(SPOT.ph) It's impossible to miss the name Apéro when talking about where to go for good 'ol brunch. Their mouthwatering and hearty dishes plus freshly-baked pastries are enough reason to make even a non-morning person rise from their bed, head out the door, and run to the quaint restaurant located at Corinthian Hills, Temple Drive, Quezon City—all before noon. You take a seat inside and its bright and airy-feel interiors envelop you and, for one, might foreshadow a good and also bright rest of the day. But there's new reason to stop by this QC gem.
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Recharge under the bright afternoon sun or chill night sky at Apéro Pitstop
Just like our friendly-neighborhood Spiderman, shooting webs from his thingamajig (depending on which version), swinging from buildings, and helping stop crime, our favorite neighborhood brunch spot solves—instead of crime—raging, craving stomachs from mornings to afternoons, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., to be exact. And, since its soft launch last year, it saves our evenings, too. Case in point: the Apéro Pitstop.
Just a little dictionary moment here: A pit stop is "a stop (as during a trip) for fuel, food, rest," and/or "an establishment providing food and drink," or so Merriam-Webster says. And Apéro stays true to that definition.
Situated just a few steps away from the café and bakery, in a food-van setup, is their pop-up, the Pitstop. It boasts of an al fresco setting where you can enjoy the cold and airy breeze of the afternoons until night on one of their soft green chairs that blend well into the greens of the area. Low-hanging lights illuminate the tables and give the setting a quiet and intimate vibe. You'll want nothing less than to melt into a seat and let the stress of the drive or really, just the entire day, seep out of your bones and dissipate into nothingness.
Have a chill evening with your friends, families, or the area's stray cats and your furbabies, around the area with some pica-pica: their wood-fired smoked meats, buvettes, plus a cocktail or two (or more).
Speaking of wood-fired smoked meats, their smokingly-good Smoked Beef Brisket (P450) is posing to be the stop's crowd-favorite, with the Smoked Chicken Leg Quarter (P310) posing to be a contender. How many times can we rightfully fit "smoked" into this sentence? These meats are brined in black tea and smoked for eight to 16 hours using local Sampaloc wood for that unmistakable smoky goodness. These are served with either roasted leek dinner rolls or rice—because we can never get enough of rice—and with two dips: the CCC Barbecue sauce (that's cherry, cocoa, cognac for you), and the dill-cucumber yogurt sauce.
For the buvettes, the Crispy Parma Ham & Cheese Puff (P320) is a surprise in itself. Glazed tater tots and parma ham puff: gouda, emmental, and blue cheese wrapped inside a rice paper are mixed together in one bowl topped with onions. You can't really tell which is which at first glance so it's either the cheese will explode in your mouth, courtesy of the parma ham puff, or the sweet and yet salty taste of the glazed tater tots will dominate your tastebuds. No complaints either way.
For vegetarians, there's also the perfect blend of salt and smoke in the Oven Smoked Brocolli Head (P385), complemented by the creamy garlic cashew sauce on the side.
For the finale—or in your case, perhaps only the beginning—a glass or two of their cocktails: the cold-pressed Jalapeno Pineapple Margarita (P420), which brings forth the taste of jalapeno (minus the spiciness!) with the pineapple, and the right amount of saltiness. Then, there's also the pink-hued Paloma, also priced at P420. And if those drinks ignite a little something, then note that Apéro Pitstop's bar is set to open in a month or two.
The Apéro Pitstop is located at Corinthian Hills Clubhouse, Temple Drive, Quezon City, and is open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays to Thursdays and Sundays; 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. They are closed on Mondays.
For more information, check out Apéro's Facebook page.