Republic ***3.5/5 stars

Oh, the memories. I vaguely recall many a night in my 20s, hanging with a crew at what was formerly the Independent, drinking Shark Tanks (a bowl of cheap vodka floated with grenadine "blood" and a rubber shark toy...steal THAT, Johnny Michaels) and blacking out. So now Republic has slid in to replace the slimy co-ed bathrooms of the independent with some more classy pee-less seats.

Gluten-worshiping beer nerds rejoice. Republic has an extensive craft beer list. I tried to order a "light" beer once and was met with eyes of horror. (It's okay, I'm used to it. In fact, I often like to go to places that boast elite draught selections and order a Coors Light in a can. Often, I am awarded that option, to the dismay of many, but not here.)

Menu's got good stuff. Love me a classic brunch menu with all the staples: fritattas, omelettes, rancheros, biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs... Ya notice the $5 bloody bar banner? Yup. It's a good one.

The house mix is probably one of the best I've had in town. Tomato, horseradish and spices, with a kick (not too hard). The condiments are well cared for, unlike other bloody bars I've seen, where it looks like the garnish tray has been attacked by ravenous beasts, tearing their way through the piles of meat and cheese and olives, like it's their last hope for survival (okay, I've been there). Never fear. If you're too lazy to make your own, the bartender will graciously make one for you, but then you don't get the loaded life-giving skewer. You could basically survive armageddon with this bloody bar. I exaggerate, as everybody knows Ike's bloodies are the real "meal in a glass".

The mimosas are $5, too, and gigantic. Nicki made this nice cheese barbell.

On to the food. I got the walleye benny, cuz I'm a sucker for fish bennies. It's a new favorite for sure. Eggs: runny. Cakes: salty and tender. Spinach: perfectly wilted. Browns: crispy.

Nick veered off course from her usual "eggs your way" and got the juevos. Beautiful presentation and excellent flavor. Bravo. That fringe purse is getting famous...

 Clean plate club!

The dining area is huge here. Bring all your friends. Bring your extended family. Bring your kickball team. Hell, this place could probably accommodate the zombie pub crawl. Bet they'd wreck that bloody bar...jerks.

Well, brunch is over. Time to go buy a hookah.

Victor's 1959 Cafe ***3/5 stars

I had to ask for help on this one. My to-brunch list was running low and my parents were coming into town. I reached out on the Facebooks and found out that people get pretty passionate about their brunch. I mean, of course, so do I. I got some suggestions for places in St. Paul with cheap and veritably endless boozy drinks. Not really my parent's bag. My professional drinking team and I will get to those soon. When someone did mention a better, more rents-friendly alternative, Victor's Cuban Cafe, I perked up. Others jumped right in to argue that it's always too crowded and not that impressive, but I believe otherwise. Let me tell ya why...

So, this place is like, totes adorbs. A small, ramshackle building nestled in the quickly gentrifying Kingfield neighborhood, it's usually overflowing with peeps jonesing for a side of black beans with their eggs.

It was kinda chilly, so we opted for the patio and were seated within 10 minutes. The menu is pretty extensive, even includes some "americano" breakfast options in case you are afraid of ethnic foods.

 

First things first. Coffee and mimosas as big as your head. Mom says: one and done.

This whole place is tagged up, yo.

 

Like mother, like daughter, we both ordered the Dia Y Noche. Simple, but oh so lovely. Eggs OE, rice, beans, plantains. Tough to get fresh plantains here, but these are totally decent. I could seriously eat this for every meal.

 

Dad got the Ranchero Cubano, which is basically Juevos Rancheros. 

He's stoked. Can you tell? Maybe the coffee hasn't kicked in yet...

Here's the cuban toast, which I wouldn't recommend. You pay extra and it's basically a white bun cut in half and fried. You're not fooling me, ese.

The inside is tagged up as well... adorned with xmas lights and various ephemera. Cozy.

There's a reason why this place is always busy... Weekday brunch is definitely easier to get a table, otherwise pack your lawn chair and your sharpie and practice your 3D lettering and Castro caricatures while you camp out in the lot. Yeah, Pat.