Special Notes: Mason jars as cups


Restaurant Website: Tupelo Junction Cafe

She/we loved it

Chariese's order: Wild mushroom, asparagus, black truffle cheese scramble w/ baby green salad and homemade breads. This was good, and exactly what I needed after the night that Kev and I had. I wouldn't order it again, but I was satisfied. The salad (interesting addition to a bfast plate) was surprisingly great, as it was topped with some sort of berry vinagarette. And their homemade jam was bomb. The egg combo itself was decent, but not as flavorful as I had expected it to be.

Kevin's order: Smoked bacon, spinach, caramelized onion, tomato & gouda cheese scramble with house potatoes (yes, that's cornbread)

 (does this look delicious? Because it was!)

In all honesty, this breakfast was a great start to one of the best days I've had in a long while and it wasn't even my birthday. It was a great day! (THE BEST DAY!!)

Baked French Toast- Recipe

Overall Rating: 3.65

He said: 3.5 This dish definitely has potential but I think where we might have dropped the ball was in waiting too long to bake it. We (a.k.a. she) made it friday night for the next morning but we arrived at our destination too late in the day to justify baking french toast so we put it away for Sunday morning. If you're serving a finickey eater (like my brother) be sure to negotiate the sogginess issue as the middle of this dish tended to be a bit eggy. The redeeming aspect of this dish was the DELICIOUS praline topping via (my side mistress) Paula Dean that was rich enough to substitute for the maple syrup (which I used just for good measure). If this had not been a community dish and we were not feeding 7 other people I would have definitely gone back for 3rds/4ths/5ths/etc...

She said:  3.8 This was relatively easy to make, and seemed to please the crowd. We were heading up to the mountains for the weekend, and I wanted something easy to pop in the oven, and to feed a group of people (kids AND adults). I did alter it a little bit, as Paula Dean isn't the healthiest of cooks {whatevs}, but most of it remained the same. See recipe below.

Price: $

Level of easiness: Easy

Good for: Big groups, brunch, families, friends

Would we make it again?: Heck yes

Date tried: 2/19/2011

Recipe adapted from: Paula Dean http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html

Recipe adapted from Paula Dean, but altered (photo via):

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf French bread
• 6-7 large eggs
• 1.5 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping (see recipe below)
• Maple syrup (I didn't add it to mine, but Buddy the Elf Kevin did)

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.
• (this recipe makes more than enough to cover the entire casserole; I didn't use all of it)

Directions:

• Slice french bread into 17-20 slices, apx. 1-inch each. Fill a buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish with the slices in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. 
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and then wisk until blended but not too bubbly.
• Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices (This is really important!).
• Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Notes:

Make sure that you cut the bread into thick slices, or else the casserole will be watery (thicker slices will soak it up). The next morning before putting it into the oven, spread the liquids around to ensure that all of the bread is covered, and that it's not swimming in juices. Don't underbake, or it becomes soggy.

Enjoy!

Plum's Cafe- Costa Mesa, CA

Overall Rating: 4

He said: I was happily surprised by this diner that's been in my backyard for over a decade and I never knew about it. Granted when we indulged I was entirely hung over but the food was just what the doctor ordered. The Dutch Baby is definitely meant to impress newcomers but, as Reese said, it is a bit much for a single individual and in my opinion was too rich (lemon juice, powdered sugar AND syrup? C'mon). We decided to share both dishes as the Baby takes a little less than a half hour so when my eggs benedict came out first I "voluntarily" shared it.

She said: I really liked this place. Everyone's dishes looked delicious, and made me want to go back. We shared the famous Dutch Baby pancake and eggs benedict (see review below), and I was more than full and happy. It's a very unassuming restaurant tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, but it's a little gem.

Price: $$

Ambiance: Family-friendly, cool

Good for: groups, brunch, families, friends, post-party hangover relief

Would we go again?: Heck yes

Date visited: 1/1/2011 (Saturday)

Special notes: Outdoor patio available.

Restaurant website: http://www.plumscafe.com/index.htm

Our order: Their famous Dutch Baby- This is a deep dish pancake with lemon and powdered sugar. It was pretty stinkin' delicious, but I probably wouldn't get it again, unless I was taking someone here for their first time. It's huge and rich and tasty (a la Kobe Bryant; sorry Kev), but it's just a lot to take in for breakfast. But as we went here the day after New Year's Eve, we were looking for something greasy and unhealthy. It's a fun order to share with people, but definitely not to order on your own. Unless you're Kevin. This also takes about 25 minutes for them to make, so either place your order the second that you arrive, or order something else to tide you over.

We also shared their eggs benedict, which was muy delicioso.

Old Vine Cafe- Costa Mesa, CA

Overall Rating: 4.5

He said: 5-Despite our unwritten rule about not visiting the same restaurant twice I have advocated revisiting this place multiple times - the perfect balance between a hearty & filling meal contrasted with a complexity of flavor that is difficult to replicate. My omelet Espana was a little different than what I expected (with the healthy vegetables and what-not) but was delightfully surprised and summarily vacated my plate. Playing clean-up on Reese's Italian Quiche was the cherry on-top as she eats like a 6 year-old and never finishes her meal. Knowing what sort of work they put into their breakfast we HAVE to get back for lunch and/or dinner another time.

She said:  4-One of our favorite hidden gems, this place is g-r-e-a-t. The ambiance is so so wonderful, and makes you feel so at ease. The staff is warm and not all up in yo grill. We sat at the bar stools at the front of the restaurant, making it outdoor/indoor seating, and loved it. I loved the creative menus, and the fact that you were given your own carafe of water at your table (pictured below). I ordered the quiche and coffee, both of which were perfect (see review below). I've recommended this place to multiple people, and will definitely be back.

Price: $$

Ambiance: Casual, quiet, relaxing

Good for: All ages; small restaurant- not good for large groups. Impressing your friends with your knowledge of restaurants that can't be seen from the street.

Would we go again?: Heck yes

Date visited: 1/23/2011 (Saturday)

Special notes: Management had set out a flier for a five-course "dining experience" that sounded excellent after having experienced their bfast so I suspect they do specials every now and again. They also have a tasting menu and pretty extensive wine list. We'll be baahck.

Restaurant website: http://www.oldvinecafe.com/

Chariese's order (pictured above): Italian Quiche (Italian sausage and gouda cheese). I really liked this, and even though it looks small, it's very filling (Kevin happily scarfed down my left overs). The crust was perfectly flaky, and the sausage and cheese were a perfect combo. The side of potatoes and dried fruit really complimented the cheesy and meaty quiche. I probably wouldn't order this for breakfast again (it was a little heavy {not true} for my preferred fruit and oatmeal breakfast), but I had zero complaints. The coffee came with a little nummy cookie which was delicious.

Kevin's order: Omelet España (Prosciutto, Artichoke, Red Bell Peppers, Mushrooms & Fresh Manchego Cheese) - LOTS of food that you can either scarf or take your time to analyze and appreciate. Our selections were both fail-safes but expect that other selections are just as delicious as our pre-ordering intelligence gathering produced some tasty sights.

La Galette Creperie - San Clemente, CA

Overall Rating: 4

He said: 4- High on taste and low on quantity: you're definitely not going to walk away stuffed but if you take your time with this meal you will be satiated nonetheless. I regret the "Sunday Brunch" selection and would have preferred the bacon & egg option but her berry crepe was BITCHIN'!

She said: 4- must-go if you're in the area. So delicious and so cute. Get the berry crepe!!

Price: $$

Ambiance: Casual, beautiful ocean front views, small and cozy

Good for: All ages; small restaurant- not good for large groups

Would we go again?: Heck yes

Date visited: 2/21/2011 (Monday, holiday)

Special notes: Cash only, but there is an ATM two doors down

Restaurant website: http://www.lagalettecreperie.com/index.php

Outdoor ocean front dining (there is also indoor seating).

Chariese's order: Berry Crepe with creme fraiche and a latte

OMGSOINLOVE.  This is hands-down the best crepe that I've ever had, Kevin agreed. The creme fraiche that filled the crepe, blended so well with the fresh berries. And with my mouth. I was so sad to finish. Next time, I'm not sharing with Kevin and his huge bites. Sorry bout it. Latte was good, nothing too extraordinary.

Kevin's order: The Sunday Brunch (smoked salmon-filled crepe with a dill creme and red onion), a latte and coffee.

Kevin's a meat-eater, and calls any meal that lacks meat, "rabbit food". Even with this, he still enjoyed my GurLy CrEpE to his fishy one. Although it was tasty, it paled in comparison.