From The Desk Of Thrice: The Ramos House Café

A dozen years into its career, Thrice is still evolving. Following 2005’s experimental/atmospheric Vheissu and four-part concept album The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II (2007) and Vols. III & IV (2008), the California quartet—vocalist/guitarist Dustin Kensrue, guitarist/engineer Teppei Teranishi and Breckenridge brothers Eddie (bass) and Riley (drums)—has issued the edgier, hard-rock-leaning Beggars (Vagrant). On paper, such a description might make you believe the LP is a return to the post-hardcore days of Thrice’s first three albums, though Beggars is far more mature and varied than that. Unfortunately, the record was leaked in July, forcing the band to change the release date and marketing plan for Beggars, but Thrice seems to have come out of all this extracurricular drama unscathed. As the foursome prepares for its upcoming U.K. tour, they are also guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with them.

Riley Breckenridge: Disclaimer: I’m an entry-level food nerd. I’m a painfully mediocre chef (BBQing excluded), and my culinary knowledge is limited to what I’ve gleaned from the first six seasons of Top Chef, a couple of Anthony Bourdain books and occasional tour-bus viewing of The Food Network. I’ll admit that I’m fairly clueless when it comes to flavor profiles, wine pairings and unpronounceable French words that make just about anything sound better than it is. Ooh, vichyssoise? That sounds great. What is it? Oh, it’s just cold soup? I’ve been lucky enough to travel the U.S. extensively via touring and have a chance to eat at some amazing meals at some pretty incredible restaurants over the years.

Despite the caveat in the above paragraph, I feel like my taste buds are refined enough to know when something is f-ing unbelievable, and I can honestly say that the breakfast at The Ramos House Café in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is the best breakfast I’ve ever had. Zagat called it “possibly the best breakfast in the United States.” Maybe I’m not so dumb after all. My ladyfriend, a phenomenal chef and experienced food geek in her own right, took me down to the Ramos House for the first time, and it changed my life. The restaurant is a house right next to the train station in Old Town SJC that was originally built in 1881; the owner/chef, John Humphreys, lives and works at the house; and the patio area has been turned into a cozy dining area laid out around a giant Mulberry tree. Everything on the menu is made from scratch, the herbs are grown in the garden, and John is usually out front with a beverage, welcoming guests. It’s an intimate setting and—at the risk of sounding like a sap—awfully romantic.

I’ve got a go-to breakfast that has kept me exploring the rest of the menu because it’s so damn good. It starts with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and the apple cinnamon beignets, which melt in your mouth. One “Big Plate” is a duck hash with wild mushroom scrambled eggs and herb sauce. (The lady prefers the flannel hash with fried poached eggs and sour cream hollandaise—also incredible.) The scramble, topped with a bit of field greens, sits atop a light-in-texture/heavy-in-flavor duck hash patty surrounded by an herb sauce that ties all the components together. It’s a perfect collection of flavors and textures. The portions are perfect, and the “Big Plates” are all hearty enough to leave you fully satisfied and satiated. Wash it all down with an Adult Coffee, pomegranate mimosa or soju bloody mary (or one of each), and you’re set. I guarantee it’ll be the best breakfast you’ve ever eaten.