I like dining out. While I am not as adventurous in my taste in food, I try as many dining places as I can so I know where I can eat good food in case I don’t get to cook at home. Living in Greenhills, I am fortunate to be in close proximity to the shopping center where there are many dining establishments that cater to a wide price range. One such place I have been eating in rather often lately is Mary Grace Café.
Located inside the Uni-Mart Supermarket, the café welcomes diners with a homey and shabby chic ambience that reminds me of a tasteful, upper middle-class home. Decorated with books and simple, comfortable wooden and wicker furniture, diners are made to feel as if the mother of the house will greet them. The dining tables are decorated with handwritten notes, post cards, and greeting cards under the glass. The walls are hand painted with short phrases from the Bible as well as flowers and leaves. The color palette of the walls is bright and warm. The ceiling is festooned with figures of mechanical butterflies and dragonflies that move with the help of a mechanism that keeps its wings flapping. The constant movement overhead lends an interesting feel to the place. The light fixtures are simple but elegant and like the entire feel, is homey. And because I am particular about the restrooms of the dining places I eat in, the restroom did not disappoint. It is clean and it smells clean.
Mary Grace is known for its delectable baked goods but the menu selection is just as good as well. In the several months that I have visited the café, I have tried their all-day breakfast fare of fried garlic rice, eggs and siroloin or Vigan longganisa or tocino. I must say that all three did not disappoint. Personally however, I liked the longganisa the most given its strong, delicious garlic flavor. Though the tapa and tocino are both good as well. But I guess I am a longganisa fan.
The café also offers a selection of pasta dishes that are either tomato-based, cream-based or olive oil-based. Of the olive oil-based pasta, I love the spaghettini vongole and the chorizo and olives pasta the most. The vongole is rich and delicately flavored that is never overpowering. It has a right blend of spices and the clams are generous. On the other hand, the chorizo and olives pasta is wonderfully light-flavored and punctuated by the chorizo flavor and is perfectly balanced by the black and green olives. In terms of portion, I find it generous. Among the selection of soups, I love the seafood chowder for its rich flavor and the wild cream of mushroom for its light creaminess.
And since Mary Grace is most known for its baked goodies, I always end my meal with either the chocolate truffle cake if I want to end my pasta meal with a rich dessert or with the chocolate mousse if I want a sweet, light and fluffy ending.
If you are anywhere in Greenhills, Mary Grace is a place worth visiting. Personally, I am not disappointed since I dine there almost every day.
Photos: Mary Grace Cafe official website
