Today I was feeling like ENGLISH BREAKFAST. I know it's missing a few things (tomatoes, black pudding, crumpets...), but I just LOVE having brats for my bangers, and it's not always a luxury I can afford.
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Now, you know how much I love diners. Today I tried Brawley's, a little diner that's just across the street from my new work place. Can't say anything bad about them, actually! The staff was friendly and very efficient, the place swarming with business, yet you didn't feel forgotten in the mix. Everything was open, so you could chatter with neighbors, and there was a nice mix of festive decor on the walls (simple streamers and spiders everywhere, but not kitschy or cheap-looking at all), and an intriguing Warner Bros. cartoon painting on the opposite wall that I want to study further in the future.
The menu was a good standard, a long double-sided menu with breakfast classics on one side and lunch on the other, laminated and at the ready. The coffee was good, and the wait staff ASKED before topping off my mug, which is a huge pet peeve of mine (I have a color ratio to maintain, and if I can get the right color of cream and it still tastes like COFFEE, we have a winner), so passing with flying colors. Not only did they have "Brawley's Benny", a standard eggs benedict, there was also the 'vegetarian option' (which is a spinach and tomato variation, much like the Florentine at the Good Egg), and a Mexican version, made with chorizo and green chile, which was tempting. The hash was crispy and not too overly portioned, and there was a good variety of waffle and pancake options. And my club was on the lunch menu, so I'm going to try and go back on Saturday after work and give that a try. Now that I don't have a car to hit Jerry Bob's anymore, this might be my new diner, and I'm very pleased! Nothing quite matches a lazy breakfast/brunch in a favorite spot. 10/17 Brunch con mis abuelos, a "midnight sandwich" for me (a traditional Cuban sandwich: sweet bread, pork, ham, pickles, onions...), and omelettes for them. Apparently my uncle is a regular here, they had to show me off, heh. Cuban food is another thing ridiculously rare in Tucson, so I was very happy to get more of that sweetbread-pork combo going on! It was nicely fried for a crunchy crust, sweet pork with the bite of pickles and onions... Mmmf. If you haven't had a proper Cuban, you are missing out. Definitely worth sharing, I'm so glad they took me here! Might have to come back...
Och... It is so damn good to be home. I'm visiting family in Orlando, FL (staying with my mother's parents, actually) for my brother's wedding this weekend, and GOODNESS GRACIOUS do I miss Puerto Rican food! My mother is Puerto Rican, and nothing hits comfort food like abuela's cooking. "Bisteque y cebolla", steak and onions, with rice and beans. I don't know what my grandmother makes her beands with, but god damn, I swear they're made with love and crack. And of course, India Kola's Champagne Cola. I mean... Yeah, the Jamaican stuff will scratch the itch, but nothing hits the spot like the real stuff. I love my abuela so damn much, you guys. It's so damn good to be home again. The more displaced I am, the more my heart aches for stuff like this.
So... Interesting fact about my new workplace. There are, I shit you not, three different 'Mexican' food joints on the same damn corner. Jason's deli is more of an a la carte, street food and drive thru place (they have THE BEST Sonoran dogs in town, I swear to god), El Molinito, more of a sit-down Mexican restaurant, and then... There's Nico's. It is a different kind of street food, and I swear, these guys sat down and checked each other's menu to make sure there is something for everyone: Margaritas at Molinito, Sonorans at Jason's... But the fish tacos are at Nico's.
And boy howdy, are they good. I was just in that mood for some fish tacos, and these were amazing. The cod was nice and crispy, flaky without being greasy, the pico just a good rush of flavor without overpowering the cabbage giving it a good crunch and keeping it crisp. I devoured these things, man. And I felt so damn good after. Definitely one to try! Very fresh and very tasty. So... For years, I've heard really good things about Miss Saigon (the restaurant, not the musical), and it's been winning the Best of Tucson for Vietnamese food, and there is no doubt why!
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Brunch w/ BlakeHalf-boricuan, half-corn fed Indiana hick. Stir in a taste of the southwest and serve in LA, on the rocks. #BrunchWithBlake #FoodPorn #LAFoodie Archives
July 2021
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