Broken Yolk Cafe

Article first published as Restaurant Review (San Diego): Broken Yolk Cafe on Blogcritics.

While in San Diego for the NASPA Regional Conference, Virginia and I stopped by the Broken Yolk Cafe for some brunch. This was a place on Man vs Food and has a massive egg challenge, not something I was going to try two hours before winning an award but maybe next time. Instead I came in to try some Mexican breakfast food since it is a staple in San Diego. From the outside the Broken Yolk looked like a standard diner and sort of small but wow was I wrong. It was actually really modern looking with some nice flat screen televisions and it went back far enough to seat a decent number of people. I ordered a coffee and some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (hoping that it was a decent amount of juice for cost) and perused the menu. After a few reads I was torn between a few options so in regular fashion I asked my server for his breakfast recommendations. He rattled off a few options but told me that by far his favorite was the chilaquiles. I went with his recommendation and ordered them with the red sauce (I am not really a fan of green sauce, I don't know why but I am slowly realizing that I have a distaste for anything "chile verde").

The juice and coffee came out and I was instantly pleased.Why you ask? Because the grapefruit juice was actually served in an adult sized glass. It is really annoying to spend 4-6 dollars on juice and get the same or less in actually ounces. Here I got probably twelve ounces of juice for 5 bucks which is enough to get me through the whole meal. Other breakfast places can take notes from this, please save your child size glasses for children and serve me enough juice for more than one gulp!

After a short wait my chilaquiles arrived in all their glory. So what are chilaquiles? Well, you start with crispy fried quartered tortillas and top them with sauce (As previously discussed, I chose red). Next you cover them with melted cheese and sour cream. For breakfast eggs can be added and I opted for my over medium fried and it all goes on a plate next to some refried beans. How can you go wrong with that! Well, I imagine you can but this place definitely did not.

Everything about this dish made me happy. The tortillas were crispy on the outside of the plate but soaked in sauce on the inside. The cheese was melted perfectly and the red sauce was tangy and spicy. I great wake up call after the early morning and the two hour drive in traffic, though the constant refiling of my rarely consumed coffee by out attentive waiter probably influenced this comment a bit. And oh the eggs. For those of you who have read other posts I am very critical of my eggs, probably more so than my steak and burgers. Not sure why but it is what it is. When I say over medium it means that the yolk should still run but it should be viscous like molasses and these eggs were just that. When I cut it the yolk coated the knife and fork and did the same for the tortillas. They added the unctuousness the dish sorely needed as eggs are supposed to do. Mixed into the tortilla side of the plate they made this dish something I would come back to again and again.

While the beans were pretty much a throwaway, I was really happy with this recommendation and told the waiter just that. It is always nice to go to a restaurant where the wait staff take pride in the food and can really guide you towards good choices. I am always a little nervous when I go to a MvF place and try something he didn't eat but the Broken Yolk Cafe did not disappoint. Next time you are in San Diego check it out they serve tons of omelets as well and don't forget, adult sized fruit juices!

Overall Review: 7/10

Check out the Broken Yolk Cafe here (Apparently you can open a franchise if you have some money)

Parc Restaurant Bistro & Cafe

This a shorter review of Parc Restaurant in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. I swung by this place after eating my fill of Turducken and since only the mashed potatoes for on the list I figured I could find a place for them in my stomach. When I walked in I was surprised by how big the restaurant was. It looked like a corner bistro from the outside but the inside was huge. Since I was alone and not overly hungry, I sat at the bar and ordered a beer. I asked the bartender if I could get the mashed potatoes and though a little odd to just order a side dish, he asked in the back and the mashed potatoes that are usually for dinner were ready. Score! After ordering I headed to the restroom which I wouldn't usually talk about but the decor was very interesting. Basically, it was a showcase of picture of naked women from years past. I guess it's a French restaurant thing, but I wonder what the women's restroom looked like.

The bartender asked if I wanted to have some bread with my potatoes and though I did not need it of course I said yes anyway. Thank god I did because the bread was fresh and delicious. I got a few different kinds in my basket, a raisin, a white, and a focaccia. The bread was hot and chewy with my favorite being the raisin with a touch of butter. I actually think I liked the bread more than the potatoes but that's not to say the potatoes were good also.

Delicious creamy potatoes!

As you can see to the right, the mashed potatoes or the Pomme Puree came out freshly made with a little chive on the top. These potatoes were everything you could want in a traditional mashed potato dish. The skins were off and they were pureed to a creamy texture. Lightly salted and made with what I am sure was heavy cream they were quite delectable. The chives were a great addition and added a slightly different flavor and texture to a dish that could have been a bit monotonous. I really enjoyed the Pomme Puree and would come back to get it again when back in Philly.

Parc is a very nice restaurant with some enticing dishes on the menu. Definitely a place I will come back to for a complete meal. The pomme puree was really good, some of the best traditional mashed potatoes I've had. Personally, I like them with the skins on and some cheese but I guess I am not a purest. Oh well. I am giving them a lower score because I really need to go here for a full meal but for a single appetizer still think it was a success. Check out Parc the next time you are in town.

Overall Review: 6/10

Find Parc Restaurant, Bistro & Cafe online here