Morning Glass @ Taste
Night Breakfast, and a very special guest blog post written by Nic Villanueva
Nestled within Manoa Valley, Morning Glass Coffee + Cafe, is a treat whenever I get a chance to stop by. While they serve amazing Stumptown espressos and pour overs, it is their food that keeps me going back for more. So when I heard that they were holding night breakfast events, I knew I had to check it out. I was finally able to make it to their event this month at Morning Glass and it did not disappoint. We ordered the mac n’ cheese pancakes, the red eye gravy and biscuits, the bi bim bap-wich, the breakfast pizza, and the homemade baked donut and ice cream. All were absolutely delicious. The pancakes were filled with macaroni and salty aged Vermont cheddar paired well with the sweet maple syrup and a couple strips of crispy bacon to top it off. The biscuits and gravy had their own Morning Glass twist, as it was served with “red eye” gravy. The homemade warm buttermilk biscuit, delectable pork belly, and silky overeasy egg created a harmonious bite that was gone within seconds. The bi bim bap-wich was also amazing. A warm baguette filled with melt-in-your-mouth bulgogi style Kulana beef, crunchy vegetables, spicy Gochujang sauce, and of course, a delicious over easy egg. The breakfast pizza was one of the highlights of the night. It combined all the great essentials, bacon, cheese, and egg, onto a homemade warm pizza dough that was able to sop up the runny egg yolk. Lastly, for dessert we had the homemade donut with Hairbender espresso glaze topped with a scoop of cereal milk ice cream. The glaze was my favorite; a balance of sweetness with the bold punch of espresso. This was balanced by the creamy and velvety smooth cereal milk ice cream that is a perfect compliment to such strong flavors.
Upon hearing that they were going to be at Taste the following week, we gathered more friends in excitement for the new items to try on their menu. We ordered one, and sometimes two orders of everything! New items that we did not try included the mild/wild egg-a-burger, the midnight noodle, the baked orzo, and the fried rice parfait. The fried rice parfait was hands down the best thing we ate that night. At first glance, it was unassuming as it was served in a regular paper coffee cup. The ingredients of kim chee fried rice, pork sausage gravy, over easy egg, and candied bacon all sound great alone, but when combined, they were transformed into something that was truly special. The marrying of all flavors makes each bite as magnificent as the last. It was simply delicious. The baked orzo, filled with bacon, feta, leeks, and spinach, took on a quiche-like appearance that towered on the plate. It was paired nicely with a side salad and cool and tangy Tzatziki sauce. The midnight noodle was served tonight which was perfect because we did not get to try it the previous week. Tonight we got to sample this spicy Szechuan noodle that swam within the creamy egg yolk. Lastly, the egg-a-burger consisted of a fresh-ground Kulana beef burger topped with aged Vermont cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, roasted poblano peppers and a fried egg served on a grilled ciabatta bun. The flavors married well with a nice umani kick.
To say that the two meals I had at Morning Glass Coffee + Cafe over the past week was delicious would be an understatement. They not only know how create a perfect cup of coffee, but they are also extremely talented cooks as well. I hope that night breakfast becomes a regular part of their menu in the future because I will definitely be there. And you should too. -Nic Villanueva
