any meal of the day at M Street Kitchen

Not long ago, I visited Stella Rossa Pizza Kitchen next door to this very eclectic and vibey cafe. Like its sister restaurant and neighbor, M Street Kitchen has a character of its own more often found on the east coast than here on the west.

Serving breakfast, lunch and an early dinner, the menu of sweet treats, together with succulent savories will delight you — it definitely  impressed me in more ways than one, two, or even three.

I’m a salty and my friend is a sweet, which makes for the perfect dining accompaniment when I go out to eat. Although I like to try the sweet offerings, I can’t bear to take more than one or two bites. With a sweet-toothed savior in tow, I can happily say, I can  sample and leave the eating to the pro.

We started with the Blackberry Bran Muffin ($2.50), a moist, sticky muffin which reminded me more of a sticky toffee pudding than a bran muffin. I took a bite and found the slight tartness of the blackberries very appealing. I took another bite — gooey, addicting even for me.

The Sourdough Muffin ($2.50) is made in-house and one of THE best muffins I’ve ever tasted. Texturally, it has a wonderful chewiness you won’t get from a commercially produced muffin. Served with butter and jam, the salty, sweet, tart combo is delicious as a light breakfast item or as an accompaniment to something more substantial.

When we ordered Crispy Hash Browns Benedict ($11), I wasn’t really thinking about how it would arrive. I was surprised to find the hash browns in place of the muffin but pleasantly so. The crispiness of the hash browns remained constant throughout and the perfectly poached eggs oozed over the potatoes making them the best breakfast ever.

You get a choice of ham or bacon with white or nine grain toast and we opted for bacon — salty with a touch of sweetness from the brown sugar lightly brushed on before baking. This is the dish I would come back for over and over again and it is a hefty portion so I would definitely need to share it!

If you have a sweet tooth, Blueberry Pancakes ($9) are absolutely not-to-be-missed. You get three huge pancakes with farm fresh blueberries embedded throughout. The pure maple syrup is not overly sweet and very light. I took three bites! That’s a record for me when it comes to pancakes!!

Lunch time offerings include Evil Thai Princess Salad ($11) with chicken, peanuts, lemongrass, kaffir lime. I was told this was one of the more popular salads, but I wanted a more “evil” salad — stronger dressing with more lemongrass and kaffir lime flavors — a lot more heat too — but I understand not everyone has demonic tastebuds like mine! My tolerance for heat is very strong!

Our last item was “Surfer Style” Tuna Tacos ($17) sushi grade tuna, grilled rare, with accompanying accoutrements such as guacamole, pico de gallo, black beans, and two types of dipping sauces — charred tomato salsa and chipotle mayo.

I took one of the corn tortillas and made myself a pretty little parcel. The taco is absolutely delicious, so fresh with a kick from the accompanying sauces. The portions are very generous and I strongly suggest sharing everything.

I’m excited for you to try M Street Kitchen and they have generously offered one of my readers a $25 gift certificate to do just that. Leave a comment with your full name and tell me what your favorite meal of the day is and what your #1 choice thing to eat is, for a chance to win. Entries close on Sunday March 5th. Winner announced Monday March 6th.

M Street Kitchen
2000 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Tel: 310-396-9145