Sarah and I like to seek out new establishments for brunch. I threw “St. Paul brunch” into The Googler and found Bon Vie. We overlooked the presence of the devil’s handwriting on the entry page and left navigation, and made plans to meet.
The restaurant is a little hard to spot on Selby, so even though I’d mapped the location, I ended up asking for directions at A Piece of Cake, their sister establishment. The man behind the counter was extremely friendly and wished me a good meal.
The restaurant was full when we arrived at 10:30, but a couple left five minutes later and we were seated in their place.
Sarah chose the Farmer’s Market Breakfast (Scrambled eggs with asparagus, roasted sweet peppers, feta cheese, and toast), while I had the Croissant Breakfast Sandwich (scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar served with O’Brien potatoes). The O’Brien potatoes were outstanding. They were served in a square, as if they were cut out of a casserole dish. The potatoes clung together (firm, not soggy), topped with cheddar cheese and chives. They were hearty and flavorful and comforting, and I might have exclaimed something joyous with every bite. The croissant was warm and flaky, surrounding eggs with a dash of pepper, a slice of cheddar cheese, and two thick slices of bacon. Sarah’s food looked incredible as well. The eggs and vegetables were fresh, and the hash browns were a heap of crispy goodness.
After brunch, we wandered down to A Piece of Cake where my car was parked. We each got a whoopie pie to take home, because we were still full from our meal. We also noted that the Happy Gnome served brunch and thought that would be a good spot for our next gathering. I could eat and drink my way through Selby Avenue (Louisiana Cafe, Bon Vie, A Piece of Cake, The Happy Gnome, La Grolla, Fabulous Fern’s, Moscow on the Hill, W.A. Frost, with a detour on Dale for The Muddy Pig and Sweeney’s, and I know I’m forgetting someone important).
April 16, 2009 at 9:55 am |
Did somebody say bacon?
Found this link to a bacon lance and thought of you (and since Tim frowns on bacon references on Five Hundy, I didn’t know where else to put it).
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/04/behold_the_flaming_bacon_lance_of_d.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
April 18, 2009 at 4:53 pm |
i love eating along that street. la grolla is wonderful. i miss chang o’hara’s (now the happy gnome, and somehow different). also sweeneys. and the italian place in the brick mansion–it’s changed hands and now it has a new name….. yer making me hungry.
April 20, 2009 at 5:47 pm |
BC– Thanks, although I’d rather eat prosciutto than use it to cut through other stuff.
Laurie– good to know about La Grolla! We’re probably going to try brunch at the Happy Gnome next, but I want to try as many places as I can on that street. The Italian place looked good too.
May 12, 2009 at 4:17 pm |
I looooooove the Selby/Dale area! And whoopie pies! When the two come together, happiness abounds.