Stonegarden - breakfast

I've had Stonegarden on my list for awhile now. I saw a picture of their omelette and it looked like a traditional French style omelette. I made a reservation, but it wan't very busy on arrival, so not sure that was necessary. Perhaps a later arrival time, say 10 or 11 am would require a reservation. 

I had the french onion omelette with caramelized onions, gouda, parmesan. It was a large and filling omelette and I really liked the onion flavors. 

My friend had the the nordic omelette with dill, horseradish crème fraîche, gravlax, capers, lemon zest. This was a newer menu item and it was excellent. (I had a small bite.) 

We split a side of the fried potatoes. They were a bit bland but I added some hot sauce, which gave a little kick. 

The food and service were both excellent. I enjoyed the light, bright ambiance and relaxed atmosphere. I'll definitely return to try some of the other menu items that sounded interesting. 

 

Stonegarden
Address: 5401 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Phone: (612) 489-7715
https://www.stonegardenmpls.com

Hope Breakfast Bar

We finally made it to Hope Breakfast Bar in St Paul. The good news about Hope it that they are opening a new location sometime this fall in St Louis Park, which means we hope to visit more frequently since that is much closer to home. Regardless of which location, I believe reservations are still recommended. Busy place! 

John had the pork carnitas bowl with slow roasted pork carnitas, fingerling potatoes, seasonal vegetables, green chili cream with tortilla. The dish didn't quite look like the description, but he ate it anyway. 

I had the McHope sandwich with biscuit, bacon, cheddar cheese, fried egg and seasoned hash browns. 

The service was not great but we ended up seated upstairs, which had incredibly steep stairs to navigate. The servers that have to navigate those all day deserve a raise. If you have mobility issues you may want to request to be seated downstairs. 

Hope Breakfast Bar
1 S Leech St 
St Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 330-8996
https://www.hopebreakfast.com

Stepchld

We hit the brunch at Stepchld awhile back. This is a little spot where J.L. Beers used to be in Minneapolis and they are doing some fun, creative stuff.  They did a light remodel but are working within the footprint of the previous tenant. 

I had the Real Deal Holyfield egg sandwich with cheesy soft scrambled eggs on a freshly toasted bun. The sale was dressed nicely as well. Simple but so well executed. 

John had the Cooper burger with alicia, pickles and American cheese. This was a nicely griddled double patty burger with lots of gooey, white American cheese. Really good and the fries were solid as well. 

It doesn't appear that Stepchld is one for brunch right now, but open for dinner daily. We enjoyed our food immensely and found the service to be quick and helpful. The menu has some very intriguing items, so we will try to return soon to explore further. I would strongly recommend reservations as it is not a large place. 

Stepchld
24 University Ave NE STE 100
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 354-7409
https://www.stepchld.com

Nolabelle Kitchen & Bar - Mankato

I've been to Nolabelle again since this initial visit and I have to say, it is one of the best restaurants to open in Mankato in some time. The scene in town tends to be chain restaurants and lots of underwhelming fare. 

The food is southern inspired and locally sourced. The room is bright and fun with huge windows. 

Blackened walleye with Brussels spouts

  roasted chicken, cheddar jalapeño grits, natural jus, kale, apple slaw

Grilled cheese with chips

Grilled cheese with side salad

We found the service to be excellent and I loved the drink menu as well. Lots of fun drinks, not your usual basic fare. I'd highly recommend checking out Nolabelle if you are going to be in the Mankato area. Reservations strongly recommended. 

Nolabelle Kitchen & Bar 
520 S Front St Suite 500
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: (507) 720-0841
https://www.nolabellekitchen.com

Hazelwood Food and Drink - St Louis Park

Hazelwood opened another location in St Louis Park this summer. We checked it out for brunch and found a beautiful restaurant in a great location with easy parking available. There is a large patio as well. 

I had the All American breakfast that includes three eggs any style, your choice of applewood smoked bacon, cob smoked ham, or sausage, smoked gouda hash browns, and toast. The bacon was excellent quality and I liked the gouda hash browns a lot. 

John had the breakfast burrito with choice of rotisserie chicken or sausage, scrambled eggs, charred corn salsa, queso fresco, roasted poblano salsa, lime sour cream, smoked gouda hash browns, and tortilla chips. 

The service was friendly and helpful, but not intrusive. We enjoyed our meal and the entire dining experience and look forward to returning again soon. 

Hazelwood Food and Drink

4450 Excelsior Blvd Suite #120 

St Louis Park, MN 55416

Phone: (952) 977-8000

https://hazelwoodfoodanddrink.com/slp-menus/

Holman's Table

We visited Holman's Table in St Paul awhile back. It is in an interesting location at the St Paul airport, which is a small airport mainly for smaller planes and private planes. The building is older and art deco style, very unique. It was fun to watch places take off and land from the restaurant. 

We had made reservations in advance and were seated quickly. The service throughout our visit was very good and everything arrived quickly.  

I had the mushroom toast and eggs with roasted wild mushrooms, walnut aioli, montamore cheese, red onion marmalade, herb ciabatta, EVOO, balsamic reduction, smoked sea salt and eggs. This was excellent! The mushroom toast was a unique dish and very flavorful. 

John had the Holman's breakfast with eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast. Pretty basic fare, but everything was tasty and as expected. 

Holman's Table
644 Bayfield St 
St Paul, MN 55107
Phone: (612) 800-5298

https://www.holmanstable.com

Marna's

I'm catching up on a bunch of posts from late summer and fall, when we were able to dine outdoors. I just wanted to clarify that these are not recent visits, but I figured I may as well go ahead and post them anyway since take out is still available from these same places. 

We made a reservation online in advance and were seated quickly once we found the host, which took a minute or two. 

John had the arroz con pollo, which was rice cooked with chicken stock, vegetables and pulled chicken and served with black beans and homemade potato chips. 

I finally tried the Marna's burger. I've read about it from a variety of local dining critics and the Travail guys have also shared how much they love it. It is a chipotle infused beef patty, caramelized onions, bacon, grilled pineapple, Swiss cheese and curry cream sauce on a brioche bun. I had chips and salsa on the side. It is definitely a rich, flavorful burger, if a little on the greasy side. It is somewhat spicy, but not super spicy. The cheese, bun and other elements do tame the spice a bit. 

The service was fine and it appeared they were following all of the safety protocols. We enjoyed our visit and would definitely return again. 

Marna's Eatery
4154 W Broadway Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55422
Phone: (612) 272-1370
https://marnaseatery.com

Marna's Eatery

Note: I visited the establishment and wrote this post before the virus shut down everything. I've decided to go ahead and continue posting as it was a snapshot in time. Many places are still open for carryout. Be sure to visit your favorite places during this crazy time. Support what you love. Now is the time!


We finally tried Marna's in Robbinsdale. Boy, have we been missing out on a great spot. They recently expanded into the area formerly occupied by Pig Ate My Pizza, so the space is cute, bright and open. We were seated right away.

The corn bread with honey butter is amazing. The corn bread is served warm and very moist, not at all dry like some cornbread and this is truly an improvement. This is a must order item!

Gallo Pinto

We both had the Gallo Pinto with rice with seasoned black beans, sweet fried plantain, sour cream, egg, guacamole and a tortilla aliñad. This was great also. I'm not even all that crazy about rice and bean dishes, but both were very flavorful and the plantains really were sweet and perfectly cooked. The tortilla alinad is like a flat corn cake and is a nice change from standard toast.

The service was friendly and efficient and we enjoyed our meal so much. We will certainly be visiting again very soon.


Marna's Eatery
4154 W Broadway Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55422
Phone: (612) 272-1370
https://marnaseatery.com

Lake & Irving Brunch

John and I went to Lake and Irving for brunch recently and I realized I have not done a post on their brunch. We’ve made it back here now and then for dinner or lunch, but I don’t think we’ve had their brunch before.

I had the breakfast sandwich with Lowry Hills sausage patty, bacon, sous vide scrambled egg, American cheese, shallot aioli, brioche, breakfast potatoes. I was not crazy about the breakfast potatoes, but they were crisp and had some rosemary, slat and other seasoning on them. Once I added some hot sauce they were great.

John had the garden scramble with 3 eggs, Sonoma chevre, baby spinach, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, wild rice wheat toast, breakfast potatoes. I did not get to try a bite. It disappeared too quickly. It must have been delicious.

The service was just fine and the food arrived pretty quickly. As usual, a great visit.


Lake & Irving
1513 W Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 354-2453
http://www.lakeandirving.com/

Hen House

We visited Hen House in downtown Minneapolis awhile ago. I am way behind in postings, but I had some nice photos I wanted to post. We sat at the counter and while they were very busy, the service was ok.

John had the archer tostadas with corn tortillas topped with refried black beans, eggs, queso fresco, avocado, cilantro and crema and hash browns.

I had the cinnamon roll pancakes with bacon. They were definitely very sweet and the drizzle tasted like frosting. They were tasty, but I could really only eat about half of them.

This is a great breakfast spot and it is often very busy on the weekends, but the food is usually worth the wait. I think they have improved considerably since they have been open.



Hen House
114 S 8th St
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-345-4664
http://henhouseeatery.com

Copper Cow

We have been wanting to visit Copper Cow in Minnetonka since it opened, but we were a bit afraid of the possibility of huge crowds. We decided maybe brunch would be the way to go and as lick would have it, we ended up with just a shirt five minute wait for a table.

Copper Cow is not a huge restaurant either. It is in a converted Dairy Queen that was added onto. The dining room is one large room with a bar at one end and the kitchen on the other end. On the side, there is an area for take out order pickup. The tables are a bit close together and cozy.

John had the Cow and the Sow burger. It is a 60% local beef & 40% local bacon patty, with bacon cheddar, icebox pickles, butter lettuce, on a house-made milk and honey bun. Since we were there at brunch they were not serving fries, so it came with a side of farmer’s potatoes, which are cut up and fried potatoes. They were fine, but not a preferred potato format for either of us. (Hash browns would be preferred.) The burger was cooked as ordered.

I had the Crispy Chicken and Waffles, which was fried buttermilk chicken, bourbon and bacon maple syrup and micro greens. The chicken was a boneless breast and nice and crispy. The waffle was excellent as well. The bourbon syrup was flavorful and really made the dish. The whipped butter was ok, and best on the waffles. It was a large serving and I would order this again.

The service was fine, a bit rushed, but we had everything we needed in a timely manner.  The only real downside was the cold drafts every time the front door opened. They really need to add an entry way or a double door. I’m not sure if the Copper Cow is worth the trip to the suburbs, but if you live nearby it is a nice addition to the dining scene.



Copper Cow
5445 Eden Prairie Rd
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: (952) 297-8066
https://www.coppercowkitchen.com

Patrick's Bakery & Cafe

We visited Patrick’s in Maple Grove for brunch for the first time awhile back. John had been to the location near Southdale for lunch ages ago. We were seated immediately and had great service even though there was a large group next to us.

John had the Forestier burger, which is an angus beef burger on freshly baked baguette bread and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms and bacon bits with French fries. He really liked that this is served on a baguette instead of a traditional hamburger bun. The fries were great also.

I had the ham and cheese croissant sandwich, which is a flaky croissant filled with ham, Dijon mustard, bechamel sauce and shredded mozzarella. The sandwich was served warm and had plentiful fillings. It was a lot of food and I liked the side salad and vinaigrette dressing. Everything tasted as great as it looked.

We found the service to be quick and friendly. We had a very enjoyable meal and would certainly return.


Patrick's Bakery & Café
The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes
12489 Elm Creek Blvd N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Phone: (763) 420-7770
http://patricksbakerycafe.com/

Nightingale

Nightingale is not new, but we have never made it there before for brunch or for dinner. This is regrettable since our brunch was excellent!

I had the shrimp and grits with bacon, thyme and Worcestershire jus. The grits were perfect and the sauce made it all a savory treat. Very flavorful and delicious.

John had the classic breakfast with bacon, scrambled eggs, brunch potatoes and toast. John really enjoyed the toast and said it was a great French bread. We wondered where their bread comes from.

The service was excellent and the atmosphere very relaxing. It is a small place, but we did not have reservations for brunch and were seated right away. Later it did seem to get considerably busier with a short wait for tables.



Nightingale
2551 Lyndale Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Phone: (612) 354-7060
http://nightingalempls.com/

Thirty Bales

The old Big Ten in Hopkins has been gone awhile now and Thirty Bales has been reborn in its place. The room is modern and bright with a large square bar in the center. They did a great job and it looks nothing like it did before.

John had the spicy chicken sandwich with a buttermilk friend chicken breast, hot sauce and pickles, lettuce on ciabatta roll with crinkle fries on the side.

I had the lemon ricotta pancakes. Oddly the server asked if I wanted to add berries and I said no, but it arrived with berries. I had to ask for the maple syrup the menu said it included. The pancakes were fluffy and light, but did not have a lot of lemon flavor.

The service started out OK, but everything seemed a bit off. Servers kept trying to deliver food to our table after we had received ours. It took ages for the check to arrive and the server to come back and process the payment. The restaurant was not that busy at the time either, so I am not sure what the delay was. Being that there are not a ton of interesting options in Hopkins, it might be worth a trip back to try the dinner menu. And hopefully the service improves as they are open longer.



Thirty Bales
1106 Mainstreet
Hopkins, MN 55343
Phone: (952) 930-0369
www.thirtybales.com

The Bird

In our never-ending quest for brunch, we visited the Bird near Loring Park awhile back. It was not at all busy when we arrived on a Saturday morning, which was somewhat surprising.

John had the roasted broccoli scramble with eggs, mushrooms, onion, cheddar cheese and 9 grain seed bread.

I had the quinoa pancakes with toasted quinoa, blueberry compote and cashew cream. These were much better than I had expected with a nice nutty flavor from the quinoa.

The service was great and we thought all of the food was very good. The menu definitely veers toward healthy options with items for vegetarians and gluten free diets was well, which is a nice option. The Bird is worth checking out!



The Bird
1612 Harmon Pl
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: (612) 767-9495
http://www.thebirdmpls.rocks/

Burch Steak - brunch

We ended up at Burch Steak for brunch awhile ago when we tried to visit one spot and saw lines out the door, so we quickly brainstormed a new idea. Burch Steak did not have lines out the door and we even found street parking nearby. It seems to be a hidden brunch gem though because it wasn’t at all busy.

John had the classic breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and potato cakes.

I had the crab toast, which was fresh crab, grilled bread, beurre blanc, sautéed spinach and fried egg. Oh my goodness, loved this so much. I see the photo and I remember how delicious it was. The spinach was sautéed with some garlic to give it tons of flavor and there was quite a bit of crab in this dish. The egg was perfectly over easy too. At first, I didn’t think it looked like a ton of food, but I was filled up by the time I finished it.

The service was excellent throughout our visit and we were in and out in a relatively short amount of time, which was nice. We will be back, so I can have the crab toast again! There are a few egg sandwiches on the menu that look interesting as well. 

Burch Steak
1933 Colfax Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 843-1515
http://burchrestaurant.com/

Hai Hai brunch

We checked out the brunch at Hai Hai awhile ago. When patio season was still an option. Please come back warm weather! Also, some of the hype seems to have died down here. Granted, we visited on a Saturday afternoon, well after lunchtime, so the rush was probably over.

I had the Thai Fried chicken and papaya salad. It included fried egg, sticky rice and coconut milk pancake, green papaya salad and lime leaf honey butter and fish sauce syrup on the side. Lots of things to play around with. The chicken was excellent; very crisp and a little spice. I really liked the coconut milk pancake with the lime butter on it- it was a bit crispy and sweet.

John had the Fried rice cakes and egg, which was a bit of a breakfast bowl type item with scrambled eggs, scallion, papaya, pickled carrot and jicama, pickled onion, cucumber, Thai chili and tamari vinegar.

This is definitely a fun brunch with great food. They have a lot of items you won’t find on the menu anywhere else in town if you need to mix up your brunch a bit. The back bar and patio are quite nice in the warmer weather and make the restaurant quite a bit larger. We even discovered that there is a nice sized parking lot in the back of the building, which is super convenient.



Hai Hai
2121 University Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: (612) 223-8640
https://www.haihaimpls.com/

Saint Dinette

We stopped for brunch at Saint Dinette on our way home from Stillwater after a wedding there the night before. Once we got into St Paul, it took a bit to figure out where a good place to park would be. We ended up in the ramp for the St Paul Union Depot. At the restaurant there was a short wait for a table, and we ended up sitting at the bar as spots opened up before a table did.

I had the scramble with crimini mushrooms, goat cheese, chive and toast. The eggs were so light and fluffy and I adore goat cheese, so that was the perfect addition to the eggs. I asked for jam for the toast and got a mango pineapple jam that was really excellent.

John had the cheeseburger. This burger has been written about a lot since saint Dinette opened and now I see why. It is two thinner patties, and the meat is so rich, juicy and flavorful. It could not be a better burger.

John also ordered a side of fries. Can’t go wrong with a good crinkle cut fry.

The service was friendly, helpful and great overall. We probably need to go back so I can try the shrimp and grits. Though I’m sure everything else on the menu is perfect as well. Saint Dinette is worth the trip to St Paul.


Saint Dinette
261 5th St E
St Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 800-1415
https://www.saintdinette.com/

The Kenwood Restaurant

We’ve been meaning to visit the Kenwood for some time now, but it always feels like it is out of the way. Turns out it is rather conveniently located near Lake of the Isles and not far off 394. Of course we visited for breakfast, because brunch is the best.

I had the Huevos Rancheros with pork, potatoes, fried egg and harissa. Some avocado and jalapenos were also on the plate to add flavor as needed. This was amazing. The pork was tender and juicy and the harissa added a bit of spice if you needed it, as did the jalapenos. This looked impressive and it really is a must try at the Kenwood.

John had the simple breakfast with rosemary potatoes, bacon and scrambled eggs. This was a pretty basic breakfast, though it was all very well done, with fluffy eggs and think perfectly crisped bacon.

He also tried the pancake with black walnut better. The pancake was a fluffier pancake than we usually prefer, but this had excellent flavor and a nice crispness on the edges too. Yum.

We ended up sitting at the counter to reduce our wait time a bit as this is not a large restaurant. It was a little chilly when the door opened and closed, but not bad as the kitchen was in front of us and provided heat. The service was good and we really enjoyed all of the food. They really do great things with even the most basic of breakfast items. I want to go back and see what they do with lunch and dinner foods.



The Kenwood
2115 W 21st St
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Phone: (612) 377-3695
http://www.thekenwoodrestaurant.com/

Hot Plate

Hot Plate is one of those cute, quirky places- lots of fun vintage games piled up by the waiting area and tons of stuff on the walls to look at. It isn't a large restaurant, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. I think we waited about 25 minutes for a table.

The walls are covered in kitsch- paint by numbers pictures mostly, lots of crazy thrift store type finds.

John had the pancakes with a side of bacon. The pancakes were quite good- very light and fluffy. The bacon was crispy and delicious.

I had the Bloomington sandwich on grilled sourdough with asiago, Swiss and cheddar, bacon, soft scrambled eggs and griddled with 100% pure Maple syrup. The syrup added just a touch of sweetness. This was a hearty and tasty breakfast sandwich, I wasn't bananas about their breakfast potatoes- they were fine, but not particularly memorable.

The food is good quality with some fun, interesting menu items. The service is quick and efficient. There isn't a lot of time to chat. They are trying to get you in and out as quickly as possible, without rushing you through the meal, which is OK since you can see the next round of people waiting for tables.


Hot Plate
5204 Bloomington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55417
Phone: (612) 824-4794
http://www.hotplate.com