Mariam El Haj & Angela El Haj

The iconic Mexican concha, sweet bread shaped like a shell and lacquered with a colorful, crunchy streusel, is having a moment on menus across the U.S., making it a pastry to watch, as operators play with fun new iterations. It certainly was a must-have item for sisters Mariam and Angela El Haj when they opened their Day of the Dead-themed Calaca Mamas Cantina. Made in house from a family recipe, the sweet bread is the hero in three dishes on the weekend brunch menu, but the Concha French Toast is the showstopper.

For this riff on French toast, the concha dough is infused with organic vegetable and fruit dyes for vibrant color. Each individual concha is sliced in half, dipped into a sweet egg batter and cooked on the grill. The entrée is finished with vanilla sweet cream and a scratch berry compote that changes seasonally. “Guests love our take on the typical French toast, but with an ethnic twist,” says Co-Founder Angela El Haj, noting that a daily expansion is being considered for the entire breakfast lineup. “It’s a great representation of what Calaca Mamas is all about— homemade food that celebrates Mexican culture.”