By Frank Sabatini Jr. | Restaurant Review

Casa de Reyes

2754 Calhoun St. (Old Town)

619-297-3100

Brunch plates: $6.45 to $9.95; lunch and dinner entrees, $9.45 to $15.45

Margaritas and mimosas, check. Machaca burritos and salsa-smothered eggs, you got it. But there’s a little more imagination applied to the recently introduced brunch menu at Casa de Reyes in Old Town than what you’ll find on the nearby streets.

Since Chuck Ross of Old Town Family Hospitality Corporation took over the restaurant along with Cosmopolitan and Barra Barra, all located in the pedestrian zone of Fiesta de Reyes, the food has become brighter and less slapdash compared to when previous concessionaires ran the kitchens.

Right down to the salsas, the chefs at Casa aren’t shy about using fresh habanero and jalapeno peppers in them, meaning that your Aunt Claire visiting from central Wisconsin won’t be dipping her puffy paprika-dusted table chips into tomato soup anymore.

Ross also built out the patio, doubling its size while adding fire pits and orange umbrellas in an effort to “make the place more comfortable for locals and tourists.” Indeed, the extra space equates to less chaos, even on the warm, sunny morning we came for brunch. During rare, inclement weather, diners can take refuge inside the authentic Pueblo structure, but that space seats only 40 guests.

Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays. A separate menu card scrambles a few of the usual standbys like breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros with slightly more complex dishes such as chorizo eggs benedict draped judiciously in jalapeno Hollandaise sauce and Mexican frittatas made in cast iron comals.

We tried both. For once the latter wasn’t an omelet disguised as a frittata, as I’ve often encountered elsewhere. The difference is that frittatas are cooked slower over lower heat, and they’re never folded. Ingredients are beaten directly into the egg mixture rather than plopped into the middle once it starts cooking.

Here, the chefs incorporate tender carne asada and roasted, seasonal vegetables, which featured various bell peppers in our visit. Suiza sauce, typically used on chicken enchiladas, contributed a luxuriant layer of crema spiked with green chilies, garlic and a hint of queso. The only thing I would have eliminated or reduced was the top mantle of melted Jack and cheddar cheeses, which seemed unnecessary in a frittata this dressed up.

Eggs benedict over English muffins took on new life with jalapeno Hollandaise and a teasing measure of vibrant-red chorizo hidden underneath. The all-pork sausage beat out its American counterparts with an infusion of guajillo peppers, garlic, onions and black pepper.

“This is the real Mexican way of making chorizo,” said Chef Guztavo Garcia, who worked previously at Cozymel’s Mexican Coastal Grill in Westfield UTC. The egg dish, he added, has become a top seller since brunch service began a couple months ago — and for good reason.

From the regular menu we couldn’t resist ordering a side of carnitas after Garcia told us that it’s braised for three hours in orange juice and pork fat. The meat is cooked every morning before the restaurant opens, resulting in soft pieces that exude thin, fruity juices onto the palate. Better yet, the carnitas didn’t appear to be flash-fried before leaving the kitchen, a common crisping technique that essentially kills the flavor. Airy corn and flour tortillas made onsite were served alongside.

As costumed dancers performed quietly on the courtyard stage, we began forking into the sweet stuff. French toast is given a comforting spin with thick-sliced egg bread crowned in fast-melting whipped cream and cinnamon apples sweetened with agave. As with all of the brunch plates, it too is served with fresh fruit and tender, grilled potatoes cuddling peppers and onions.

Tall-standing Kahlua chocolate cake supplied by the adjoining café was moist and nurturing. Other desserts include amaretto flan and custard-stuffed churros, although more unique are the pineapple tamales, an original recipe that Garcia makes available every December. We were surprised at the pleasant marriage formed between the masa and the fruit. They aren’t listed on the menu, so you’ll have to ask for them.

Perusing the lunch-dinner menu before leaving, we found several items that will lure us back outside of brunch. Yes, there are fajitas and tacos, but dishes like chipotle-cinnamon sea bass, achiote pork or a combo of blackened tilapia and shrimp in chipotle cream sauce now give visitors something more to think about.