After a carousing Friday or Saturday night, a perfect brunch dish needs to ignite our taste buds and wake up our senses. That's why we love diving into the huevos rancheros ($10.50) at Bomba Tacos and Rum. Rather than taking the traditional Mexican route of eggs, rice and refried beans, this dish comes in a short stack with two layers of lightly fried tortillas, black beans, Chihuahua cheese and a mix of cilantro, rice wine vinegar and dry seasonings underneath two over-easy eggs and a bright finish of pico de gallo. "It's one of those dishes that looks great, but 30 seconds into it, it's kind of a mess," says executive chef Josh Bierman. Centered in a sea of fire-roasted salsa made with pickled jalapenos and ancho peppers, it has just enough heat to get you through the day. "The smokiness of the ancho pepper with the char from the grill really gives you that mesquiteness that kind of opens your palate," says Bierman. Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 19880 Detroit Road, Rocky River, 440-409-0210, bombatacos.com
MEXICAN Dishes We Love
El Hangover Taco, $4
Barrio has a morning-after cure-all for weekend warriors. Packed with protein, this taco made with rice, black beans and bacon has goat cheese scrambled in with the eggs for a smooth, creamy base. If that's not enough to fire you up, the queso fresco and dirty taco sauce has a heat that will keep your engine burning long after the last bite. Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., various locations, barrio-tacos.com
Butternut Squash Tamales, $13
Inspired by a similar dish in Mexico City, Press Wine Bar's tamales rolled in corn masa are stuffed with butternut squash and then poached over a low fire. Smothered with poblano pepper chili made with rutabaga, turnip, carrots and celery root, it's then topped with mole negro and a fermented red cabbage slaw known as curtido. Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 2221 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-566-9463, presswinebar.com
