Antoine's Cafe -- Breakfast? Anyone?

Antoine's Cafe
218 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 492-1763
www.san-clemente-beaches.com/AntoinesCafe.html

Antoine's Cafe is definitely vibrant on the weekends. People were waiting on the benches and chairs outside ranging from bikers to military personnel from nearby San Onofre/Camp Pendleton. There is a slight wait, no more than 15 minutes, but be sure to step inside and put your name down on the waiting list. Inside the cafe, a cozy but bustling dining room offers booths as well as tables and counter seating, while outside, plastic chairs and tables are available for those who enjoy fresh air and/or are accompanied by their furry companions.

So, eating breakfast, out, two days in a row -- not something I ordinarily do unless I'm on vacation, but yes, the breakfast fan -- my other half -- didn't get to brunch at Plum's Cafe yesterday so this was his consolation prize this weekend. After the eggs Benedict yesterday, I felt like I shouldn't order the same thing again, but was glad my husband did -- and no, I did not have to twist his arm either. I had my eye on the highly recommended fish tacos. Our little man choose French toast, homemade sausage patties and a fried egg.

Our server started off in an abrupt manner. Initially, we troubled her because the coffee cup was dirty -- there was some green residue on the rim. then, a knife had some sticky stuff on it and a fork had butter stuck to the handle. When I requested clean silverware, she grabbed them off the table and then brought some back without saying a word. I was feeling like maybe I'd made a bad choice about eating here. I'm not one who enjoys a leisurely Sunday morning to turn south before my food even hits the table. Then I started to worry -- "what if the food wasn't up to par?" But those thoughts were quickly quashed when we started eating.

My fish taco plate had 3 tacos with generous chunks of albacore tuna, avocado, a sprinkling of some cooked peppers and onions and a hefty topping of cilantro and salsa. They bring you additional salsa in a small cup should you feel you require more. Every ingredient, from the fish to the avocado was very fresh. I only wished they had a spicier sauce, a salsa roja, perhaps, to complete these tasty tacos. Still, for a non-Mexican place, these were pretty good. If you don't like cilantro or raw red onions, let them know, because they REALLY pile it on here. I, on the other hand, love it -- the more the better.

I guess I shouldn't have tasted the eggs Benedict because right after, I immediately regretted not ordering it. The English muffin was toasted to a crispness I'd never experienced before. It was just amazing because when you get a mouthful of the muffin together with a piece of the ham (sorry, no Canadian bacon here either) and a morsel of the poached egg, the textural sensation is just incredible. Don't get me wrong ... I was thoroughly enjoying my tacos, but the Benedict was just THAT much better. Also, if you like sausage, don't miss out on the homemade sausage patties -- they were fantastic, perfectly seasoned and not greasy.

By the end of our meal, our server warmed up and even stopped by to check on us, but even so, I had ask for a refill on my water. She brought the check out pretty quickly though -- that's a plus ... no? Reasonable prices and I'd have to say, I'll take these eggs Benedict over Plum's Cafe, hands down!

Plums Cafe -- pickins to start your day with

Plum's Cafe
369 E 17th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(714) 722-7586
www.plumscafe.com

My husband and friends all love going out for breakfast. Me? Not so much. I'm not a big breakfast person -- Western breakfast that is. Asian breakfast, on the other hand, I love. I always figure, why pay exorbitant prices for something I can whip up at home right? However, I'm no party pooper when my friends are in the brunching mood especially to a place I've never been before.

Plums Cafe is absolutely delightful in terms of decor. It reminded me of cafes in Sydney where the use of natural colors makes you feel like you're enveloped in eco-friendly surroundings. Does that make sense? The main dining area is round while the adjoining area is sort of rectangular. I guess its kind of like an exclamation mark stuck together. Our server was simply charming. Not only was he full of smiles, accommodating, but he was cute too. That's always a plus right?

The menu was creative, yet not complicated with too many choices. But with that in mind, it was laden with enough appealing items for me to become very indecisive. Usually, when my husband is eating with us, I can coerce him into ordering something else I wish to try, but since I was with my friends, I didn't want to seem overbearing about it. Turned out, our other friends were late so we started with some feta and chive popovers while we waited. They reminded me of light versions of Yorkshire pudding, but not as good. I could barely detect the feta and they were too dry. It would've been better had there been a chunk or two of feta tucked between the popover giving a soft contrasting texture to the puffed dough.

Everyone ended up ordering smoked salmon hash except me. I got the eggs Benedict. They do the Benedict a little different here -- baguette instead of English muffin, chipotle-cilantro Hollandaise instead of regular Hollandaise and peppered ham took the place of Canadian bacon. I thought the eggs Benedict were good, but it didn't blow me away. The rosemary potatoes accompanying the eggs Benedict were outstanding though and I don't even like potatoes unless they're French fries.

Unfortunately, I wasn't keen on the smoked salmon hash, but then again, I don't like cooked salmon much. I find the texture very unpleasant. The other thing I'm not fond of is homestyle potatoes and that's what they use instead of hash.

Apple honey sausages were cute and small, but at a buck and a quarter a pop, it was very pricey and on the sweet side for me. I'm glad we ordered the Oregon peppered bacon (also immensely pricey at $1.25 each) because it was definitely some tasty bacon!

Plums Cafe is a great place for brunch, and if you're a breakfast kinda guy or gal then you'll love it. I thought it was on the pricey side as most specialty dishes average around $15. If you add a side or two, a drink, your final tab with tip included can easily lurk around the $30 mark per person. Not a place to indulge in on a weekly basis, but when you do get a chance to visit, you'll be glad you did. I sure was!!