La Flor Mixteca grows in Freshwater

Driving in the early dark past Three Corners Market at the intersection of Freshwater Road and Myrtle Avenue (5945 Myrtle Ave., Eureka), the brightly lit logo of the Flor Mixteca truck glows like a winter mirage.

Since the name references a region in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, ordering mole feels like a gimme. The smoky-sweet mole negro is wonderfully intense with the deep flavors of chocolate and cinnamon, and dark dried chile heat to warm your face. Blanketed over cheese enchiladas, it plays against the saltiness of the filling and the sprinkle of queso fresco, fresh cilantro and white onion ($14).

The huarache, with creamy pinto beans, tart nopales, grilled asada beef and queso fresco on a broad base of soft masa, is less region-specific but still rewarding ($13). The salsa obsessed will be happy to find solid options in the form of a bright verde, oily red salsa macha and a deceptively creamy looking habanero salsa.

Again, not Oaxacan, but the now ubiquitous quesabirria tacos are also stars on the menu ($14). Thicker, softer homemade tortillas are nearly overstuffed with beef and cheese in La Flor Mixteca's iteration, well doused in beef consommé and grilled to the desired ratio of crisp to oozing. Not to be wasted, the dipping consommé has body and the big roast flavor of the shredded beef, so dunk with care.

Benedicts at the Burger Joint

When T's Café North closed up shop, Arcata's roster of brunch spots took a blow. Not to worry. Since August, the stacks of stuffed French toast and the roster of champagne cocktails served in Mason jars have migrated the few blocks to Burger Joint (835 J St.), run by the same owner, Halleh Paymard. Happily, you needn't wait for the weekend, as the breakfast/brunch menu is on offer from 9 or 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all but Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when the joint is closed. And, if your schedule allows, a weekday brunch on the sunny patio beats waiting for a table among the hungover on a Sunday.

"I really miss the space and having that really beautiful redwood bar in there," says Paymard. But consolidating the two restaurants' menus in the Burger Joint made sense, as the kitchen wasn't in use in the morning. Keep an eye out for more crossover between the early and evening fare in the new year.

Naturally, there is a breakfast burger topped with a fried egg and hashbrowns ($14), as well as the usual standards. But sides like cheddar grits or a flat iron steak — somehow chicken fried steak with gravy are sides here — may require you to recalibrate your usual brunch order.

The Benedict menu is a mix-and-match challenge, starting with a base of poached eggs on English Muffin, homemade biscuit or sauteed greens ($11). From there, the sauces, from traditional Hollandaise to vegan cashew gravy, additional proteins and toppings are a happy maze. A dollar will get you any of 10 vegetable options, arugula and mushrooms among them; $1.50 adds a dollop of guacamole, pesto, chèvre or caramelized onions. The basic breakfast meats like ham, bacon and soy chorizo run $2 and serious add-ons like grilled salmon, crab cakes or steak are $4. The possible permutations are dizzying. Consider carefully.

On a recent visit, we wound our way through the choices to a lightly crusty biscuit with a moist interior, halved and toasted, with a pair of pleasingly lumpy crab cakes made in-house with blue crab claw meat and a hit of Old Bay seasoning, lemony Hollandaise spiked with jalapeño over top ($15). Traditionalists may roll their eyes, but a fresh, warm biscuit yields to fork and knife far more easily than an English muffin. If you love — really love — Canadian bacon, then the classic version is for you. But you're not always going to be presented with homemade crabcakes, tender inside and browned at the edges, lovely on their own but even better in a spill of creamy yolk.

If the none of that tempts you, not to worry. The burger menu is available from opening to close and the staff does not judge.

Share your tips about What's Good with Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her), arts and features editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400, extension 320, or [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @JFumikoCahill.