I Eat Nueve Out of Seven Days a Week

Wow ... literally months now since my last post, like, wow.  Anyone still there? Of Course You Are! HI EVERYONE! Don't think I have forgotten about my blog I just simply turned out to be less active during the Summer which is when I thought I would be most active ... Oh well, I am here now and have been saving up so much quality information and food to share with you all for the next many more months to come.

Aside from being with my parents and not having to work or study or do anything like that, one of the best things about being home for Summer, as many students will agree, is being able to eat out at restaurants with parents.  Not only do my parents pay (I THANK THEM FOR TAKING ME TO FOOD SO MUCH), but they are both very adventurous when it comes to food and when we go to a new place, we usually like to try a little bit of everything... remember my post "Rolls on Rolls on Rolls" - oh yea! And since I am who I am, I was perpetually hungry throughout Summer and was always ready to eat more food.

That was me not too long ago

Anyway, so one of the places I went to was a new Mexican Restaurant that opened up back in the bay in San Bruno on 851 Cherry Ave. that has managed to turn Latin Cuisine into an exciting adventure through their various menus depending on your choice of dining during breakfast, lunch, or dinner hours. 

Me Too Ed, Me Too

My mom and I went to lunch and absolutely fell in love with it's deliciousness and I insisted we come back to try their breakfast and dinner menus on other days.

So although we ate lunch first and then came back for breakfast and then dinner another day, I'll write about the meals in the order they TYPICALLY go in an American day.

BREAKFAST

Somehow, I managed to convince my whole family to go to brunch after nagging them and it was AMAZING - I think their breakfast menu may very well be my favorite of their menus. Let's start

Huevos Divorciados ("Divorced Eggs" lol)

Basically it is as if two separate over-easy eggs decided to get a divorce but still had to share their plate together as they figure out their lives.  Honestly, I hope they realize their divorce is a mistake because together the eggs in chile verde and the eggs in the tomatillo sauce when mixed together and topped with some twice-cooked beans your mouth is surprisingly not overwhelmed but rather welcomed to a good mixture of flavor, spice, and bang!

Carnitas Hash

This was my plate and was recommended by our waiter, I was not disappointed.   Eggs, carnitas, tomatillo sauce, and carnitas con rajas are served atop a shallow bowl of tasty black beans that combine with just the right flavors mixing.  Carnitas can oftentimes be unnecessarily mushy and wet but these carnitas are cooked and served to a perfect crisp and moisture with great flavor and spice in this dish.

Chilaquiles

A classic dish that is no stranger to Latin Cuisine especially on a Mexican Breakfast Menu.  Really enjoyed this plate since the chips were slightly crunchy and not mushy as some restaurants have the tendency to drown them in sauce and ends up turning it into nothing but salsa.  With the eggs and beans the combination of the three in this dish have every texture and flavor one needs to satisfy the palette.

Horchata Pancakes

OH. MY. LORD. Not trying to impose a religion on you all but this dish was an outer body experience that took me to heaven, slapped me silly, and sent me straight back to finish up what goodness I had started.  Fluffy, drizzled with caramel, and topped with freshly glazed bananas these pancakes not only melt in your mouth but send your taste buds on a roller coaster of sweet blissful greatness. THE BEST DISH OFFERED AT NUEVE

LUNCH

oh yes, there's more

Carne Asada Torta

Oaxaca, Roasted Bell Peppers, Caramelized Onions, Chipotle Aoli, Carne Asada.  The torta buns are grilled to toasty perfection being crispy on the outside and fluffy enough on the inside to hold together all this banging flavor.  The meat is cooked just right and the combination of bell peppers and onions is accentuated with the chipotle aioli as opposed to simply being roasted vegetable atop some slabs of meat, it is much more than that.

Hamburguesa Torta ("Hamburger Sandwich" basically)

This badass piece of art is the hamburger sandwich to shut down all hamburger sandwiches everywhere.  Chorizo, Queso Fresco, Mole Poblano, Red Onions, Cilantro, Pickled Jalapenos, Avocado Slaw, a Crispy Onion, and Chipotle Aioli fill crispy buns with flavor, spice, and crunch - enough to fill your mouth with juicy tender meat, roasted flavors, and sweet spicy goodness.

Nueve Fries

Go back to those two lunch dishes and you will find the best fries I have had in my entire life.  I know I sound dramatic when I describe food sometimes, but just sit there, read, and understand what made these fries better than the grease served up in other places.  These fries are layered with jalapeno jelly, topped with cilantro, and then graced by delicious cotija cheese.  The fries are sweet and savory, but a type of sweetness where we could not quite figure out how they could taste glazed to perfection and were delightfully pleased to hear about the jalapeno jelly. Crispy. Sweet. Savory.

DINNER

Last, but DEFINITELY Not Least

Horchata

Kickin' the dinner menu off nice and easy with something that has to be shared.  Now that you read about the Horchata Pancakes, you can now rest peacefully knowing they DO serve normal Horchata not in bread-form and they DO serve delicious Horchata - Mexican Approved

Queso Fundido

In my mind, Queso Fundido is the unsung hero of Mexican Appetizers; most people understand simple Chips & Salsa as being what people eat before a meal, but Queso Fundido (melted cheese) can be much more satisfying, and is definitely necessarily satisfying at Nueve as the chefs mix the Queso with mushrooms, chorizo, poblano peppers and served with fresh flour tortillas for you to spread the melted cheese over and devour allowing the savory melted cheese to ooze in your mouth.

Spicy Camarones al Ajillo

Test your taste buds with this dish and see just how much you enjoy spicy food.  To me, spicy food is nothing if it does not have flavor.  The Spicy Camarones al Ajillo are served with Guajillo chili and garlic pan roasted prawns with cilantro rice kicking your taste buds right where they can feel it but packing them as well with so much spice and absolute flavor that you will not forget just how good spicy goodness can taste without having to absolutely destroy your taste buds.  Spicy food can be savory and tasty, not murderous and vengeful.

My goal in the beginning of the Summer after having lunch at NUEVE was simply to try the breakfast and dinner menus at the location.  Maybe it was just because of the unknown of what this tasty place had to offer.  But I think that it is because I was so satisfied that lunch session with those sweet crispy fries that I needed more.  

We were surprised and impressed with the Horchata Pancakes the following weekend, and pleased with the dining we had a few days later for dinner making NUEVE a Latin Cuisine spot we frequent.  Now that I am back in San Diego, it is hard to write about this place as this is back home and even though we are SO CLOSE to Mexico, I have yet to find Horchata Pancakes.  Perhaps I'll bring them down here, but either way, I will definitely be returning soon

I Pledge Allegiance, to the Pies, and All Things Just as Good

It's Summer!

And I am finally back to my blog and finally have free time!

Now what is it that I am going to first write about in my Summer Collection of blog posts? Well, if you know me at all or have noticed a trend in what is I especially like to post about (or if you just so happened to already read the title of this post) then you will know what this is going to be all about...

FOOD!

So Let's Begin...

Yes indeed, this post is about PIES! More specifically though, Republic of Pie, an awesome coffee shop in North Hollywood with So Much Amazingness all concentrated in one area.

On Magnolia Blvd in North Hollywood, CA is quaint but cool cafe carrying a very relaxed and respectable atmosphere filled with scents of fresh coffee and nothing but sweet pastries as the first things you see when you walk through the door.  After you order in the front some coffee, pastries, slices of PIE, or some hearty and delicious breakfast options, you can go ahead and head to the back of the coffee shop and pull yourself a seat.  They have a wide assortment of couches, seats, stools, tables, benches, and other comfortable spaces where you can just have your meal, a cup of coffee, a sweet slice of pie and either have a good conversation with a friend, read a book, or get some work done. 

Similarly to Young Hickory which I wrote about a while ago, this coffee shop has a great atmosphere to it all and although I don't live in the area, if I did, I would definitely spend a lot of time here reading, writing, hanging out, or just indulging myself in delicious pieces of pie.

So by now you're probably DONE with me only mentioning all the delicious food here and not showing you what it looks like, so let me show you what this place is all about.

So as I mentioned before, once you walk in you will see all the savory pastries they have to offer especially since you have to walk past the earlier customers sitting at a the few couches they have in the front and refrain from drooling over them as you see the sweets they had already started enjoying.

To the right is the counter displaying Nutella Turnovers, Almond Danishes, Jam & Cheese Danishes, Apple Turnovers, a Variety of Croissants, Lemon Bars, Macarons, Coconut Bars, Lemon Tarts,  and SO MUCH PIE!

Peach, Apple, Strawberry Rhubard, Marion Berry, Chocolate Cream, Espresso Almond, Chocolate Banana Cream, Key Lime, Cookies & Cream, Banana Cream, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Coconut Cream, Pecan, Pumpkin, and SO MUCH MORE!

And just in case you don't wanna feel TOO guilty starting off your day with something sweet, you can kick off your day with some delicious breakfast plates such as these...

 But please make sure to grab a cup of coffee too because this stuff is good, their drip is fresh and tasty and their specialty drinks are so savory.  And just LOOK AT THEIR LATTE ART!

I went with my sister and because we didn't want to feel like we were just starting off with something sweet, I ordered the GRILLED BREAKFAST WRAP which had egg, bacon, mozzarella, potato, avocado, pico de gallo, and jack sauce... Seriously, this was Delicious!

My sister took the higher road though and ordered the yogurt with fruit and granola which was very tasty too and not absurdly creamy or tart

BUT OF COURSE WE GOT A SLICE OF PIE ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!

The two of us after having our individual breakfast plates shared a slice of ooey gooey creamy whipped Cookies & Cream Pie and I say unto you we indulged in such a delectable piece of heaven, And. It. Was. Good.

2.4 seconds later of nothing but me looking like this gif

BOOM

The next time I was in the area my sister and I tried to convince my mom for us to go there again but noooooo we figured it would be good to explore another breakfast place.  Although I was initially bummed because, I mean come on you saw the pies, the other place turned out to be pretty good.  But back to Republic of Pie, if you are in the area, or even just somewhere in LA and willing to make the drive to North Hollywood despite LA traffic, do it! Or if maybe you live in the area and need a study spot or just some good pie go ahead and make your day with some delicious pie.  Maybe you could even bring a book and just kind of listen to the sounds of a real coffee shop.

I miss this place and I miss the coffee shops I came to love in San Diego I can't go to right now during the Summer so hopefully next time I come back to the blog I will have a coffee shop similar to this one I can go to near home

Ugh, me too

The Belgium of College Apartments

Why does the breakfast champions always have to be something healthy?

I think that a real 'breakfast of champions' is anything that makes you feel really good in the morning.  Like for instance, I just got a waffle maker for my upcoming year in my new apartment and I AM BEYOND EXCITED to start making waffles every morning with chocolate chips, bananas, pecans, bacon, and a whole bunch of other mixtures (but not all at the same time)

(me everyday at our apartment this coming year)

But i mean seriously, who does not like Belgian Waffles?  They're fluffy and delicious and oh so filling I just can never get enough of them.  And if you ever come to crave a more traditional breakfast with eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns or whatever, boy have I got an innovation for you haha.  Over the summer my friends and I used a belgian waffle maker at another home and cracked an egg inside, let it cook for a bit, and it turned out surprisingly good! Don't believe me, TRY IT!  The eggs were really fluffy and and fun to eat so I will most likely be doing it again. 

BUT, that is not what we got the waffle maker for so I will definitely be making regular waffles and not "waffl-eggs" (as we dubbed the 'waffle maker eggs').  I am gonna need some restraint this year because I am gonna cut loose with that waffle maker and have waffles so much! 

OH! and I forgot to mention the best part! It isn't like those typical belgian waffle makers where you lift the thing, pour in the mixture, and then close it... Ok it is for the most part like that, but the one we got is more like the ones at the Marriott Hotels where you flip the maker thing and then let it sit... Just look at the pictures and let me know if you get the gist of it

Cool huh? I can't wait, It is going to be incredible and I cannot get over it!

Also! I should mention that I have been learning a lot of my mom's recipes because it is gonna be real important that I know how to fend for myself in the scary world that is college (without a mother's cooking) and let's be real, although waffles are awesome, I am gonna need some regular food too.