Buried in the neighborhoods of east MPLS, the Birchwood draws a constant crowd. If you're like me, you dread foraging the depths of continuous stop signs and pedestrians as you travel east and come closer to the ever impending doom of St. Paul. But I have to admit, this side of town is pretty swell. With the river right there and everything...all those ambitious middle-aged folk on the trails, proudly wearing their spandex, working hard for their lattes and organic eggs. (The bike ride here from the mid-west is pretty awesome. Mostly greenway.)
So this is the inside. It's stand-in-line-and-order-from-a-board style. So, if the line isn't long enough, you might find yourself in panic, trying to figure out if the chalkboard artist had too much coffee that morning...and what the hell business tofu and pickled radish have inside a scramble. Okay, okay. They have printed menus and I do appreciate their inventive dishes, but if you're not okay with fish or tofu or sheep's milk, this might not be your best best for brunch.
Oh, but they do make things with sugar and cream cheese. This coffee cake Brunchitizer™ was killer.
And they do have mimosas...cheers!
This is the basic scramble and potatoes. Nicki was totally bored with it. But she's afraid of organic things. And true love. (The potatoes had some good flavor.)
I got the quiche. Apple and blue cheese and some other junk. Not my fave, but satisfactory. xxoo salad for breakfast.
Here's that weirdo scramble with pickled radish and fennel and crap. My nerd boyfriend loved it. He's clearly on drugs...
Okay, so I've been kinda negativo, but really I do enjoy the Birchwood. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The service was great, thanks to Rick for getting us settled. And I felt pretty healthy when I walked out the door. I do also respect the consciousness that the Birchwood inspires with their food. We should know and appreciate where it comes from.
Namaste.
Don't ask.
