Rosa Mexicano: Delicioso Desayuno

Breakfast! I love breakfast and can even enjoy it for lunch or dinner. Eggs, waffles, pancakes, donuts, and so much more. It is a comforting meal, a fine way to start the day. In Mexico, breakfast is referred to as el desayuno, and it is supposed to be an important meal. Many business deals are said to be conducted over desayuno. It seems that the Boston area is seeing more and more restaurants serving Mexican breakfast dishes. And that is a good thing.

Recently, I was invited to a media preview of the new Desayuno Mexicano menu at Rosa Mexicano in the Seaport district. Rosa Mexicano is a chain of upscale Mexican restaurants which originated in New York City in 1984. It was founded by Josefina Howard and the name of the restaurant actually refers to a unique color, Mexican pink. The Boston location opened nearly a year ago but this was my first time dining at the spot. I hadn't heard much about the place but their breakfast menu intrigued me. The Desayuno menu includes eight entrees, priced $8.50-$12.50, and we got to sample all of the dishes.

The restaurant has an appealing decor, a modern feel but with some rustic elements, and I liked the look of the bar. During the summer, they have patio seating which nearly doubles their capacity.

There are a number of drink options on the breakfast menu, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. You can order some Cafe de Olla, if you desire coffee, or try the Chocolate Caliente Mexicano, which you can order with churros. The hot chocolate has a mellow chocolate flavor with hints of almonds and has a balanced flavor which I enjoyed. The Chilled Horchata de Coco, made with pressed rice milk infused with coconut, is a milky drink with a pleasant coconut flavor enhanced with cinnamon notes. You can also try one of the
Agua Frescas ("fresh waters"), kind of an alternative to juice. You will find unique flavors like Hibiscus Flower or Beet-Lemon. My favorite was the Cucumber-Tomatillo, a clean, refreshing drink, lacking the sweetness of soda or some juices.

Though there are two cocktails listed on the breakfast menu, you could order other alcoholic drinks as well. They carry about fifty tequilas and a few mezcals, and their signature cocktail is the Frozen Pomegranate Margarita. Though pomegranate is not one of my favorite fruits, I liked the flavor of this margarita, which was not overly sweet. They have a wine list, but their guests overwhelming order cocktails and beers. We were told that they might sell one bottle of wine for every 3000 guests. The Horchata Especial is a cocktail of horchata, anejo tequila, coffee liquor, and topped with espresso. It has a nice coffee flavor with a milky mouthfeel. The Mezcal Bloody Maria was delicious, a spicy and smoky drink that will liven up your morning.

Chef Antonio Perez came out to discuss the kitchen and menu, describing some of the less common Mexican ingredients. They use a number of local ingredients, though some have to be sourced elsewhere as they are not available locally. Most everything in the kitchen is made from scratch though some sauces are allowed to remain around for two days as they taste best then. Nothing is kept for a third day, and will be discarded.

Their Tortillas are made in house though their breads and chips are purchased elsewhere. The breads tend to be dry and heavy, not light and fluffy like some other rolls. Not my preference, and something I would prefer to use for dunking in a sauce.

My favorite breakfast entree was the Desayuno Tamal ($11), a pan filled with grits, topped with chili poached eggs, fried Panela cheese and a chorizo crumble. The creamy grits paired so well with the spicy chorizo, and the fried cheese triangles were excellent. A hearty breakfast and several other people at the breakfast really loved this dish too. Highly recommended.

At first glance, I wasn't sure that I would like the Mexico City Chilaquiles ($12.50), a ham steak topped with scrambled eggs, corn tortillas and a creamy, smoky chile sauce. My concern was that the tortillas would be soggy and limp but I was pleasantly surprised when that turned out not to be the case. The tortillas still possessed much of their crispness, and the intriguing chile sauce was compelling. I would definitely recommend this dish.

The Torrejas de Miel Rellenas ($11.50) is cinnamon-Cascabel chili-crusted brioche bread filled with Marscapone cheese and topped with caramelized plantains. The pile of dark Marscapone atop the bread doesn't look appealing and I think they might want to rework that part of the dish. It might taste good, but presentation is important as well. I like the fact they did not cover the bread with a load of powdered sugar. Though child crusted, it is not overly spicy, and the cinnamon stands out.

The Nopales con Huevo ($9.50) are soft scrambled eggs atop a cactus paddle with fried pasilla chile and roasted peppers. It is served with molletes, a soft roll spread with refried black beans.

The Machacado con Huevo ($12) is a pan of scrambled eggs with dried shredded beef, jalapenos, tomatoes and onions, served with fresh tortillas.

The Tropical Fruit Bowl ($8.50), with low fat yogurt, is sprinkled with granola, piloncillo and chopped fresh dates.

Overall, Rosa Mexicano now provides a good breakfast option in the Seaport area. The prices are reasonable and the options are interesting. Sip a Bloody Maria, with a Cucumber-Tomatillo Agua Fresca chaser, and enjoy a Desayuno Tamal or Chilaquiles.