Cool Beans at Cafe Twenty Eight.

Dig Latin inspired food? Obsessed with breakfast? If that’s the case, you should grab a buddy, pal or amigo and check out Café Twenty Eight’s Sunday brunch. We’re blessed to have a lion’s share of killer brunch spots here in SW Minneapolis (Café Maude, Blackbird Café, Café Twenty Eight and Zumbro Café (AKA the SW Quad Cafés), but when I’m looking for something with a little heat, I have to head over to Café Twenty Eight.

I’ve had their chilaquiles with salsa verde last year and I have to admit that it was one of my favorite breakfasts of the year. This time around I decided to roll with the huevos rancheros since I’ve struggled to find a really good order elsewhere, and since the dish wasn’t that far a departure from my original breakfast-based love affair. If you are a huevos fan, then you should really stop in and give it a whirl.

An order of huevos at Café Twenty Eight includes two eggs the way you like ‘em, ranchero sauce, black beans, guacamole, queso fresco, fresh tortillas and your choice of bacon, sausage or chicken sausage. I decided to go with poached eggs (my new favorite – they instantly turn a side dish into a meal) and bacon. As mentioned, I felt a bit bad that I didn’t order the chilaquiles again, but any thoughts of buyers remorse were quickly squashed when my breakfast arrived.

I’m not sure what their process is but I think their black beans are really good, offering the perfect texture with a deep earthy flavor stemming from the thick sauce they simmer in. The ranchero sauce offers a mild heat while flashing freshness and spark. The poached eggs were as delicate as a freshman’s self-esteem and the yolk ran right into the beans and ranchero sauce formulating the perfect spread for those awesome tortillas. For me, the formula is simple: Scoop up as much eggs, beans, sauce, cooling queso and luscious quac as I can into one of the tortillas, crumble on some salty bacon to compliment the freshness of the cheese, shove into mouth and repeat. The only disappointment with this dish was when it was all over.

That’s the beauty of all the great breakfast haunts in SW. There’s variety all over the place and each location has its own calling, but for me, if I want some heat and something with a bit of Latin flare, I look no further than Café Twenty Eight. Unfortunately, their patio season will be coming to an end (OK, based on today it’s straight up over), but it’s really tough to beat a spicy breakfast, some sunshine and a great companion to start off your Sunday.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy

Lost Lake Lodge

Even though I love SW Minneapolis, I do feel the need to go exploring beyond the city both in search of an escape and just as importantly, in search of new and unique dining experiences. I just so happened to stumble on a real charmer up north at my girlfriend's cabin in Nisswa. We had overheard her neighbors talking about how spectacular the breakfasts were at a little place called Lost Lake Lodge. Needles to say, I was intrigued. It took us several visits to Jessi's cabin to finally make it over there, but I soon found that this quaint little lodge was well worth the wait. Lost Lake Lodge is a full service resort, and most meals are included in their packages, but the restaurant is also open to the public.

A few weeks ago Jess, her parents and I finally worked up the motivation to hop on the bikes for the 45 minute pedal over to this cute-as-heck little resort to take in their much lauded breakfast. It's a pretty good ride, so by the time we showed we were ready to eat! The breakfast service at the lodge is actually quite nice. Take your classic northwoods setting - think knotty pine, conifers galore, a sweet little lake and throw in one hell of a breakfast deal - you get the picture. The service starts with coffee and orange juice, and soon after your server shows up with a delicious selection of pastries that are crafted in-house with flour ground at Lost Lake Lodge's private grist mill (who still has their own grist mill?). I was disappointed they didn't have any scones on this particular morning as they are famous around the area, but I was over that as soon as I sunk my teeth into their soft, buttery and incredibly decadent caramel roll. Honestly, this perfect little roll was worth the ride on its own.

I soon found that the caramel roll was just the beginning. I was actually really impressed with the depth of the offerings on this little lodge's menu. Of course they had the traditional pancakes, waffles, eggs and just about everything else you'd expect from a lodge in Northern MN, but they also had a few things that caught me off guard. The Bordeaux omelet featuring brie and spinach was a bit surprising and I wrestled with that before I eventually gave into the huevos rancheros. Two perfectly over easy eggs were nestled on top of earthy and robust beans and a really nice gritty house-made corn tortilla. Of course the dish was covered in a zipply little salsa verde that had heat, sweetness and a little spice to make the flavors sing. Mix in a bit of the egg yolk and queso fresco with the spice and you had a nice fulfilling dish. You can always tell when the kitchen cares if the hash browns turn out and the crispy little piles of pure potato that they serve with every breakfast showed that the preparation is taken seriously here.

I loved my little dish, but I did manage to steal a bite of the smoked salmon eggs benedict with citrus hollandaise that Jessi's mom ordered and I was instantly hit with a serious dose of jealousy. I hope to pedal my way back over for one last trip this weekend as the lodge closes down in early October. If you ever find yourself in the area I highly suggest you make it over. All of the breakfasts include pastries, coffee, juice and your entree for only $12. It may seem like a good sum for breakfast, but the quality of this meal is first rate, and I left struggling to balance my bike for the first mile due to my newly found top heaviness.

Happy Eating,

-Teddy