It's been ages, and I guess I've missed this -- blogging, I mean. I've been pregnant and have given birth to my second baby last August. Having no yaya and no maid, I've been really busy that I haven't had time to just sit down, relax and blog about my latest food trips. Heck, it's been a while since I've last taken shots of my dining experiences. Good thing I had remembered to take photos of our food during a particular lunch out with my cousins at Mary Grace Cafe in ATC last July.
Mary Grace has come a long way, I remember it just being a booth in bazaars selling ensaymadas, cheese breads and other pastries years ago. Then they started opening stalls in malls, and now, they have their own cafes. Going inside, one would fall in love with its ambiance. The cozy atmosphere of the place will make you want to relax and spend the whole afternoon inside the restaurant, sipping your coffee or hot chocolate hours after having your lunch. And having free wifi doesn't hurt either.
Mary Grace has come a long way, I remember it just being a booth in bazaars selling ensaymadas, cheese breads and other pastries years ago. Then they started opening stalls in malls, and now, they have their own cafes. Going inside, one would fall in love with its ambiance. The cozy atmosphere of the place will make you want to relax and spend the whole afternoon inside the restaurant, sipping your coffee or hot chocolate hours after having your lunch. And having free wifi doesn't hurt either.
For starters, we ordered the Mary Grace Caesar Salad (P 175) which is breaded chicken fillet on top of Romaine lettuce with croutons and bacon bits, tossed in Caesar dressing. The only complaint I have with this appetizer is that the big pieces of chicken leaves little space for the main course.
I love the Mary Grace Mushroom Cream Pasta (P 262) with its linguini noodles tossed in cream with slivers of mushroom with the essence of truffle. The pasta sauce is just so creamy and rich.
They also have the Classic Carbonara (P 203) which has fresh mushrooms and bacon bits sauteed in cream.
I didn't get to try the Pasta Amatriciana with Italian Meatballs (P 210) ordered by my cousin which has italian meatballs atop spaghetti noodles tossed with a thick tomato sauce and flavored with bacon and chili. It looks delicious though.
Also, there's the Smoked Salmon and Cream Pasta (P 251). The lightness of the salmon balances out the heaviness of the cream.
I must say their homemade iced teas are so yummy. I love all their flavors: apple & cinnamon honey, peppermint & fruits, peach, wild raspberry, hibiscus and the one shown here which is the Sangria (P 75), a red tea with a hint of citrus and other ingredients.
I love their take on the Chocolate Mousse. The mousse has a larger portion than that of the chocolate cake, unlike the ones in Red Ribbon and other bake shops, and so I readily devoured the whole thing in minutes.
They also have Moscovado & Chocolate Cappuccino (P 123), which my other cousin said tasted great, and Brownie ala Mode (P 151). My daughter just loves their brownies, and having ice cream on top of it just makes it all the more delectable.
Their Mango Bene (P 104) is served frozen and the mango slices in between the layers keep you from having that overkill sweetness you generally get from most cakes.
Other must try dishes are the Vigan Longganisa & Kesong Puti sandwich (P 201) and the Grilled Kesong Puti appetizer (P 123). Hopefully I'll get to take a picture of them on my next visit.
