Tired of the same old breakfast? Then head on over to Upper Buena Vista and El Turco (“The Turk”) cafe and find among the best breakfast in Miami. It’s a different, delicious Turkish breakfast they serve all day long. Vural Aydogan, the Turkish chef, has a pedigree of Milos and Zuma and comes from Bolu, known as “the city of chefs” in Turkey. The couple who own the place are all about quality ingredients. We really enjoyed it.

Breakfast is the biggest meal of the day in Turkey, and people go all out. Owners Gokhan and Nurdan Yuzbasioglu have brought the experience to El Turco.  Just about everything is house made, and prepared fresh daily. A tip off to me of the quality were the plates of rich red tomatoes which are used in many of the dishes.

The only other place I’ve had such perfect tomatoes is at Milos, so not surprisingly they use the same purveyor.As you’ll read, many of the dishes are Vegan friendly. El Turco offers a breakfast special of  steak tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, pickled ezine goat cheese, kasseri cheese, sele olives, green olives, homemade jams, pogaca and daily baked pita bread for $19. Add ons include hard boiled organic egg and simit.

If you go, order some of the “mezze”, small flavorful dishes. We really enjoyed the kisir, a flavor packed bulgur salad made with sauteed onions,tomato, pepper, scallions, parsley and lemon juice; kopoglu– eggplant, green peppers and tomatoes combined with a garlicky yogurt sauce; hummus; tomato and cucumber salad; and red lentil vegetarian meatballs made with sweet red pepper paste.

Don’t miss the popular snack the simit , a circular bread found across the cuisines of the former Ottoman empire. The simit Ottoman style is stuffed with kashkaval cheese and sucuk beef sausage, topped with tomato and cucumber, and it’s super tasty. A fave. Another dish to try is the Turkish version of the pizza called a pide. It’s offered in several versions, with eggplants, spinach, tomato and kashar cheese along with feta or halloumi. Another fave.

But El Turco isn’t just about a best breakfast in Miami. There are also other appealing specials I’d like to try next time including a pilav with chicken rice and chickpeas, and manti– beef stuffed dumplings with brown butter and garlic yogurt; and any one of several casseroles including kofte (meat), chicken and shrimp with seasonal vegetables.

Prices are very reasonable. Mezzes are $8 and other dishes are in the teens.

El Turco plans to have its liquor license soon. In the meantime, there’s a variety of soft drinks and of course the traditional Turkish black tea and coffee. There’s outdoor seating for 30 and also a covered area for 30 when it rains.

El Turco, 5026 NE. 2nd Avenue, Unit 307, in Upper Buena Vista. Note that only credit cards are accepted. It’s open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

While you’re there, check out the boutiques and beauty/wellness offerings in the  Upper Buena Vista destination. For more, click here.