Last summer, I noted a yummy breakfast I had at Cafecito Coffee House and Restaurant at the Trailhead (“Side Dish,†July 19), situated in a growing neighborhood that boasts condos and businesses with the restaurant as an anchor. I had a simple empanada stuffed with all sorts of breakfast goodies, including egg, hash browns, bacon, chorizo, provolone, and both chimichurri and green chile sauce. I met Chef Jordan Isaacson that day, and he mentioned he would be changing up the menu in the next few months and would keep me in the loop on his progress. Since then, the young chef has spent two weeks in Argentina, and I must say, the trip definitely inspired him and his cooking. Wow!
I was invited to a tasting at the charming space on one of those lovely winter thaws where it sits in the 60s with the skies clear and blue. It was warm enough to even sit outside in the leafy garden, offering a respite from the last few freezing weeks.
Isaacson is an interesting guy. Not only is his food delicious; he also designs his dishes with an almost cerebral approach. Each of the dishes he served had an interesting story behind it; a reason for why ingredients were used and why he chose a specific cooking technique to pull it off.
For example, he mentioned when he took over the kitchen, the ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe empanada on the menu was not to his liking; he felt it was dry and lacked “oomph.†So the clever chef reworked it by sous vide-ing the chicken meat with equal parts green chile, and bingo! It is the moistest, yummiest version you will ever taste, as are all of his seven varieties. The crust is so delicate, miles away from the pie crust that is often used.
Everything we tasted had a fresh spin to it, including a green hummus made with green chickpeas instead of the usual dried beige version: so unusual and tasty. A knockout seared rockfish filet on a warm chickpea and olive salad was as sophisticated and perfectly executed as what you would find at the Compound or Geronimo. A breakfast dish called Gramajo Revuelto was a luscious melange of eggs, ham, onions, mushrooms, and green chile set adrift on a pile of chimichurri-spiced fries — crazy good! It’s a large and intriguing menu with many sides and add-ons that show off the chef’s talents; we wanted to try them all.
Don’t miss the Postre de Banana, a clever spin on the Banana ‘Nilla wafer pudding of your youth. In his version, Isaacson roasts very ripe bananas and infuses them overnight in the milk he then uses to make his pudding. Homemade vanilla wafers, dulce de leche, and a sweet crumble topping gussy it up. Go now!
Cafecito is open for brunch and lunch — dinner service is planned in the future. And this is a chef to watch; the kid’s got amazing cooking chops (at 33!). I can’t wait to return.
Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 922 Shoofly Street, 505-310-0089;
