Top of the Morning

Great new spots for the most important meal of the day

Image credit: Tate Carlson

Recommended by the Editor

The ‘Do’ in Donut

A Word on Eggs

By: Mecca Bos |   January 2012   |  From the print edition

Food editor Mecca Bos rarely misses a meal, especially when that meal is breakfast. Here are some of her favorite joints. Visit them first thing in the morning, or whenever you happen to wake up. They're as good in the afternoon as they are with dreary eyes. Favorite place not on the list? Tell us about it on twitter @metromag, or on our Facebook page.

Wilde Roast Cafe, 65 Main St. S.E., Mpls.; 612.331.4544; wilderoastcafe.com

Why you’ll like it: Northeast’s most beloved coffee shop finally burst at the seams and needed bigger digs to accommodate all of those plush reading chairs and their commensurate loungers. The new space on St. Anthony Main is expansive and dramatic, ideal for lingering over wine as well as coffee.

What to order: The huevos rancheros, with nicely spiced house sausage, crisp fried tortillas and perfectly poached eggs. Also, don’t miss the housemade gelato for dessert. Yes, it’s OK to have dessert after breakfast.

Heidi’s, 2903 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.354.3412; heidismpls.com

Why you’ll like it: Thanks to chef Stewart Woodman, you can expect much more than plain-old morning standards during Heidi’s weekend brunch service.

What to order: The egg “sammie,” built to absolute perfection with housemade everything blanketed in a gooey slice of American cheese. So lovely, it made the cover of last month’s issue. We promise this is the last time we write about it (for a while). Oh, and the wild rice pancakes aren’t too shabby, either.   

Maeve’s Café, 300 13th Ave. N.E., Mpls.; 612.379.1033; maeves.com

Why you’ll like it: Maeve’s feels like your own living room, only cooler, with funky artwork, well-worn furniture and friendly baristas. It’s the kind of place where you can hunker down and stay all day, transitioning seamlessly from breakfast into happy hour (they serve beer and wine!).

What to order: The hearty cheddar, sausage and spinach strata is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than the usual grab-and-go fare at lesser coffee dens.

Mojo Monkey Donuts, 1169 7th St. W., St. Paul; 651.224.0142; mojomonkey.biz

Why you’ll like it: In an epic search for the best donut around, we finally found it on a desolate stretch of W. 7th, where the turquoise interior and cheery monkey-mug signage brighten things up significantly. The solid selection of donuts is spot-on, with melt-in-your-mouth pastry and flavor combinations from simple to over the top.

What to order: The maple bacon bar, an éclair-shaped wonder that hits every taste configuration the tongue can register, from sweet to salt to umami and back again.

Muddy Waters, 2401 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.872.2232; muddywatersmpls.com

Why you’ll like it: Muddy Waters has something for everyone: a coffee bar perfect for dads and their daughters, with a bakery case full of dreamy, sugary things and every caffeinated delight imaginable; booths for canoodlers; outlets for laptoppers; and a great big bar suitable for Bloodies and eggs. The brunch menu is imaginative without being fussy and prices are cheap, cheap, cheap. Bonus: the funky brunch DJ spinning hits.

What to order: The breakfast pizza, which boasts a superior crust and comes blanketed with soft scrambled eggs, bacon, your choice of whatever else you like and just the faintest hint of marinara to anchor things.  

The Lowry, 2112 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.341.2112; thelowryuptown.com

Why you’ll like it: Filling the longstanding void at Franklin-Hennepin for an all-day breakfast joint that also serves great burgers (and even oysters if you please), The Lowry is populist in the best possible way.

What to order: The shirred eggs, with sauteed ham and mushrooms, crowned with lovely soft-poached eggs and blanketed in truffle cream with grilled bread on the side.

Chez Arnaud White Bear Lake, 4735 Highway 61, White Bear Lake; 651.653.5658; myfrenchbakery.net

Why you’ll like it: Chez Arnaud’s second outpost (Maple Grove houses the original) sits on White Bear Lake’s Disney-esque main street, offering jewel-box pastries, buttery croissants and award-winning baguettes in a sunny, casual setting.

What to order: The pain au raisin, with a wonderfully flaky pastry, a custard interior and raisins on top.

Chilkoot Café and Cyclery, 826 4th St. S., Stillwater; 651.342.1048; chilkootcc.com

Why you’ll like it: Because it’s welcome relief from Stillwater’s many greasy-spoon breakfast joints. (Not that we have anything against greasy spoons, but sometimes you like your eggs to taste like eggs instead of griddle.)

What to order: These guys do the classics right, so you really can't go wrong here. Try the bacon, eggs and potatoes or, for a more decadent experience, the corned-beef hash, mixed with onion, celery, cream and big chunks of potatoes.  

Tilia, 2726 W. 43rd St., Mpls.; 612.354.2806; tiliampls.com

Why you’ll like it: Steven Brown is our town’s most pedigreed chef, and he lends a sensibility to Tilia’s brunch that makes you feel cared for, not simply cooked for.

What to order: Smoked soft-boiled eggs with buttermilk biscuits blanketed in sawmill sausage gravy. This will keep you going all day.

Rye Deli, 1930 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.871.1200; ryedeli.com

Why you’ll like it: This true-blue Jewish deli is attempting to fill some big shoes with hand-carved corned beef sandwiches (on rye, of course), rugelach, housemade bagels and half-sours. They also do a brisk brunch business in a fast-casual setting that’s quick and easy when dining with kids.

What to order: Challah practically begs to be made into French toast, and at Rye it results in a near-dessert experience, with a lush, custard-y interior and a bronze crunch on the outside, finished with maple syrup and local Hope Creamery butter.

Sun Street Breads, 4600 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.354.3414; sunstreetbreads.com

Why you’ll like it: The space is a veritable community center, with seemingly every neighbor in Kingfield bumping baby strollers and passing the cream and sugar. Bonus: It’s now open for dinner and has a beer and wine list, and former Lucia’s chef de cuisine Annette Colon is at the helm.

What to order: For a grab-and-go delight, I like the breakfast pastries, such as ham and swisscuit.

+ Still hungry? Check out all of our past "best breakfast features" here.