Mazatlan, Pt. 6: Bewitching Breakfast

What Oregon needs are more year-round open air cafes with thatched palm roofs overlooking white sand beaches, don't you think? Playa Bruja, or Witch Beach, at the north end of Mazatlan's Golden Zone, is prime surfing territory and has a terrific cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner most days. There are also stands selling mango and melon on the beach, and a fellow who will pry open as many fresh oysters as you can handle for pennies each.

We were at the Restaurant Playa Bruja for breakfast and had our choice of fresh-squeezed tropical juices or the rice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla drink called horchata. Though most at the table wanted the mahi mahi fish tacos (above), which were stunningly fresh and moist, I'd been hankering to have some authentic chilaquiles.

In this dish, fresh corn tortillas are fried and then covered with a green or red chile sauce and simmered until the tortillas soften. Scrambled eggs are often added, and the Restaurant Bruja version had the eggs, scrambled with pico de gallo, separate rather than mixed in, with the ubiquitous guacamole and refried beans alongside.

There was, of course, a fine chile salsa, too, and more pico de gallo to spoon on. It was exactly what I'd hoped for, with the sauce-soaked corn flavor of the tortillas giving the eggs more heft and flavor. And since it's an easy meal to whip up for breakfast or even dinner, I guarantee you'll see this making featured appearances here at the homestead.

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Mercado Central, The Fungus Among Us, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Groovy Graffiti and Adios.