One of my favorite things about Minneapolis is its numerous amazing restaurants. And one of my favorite things to eat at restaurants is...brunch. I've developed a deep-seated affinity for the leisurely, indulgent deliciousness of a late Sunday brunch that is matched by very few things.
When I was little, I was not a fan of brunch, with the exception of Easter Brunch at my grandparents' country club...which was basically an excuse to eat 3-5 bites of omelet before hitting up the insaaaane dessert bar with my siblings. Highlight of that holiday for me, right there. In college, I definitely started to appreciate brunch for the amazing hangover cure it was; some of my favorite memories are Sunday crepe bar after Basilica Mass or piling my plate with hashbrowns covered in cheddar and ketchup before rehashing our boozy Saturday night with my senior-year roommate soulmate.
These days, there's little I don't love about brunch. How luxurious to linger for hours over delicious mimosas, savory egg dishes, fluffy pancakes and a great cup of coffee? Fortunately, my BFW (best friend from work), Hannah, shares my appreciation of brunch, and we've decided to start a Twin Cities Brunch Tour this fall. To track our exploits, I'm going to blog and rate our restaurants on the following three criteria:
1. Location/Ambiance: Where is/how accessible is the restaurant? Is the location/setting/environment of the restaurant an advantage to the dining experience?
2. Beverages: Specifically, mimosas. Hannah and I are both major devotees, so evaluating the OJ-to-champagne ratio, presentation, etc, will be critical. Bonus points for bottomless. Further bonus points for great coffee.
3. Food: What are the brunch offerings? Anything particularly unique or delicious? How were our selections?
With that said, here's my thoughts on Loring Kitchen!
1. Location/Ambiance: Loring Kitchen is located right off Loring Park, and has great al fresco dining options in the summer. The restaurant itself is very sleek with clean lines, lots of bright lighting, and a solid noise level (bustling, but not too loud to hold a conversation).
It was actually kind of funny--Hannah initially texted me this morning from Dinkytown saying we could meet up whenever! There were some crossed wires--she was thinking Loring Pasta Bar, not Loring Kitchen. We got it sorted out quickly though! I was able to take advantage of the gorgeous fall day to walk from my apartment to Loring Kitchen...about 35 minutes. So nice!
Score: 8/10
Please note the absence of the bottom. Truly bottomless. Yum.
2. Beverages: Loring Kitchen hit it out of the park with their $10 bottomless mimosas! They are truly bottomless--as in, I never once saw the bottom of my wine glass, and literally had to request that the waitress STOP refilling my glass after round 4 or 5. The champagne to OJ ratio was great...just enough fizz and crispness, but still sweet.
Score: 10/10
My parfait and sausage. Plus the gratuitous mimosa shot. Still no bottom in sight...
3. Food: I kept it pretty simple today after a huge Italian feast with my dad's side last night...ordered the yogurt parfait, with a side of sausage. The parfait was huuuuge and delicious...giant, so-sweet blackberries and strawberries layered with creamy vanilla yogurt and almond granola. The sausage was chicken-apple, hot, sweet, and savory. Really good.
Hannah went for a build-your-own omelet that looked to die for...spinach, goat cheese, and mushrooms, with a side of cubed potatoes and whole-grain toast. Their omelet offerings looked great and were really gourmet. Also on my "to-try" list is the cream-cheese and bacon-stuffed French toast...um, heart attack on a plate, please!
Score: 8/10
Overall, definitely a dining experience I think Hannah and I really enjoyed! To check it out for yourself, visit http://www.loringkitchen.com, or get inspired by the full Brunch Challenge!