This Sunday, on recommendations from friends, I decided to drop into GG’s Italian Mediterranean Bistro for breakfast.
For more than 9 years, this husband/wife team has managed to keep the life in the main level of this 540 South Coast Highway complex. The House of Big Fish Restaurant sits above GG’s Bistro on the 2nd floor above them, proving the second of two anchors in this complex that seem to endure no matter what the economy.
GG’s Bistro is the “yang” to the House of Big Fish’s “yang.” GG’s actually splits its restaurant between a lovely inhouse dining and bar establishment tucked in the corner, and an upfront patio dining experience for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Undoubtedly, you will find one, if not both of the Gundogur owners here – Francesko is the official greeter and backup server while Rogip mans the restaurant and bar, and helps out in the kitchen when needed.
The GG’s Bistro breakfast menu is served just on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. As menus go, it’s not hugely different in descriptive than many breakfast menus – bagels, omelets, French toast, basted eggs, hashbrowns. But what shows up is quite the delectable treat. The ingredients are super fresh, the eggs are whipped light beyond belief and the hashbrowns are officially the Eighth Deadly Sin. They are buttery, rich and crisped just perfectly.
Order Turkish coffee or “regular” coffee, and you still receive a fresh, strong brew that’s more reminiscent of a European cafe. And, really, this is what GG’s Bistro feels like. The servers are unhurried and they have no intention of bustling you along. The music overhead is a mix of light classical and Parisian. The diners tend to be European themselves, and they sip and sun and talk world news in their lovely accents. Had it not been for the lazy Sunday traffic passing by on PCH below me, I would have thought I’d landed in a sidewalk cafe on the other side of the Atlantic.
GG’s Bistro is a beautiful way to greet your Sunday, especially when you’re worn out from the rush of your week. Assuredly, it will be a regular stop for me!