Restaurant: Grand Cafe

A friend and I checked out the new Grand Café (formerly Bakery on Grand) for brunch Sunday, and mmm… I had stopped in the old Bakery on Grand a couple years ago for a tasty little pastry, and the feel of the place hasn't changed: a classy, slightly upscale café.

I had the heavenly Banana Bread French Toast with Home-Made Peach Syrup and Bavarian Cream. I was afraid it might be a little too weighty for french toast, especially after seeing how huge the regular toast coming out of the kitchen was, but I just couldn't resist the homemade peach syrup. What appeared before me was mouthwatering--one long, thick, piece of banana bread covered in fresh, chunky peach syrup, topped lengthwise with a full-size (what I'm guessing was baked) banana. The french toast was just the right density…heavier than regular french toast but not too much. The syrup was almost thick enough to be preserves but just liquid enough to qualify as syrup. The bavarian cream on the side was just the right flavor. Not super sweet, and nicely balancing the intense sweetness of the french toast.

My friend tried the Huevoes Rancheros (Quesadillas filled with Pork Confit, Oaxaca Cheese, Two Eggs, Roasted Corn Salsa, Black Beans, and Sour-Cream) and gave it a thumbs up as well.

I remember looking at the Bakery on Grand dinner menu when I stopped in that one day, and thinking it wasn't for me. I appreciate unique flavorful food, but my palette is not developed enough to appreciate brisket, pheasant, or fish soup. After checking out the lunch and dinner menu while waiting for the arrival of our food, I can confidently say it is a place I would now happily check out!

added bonus...here is Jeremy Iggers' review of the new place.

Restaurant: Broder's Pasta Bar

Yum! I'm one of the few people in the Twin Cities who had not been to Broder's Pasta Bar yet, but tonight that all changed. ...And my life is definitely better for it!

I had pretty much sworn off Italian restaurants because the good places were too expensive and the anything-less-than-the-good places? Their menu might as well just say: Giant heap of overcooked pasta with your choice of meat and red or white sauce. Blech...

The soft breads they started us off with were crusty and chewy and the flat bread was crispy. We tried a tasty little anitpasto to whet our appetites: salsicce con finocchio e cipolla, grilled mild Italian sausage links with caramelized fennel and sweet onions in a sambuca reduction.

As for the entrees, I can confidently say that I would not have been disappointed by any of them. I had the gnocchi verde con vitello e coriandolo, homemade gnocchi with veal, carrots, zucchini, coriander, dill, and marsala. It is very easy to get gnocchi wrong, but mine were of the perfect tenderness. My folks ordered the ravioli con zucca (squash-filled ravioli with sage, butter, and parmigiano) and the stringozzi con arragosta (homemade pasta with lobster, roasted squash, and truffle cream). The ravioli were flavorful and, most importantly, not drowning in a sea of butter. Though I wouldn't have been able to finish the stringozzi because it's superb richness, it was again flavorful without so much cream that you couldn't taste the lobster and squash. And all portion sizes were perfect. Not too much...just enough to leave you satisfied and planning your next visit!