This morning after a lovely Crystal Cove run, I was looking forward to trying breakfast at Laguna Beach’s K’ya as I thought I’d seen an announcement about its enviable summer return. K’ya produced one of the finest breakfasts in town but shut it down, much to my dismay, mid-winter this last year.
As it turns out, the breakfast is hosted at Kya’s sister restaurant – likely the most popular summer perch in all of Laguna Beach – The Rooftop. Serving up breakfast from 9 – 11:30 on weekends, I’m sure it’s as fabulous as Kya’s breakfast inventions as Chef Craig is at the helm for both restaurants. But hitting this weekend breakfast joint as a “single” just didn’t ring my bell today.
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Given that I was already in the thick of it, I opted against one of my Laguna breakfast favorites on the south side of town – Coyote Grill – and headed, instead, to Anastasia’s Restaurant downtown. I love Anastasia’s, even when it’s packed to the gills as it was today. I’ve written in more detail about Anastasia’s breakfasts here, but wanted to mention their newest 3 Off-Menu Specials that are racking up serious popularity points. You simply must get in and try these.
Usually you’re faced with making a decision between Anastasia’s sublime poached eggs, innovative omelet fillings, and that deadly caramel-drenched tower of French toast. Now, it’s more torture with these three “trial” additions …
Machaca – scrambled eggs with super lean, shredded beef, diced onions, peppers and chilies.
Eggs Benedict – a poached egg bathed in a rich benedict sauce, but perched this time on a bed of Italian sausage and crisp hash browns.
Chorizo & Eggs – my personal favorite, this dish offers a spectacular blend of eggs scrambled with Anastasia’s own family chorizo recipe – it’s super light, lean, non-greasy and missing some those animal parts you’d rather not know were in regular Chorizo. Then, they fold in onions, red bell peppers, cilantro, chunks of potatoes, and top it with feta cheese, avocado and a dollop of sour cream.
Sheer heaven. I’ve had this dish twice and have managed to tackle about one-third of the heaping serving before giving up and boxing the rest. It serves up quite beautifully as a leftover, I assure you.
Kiko, Anastasia’s unflappable greeter, order taker, cashier and drinks king has worked at Anastasia’s nearly as long as the chairs and tables have. He says all three Off-Menu breakfast “trials” are selling off the charts and, though neck-and-neck in sales, the Chorizo dish has a slight lead.
Let’s hope Anastasia’s makes all three of these gourmet breakfast additions a permanent part of their menu.
Pass this blog post along to friends, and make plans for breakfast soon!
©Diane Armitage, www.LagunaBeachBest.com