Limon - A Modern Peruvian Hit

I was very pleased to find a rave review of this Mission restaurant in the latest issue of San Francisco magazine. It had been on my To-Do list for the longest time, but something always came up at the last minute to scuttle dinner plans at this very popular Peruvian restaurant. But tonight, we were determined to keep our dinner reservations, enough though the only table they could offer us was at 10pm.



If you judge a Peruvian restaurant's quality by their signature cerviche, then Limon's shrimp and pacific corvina cerviche will bowl you over with its freshness and the tart flavor of fresh lime dressing over the ingredients.





My favorite way to sample cuisine is to do the small plates and tapas only, and skip the entrees unless they're absolutely irresistable judging from the menu descriptions.

Zachary's in Santa Cruz

Zachary's is another legendary institution in Santa Cruz that locals converge on every weekend for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant has been serving up healthy, lip-smacking breakfast favorites for over 20 years in this rustic, century old building along downtown Pacific Ave.

Here's a place where locals - students, families, new-agers, surfer dudes come together to have a meal, to sample the fresh mixed fruit bowl, or the sourdough pancakes and the ever popular Mike's Mess, which comprises of a wicked combination of eggs, cheddar cheese, sour cream, potatoes, avocado, tomato, onions and mushrooms all scrambled into a glorious mess and served piping hot with a choice of breads. I'm not the neatest person in the world (neatness doesn't run in the family), but my breakfast meal has to have all the ingredients demarcated clearly on the plate - eggs must not mix with bacon, or the any of the sides, but today I went with the exception and chowed down on a full serving of the Mess.



Needless to say, Mike's Mess lives up to its messy but yummy reputation. Not only did it taste delicious, it was the only meal I had for the rest of the day. I think there was at least 1200 calories or more in that heap. I'd say it ranks right up there with the "Breakfast of Champions" item on the menu at Southern Kitchen in Los Gatos. I loved the warm chatty atmosphere, the communal setting and the simple but perfectly prepared food. You just can't ask for a better way to start a Sunday. The only caveat is that you should get there as early as possible, preferably before 9AM, otherwise be prepared for the wait, because Zachary's takes no reservations. They also don't have an espresso machine, keeping true to the old school breakfast diner experience.