Brunch in Mexico

There is brunch, which in general, I love the concept and execution of—waffles and sausage and omelets and bacon and French toast and fruit cups and mimosas are all wonderful things to pass the time over in a leisurely Sunday morning fashion with a friend or 10. And then there is Mexican brunch, which enthralls my taste buds and suffuses my soul with a richness of flavor and appreciation of culinary craftsmanship more than any other brunch-time cuisine.

Such were my thoughts last Sunday as I considered the many local Mexican restaurant options before settling on a trip to one I hadn’t previously visited, the El Rey Mexican Grill, which, except for Friday and Saturday nights, is a breakfast and lunch spot only. Located in a tiny shopping strip on 20th Street, El Rey doesn’t offer a picturesque exterior, but once inside the cheerful colors, shining floor, gleaming tables and the aroma of cooking food conveyed a welcoming sense of well-tended hominess. Greeted immediately by the cheerful young man serving as host and waiter, we sat down at the upholstered bench lining one wall and scanned the double-sided menu he offered us.

With 30-plus options on the menu—including the exotic-sounding and -looking house specialty, molcajete (named for the big stone mortar it’s served in), a Mexican soup/stew made with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, veggies, onions and jalapeños—the choice was not made quickly. There are also several breakfast-specific items on the menu, including breakfast burritos (with ham, chorizo, bacon and veggie options, $4 to $4.25), huevos rancheros ($6, with rice, beans and tortillas), huevos revueltos con papas (scrambled eggs with potatoes, $3.99) and even pancakes and huevos ($3.99).

Ultimately, since it was my first visit, I went with my go-to barometers for Mexican food establishments, chile relleno and chicken enchilada (combo platter for $7.99), while my brunch date, Missy, chose a torta with carne asada ($4.50).

While we waited for our entrées we sipped on cold Negra Modelo lagers ($3.25) and munched through a complimentary bowl of crispy fresh tortilla chips served with finely minced, fresh pico de gallo flecked with cilantro, plus a very flavorful and spicy red sauce. After finishing the first batch we asked for a refill, which was provided for an additional dollar and was well worth it.

My combo order arrived on a large and very hot oval platter, every bit of which was covered with steaming, aromatic food. Generous portions of fluffy, red-tinged rice and creamy refried beans shared the plate with the large enchilada and beautifully battered chile relleno, both complemented by a freshly made, comfortably zesty sauce that I enhanced by pouring on the rest of the spicy red sauce that came with our appetizer chips.

At the outset I felt sure that the sizable portion would provide leftovers for another meal later that evening, but as I dug in I was so enthralled by the textures and flavors that I ended up cleaning the entire platter down to the point of scraping up the last remnants of sauce, rice and beans with the edge of my fork.

Missy watched in wide-eyed surprise at my feat of trenchermanship from behind her torta, which really was large enough for her to hide behind. It could have been the inspiration for one-time Chico band Mammoth Torta. It was nearly the diameter of a 7-inch single and tall enough to unhinge one’s jaw. With a deep brown white bread bun overflowing with salsa, beans, shredded lettuce and most of all, juicy, flavorful meat, El Rey’s torta is a genuine bargain that could easily feed two people. We ended up taking half of it home and enjoyed it as a late snack while contemplating a return trip for dinner on a Friday or Saturday evening.