Q: I know Mother's Day is the biggest brunch day of the year. But how about a few brunch ideas for the rest of the calendar?
A: As a firm believer that the melding of breakfast and lunch is one of nature's most inspired creations, I'm happy to report that the Twin Cities is in the midst of a brunch boom. Here are some recommendations.
At Waldmann Brewery & Wurstery (445 Smith Av., St. Paul, 651-222-1857, waldmannbrewery.com), chef Karl Gerstenberger crafts weisswurst, those pale Bavarian veal sausages, and also serves eggs baked with Iowa-made Cheddar, with baked goodies from nearby Brake Bread; brewmaster Drew Ruggles serves an unfiltered, Bavarian-style Weissbier. Christina Nguyen and Birk Grudem already demonstrate major brunch game at their Hola Arepa (3501 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls., 612-345-5583, holaarepa.com), and they're doing similarly exciting dishes (fried rice cakes with scrambled eggs, yam-potato hash with fried eggs and lime leaf tofu sauce) and drinks (a fish sauce-splashed Bloody Mary, Vietnamese coffee with coconut rum) at their tons-o'-fun Hai Hai (2121 University Av. NE., Mpls., 612-223-8640, haihaimpls.com).
I've heaped praise aplenty on the almond pancakes, lobster/fried-egg "toast," crab Benedict and empanadas filled with creamed leeks and Gorgonzola — and I'll continue to do so — at Martina (4312 Upton Av. S., Mpls., 612-922-9913, martinarestaurant.com). Count me a fan of chef Adam Eaton's weekend flights of fancy (oh, that plate of shrimp and grits) at Saint Dinette (261 E. 5th St., St. Paul, 651-800-1415, saintdinette.com). And chefs Tim McKee and Shane Oporto just launched brunch at Octo Fishbar (289 E. 5th St., St. Paul, 651-202-3409, octostp.com), serving buckwheat waffles with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs with baby squid and chorizo, brown butter pancakes, crab legs, a pork burger and more.
Q: Can you suggest a quiet restaurant?
A: I'm taking that to mean that you want to carry on a conversation? It's possible at cozy Tongue in Cheek (989 Payne Av., St. Paul, 651-888-6148, tongueincheek.biz), where chef Leonard Anderson is currently offering a great Sunday-through-Thursday date-night deal: two "teasers" (the East Side equivalent of an amuse-bouche), four small plates, two cocktails and a dessert, for $69. Similarly small-scaled Bardo (222 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-886-8404, bardompls.com) can also be conversation-friendly, particularly if you're seated at one of the tables in the snug upfront bar. Even when it's full — and that's often — I've found that the Lynhall (2640 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 612-870-2640, thelynhall.com) and its casual, roomy setting (and all-purpose menu) isn't overwhelming, sound-wise.
Q: I follow your Burger Friday blog [find it at startribune.com/taste]. Are there any recent burgers that really stand out?
A: I'm still thinking about the terrific "Butcher Burger" that Taher Inc. is featuring as part of its nicely upgraded menu at the Rathskeller Cafe at the Minnesota State Capitol (75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul). The name reflects the beef's source: Lowry Hill Meats in Minneapolis, and its spectacular, naturally leavened bun is baked at Baker's Field Flour & Bread, also in Minneapolis. The basement-level cafeteria is open weekdays during the legislative season, which comes to a close May 21, so hurry in. On the subject of Lowry Hill Meats (1934 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls., 612-999-4200, lowryhillmeats.com), butcher Erik Sather recently did the world a favor by switching his Wednesday-only burger ($10) — one of the city's tastiest, without question — to an available-daily commodity. In the "Stop it, you're killing me" department, Sather has also added French fries ($4) to his menu.
