• Home
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Digital Archive
  • Contact
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Find us
San Diego Uptown News
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Photography
    • Film
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Books
    • Theater
  • News & Features
    • News
    • Feature
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
        • Chris Ward
        • Mara Elliott
        • Summer Stephan
        • Susan Davis
        • Toni G. Atkins
    • Community Updates
      • Hillcrest Town Council update
      • SD Zoo News
  • Food & Drink
    • Uptown Food Briefs
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Bars & Happy Hours
    • Uptown Brews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • History
      • PastMatters
    • Homes & Garden
      • HouseCalls
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Parenting
    • Pets
  • Business
    • Best Of Uptown
    • Business Profiles
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Sponsored links
    • Expert Advice
  • Neighborhoods
    • Adams Avenue
    • Balboa Park
    • Bankers Hill
    • Downtown
    • Golden Hill
    • Hillcrest
    • Kensington
    • Mission Hills
    • North Park
    • Normal Heights
    • Old Town
    • South Park
    • Talmadge
    • University Heights
  • Calendar
  • Experts
No Result
View All Result
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Photography
    • Film
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Books
    • Theater
  • News & Features
    • News
    • Feature
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
        • Chris Ward
        • Mara Elliott
        • Summer Stephan
        • Susan Davis
        • Toni G. Atkins
    • Community Updates
      • Hillcrest Town Council update
      • SD Zoo News
  • Food & Drink
    • Uptown Food Briefs
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Bars & Happy Hours
    • Uptown Brews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • History
      • PastMatters
    • Homes & Garden
      • HouseCalls
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Parenting
    • Pets
  • Business
    • Best Of Uptown
    • Business Profiles
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Sponsored links
    • Expert Advice
  • Neighborhoods
    • Adams Avenue
    • Balboa Park
    • Bankers Hill
    • Downtown
    • Golden Hill
    • Hillcrest
    • Kensington
    • Mission Hills
    • North Park
    • Normal Heights
    • Old Town
    • South Park
    • Talmadge
    • University Heights
  • Calendar
  • Experts
No Result
View All Result
San Diego Uptown News
No Result
View All Result
Home Featured

Breakfast for less than a sawbuck

SDCNN by SDCNN
April 29, 2015
in Featured, Food & Drink, Kensington, Neighborhoods, Restaurant Reviews
0
Breakfast for less than a sawbuck
0
SHARES
35
VIEWS

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

I was about 10 minutes ahead of my party for Sunday breakfast at Kensington Café, arriving at 9 a.m. sharp with the assumption of facing a wait list. But not only did I narrowly dodge the rush, the hostess ushered me straight to a four-top table without requiring that my tardy companions be present.

Exteriorweb
Kensington Café serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Waking up with the woodpeckers on lazy weekend mornings has its rewards.

Another stroke of luck ensued when perusing the menu. Chilaquiles, yes! I had been recently craving them. In addition, everything on the menu is $10 or less, including healthy salads and hot sandwiches also available during breakfast service.

Bagel lox sandwichweb
A lox breakfast sandwich (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

The coffee fiend in our group wasted no time ordering a “flying nun,” which our waitress described jokingly as “a heart attack in a cup.” It mixes four shots of espresso with condensed milk and a choice of regular or low-fat milk.

“Glad I’m not hanging out with him today,” one of my tablemates said as she sipped from a cup of regular joe that was neither weak nor robust. All of the coffee drinks at Kensington Café use beans from WestBean Roasters on Mission Gorge Road.

The kitchen was already out of certain fruits that go into a pineapple smoothie I ordered. So I ended up with a somewhat watery banana-blueberry-mango concoction that cried for a dollop of yogurt in the blend.

We skipped over the café’s famous streusel French toast and blueberry-cornmeal waffles in lieu of savory dishes plated in restrained but satisfying portions you’d expect from a cute, neighborhood joint tailored to wise eaters. Basically, if you arrive with the appetite of papa bear, then mama and baby bear might need to relinquish some of their porridge to you.

Beef sandwichweb
The Edgeware sandwich. (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Of the four dishes we ordered, the pulled pork hash was the best. Though not really hash in the traditional sense since the meat and potatoes weren’t fully intermingled, the flavors of the juicy, caramelized pork and tri-colored potatoes (sweet, purple and white) were tastefully clenched by Mexican crema and green onions.

Lemon-infused cream cheese added a gracious zip to the lox breakfast sandwich on a seeded bagel. The briny capers were aplenty, teaming nicely with the modest-sized salmon filet, red onions, alfalfa sprouts and a ruby-red slice of tomato. It was a step above most others with richer textures and brighter flavors.

Our tablemate who awoke that morning with lunch on her mind ordered the “Edgeware” from the hot sandwich category. Named after the nearby side street, it looked like a grilled American-diner sandwich, but carried far more flair featuring thinly sliced beef we suspected was braised in red wine. On top was a judicious layer of super-buttery Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, all tucked between two slices of hearty, grilled bread. A leafy arugula salad was served alongside.

Pulled pork and eggs. (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)
Pulled pork and eggs. (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

My chilaquiles were underwhelming, except for the perfectly moist scrambled eggs on top. The beauty of classic chilaquiles is their lasagna-like construct of tortilla chips that turn a little soggy from garlicky red salsa, Mexican crema and grated Oaxaca cheese layered in between. Add extra points when minced white onions or roasted chili peppers enter the recipe.

Here, the dish is pretty basic, starting with a puddle of so-so green salsa at the bottom of a bowl capturing loosely arranged chips, a plop of under-seasoned black beans and a few sprinkles of unfitting feta cheese. The ingredients are crowned with two scrambled eggs and a mini scoop of fresh guacamole. A bottle of Tapatio Hot Sauce on the table came in as a necessary booster.

Conversely, the “pio pico tacos” made with soy chorizo don’t disappoint. I had them on a previous visit during happy hour, and they’re available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The soyrizo was convincingly meaty and accented with hearty doses of garlic, paprika and hot pepper. It tasted better than the real deal.

Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 9.10.25 AMThe offerings at Kensington Café run generally along nutritious lines with other choices extending to green chili frittatas, spinach-mushroom scrambles, acai or bulgur wheat bowls and roasted turkey sandwiches. There’s also a variety of wholesome salads to kick-start the day such as the “vegan power” made with lime-toasted pepita seeds, quinoa and a slew of veggies in cilantro vinaigrette.

The café’s dinner menu goes into effect at 5 p.m., daily, when dishes such as baked brie, braised pot roast, red quinoa burgers and blackened tilapia summon you back with the few extra dollars you saved on breakfast.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of “Secret San Diego” (ECW Press), and began his local writing career more than two decades ago as a staffer for the former San Diego Tribune. You can reach him at fsabatini@san.rr.com.

Related Posts

  • 7 Signs An Organization Has Strong HR Leadership7 Signs An Organization Has Strong HR Leadership
  • The Main Reasons Why People Decide To Become A NurseThe Main Reasons Why People Decide To Become A Nurse
  • Uptown News Briefs: April 2022Uptown News Briefs: April 2022
  • Staying Comfy While Traveling: 6 Packing TipsStaying Comfy While Traveling: 6 Packing Tips
  • FIX Medical Group offers personalized healthy solutionsFIX Medical Group offers personalized healthy solutions
  • Qualities to Look For When Hiring a Moving CompanyQualities to Look For When Hiring a Moving Company
Previous Post

Uptown Food Briefs – April 24

Next Post

Kensington Commons, urban living fitting into a community

Next Post
Kensington Commons, urban living fitting into a community

Kensington Commons, urban living fitting into a community

Category

  • Adams Avenue
  • Art
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Balboa Park
  • Bankers Hill
  • Bars & Happy Hours
  • Best Of Uptown
  • Books
  • Business
  • Business Profiles
  • Calendar
  • Community
  • Community Profile
  • Community Updates
  • Community Voices
  • Congressional Watch
  • D3 Update
  • Dance
  • District 53 Dispatch
  • Downtown
  • Editorials
  • Elected Official Reports
  • Expert Advice
  • Fashion
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Featured News
  • Film
  • Finance
  • Five Points-Middletown
  • Food & Drink
  • From the Cover
  • Golden Hill
  • Guest Editorial
  • Health & Fitness
  • Hillcrest
  • Hillcrest Town Council update
  • History
  • Homes & Garden
  • HouseCalls
  • Kensington
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Lifestyle
  • Mara Elliott
  • Mission Hills
  • Music
  • Neighborhoods
  • News
  • News & Features
  • Normal Heights
  • North Park
  • Notes from Toni
  • Old Town
  • Opinion
  • Parenting
  • PastMatters
  • Pets
  • Photography
  • Politics
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • SD Zoo News
  • Small Business
  • South Park
  • Suds in the city
  • Summer Stephan
  • Talmadge
  • The Spoken Word
  • Theater
  • Top Story
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • University Heights
  • Uptown Brews
  • Uptown Briefs
  • Uptown Food Briefs

Site Links

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • A&E
    • Art
    • Photography
    • Music
    • Books
    • Dance
    • Film
    • Theater
  • News & Features
    • News
    • Politics
      • Elected Official Reports
    • Feature
  • Food & Drink
    • Bars & Happy Hours
    • Uptown Food Briefs
    • Suds in the city
    • Uptown Brews
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Business
    • Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Expert Advice
      • Sponsored Links
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Fitness
    • Fashion
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • History
  • Neighborhoods
    • Adams Avenue
    • Bankers Hill
    • Balboa Park
    • Old Town
    • Kensington
    • University Heights
    • Normal Heights
    • South Park
    • Mission Hills
    • Community Updates
      • Hillcrest Town Council update
      • HouseCalls
      • SD Zoo News
  • Best Of Uptown
  • Calendar
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertising
  • Archive

© 2022 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

desi sex
forced sex stories
desi chut