What a Way to Start the Day;  Breakfast at Matachica Resort on North Ambergris Caye

Breakfast and/or brunch is my favorite meal of the day.  Not so much the TIME of it all – I am neither a morning or a nighttime person (I find 10am to about 1 pm my sweet spot 🙂 ) – but the unrestrained joy that comes with ordering what is basically a dessert for a meal.  Or a pastry basket!   No one expects there to be a meat, a starch and a veggie – there is no talk of balance at breakfast.  ESPECIALLY when you are on vacation.

It is 100% acceptable to order pancakes with chocolate chips smothered in butter and syrup or croissants and bagels or a basket of fry jacks.  At breakfast, it is ALL fair game.  Fatty bacon strips?  Sausages glistening in the morning sun…all with a coffee.  Is there anything better?

Last week, Jeff and I went for a pre-birthday breakfast at Matachica Resort.  To eat and enjoy the beautiful morning AND to take a look inside the bakery.

Another quick note about breakfast:  it’s a great way to enjoy a different resort, perhaps one that is a bit more expensive for your budget, in an affordable way.

For my full overnight at Matachica (aka Honeymoon for One) see this blog

When I first arrived, I wanted to check on the Matachica puppy – Taco.  Who is now a big boy.  He had visitors – half brothers and sisters from up the beach!

Here is pic of Taco and his sister Coco from last spring.

Coco went to live at Matachica’s sister resort of Gaia – a GORGEOUS river/jungle lodge.

A later pic of Taco (about June 2020)

And Taco now.  He has his own beachfront casita to match the others on the property.

Minus the hammocks.

We sat down and ordered while I ran around to take pictures of the scenery.

I knew I wanted the bread and pastry basket.  I’ve had it before and I’m just obsessed with their baked goods.  Dan Lighter, the owner of Matachica and Gaia…his son Stephen is a student of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked at Bouchon Bakery.  One of the very best in the world.  I mean THE BEST.  His breads, pizzas and desserts are absolute perfection.

You can read more about the details and the menu here.

I ordered the Continental breakfast with the bread basket, juice, fruit and coffee.  Jeff ordered a breakfast sandwich.

Peanut butter, nutty nutty toast, an AMAZING vanilla scone (i could have eaten 4…light and fluffy) and lots of fruit.

The breakfast sandwich – packed with bacon and eggs and cheese and this gorgeous sweet onion jam.  Great with the sharp cheddar and the salty bacon.  And the brioche was so light and perfect.

(Pause for 20 mins:  a CRAZY squall just blew threw at the camp – high wind and POURING rain.  Need to check the cabanas for water and pick up all the coconut fronds that blew down!)

Pineapple jam…not too sweet but with cinnanom and allspice, I think.  Delicious.

And the view wasn’t bad either.

We headed back through the kitchen to the baking room.  Air-conditioned and filled with butter and flours and new dessert recipes being tested.  Have I died and gone to heaven?

Alejandro was portioning out brioche dough…

A tropical cake re-imagined…not decorated yet but SOOO delicious.

I can’t wait to taste the final product.  And my favorite coconut muffins – they are finished with a delicious struedel.  But they are coconutty and not too sweet…with lemon zest.

I was inspried to buy a kitchen scale.  It’s time to get serious with MY baking.

Mmmm…coconut muffins warm from the oven.

We went back outside and just lingered…

What a lovely way to start the day!