Seward Neighborhood Hot Spot

I was lucky enough to visit the Birchwood Cafe after it's renovation, which was helpful since seating is still at a premium. I highly recommend going before noon on a Saturday. By the time we left at approximately 12:30, the line was almost out the door. The atmosphere is bright, communal and lively. I enjoyed seeing the community table that was almost part of the kitchen, along with the open concept of the kitchen.

I was extremely satisfied with my choice for brunch. I ordered the savory waffle and it was incredible. It had kale, quinoa and feta cheese. On each of the four quadrants of the waffle, it featured different toppings including pineapple pear chutney, bacon lardoon, lemon rosemary butter and a sunny side up egg. Maple syrup was served on the side but I only used it for a very small portion and quickly found out it was best without any syrup. With each bite, I took great pleasure in knowing how fresh this dish was and how well they paired healthy ingredients into a satisfying brunch dish. I highly recommend the savory waffle to anyone, even if you think you may not like the flavors. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Kevin chose the French Toast which was made of Birdseed bread, and was topped with cranberry kumquat compote, pecans, coconut whipped cream and served with maple syrup. It was just the right amount of sweet and had several textures which played off one another.

Kevin paired his brunch entree with a grapefruit mimosa which gave a sour note to a drink, which was needed since it was paired with an already sweet dish. 

I highly recommend Birchwood Cafe for so many reasons. It's a neighborhood place, although people from all over frequent the establishment. They are focused on fresh and local food and it is evident they care about what they serve. There were a few specials written on a chalkboard such as Tuesday night pizza and wine night for $30 along with a beer and burger special on another night.

Birchwood Cafe

Northeast Neighborhood Cafe

I dined at Modern Cafe in early winter. I had promised one of my former students I would take her to a restaurant on my list so she chose Modern Cafe. I was not surprised that it felt like a neighborhood cafe as it was in Northeast and many places in this area have a great neighborhood feel to them. I chose the pancakes and added a side of bacon. There was nothing that made this dish stand out from any others but if you are hungry, this will certainly satisfy your craving for pancakes.

My guest ordered the Famous Modern Hash, which is a signature dish at Modern Cafe. She said it was rich, flavorful and certainly lived up to its namesake.

Although this is nothing I would drive out of my way for, if you are in the area it's a nice spot for a filling breakfast.

Modern Cafe

James Beard Nominee in Lowertown

I had the privilege of trying Heartland many years when they were in their original location on St. Clair in St. Paul. At the time, I didn't appreciate the diversity of what they had to offer but I am grateful that now I am much more open to culinary possibilities and I am now able to take full advantage of the high quality food and dining experience Heartland has to offer. Chef Lenny Russo has been extremely active in the local as well as international food scene. We are extremely lucky to have such a force here in the Twin Cities. As usual, my dining experience did not disappoint.

I had the pleasure of celebrating my mom's first day of retirement while also dining with my dear friend, Rebecca. I was especially excited to dine here since Heartland consistently offers creative vegetarian dishes on a daily basis.

We began with some tasty cocktails which were smooth without being overly sweet.  Heartland's wine selection is accessible and complimentary to their food.

There are a variety of ways to dine at Heartland. You can choose the three course tasting menu, which includes a meat or vegetarian option. Or, you can order a la carte from their menu. The menu changes daily and all of the ingredients are from the midwest. My mom and I chose the "Flora" option and Rebecca chose from the a la carte menu. 

Our first dish in the Flora option consisted of a Chevre polenta cake, baby tomatoes, green tomato coulis and baby red bok choy.

Rebecca's first course consisted of the Autumn field greens, with cider poached pear, pumpkinseeds and apple cider vinaigrette.

Our main course for the Flora option was Spaghetti squash with heirloom carrots, parsnips, hazelnut cream and baby kale. Overall, I thought the flavors blended well for a fall dish. The kale seemed a bit salty from what I expected but it didn't impact the dish enough that I wasn't able to still enjoy it. Although I don't seek out parsnips or cook with them myself, I enjoyed trying them with a variety of other flavors and would order it again.

Rebecca's entree was the Grass fed Limousin rosy veal chop with braised kale, fingerling potatoes and pepita glace de viande. It was very tender and the flavors complimented each other well.

As always, we needed to try some of the desserts so our Flora option included the Pumpkin-chocolate tartlet with madeleines, pumpkinseed croquant, Chantilly cream and chocolate sauce. It was a perfect fall dessert with all of the flavors you would expect but not overly sweet. The sugar piece was a beautiful touch.

Rebecca ordered the Apple spice cake with caramel ice cream, oat crumble and salted caramel.

I highly recommend Heartland. The adjacent farm direct market is currently closed but will re-open this spring. Chef Russo is renovating it so they can begin to offer and accommodate the many fans who will be in the area beginning this spring for the St. Paul Saints games. He also starting offering a happy hour menu in the bar area and I look forward to going back to try that as it has received positive reviews already.

Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market