Live Music Thursday Nights & Classic BLTs
Many of you may recognize the lovely musician pictured above. If you’ve dined at Café Mimosa for lunch, brunch or dinner in the past year, chances are you’ve had Melody Merritt as a server once or twice.
What you might not know, however, is that Melody performs at the café every Thursday evening. Strumming her guitar, our very own Melody sings whimsical original numbers as well as covers ranging from Jason Mraz to Joni Mitchell to Elvis Presley. If you’ve yet to see a Thursday night live performance, you’re in for a real treat. Stop by for a plate of crispy tempura squash blossoms and enjoy the music!
Also, I’d like to remind you about a staple on our lunch menu — the Mimosa BLT. Does any combination better celebrate the summer season than heirloom tomatoes, crispy iceberg lettuce and apple-wood smoked bacon sandwiched between toasted slices of wheat bread? This timeless creation is hard to beat. Chef Nolan keeps his BLT simple, not straying from the classic players but using the highest quality ingredients throughout. A slathering of his homemade wholegrain mustard aioli on each slice of bread makes the Mimosa BLT one to truly rival. Come by and see for yourself.
Summer Fare, Dinner at Cafe Mimosa
Have you ever seen a summer supply of squash blossoms at a local farmers’ market? In mid-summer, these bright-orange, delicate flowers are all but spilling off the Valdivia farmstand table at the San Clemente farmers’ market. And Cafe Mimosa’s Chef Nolan is right there sweeping them up.
On Sundays, these blossoms star in the Mimosa Omelette with fromage blanc and a salad of market greens. But during the rest of the week, they get a little more pampering. Stuffed with house-made ricotta cheese seasoned with fines herbes, the squash blossoms are coated in a light, tempura batter and quickly fried. They emerge crispy on the exterior, oozing with cheese bursting with tarragon flavor. Accompanied by a whole-grain mustard aioli, this combination is out of this world … a must-try on the Mimosa dinner menu.
In addition to the squash blossoms, Chef Nolan has created a number of other appetizers, perfect for sharing with friends on a summer night on an outdoor patio. Today we’ve showcased a few: Stuffed Baby Calamari served with Grilled Artichoke Hearts and Piquillo Peppers, Seared Foie Gras over White Georgia Peaches on Toasted Brioche, and Crispy Pork Belly served with Petit Pois and Lardons.
Happy Fourth of July! We hope to see you soon.
Blossoms at the Valdivia Farm’s farmstand at the San Clemente Farmers’ Market:
Stuffed Baby Calamari served with Grilled Artichoke Hearts and Piquillo Peppers:
Seared Foie Gras over White Georgia Peaches on Toasted Brioche:
Crispy Pork Belly served with Petit Pois and Lardons:
The Strawberries Are Back
Many of you have been awaiting this moment for months. The day strawberries replace apples on the croissant French toast that is. Well wait no longer, my friends. The strawberries are back and here to stay … for the next few months at the very least.
It’s hard to find fault with Chef Nolan’s French toast, a composition of two croissants, halved lengthwise, perfectly browned and served on a crème anglaise drizzled plate. But never is this dish as tasty as it is this time of year, when those croissants are covered with farm-fresh strawberries.
Every Sunday, when Erik Hart (pictured below) of Valdivia Farms briefly steps away from his stall at the San Clemente Farmers’ Market to order a “Mexi-Scramble” to go, he delivers a flat of fresh produce to the kitchen. In the past few weeks, that flat has been filled with strawberries — sweet, fragrant perfect strawberries. Spring, it appears, is officially here.
On another note, many of you have been inquiring about our hours on Easter Sunday. Cafe Mimosa is indeed open this Sunday from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm. We will be offering our traditional Sunday brunch menu.
Above: Strawberries Strawberries Strawberries. After a long winter, these sweet berries have returned to the market and are now topping the Cafe Mimosa croissant French toast.
Below: Erik Hart of Valdivia Farms in Carlsbad holds strawberries at the San Clemente Farmers’ Market.
Fresh Squeezed OJ. Champagne. And a plate of Croissant French Toast. Could there be a better way to celebrate Easter Sunday? We’d love to see you this weekend and we wish you a very Happy Easter.
