Jon Osterman

Review of The Grateful Table

A friend of mine recommended that I check this pla...

A friend of mine recommended that I check this place out after I mentioned that I had previously driven past without a second thought - don't make that same mistake! This is a wonderful little local cafe.

The food is solid & enjoyable. I will freely admit to being a sucker for quiche, so I nearly automatically order it wherever I see it on a menu (unless it's mushroom quiche. Mushrooms are the worst).

Sometimes quiche can be pretty bad. The quiche at Grateful Table was a KNOCKOUT. Very light, fluffy, eggy goodness, leaning closer to the "custardy" side of things than the "hard-baked"; it is full of flavor. And the CRUST! Oh, the crust. Crumbly, deeply rich with butter, and light to the tooth, it elevates what could have been a good quiche to an excellent quiche, one of the best I've had anywhere.

They had a few options for types of quiche, and the woman who served me happily detailed them to me (even though they are listed on the menu board, as I noticed later). Do yourself a favor: when you go, get the duck bacon quiche. The pleasant, slightly smokey, mildly gamey flavor of the duck melds nicely with the eggs, and is not at all greasy as duck sometimes can be. I suspect this is in the way it is processed like "bacon." It is sourced from Maple Leaf Farms of Vermont, who specialize exclusively in raising ducks.

Quiches are "individual"-sized in little tin pans, to be popped into an oven for heating when you order them. They are served with a side of greens, fresh & lightly dressed with a mildly fruity vinaigrette.

Coffee is LavAzza brand, which is just fine. I had a cup of black brewed, and it's comparable to any of the big coffee shops. I'm spoiled on really fine coffee for home brewing, but am much less picky at cafes. I enjoyed this coffee. It was rich & darker than I generally prefer, but not offensive in any way and I enjoyed it. Refills are free. I got one. Pricing for all coffee & espresso drinks is on par with the major chain shops.

The space is humble, not all slick branding & on-theme decor like one of the big-name chains, nor hipster-cool like some of the spots closer to Minneapolis. Don't let that put you off. It's comfortable, and over the h o u r hour & a half I've sat here, it's gone from empty (the staff mentioned it'd been an unusually quiet morning) to 2/3 full of patrons, with plenty of others ordering to go. It's unassuming and welcoming. The staff have all been friendly as well, and are able to actually tell you details about the food. Midway thru sitting here, a gentleman came in, sat down with a guitar, and started playing. He has a pleasant baritone voice & an easy pace, and is quite a capable guitar player. He's un-mic'd and is off in the corner, and that casual vibe is just the right volume for either deliberately listening to, or simply enjoying as pleasant background music. It lends to the overall friendliness of the spot.

Altogether this was a really nice, tasty breakfast experience. I WILL be back to try some pastries sometime, as they all look delicious, and I'll sample one of the espresso beverages as well. There is a decently-diverse menu of sandwiches & salads for lunch, too (tho breakfast is served all day, to tempt breakfast lovers like myself into eating it for lunch).

Cheers!