Glorious Summer Days...In March!

In Minnesota, when winter is chased away by warm sunshine, we embrace it.  We embrace it with giddy joy the first time it appears especially, even when it appears in March.  March is unnaturally early for such weather to last for more than a day to those who have lived years in Minnesota.  But we embrace it none-the-less and revel in the balmy air.  On one such lovely day this March, I did a running stop at Rye Deli for re-fueling after the weekly long run with my club on the way to help with the nieces swim lessons.  After looking at the menu boards with uncomprehending eyes, I simply asked if they had raisin bagels as I could only see a few varieties.  The gal at the counter nicely explained the bagel options, noting that they really don’t do the sweet bagels.  No problem for me, I’m just after some carbs!  As I stood there still sweating, it seemed to take forever for the guy to slice my bagel and hand it over. Well, somehow cream cheese made it onto the bagel.  Not sure how that happened; no time to waste trying to figure that one out.  It was amazing…and different than the bagels that I’m accustomed to. The crust was chewy as expected; the inside was light, more bread-like than other bagels I know. It reminded me of the bagel I had in New York City.  This is a bagel of a different kind here in the Twin Cities.

As it happened, later that same day, I ended up at Rye for a late lunch.  Being an early warm spring day, my friend and I took the opportunity to sit on their patio.  It is quite pleasant, shielded from the traffic of Hennepin Ave by a tall wall.  The food was spot on and incredibly fresh.  The Midnight Turkey Sandwich was as described; then pleasant surprise was the vibrant flavors that could only come from being so fresh. The food at Rye isn’t incredibly complicated or exotic.  What it is is fresh, well prepared and well proportioned. I’m a fan.

A couple weeks later, I took the chance to head to the bar section of Rye for a late night nosh.  It was cozy and a pleasant bar scene with a decent selection of beer and wine.  The only down-side was the lack of crowd; it thinned out to us and the bar-staff by closing time.  I hope to see a more robust crowd in the future. The midnight close shouldn’t deter people from heading there as The Lowry is a short two block walk away for those that want to continue the night into the wee hours of the morning.  

A Brilliant Brunch To Go with the Brilliant Sunshine

These posts are not in chronological order;  a heads up to those who like things in linear order. 

My latest culinary adventure? Heidi’s Minneapolis for Sunday brunch (http://heidismpls.com/).  I read about the fire that took out the original Heidi’s and the ensuing re-build of the restaurant.  There was a spirit of longing and anticipation in the articles about all of these events, something only great dining experiences can inspire.  When the opportunity arose to finally experience Heidi’s, I jumped on it and was glad I did.  Heidi’s is unlike any other place – and that is meant in the most positive manner.

We arrived just as they were opening for Sunday brunch on a brilliantly sunny, cold February morning.  The atmosphere was unlike any I’ve walked into in a restaurant.  The staff were welcoming and the décor mixed modern and natural elements in a way that works well.  It was perfect for brunch with the sun streaming in the windows and I could also imagine enjoying the dinner atmosphere with dimmer lighting.  It made a good first impression, needless to say.  Then I was onto making a selection from the menu.  I almost went the too simple route of brioche and jam with eggs.  Now this would have been done amazingly well but I ultimately went with the omelet (not a surprise to those who have brunched with me). Coffee arrived along with a mini-loaf of banana bread.  Wow.  Really?! A simple touch that puts brunch at Heidi’s in its own category. Nibbling on delicious sweet bread as you wait for brunch, that is a wonderful weekend moment. The savoring of bread, coffee and conversation slowed when our food arrived. All around well-done and a notch above many brunches I’ve had (and I’ve had a lot of brunches!).  The omelet was thin, filled with spinach, onion, ham and cheese. It sounds simple but it was done in an elevated way where none of the ingredients overpowered the other; instead they all worked together to make a dish that was delicious with a hint of richness.  Though nearing fullness, I could not stop from finishing the last few bites of the wonderful work I could tell was behind this omelet.

The brunch experience at Heidi’s was as good as it could get.  Now I’m left wondering what dinner is like at Heidi’s?! 

Where it all started..

"Do you like to brunch?"
An innocent enough question that I asked to a few co-workers several years ago now.  It started a monthly tradition of finding the diners and neighborhood cafes where we would go enjoy the pancakes and eggs and get to know more about each other than the roles we fill in our office.
We started in St. Paul at Key's Cafe (http://www.keyscafe.com/).  An appropriate starting point as it is a legendary diner that now boasts several locations around the Twin Cities.  Of course, we went to the original, tucked away on a side street just off of University Avenue.  It is tiny and the portions are generous as evidenced on our (re)visit last year when a 'side' order of bacon produced a small plate with a pile of foot-long strips of bacon.  Plenty for sharing!
It was a wonderful place to start that we do re-visit on occasion.  I've visited many other locales that I will write more about in no particular order. Brunch - though a very lovely institution - is not the only meal.  There will also be restaurants visited with other food-loving friends of which there is a growing and ever varying selection in the Twin Cities.  So much more to come! So many more meals to partake of in life!