A new brunch spot has arrived in Saint Louis Park: Crave in the Shops at West End is now open for breakfast beginning at 8:00 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. As you may know, I work most weekends so it’s hard for me to get out for breakfast. When I was asked to review Crave’s new breakfast menu, I had every intention of going. I really wanted to try red velvet pancakes! But life got out of hand and I ended up having my friend Stephanie* go in my place. Here is her review…
We don’t normally go out for brunch because my husband makes a pretty solid American style breakfast, but it’s nice to give him a break from the kitchen every now and then. We arrived by 9:00 AM. Fortunately, the restaurant was empty that early, so we didn’t need to worry about a wait for a table. Whether it was because of the holiday weekend or because people still don’t know about it, we practically had the whole place to ourselves. It was nice because I usually associate “brunch” with “wait an hour for a table.” It started to fill up as we were getting ready to leave, but at least half the tables were still available.
If you’re not familiar with Crave, it’s a higher-end American style bistro (that also serves sushi, because why not). Crave’s take on brunch isn’t groundbreaking, but it is well-executed and beautifully presented. My mother-in-law was in town from Wisconsin, so we were able to treat her to a belated Mother’s Day brunch.
We ordered four full breakfast items, even though there were three of us, because it seemed like a better deal than ordering off the kids’ menu for our 18-month-old. What a deal it was! While Crave’s dinner portions are more restrained and the prices are on the steep side, they are catering to a different mentality with the brunch crowd. When I told my husband we were going to try Crave for brunch, he was worried we’d have to take out a second mortgage to feed three people, but the food to dollar ratio seems completely inverted from the dinner menu.
I can say, without a doubt, that the crab cakes benedict is the steal of the century. Priced at $14.95 (a mere $2 more than the regular version), you get two giant cakes of crab and shrimp, a lovely arugula salad and perfectly poached eggs, with a side of cheesy hash browns. I don’t know how they can afford to price it so reasonably, but I’m not complaining one bit.
The lemon blueberry French toast is inspired. A perfect balance of creamy lemon mascarpone and luscious wild blueberries, nestled between layers of silky soft bread and then crusted with cornflakes, I would eat this every day if given the chance.
My husband went with the chicken and waffles, primarily because he eyed the Golden Waffle maker behind the counter in the open kitchen. Since these can’t be purchased, but only leased from the company, he takes every chance to indulge in the light and crispy Belgian waffles they produce. Paired with medallions of boneless fried chicken and a spicy sweet caramel sauce, this would be a welcome addition to the lunch and dinner menus.
One of the signature dishes, the Mashed Potato Omelet, a massive heap of rustic (read lumpy) potatoes covered with a layer of at least four scrambled eggs and then a sprinkling of cubed bacon and green onions. This was the least interesting of all the dishes we ordered, so I’m not sure why it’s one of the three featured menu items on their website, but maybe that’s just because it’s sure not to offend anyone and arrives at the table and demands attention due to its gigantic proportions. I can’t say that there’s anything wrong with it, per se, but it’s a snore compared to the brilliantly-executed options mentioned above. As if that wasn’t enough food, it came with a side of whole wheat toast and a house-made strawberry rhubarb jam and a bowl of mixed fruit. The toast was fantastic but the fruit was out-of-season and surprisingly inedible.
As for beverages, Crave is apparently still working on preparing a breakfast-specific drink menu. There’s a full bar, so they can whip together the usual suspects upon request. A decent bloody Mary is available, but I recommend the non-alcoholic version, which is half the price and just as tasty. Other noteworthy non-alcoholic options include an eye-opening Red Bull lemonade with muddled raspberries that is the perfect pick-me-up if you’re not into coffee. I’m looking forward to returning so I can try the blueberry mint fizz and the cranberry sage refresher, which are on the regular non-alcoholic beverage menu.
In all, I can strongly recommend you pay Crave a visit for a wonderful breakfast out. Be sure to set aside time for a walk around the shops as you’ll need some time to digest before hitting the road.
*Stephanie Kwong is the author of phenoMNal twin cities, your budget-oriented guide for getting the most out of living in Minneapolis & St. Paul.