Who likes BRUNCH? Who's excited for a brunch DOUBLE-UP?!
In the spirit of checking off places on my newly-founded, epic Sunday Brunch Challenge, I've got a doubleheader today of a new favorite and an old love in the brunch world! On the 8th, I went to Salut on Grand Avenue with my best ladyfriends Kim and Kelsie from high school...and on the 16th, I fiiiinally checked out The Lowry in Uptown with Hannah, Sarah, their roommate Katie and new friend Courtney! Both brunches were seriously amaaaazeballs, folks. If any of you ever come visit me, I'm totally dragging you there.
Without further ado: Salut!
Location/Ambiance:
Looooove. Salut is right up my alley in that it's a charming little French-ish bistro hanging out right on Grand Avenue, one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities. Think deep-red leather booths, chalkboards, a shining wood bar, and the cutest outdoor patio with cafe lights in the summer. Add in some French jazz and I'm a happy camper.
Score: 10/10
Food:
Yum.com, no joke. Salut is one of my favorite lunch and dinner places on the merit of their fries alone, which are served with a sauce boat of bearnaise and are to-die-for. I also love their French onion soup and their croque madame (ham and cheese with a fried egg. Sign me up.). For brunch, though, I ventured into new territory--the chicken-artichoke crepe with the breakfast hash. It was completely on par with everything else on their menu. The crepe was crispy and the filling was savory and tangy and creamy. The hash combined into a mound of cheesy melty potatoey goodness in just the right way. I'd totally order again--I didn't even miss the fries!
Score: 9/10
Beverage:
Guys, I deviated from my strict regimen of mimosas! Salut's cocktails are so fun and good I just had to try something different. Usually I'm a blackberry martini girl, but that seemed a bit aggressive before noon, so I went with the grapefruit Negroni. Because...grapefruit's totally part of any socially acceptable breakfast, right? The cocktail was so good...insanely potent mix of gin (my fave), Campari, and fresh grapefruit juice. It was so tart and sweet and good, I sucked half of it down before even thinking to take a picture. One drawback: it's too strong to even contemplate another unless you're walking distance from your couch.
Score: 8/10
To check out Salut for yourself, visit http://www.salutbaramericain.com/.
Onto The Lowry...
Location/Ambiance:
The Lowry, for some reason, makes me think "sleek train station." The bar is beautiful! Paneled in wood, with all the taps mounted in back--it'd be so fun to happy hour there. They have a big waiting area in the front, thank God because was there ever a wait, and the booths are built into the wall like a European train compartment minus the sliding doors (think Harry Potter meets the 1960s). It was really cool without trying too hard, which I liked. Points subtracted for the volume--it was so loud that at times it got hard to hear our conversation!
Score: 8/10
Food:
Folks, my breakfast burrito was the size of a newborn. I wish I was exaggerating. I'm not. I didn't even know they made tortillas that big, and the whole shebang was topped off with the most delicious smoky chipotle sour cream. I made it through half and had to give up. Also of note: their sweet potato fries come out sizzling-hot, are super generously portioned, and make a great appetizer.
Score: 10/10
Beverage:
Standard mimosa. Not bottomless. Nothing to write home about, but not bad either. Just really standard. If I were a Bloody Mary girl, this score would've been way boosted--it looked amazing and came with like an entire meal in the cup along with the drink. Katie's looked to die for.
Score: 7/10
To check out The Lowry for yourself, visit http://www.thelowryuptown.com/, or check out the rest of my Sunday Brunch Challenge here.