Café Mary Grace

Café Mary Grace reminds me of my past future. Let me explain.

Several years ago, I dreamed of a future wherein I own and run a humble café. I pictured the black dress I would be wearing on opening night. I pictured what the façade and interiors would look like. I pictured where the counter, the kitchen and my office would be. I scheduled my daily routine to the metro from my house in Batangas. Apparently, I imagined a traffic-free future as well.

I don’t know why I set that dream aside, but when C and I had dinner with Mother at Café Mary Grace, it all came back to me. Maybe it can all still happen.

Café Mary Grace really imbibes the feeling of home, family and your grandmother’s cooking. Although there is no grandmother's cooking I grew up with, I get the sentiment. I especially like the wooden interior panels and tables. Handwritten notes to Mary Grace by friends and customers are displayed under the glass tabletop. The menu also has photos of Mary Grace and her family through the years. It also bears Mary Grace’s open letter to her customers. Going through all these is an entertaining way of waiting for orders.

I got the Smoked Salmon and Cream pasta (Php 251). The serving size looked unimpressive, but it was apparently an illusion. Working my way to the bottom of the bowl proved to be very filling, and pleasurable. It was delish. The saltiness of the smoked salmon and the richness of the cream sauce created a balance that my tastebuds enjoyed.

Café Mary Grace is also quite generous with the salmon. C remarked on the amount of salmon chunks in my pasta, so I gave him and Mother a couple of pieces. That made them extra happy.

C first wanted the Leek & Saffron Cream with Fillet of Cream Dory (Php 230) but we were informed that it would take a while, which wasn't an option at that time 'coz he was hungry. He switched to the Mary Grace Mushroom Cream (Php 262) pasta instead because it had "Mary Grace" in its name. To him that meant "classic recipe and one of the best on the menu". Well, "mushroom cream" meant "get a couple of salmon chunks from the neighboring plate".

C was happy with the flavor of his no-meat pasta, although I can't remember why he chose not to have any meat in his dish. And I must say, my pasta tasted much better.

Mother got the Pasta Vongole (Php 186), an olive oil-based dish with clams, which I also tried. It was also good. So far, the pasta offerings were doing well.

Café Mary Grace knows how to use pasta wisely on the menu. It is best to offer the basic sauces and just vary the ingredients. That way, your inventory doesn't suffer.

After dinner, I wanted to try the ensaymada Mary Grace is known for, so we ordered one and asked it to be grilled. It was a regular-sized ensaymada for over Php 70. Pretty pricey for me.

Mother wanted brownies, which is offered at a minimum order of four pieces. At four pieces, it's about the same price as the ensaymada. After paying, we were given a plastic bag containing a small clear box. I was about to call the server's attention that we ordered four when I realized that the box did have four pieces inside.

Granted, cake slices from some coffee shops, and even Café Mary Grace's, may be more expensive, although the Almond Mousse is priced lower. I just didn't expect the brownies to be so tiny. The brownie squares are about the length of my thumb and not much thicker. The price must have boosted my taste buds' expectations because they weren't too impressed.

It's a surprise that I enjoyed the pasta more than the pastries. I skipped on the hot chocolate, which is supposed to be a best-seller as well, because cocoa or tablea is a semi-staple in our household. In fact, I grew up drinking and eating it straight from the fridge.

Check out Café Mary Grace's website to see their menu and locations around the metro.