Breakfast at the Mango Cafe, Isla Mujeres-Guest Blogger Sister #3

April10

Breakfast at Mango Cafe is a delight. This popular restaurant, found in Colonia Meterorologico on Isla Mujeres, has patrons waiting at the door as they open at 8:00 a.m. When I arrived for breakfast around 9:00 the place is packed with a dozen people waiting. Thankfully I see a table of friends from Minnesota that I had meet a few nights earlier. They have an extra seat and ask me to join them. There are lots of things I love about Mango. The place is bright with lots of open windows. The staff are attentive and owner Polo is very welcoming making a point to visit every table and talk to every guest. The coffee is awesome, an organic Mexican style with just a hint of cinnamon. It sits in giant urns next to the the kitchen and is self serve. No waiting for a refill; what could be better? This also adds to the “make yourself at home” attitude of your morning visit.

My friends order: hotcakes that come with bacon and scrambled egg,

Mayan scramble filled with veggies served on a croissant and topped with pepita (pumpkin seed) sauce and Mango’s eggs Benedict (more on that later).

I opt for the world famous French toast. Probably the most delicious thing I have ever eaten for breakfast, it could just as easily be served for dessert.

They use conchas (a sweet bun sold in Mexican bakeries) and coat them in coconut and almonds. It was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside but melt in your mouth tender on the inside and surprisingly not overly sweet.

I left Mango totally satisfied and barely needed to eat for the rest of the day. However, I awoke the next morning with thoughts of Mango’s eggs Benedict stuck in my head. So I headed back to try this interesting rendition of a classic. The perfectly poached eggs are served atop croissants and fried portobella mushroom, onion and chaya (a Mexican supper food, similar to spinach) topped with hollandaise sauce with just a hint of curry, crispy crumbled bacon and served with yummy fried potatoes. Well worth the encore visit.

As I was dining alone that morning, owner Polo asked if he could join me to enjoy his morning coffee. We enjoyed some impromptu music and a lovely conversation. Talk about hospitality.