Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Mogan's Cafe: apparently the only breakfast place in the Palisades

After surfing Topanga in the morning, we went in search of breakfast. Pacific Palisades is right on my route back home. It's an affluent neighborhood that is sandwiched between the ocean, Brentwood and Santa Monica. Even though I've lived in the Westside for about a decade, I've never hung out in the Palisades so I didn't know of any restaurants in the area. After hopping on Yelp, Mogan's Cafe popped up on the top of the list. Looks good to me, as long as they have alcohol.. which they did..

Mogan's Cafe is a casual, locals spot. They have a cafe area where you can order coffee and a pastry, sit down at one of their tables, take advantage of their free WiFi, read a newspaper or play chess.

If you prefer to dine there, you can ask to be seated on their outdoor patio with heat lamps.

We got there at 9.30am and their menu offered both breakfast and lunch items. Apparently they also have a fiesta buffet brunch on Saturdays. Unfortunately we didn't see the flyer until after we were done eating. Their menu includes omelets, salads, sandwiches and burgers. I was tempted by the wild mushroom burger with caramelized onion ragout but couldn't bring myself to eat something that heavy that early.

Thankfully they had mimosas. A big pour too.

Once again, I had to try the croissant and I really enjoyed it. The outside wasn't too flaky but I'll overlook that because the croissant was buttery inside.

Cinnamon swirl french toast with fresh berries and whipped cream
The bread was soft and nicely grilled. With all the berries and whipped cream, you really didn't need to add on butter or syrup (if you we trying to be healthy). I appreciated the abundance of fruits- some places always skimp on that.

Hot brisket sandwich, slow roasted brisket with onions, apple juice, cucumber, red onion and herbs, sliced thin with caramelized onions and roasted garlic mayo served on toasted sourdough
The meat looked dry but it was in fact tender and flavorful. It was a bit challenging to dip the sammy in the au jus like you would a french dip, because the bottom toast was already getting soaked with brisket juices. This was more of a knife and fork affair. I really liked the sweet potato fries because they weren't greasy.

The next day, we headed out for a surf again. Our intention was to find another breakfast spot in the Palisades but there weren't many options. The only other option was The Village Pantry but it didn't seem to get good reviews on Yelp. It's interesting that a residential, family concentrated neighborhood such as the Palisades would have so few breakfast options. So, off to Mogan's we went. Again.

Station 23- spicy chicken, cilantro pesto, pico de gallo and sour cream
I thought this omelet was unique. I mean, it's not often that you find spicy chicken and cilantro pesto.

Big Daddy Gaddy 2+2+2 - 2 eggs, 2 french toast, 2 bacon
This actually came with pancakes but I substituted with french toast for an additional $1. I just can't get enough of french toasts. I'm not a big fan of home fries because they are so starchy, hash browns would have been so much better.

Because we inhaled the sweet potato fries the day before, we had to order a side of this. It was just as good as the one we had the day before.

Seeing that I'll be surfing Topanga more often these days since my move to Brentwood, I'm glad we found Mogan's Cafe. It's a casual breakfast/brunch spot that has an extensive menu that can satiate most cravings. I ordered the croissant again on the second day and was not disappointed. I thought the prices were also reasonable given that we were in a posh neighborhood. This seemed to be a popular hangout for the locals. The patio was packed with the after-church Sunday crowd. If all the locals rave about it, I think we definitely picked the right spot.

Hits: sweet potato fries, croissant, french toast
Misses: really no other breakfast option
Rating: ***

Mogan's Cafe
548 Palisades Dr.,
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
(310) 454-0040
http://www.moganscafe.com/

6 comments:

Diana said...

I loooove French toast too! My favorites are from the Griddle, Square One and Canele. Mmm dessert for breakfast... ;)

betty said...

You have to try Cafe Vida. I don't think they have alcohol, but it is SO good. Yummy and healthy food.

15317 Antioch St
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

PS there are a bunch of other Palisades restaurants right around there on Sunset, and also on Swarthmore (cross-street).

Oooh how I love the Palisades!

Daniel S. said...

The French toast here is some of the best around! I usually stop by after hiking at Temescal =). They also have a yummy avocado and tomato toast dish. BTW I think it's spelled Mogan's (no "r")?

stuffycheaks said...

Diana - Wow, haven't been to the griddle since living in Hwood (about a decade ago!)

Betty - No alcohol? Why did you bother recommending? You now me :)

Daniel - Thanks for the spellcheck!! Yes! I saw someone order the avocado thing, I thought it sounded pricey until I saw the portion

Anonymous said...

Wow...I googled this place and read your review. The pics made me hungry so I had to head on over. GREAT place!!! Thanks! Love the pics too!

stuffycheaks said...

Newcmb1 - thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed your meal :)