Monday, March 12, 2007

Butter



Butter Bakery and Cafe
3544 Grand Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55408

I decided on Saturday that I would start a new tradition with my 4.75 year old daughter, and that tradition would be a regular breakfast venture in the twin cities area. I have been reading other breakfast blogs, some for the TC, some for other areas (I'm looking at you, pdxbreakfastblog) and do not know if I can live up to the wit and actual reviewing that these bloggers accomplish in their blogs, but I will do what I can.

Our first breakfast was at Butter. I had been wanting to try this place for breakfast for almost six months, since I went there for coffee with my brother and started salivating over every other patron's plates full of food while I sat there nursing my americano. So, on Sunday, breakfast (or as I always say: brekkie) was there.

We got there at about 11am and there was a line at the counter to order (no wait staff - all ordering is done at the counter) and not very many available seats. I took this as a good sign. People like it here! When it was our turn, I ordered the migas with potatoes and a coffee, while Rowan wanted oatmeal. Diners do not get numbers, but pictures to bring to their tables. We got a hammerhead shark, which was pretty awesome, and staked out a place at the countertop on barstools. We did come prepared with a backpack with a coloring book and crayons, but Butter has games and toys for kids, which is a definite plus.

What was not a definite plus was the actual food. While I did eat my whole meal, I was expecting the meal to be what it claimed to be on the menu: scrambled eggs w/ corn tortilla strips, onion, jalapeno, red pepper, cheddar cheese & salsa. It was more of a round circle of eggs with onion, jalapeno, and chedder cheese at the bottom of the egg mixture -- almost like an omelette without the bottom half. No tortilla strips, no red pepper. It was.....okay. The potatoes were fried potatoes and were cold and kind of soggy. Not the best 'taters I've ever eaten, that is for sure.

Rowan seemed to enjoy her oatmeal, though was disappointed that it was not a kid's oatmeal, as promised, with m&ms, but came instead with cream (that she kept drinking out of the pitcher), brown sugar, and granola/raisins (not a big hit). She ate almost all of the adult portion, so it must have been fine.

Overall, the prices are cheap, the coffee is good (free refills, if you can catch someone's attention) and the atmosphere is good. The food, however, is not something to write home about. I would maybe give this place another chance, but only if I ran out of options in Minneapolis, St. Paul and probably the inner ring of suburbs. (Yikes!) That said, I would totally meet someone for coffee there. COFFEE, not weird rubbery circle eggs and sad soggy potatoes.