So I figured out where I get my breakfast addiction from: my Papa Bear is obsessed. I'm shocked it took me this long to make the connection...there are a few legendary family anecdotes about cinnamon rolls and caramel rolls in our annals, and I don't think he's ever met a breakfast burrito he didn't like (it's clearly genetic!). In his eyes, the best breakfasts come from the small-town, mom-and-pop "joints" that populated his Central Minnesotan childhood and were the cornerstones of our cabin summers. While my fam was up north a couple weekends ago for Fake Uncle Steve's Wedding, we indulged my dad's obsession with breakfast joints on Friday morning, when we made the trek into Hackensack, MN (population 309) for brunch at Viddles and Joe.
Obviously, at population 309, Hackensack is not exactly a hopping metropolis. It is, however, "home of Lucette," Paul Bunyan's girlfriend/wifelady. Check her out:
Her hips don't lie.
I also enjoyed the fact that Hackensack is the home of the Original Chainsaw Carving Event, which sounds dangerous and fairly amusing, and also has potentially the world's tiniest cutest library.
Enough claims to fame: here's brunch!
Location/Ambiance:
It's a cute little small-town diner. We're not going for industrial-chic like Spill the Wine or modern French Country like Copper Hen. Instead, I loved on cute wood-paneled walls, up-north themed carved wood decor, and of course the obligatory explanatory sign. Because when you're running a restaurant called Viddles and Joe, you obviously need to self-define.
Score: 6/10
Beverage
Coffee. Yum. Basic, no picture necessary. It was freezing in there and the bottomless refills got the "warm me up" job done.
Score: 7/10
Food
For starters, check out these buns (no, I'm not talking about Lucette, up above):
Yeah. When we saw those upon walking in, we knew we were in for solid, good old-school food. I ordered the "Hackensack Omelet," which featured hash browns, cheddar cheese, ham, onion, and sour cream. It was giant and came out steaming hot, and all the fillings melted together into a super-indulgent melange of rib-sticking yumminess. I barely ate half before I passed the plate over to my padre. I did, however, sample my mom's blueberry-buckwheat pancakes, with homemade blueberry syrup and whipped butter, and they were sinful.
Score: 8/10
Sooo...if you ever find yourself in Hackensack, take a selfie with Lucette, and then get your hungry butt to Viddles and Joe. It was charming, and if you have even a hundredth of my dad's affinity for small-town breakfast joints, you're guaranteed to leave satisfied.