Everyday Eats: Mexican Crepes and Stuffed French Toast at La Fiesta
Erin Jackson
When I got an invite to sample some of the new brunch items at La Fiesta, I’ll admit I was a bit pessimistic that the Mexican restaurant best known for tacos and tequila-based cocktails could beat, or even match, other options nearby. One block north, you can already score some enviably delicious French toast at Bailiwick and Cafe 21. So, is there a gap in the Gaslamp Quarter brunch market that needed to be filled? After sampling several inventive dishes at La Fiesta that infuse Mexican flavors into brunch standards, I’m going to say yes.
One rock-solid reason: you get to start your meal with chips and salsa — great chips and salsa. The chips are perfectly thin and crisp, and the salsa is made in-house. The exact variety switches up every few months. On my visit, it was a spicy roasted tomato and chile de arbol. Making matters even better, refills are offered until you insist on eating no more. Let the empty chip basket get whisked away, but hang on to the salsa. Just about all of the savory items, from benedicts to frittatas, taste better with a little extra heat.
Two dishes I can stand by are the PB&J Toast ($10) and the Cuauhtémoc Crepe ($11). The PB&J Toast is crafted from challah, — arguably the finest of all French toast breads — stuffed with chunky peanut butter and fig jelly, and dredged through cinnamon and sugar, giving it a crunchy, churro-like exterior. It’s simultaneously nostalgic and new.
Everyday Eats: Mexican Crepes and Stuffed French Toast at La Fiesta
Erin Jackson
Crepes are made to order and available in both sweet and savory permutations. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cuauhtémoc Crepe. The spicy sausage, pepper, and crispy bacon stuffed into a thin pancake and topped with creamy jack cheese and salsa verde was a bit like an enchilada and a crepe collided on the same plate. In other words: delicious. If you’re craving a veggie version, try the Azteca ($10), which has panela cheese on top and mushroom and avocado inside. Your options for sweet crepes include the standard strawberry and whipped cream or banana and Nutella, but it’s better to just be honest about your intentions and order the Cajeta crepes off the dessert menu. La Fiesta imports their caramel from Mexico, so it’s the real deal (made with goat’s milk, not cow’s milk).
To drink, try a Bloody Mary shaken with house-made mix and tequila ($5), a mimosa topped off with mango juice ($3), or Mexico’s ultimate hangover cure, a Michelada ($3): beer with lime juice and hot sauce, served in a salt-rimmed glass.
La Fiesta is located at 628 5th Ave, in the Gaslamp Quarter (map). Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
