A new breakfast concept coming to West County will fuse American breakfast dishes with Mexican ingredients and flavors.
At Oats & Honey Café (624 N. New Ballas), owners Gerardo Flores, Ericka Vega, and Jorge Maya are combining all the heartiness of a traditional sit-down American breakfast with the experience of dining in Mexico, complete with fresh-squeezed juices in a bright, natural space. Here’s what to expect from this trio of longtime restaurateurs when the café opens the last week of February.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
The Menu
“I love breakfast, and one of my dreams was to start a breakfast restaurant,” says Vega. “Breakfast makes the day for so many people.” With more customers choosing to go out for their first meal of the day, the co-owners recognized an opportunity.
American dishes such as eggs Benedict, pancakes, waffles, and omelets make up the heart of the menu. “All of these dishes will have a classic version, but some of them will also have a Latin fusion version,” Flores says. Eggs Benedict has menu variations with meats such as carnitas (pulled pork) and birria (slow-cooked, stewed beef or goat). Waffles and bagel sandwiches can be ordered with pork al pastor (pork shoulder seasoned and marinated, then spit-roasted vertically).
The café will also be a place where customers from Mexico can get a taste of home with classic dishes such as molletes, open-face sandwiches with a base of toasted bolillo bread topped with refried beans, sausage or chorizo, cheese, and salsa fresca with eggs on the side.
Other Latin American favorites include tortilla Española (Spanish potato and egg omelet) and motuleño (pictured above), tortillas piled high with fried eggs, beans, tomatillos, cheese, chiltomate (a spicy tomato sauce), and other toppings. Vega says the chef is also working on a Toluca-style omelet with chorizo, black beans, and potatoes.
The owners are focusing on natural, healthy ingredients—organic when possible—in both the breakfast and lunch dishes and in the beverages. Vega lists off fresh juice combinations like fresh papaya with apple, oatmeal, and honey; pineapple with avocado; and strawberries, blueberries, almonds, and mint.
The owners are experimenting with a few traditional Mexican drinks to start, including warm, rich atole in two flavors: arroz con leche (rice and milk) and strawberry. “With some of the drinks, we’ll see how the market responds,” Flores says. They’ll also offer a fully stocked bar for everything from mimosas and micheladas to tequila sunrises and bloody marys. There will even be Bailey’s should customers wish to add it to their coffee.
And about that quintessential breakfast beverage: Oats & Honey is working with Scott Skrivan of Dubuque Coffee Company on a custom blend of Colombian beans in a medium-dark roast. Maya says it will be offered for both coffee and espresso drinks as well as packaged for retail sales within the restaurant.
The Atmosphere
Flores says their goal with the restaurant interior was to create a warm, natural vibe that makes for an inviting place to start the day. “When you walk in, it’s a very light-filled space,” he says.
Vega describes the décor as modern bohemian using neutral colors. The theme carries from the specially installed gray and gold epoxy floor to the white quartz bar that’s also flecked with gold.
To set the tone, customers will receive an amuse bouche to start the meal, similar to the basket of chips and salsa they would get at Las Fuentes—except the Oats & Honey version will be a selection of house-baked pan dulce (sweet pastries and breads). “When you sit down and order a coffee, you will have a mini concha on us to start your experience,” Flores says, naming a beloved Mexican sweet bread with sugary topping.
The Backstory
Flores, Vega, and Maya operate four area locations of Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurants, in Florissant, Oakville, Arnold, and Affton. Ever since the first Las Fuentes opened in 2002 in Florissant, the restauranteurs have made a name for themselves showcasing the food of northern Mexico.
All three started working in the restaurant industry in their home country of Mexico. Flores started cooking at age 16, before coming to the United States around 35 years ago. He worked at El Maguey, eventually owning two of its locations, before going out on his own to create Las Fuentes. Like her husband, Vega is also a restaurant veteran, having worked on the floor for two decades.
Their business partner, Maya, started as a supervisor at the Toks restaurant chain in Mexico before moving into American restaurants, both in the kitchen and on the floor, during the past 18 years. “I’ve done this all my life,” he says.
For Oats & Honey Cafe, the owners are bringing in chef José Antonio Ezquivel from the city of Toluca in central Mexico. Esquibel has been in charge of restaurants in resort hotels in areas like Cancún, so he’s familiar with American tastes but has a heart for Mexican ingredients and flavors. Collaborating on the project with Ezquivel is chef Ricardo Garcia.
Planning and assessing the new concept took almost two years, Maya says. “Everything came together last year, including the perfect location for the type of setting we wanted.” If this cafe provides proof that their concept can be successful, the owners intend to expand throughout West County and beyond. They’d also like to introduce breakfast dishes such as arepas from other countries such as Colombia and Venezuela.
“Everybody loves breakfast right now, and we know how to do food that people like,” Flores says. “We believe there’s a niche for us to blend American and Latin dishes.”
