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!