Cognitive Dissonance

Common Roots Cafe
2558 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55405
612.871.2360

Breakfast club is getting old. Not old in the sense of boring, we've got better things to do than go to breakfast and write about it (we don't). But old in the sense of, people decline a breakfast club invite because they are "tired", or "have a bulging disc (not bulging di_k) in their back", or are late because the baby fell asleep and they didn't want to wake the baby (DON'T WAKE THE BABY). Yesterday's breakfast adventure required no fewer than 12 emails during the week and 7 or 8 texts over the course of Saturday morning. Even with all this planning, only five and a half club members convened at Common Roots Cafe. And that included one member showing up at nine, waiting around for a while by herself, then leaving. Only to make a triumphant return in the middle of the meal because she went home and deemed the house to be too boring since people were just sitting around reading the paper.

I was nominated to choose the location for breakfast club because Alex's original suggestion fell through due to that location's unwillingness to serve brunch on Saturday.  I took this opportunity to be 100% selfish. I chose Common Roots because it allowed Rachael and I to be P.O.S (part of the solution!) and ride our bikes to breakfast. I got a new bike a couple of weeks ago so we are working on using bikes as our main form of transportation during the weekend. Even if it means we nearly break our backs hauling a week's worth of groceries home from the Wedge (first world problems, amiright?).

We want to love Common Roots. This place is completely in our wheel house. Unfortunately their breakfast service keeps us from being all-in on Common Roots. We want to like them so hard that I am not going to even call the bad things bad. I am using that awesome HR term, "areas for improvement".

Let's start with the good though. If you need a quick, on-the-go breakfast you can't go wrong with their bagels. They may be the best in the Twin Cities. They also always have a great selection of fresh cream cheeses. The bakery items look absolutely delicious, although we haven't sampled them. The space is homey and comfortable with enough seating to accommodate large groups. Service is quick and responsive (for counter service). Alex was a champion yesterday, wandering around attempting to get enough ketchup for each person.

Areas for improvement: Eggs, hash, Chai tea, ordering process (clumsy during busy times), turkey sausage. See grades below for full description.

Grades:
Amadeus-Farmer's breakfast with bison sausage and eggs over easy. The eggs were over hard, which robbed me if my favorite part of the meal, dipping my toast into the egg yolk, full grade deduction. Bison sausage was awesome. B-.

Rachael-Sweet potato hash with bison sausage. Not nearly enough sweet potato. Liked the bison sausage. Chai tea was neither strong nor spicy enough. B.

Alex-Sweet potato hash with bison sausage. Too few sweet potatoes, not crispy at all. Watery Chai. C+.

Patrick-Sweet potato hash with turkey sausage. Patrick had sausage envy and wanted Rachael and I to engage in trickeration to get Alex's bison sausage (we chickened out though). Turkey sausage was bland. B with bison sausage (he thinks), C with turkey sausage.

Judy-Bowl of fruit. She doesn't know how to text her grade to me, but does it really matter? It was just a bowl of fruit.

Baby L (new breakfast club member!!)-Three cooled squares of sweet potato mashed around his fingers and his dad's sweater, a gnawed on soup spoon, and a little bit of breast milk (not on the menu). No grade, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know his letters yet. But I predict that he will learn how to text before Judy does.

Here Comes The Sun

Sun Street Breads

4600 Nicollet Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55419

612.354.3414

Hey there. How has everyone been? Did we miss anything? Don't get your hopes up. We might be back and regular breakfast club posts will make their triumphant return. I might write this post and then go back in to hiding for two more years. I've heard it both ways. We promise nothing. The good thing about taking a couple of years off of writing about breakfast is that it means there are approximately 9,000 new places to choose from. At least we won't be able to use the, "Geez, there no more places to review in the Twin Cities" excuse. That was a piss-poor excuse given the places that we didn't review in our previous life. Details. Since I am just dipping my toes in the blogging water I thought it'd be smart to convene a small group for breakfast. It was only four of us that arrived at Sun Street Breads on Saturday morning.

It's a good thing it was only four of us though, Sun Street is a pretty small place with only one table large enough to accommodate the full club. It's been around long enough that people showing up looking to smell the new restaurant smell may have dwindled but the crowds remain due to their quality fare as witnessed by their very good reviews. Add us to the chorus.


There were very few complaints about Sun Street. My only problem was the counter service. I was forced to (gasp!) get up out of my chair to get my coffee refill. The order at the counter, then find a table to sit could easily devolve into a lord of the flies situation if the line got big enough. My own personal anxiety increased as Rachael and I waited in the vestibule for the breakfast club treasurers to arrive so we could order. As each group waltzed in ahead of us I thought to myself, "There goes another four-top table". I may have anxiety problems though.


The space is quite nice as well. Even though the seating area is small, the tables don't feel cramped. The bakery is open and visible from the seating area. I may be am weird, I find it mesmerizing watching someone knead bread. Hopefully I didn't make it too creepy for the baker.


The food grades are below but TCBCB gives Sun Street our seal of approval.


Grades:
Amadeus-Standard breakfast with sourdough toast and sausage with a side of potato gordos. Perfectly cooked eggs, delicious toast, and incredible sausage. The only miss was the gordos, which are deep-fried mashed potato balls. Gimme plain old hash browns or fried potatoes any day. A-.


Rachael-Biscuit sammich, with over easy egg, sausage, and Jarlsberg. Delicious, and pleasantly ungreasy. The only downgrade is due to the gordos. A-.


James-Standard breakfast with sourdough toast and sausage. B.


Judy-Standard breakfast with wheat toast and bacon. Also not a fan of the gordos. A-.

Warning! The story below has nothing to do with breakfast.


Last month Rachael, Sarah, and I took a three week vacation to Southeast Asia to visit friends living in Kuala Lumpur. We spent time in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It was the perfect vacation. I figured the best way to document our time is to tell a story from our vacation at the end of each post that I write here (starting a whole nother blog dedicated to our travels was far too much work). Those of you bored by travelogues can stop reading right now.

A Swedish Proposition

View from villa

Our first destination on our vacation was Krabi, Thailand. We spent four days there recovering from our journey to the other side of the world by lounging in the pool of our rented villa. After three days of doing almost nothing, we decided that since we were actually by the sea, we should probably at least see it. We signed up for a sunset BBQ snorkel cruise so we could get out and explore the islands of the Andaman Sea. Once we got on the boat and had the briefing we discovered that Kon-Tiki is a Swedish group catering to Swedish travelers. We knew at that at the very least everything would be very safe. As we departed we also learned it would mean that everyone else would smoke approximately eleventy billion cigarettes over the course of the trip.

Bamboo Island

The snorkel part of the trip turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Once we got in the water at Bamboo Island it was discovered that the current was much stronger than anticipated. Everyone ended up getting swept away from the reef. The positive side is that rather than have us fight our way back to the boat against the current, they towed us back to the boat with the dinghy using a rope that they dropped in the water. This allowed me to pretend that I was James Bond sneaking on to a super villains luxury yacht.  I'm lucky I am easily entertained.

Andaman sea view

They fed us some Farang BBQ on our way back from the island. The food was not at all memorable (especially after days of gorging on real Thai food). An incident with one of the staffers was way more memorable than anything else that day.


All of the staff members were young multi-lingual Swedish transplants and uniformly nice. But was one a little too nice?


 Fast forward to the middle of dinner. After standing off to the side pretending not be watching us, one of the young female staffers walked very determinedly up to me and said what sounded like, "Faherdie derdie lerdie do?"

Sunset!

Once I realized she was asking me a question, I replied with, "I'm sorry I don't understand..." and before I could finish she dropped her head, turned around, and walked away. My only conclusion based on her reaction is that she was clearly propositioning me. She strategically avoided me for the rest of the cruise so I never got a chance to clarify. Rachael remains unconvinced of my conclusion. Nevertheless, every time we talk about that cruise it allows me to remind Rachael it was the time I got hit on by a Swedish girl. Now that's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Tastes Like Summer

Town Talk Diner
2701 1/2 E. Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612.722.1312

For most of us, pumpkin is the taste of November. In these times of canned pumpkin there's no reason why we can't enjoy a nice pumpkin pie any month of the year. But we don't. Maybe we get our fill in November, when even the yogurt and coffee shop muffins turn briefly pumpkin-pie-flavored, or maybe we're just trying to match rusty orange food with the rusty orange leaves of fall. Whatever the reason, long before it became fashionable to eat seasonally appropriate foods, pumpkin stood out as a food we just naturally eat when it's locally ready for us to eat it. I can't think of too many things that speak to the season as well as pumpkin does.

Recently, at the Town Talk, I had a meal that tasted like a plate full of summer. We've reviewed the Town Talk before, and I've corrected the record just so I could rave about their steak and eggs, so I was shocked when Perley admitted that he'd never even been to the Town Talk. It is a bit of a haul from Uptown though all of Lake Street's poorly-timed stop lights, but still, I'm always amazed when any member of our club has not been to what I consider one of the stand-bys of the Minneapolis breakfast scene. And so, when Perley called a meeting of the Club, and a small contingent of us answered the call (Beau was Studying for Boards, Jimmy wasn't answering his phone, Judy was on call), I insisted we rectify the situation.

The problem was that even though Perley called the meeting early enough, I had already eaten breakfast. I love the steak and eggs and all, but I balked at having steak and eggs for second breakfast. You don't go out to breakfast as often as I do without eventually learning that overeating first thing in the morning can ruin your day. And so I faced a dilemma, what could I order without weighing myself down and destroying any chance of having a productive afternoon?

I settled on a salad. I know. This is exactly what I'm always mocking Judy about. How can you adequately review a breakfast when all you eat is twigs, berries and leaves?

At least it was a smoked salmon salad. And smoked salmon is a breakfast food. It's even a breakfast food that I have often sworn never, ever to eat again. (Come on. If I followed through on not-doing all of the many, many things I swore never, ever to do again, where would I be? Alone, hungry, and bored, that's where.)

So, anyway, the smoked salmon salad at the Town Talk comes with sliced fennel bulb (which is the part of the fennel plant that only carries a whisper of the liquorice flavor that permeates its seeds), fresh strawberries, and feta cheese. One bite and I knew I was glad to have failed to swear off smoked salmon forever.

I can't speak to Perley's biscuits and gravy or Sarah's hamburger, because we've all gotten rusty on the idea of grading our breakfasts before we leave the restaurant, but I can say that I'm glad I had a second breakfast that morning, and I'm glad I was sensible enough to stay in the salad section of the menu, because that's where summer was hanging out that that morning. I give it a B+, because the strawberries could have been more perfect, but the combination of flavors could not have been better.

TCBCB Refresh

Oh, it's been a long time since we've been here to see you, Internet. The cast of characters has changed a bit. The old standbys have been stood up. We got busy. We stopped eating out most weekends. We began to feel like we'd reviewed everything in town (nay, the whole world). One commenter called me a snob (true, true), and Beau, the heart and soul of TCBCB started Studying for his Boards.

I can't really explain how all-consuming Studying for Boards is in this family. We grew up with Judy as a role model, which meant that the words "Studying for Boards" have to be written in capital letters. After all, this is a full time occupation. For Judy, it meant burrowing into her bed, surrounding herself with books and papers, closing the door (in a family that never closed doors!), and muttering to herself about journal articles while she picked bits of skin off her lower lip with the nails of her thumb and forefinger. ("Stop picking at yourself," said Jimmy when I was a kid. "You'll make yourself bleed. Just like your mother.") Beau brought a book about DNA to a recent family reunion, setting himself up in a lounge chair, and interrupting his reading only briefly to chat up his cousins and dip in the lake. There was no physical door on the beach of that lake, but it was closed just the same. It had to be. He was not to be disturbed. He was Studying for Boards.

But the rest of us don't have boards, and we were recognized in a restaurant recently (which -- since the secret plan of this little family blog has always been to take over the world -- seemed like a promising start to world domination). So, we have decided to begin again. Restaurants that we've been to before, we will go to again. Our team of picky eaters and "snobs" will again put pen to paper, to write about hash browns and three eggs with steak and hamburgers before noon. Well, OK, there never have been pens or paper, but you know what I mean...

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for the spam emails - and the non-spam very nice ones that made us want to write again. Today, as the not-too-hot late August sun shines outside the window, anything seems possible. We might just post once a month in the last quarter of 2010.

Blue Plate Revisited

Highland Grill
771 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul MN, 55116
651.690.1173

Anyone that has read this blog knows all too well that we are not fans of franchises or cookie cutter type restaurants. Our snobby nature keeps us from appreciating the benefits of these establishments. There is something to be said about a place that doesn't surprise you with wacky ingredients and won't be mind-blowingly good but will be consistently decent. What's the fun in that? We'd much rather roll the dice and find a hidden gem that may or may not be any good (preferably fancy, all-organic, local/sustainable, with room for a large group and great service, and also serves lots of meat, we're so low maintenance).

For this reason, we have not thoroughly explored the stable of Blue Plate restaurants, Edina Grill, Highland Grill, 3Squares Restaurant, Longfellow Grill, and the Groveland Tap. I wasn't in attendance at the previous underwhelming dining experience at the Highland Grill so my suggestion this morning was coolly received (even after I played the "it's where Rachael and I had our first date" card). I was informed that my idea would be discussed and I would be notified of our destination after a thorough vetting and everyone was given the opportunity for a veto. As our 9:30 eating time I approached, I called to inquire about the status of our location. I was informed that all were headed over to the Highland Grill and why wasn't I on the way because I was going to be late. Such are the perils of communicating with my mother. Or maybe that was my punishment for not driving over to Pemberley house (our friend Selena's wonderful nickname for Jimmy and Judy's house) before breakfast to be a part of the discussion.

I made it, a little late, but I made it. Since I arrived last and on my own, I got to enter the building by myself. This made me giddy since the Highland Grill has the best door in the world. You have to push a giant button to open it and it folds open mechanically. I like to pretend like I am entering a space ship. Further evidence that I am a giant child.

The spaceshipy decor extends beyond the door to the entire restaurant. It is a very nice space with cool touches, like mish-mash of various homey coffee mugs and terry cloth napkins. As Perley so aptly described it, the Highland Grill looks exactly like what would happen if the Pixar people created a diner for one of their movies.

The service was delightful and attentive. It takes a lot of refills before I say no to coffee and I reached that point today. Our server was also very patient and helpful as certain members of our group dithered over their orders.

The food was quite good and we had only minor complaints. The hash browns were nearly tremendous and those lucky enough to have some with their meal had to protect them from the ranging forks of jealous club members. I don't think Breakfast Club with ever become Blue Plate Inc. devotees, but with properly managed expectations no one was disappointed.

Grades:
Amadeus-Eggs Benny. VERY good, perfectly crisp hash browns. The only negative was that the eggs were overcooked which robbed me of my favorite part of eggs benny, when I cut into the yolk and it spills out and mixes in with the the hollandaise sauce. Mmmmmmm. A-.

Alex-Salmon, cream cheese, and onion scramble. She was pleasantly surprised by her meal and raved about the hash browns. No grade provided, and she's a teacher!

Perley-Cakes, eggs, and links. Nothing to complain about, nothing to write home about. Solid B.

Sarah-Turkey burger. Very good fries. B.

Jimmy-French Toast (a choice that astounded the group since it contains no steak). Deemed solid. B.

Judy-Irish oatmeal. Judy though her oatmeal was too sweet. It was too sweet at the first bite and remained too sweet after she poured maple syrup on it. I love my crazy, crazy mother. No grade provided. She still hasn't figured out how to text her grade to me with her new phone. She knows how to turn it on and make a call, but texting? Not so much.

Getting the meat sweats, glorious, glorious meat sweats

The Strip Club
378 Maria Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55106
651.793.6247

Breakfast club has been on an extended hiatus due to major life changes (e.g. graduation, moving, unpacking), minor life complications (day/night/day call schedules), and old fashioned laziness. Hopefully things have settled down so we will resume our blistering pace of 0.5 posts/week.

A long while ago a kind reader suggested that we try The Strip Club in St. Paul and one look at the menu shows why it might appeal to most members of the club. There is a certain appreciation for people who are at the carnivore end of the eating spectrum. "Vegetarians regarded with benevolent amusement" is the statement at the bottom of menu. Perhaps a better disclaimer on the menu would be "We understand if vegetarians put their menu down and run screaming from the restaurant". Their ketchup is made with bacon. 'Nuff said. As breakfast club began to assemble, I heard Perley and Jill were merely maybes for breakfast. I sent Perley a text trying to persuade him with the idea of bacon ketchup. Little did I know that he is a ketchup purist and scorned the idea of ketchup modification. Surprise, surprise, a member of the club has a strong feeling regarding something food related. Who knew?

Once everyone had arrived and the meal begun, I was reminded how dearly I missed breakfast club these past two years. My favorite part of club is the often bizarre and sarcastic discussions that we have. Today the conversation ranged from Sarah's new purchase of an ice cream maker, her recent successful endeavors, and the subsequent demands for strange flavors (Gravy! Black pepper! Olive oil!); to rumors of a machine that can allegedly make ice cream out of any food (not a rumor, it's true!) and its potential limitations, (could it turn a complete turkey dinner into ice cream?); to the likelihood that the Strip Club was a brothel in a previous life (the PTI oddsmakers would give it a ~60% chance); and finally to my freakishly muscular calves and tendency to text like a thirteen year old girl (guilty and guilty).

The food was universally acclaimed. Luckily there is no one who veers toward the vegetarian side of the eating spectrum in this group. Three of us (Amadeus, Rachael, Sarah) had the Loaded burger with a fried egg that would have satisfied Homer Simpson (Good Morning Burger anyone?). This delicious monstrosity was loaded with smoked provolone, sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, ridiculously thick bacon, and not one, but two fried eggs. I could barely fit it into my mouth and by the time that I was done I felt like I had been dipped in grease up to my elbows. And yes, that is a good thing. It also came with French fries that were absolutely perfect. Possibly the best fries in the Twin Cities. The only downside to the Loaded burger is that when one has not prepared in advance, e.g. starve yourself all day prior to your meal, it is a lot to take. I was getting the full-on meat sweats by the time I had finished my burger. I felt like I should have gotten some sort of medal for finishing it.

Perley and Alex had the Irish breakfast and loved it. The white beans in tomato sauce was given especially high marks. Jimmy had the steak and eggs (with french fries and bacon ketchup). He loved his meal and horded his bacon ketchup like it was the elixir of life. Jill had the smoked salmon and potato hash and enjoyed it, but would have enjoyed it more with a little less salt. Judy went the sweet route and got French toast with caramel sauce. She like her meal the least of the entire group and spent most of the meal trying to snag bites of other people's food. The French toast was too soggy and the caramel sauce got to be a bit too much by the end of the meal. I had the luxury of sitting next to her and sampling the caramel sauce by way of a bit of my bacon and that was an amazing combination. Sweet and salty it's the best.

The service was prompt, witty, understanding of our quirks. Brunch begins at 9 am on Sunday so we had the luxury of dedicated service when we showed up at 9:00:00.1. Coffee refills were fast and furious and we were never wanting for cream or sugar. Our server was also very helpful with menu suggestions.

The Strip Club provided us with a wonderful meal in a beautiful space with a great view of downtown St. Paul. We loved our entire breakfast experience and will return to the Strip Club again. We don't recommend the Strip Club for your everyday breakfast needs, but if you are looking for an insane, delicious, meat-sweat inducing meal for a special occasion, the Strip Club is your place.

Grades:
Beau-Loaded (I mistyped that word at first and called it the "leaded" burger, which is kind of how it acted in my stomach) burger with egg-A-
Rachael-Loaded burger with egg-A as she was eating it, C as she was digesting it
Sarah-Loaded burger with egg-B
Jill-Scandahuvian smoked salmon and potato hash-B+
Perley-Irish breakfast-A+
Alex-Irish breakfast-A
Jimmy-Steak and eggs-B+
Judy-French toast with caramel-B-

An Epic Post for an Epic Brunch

What the!? Two breakfast club posts in three days? What has gotten in to us? Hopefully this doesn't tire us out too much and we will post again before the year 2015. Today is a special guest post by my friend and former classmate, Cathy (who can be read at her blog, Ultimate Cookies). This is the final Denver post as I done gradumatated and will be moving back to Minneapolis on Thursday. This may result in more frequent ramblings from us because clearly I am the creative inspiration for this blog. This post is long and further proof that Judy gets everything that she wants. She requested a post and Cathy was happy to oblige, probably because this is part of her grand plan to lure Alex to Denver now that I am leaving. Enjoy.
~Amadeus

Brown Palace Hotel and Spa
321 17th St
Denver, CO 80202
303.297.3111

When you walk into a fancy dining room with the sounds of a live jazz band wafting through the air and see a chocolate fountain, you know you are in for either a really classy meal or a really tacky meal. Well, if this fancy dining room is at the Brown Palace Hotel and you are there for the Dom Perignon Champagne Brunch, you are in for an exquisite treat. (I must note that the Breakfast Club treasurers were staying at said hotel in celebration of their son's graduation with his 2nd Masters degree and most graciously hosted this meal, leaving some of the club to fend for themselves back home.)

The thought for this gathering was instigated by myself once I heard that Amadeus's legendary parents, Jimmy and Judy, would be in town for graduation along with the wonderful Rachael. I begged him for a true Breakfast Club experience with his family, Jessica and myself, hoping for a breakfast burrito trip to Pete's Kitchen or the like. Negotiations ensued and lo and behold, reservations were made for this graduation brunch of epic proportions. Attending were the treasurers, the graduating son and his wife, his classmate Jessica with her fiancee, Brad, mother Nancy and sister Caitlin, and myself with Chester.

Chester and I arrived late due to street parking difficulties. We would later learn that valet is included with the all-you-can drink champagne and delicacies. First thing we noted as we walked through the dining room was the chocolate fountain at the dessert station. Then there was an ice sculpture at the seafood/cold delicacies station. And the live jazz band with baby grand piano. Fancy pants, indeed. There was also a carving station and a made-to-order omelet station with the requisite chefs in their poofy white hats. Everyone else had arrived and most were enjoying orange juice that looked and tasted very fresh squeezed. The first thing I noted at the table was the silverware that was set up very much a la Pretty Woman; I silently prayed that I wouldn't shoot any crustaceans into anyone else's lap.

The servers were in their brocade shirts and embroidered vests and were very attentive, never removing people's plates without first asking if they were finished. The beverages (coffee, OJ, water and Moet) were never wanting and despite the vast array of flutes, goblets, cups and saucers on the table, I can report that no spillage occurred. You really can dress these folks up and take them out!

The amazing thing about this brunch buffet was that there were so many tasty treats at each of the stations! I venture that this meal was even better than the fancy schmanchy Christmas buffet at the Wynn casino in Las Vegas. Judy noted that at buffets, it is very hard to serve everything at the proper temperature and she felt that they came very close to hitting the mark. The game plan for Amadeus and Brad was to start with the breakfast foods, move on to the lunch foods, then hit dinner and dessert. Jessica and I went straight in for the seafood, sushi and artisan cheeses before thinking about dessert.

As I mentioned, there were so many highlights that I will just go through the high points. The coffee was good and strong with carafes of cream at the table, though this blend was balanced enough to not require doctoring (in my opinion). The server informed us that the one item that could only be found at this brunch and no other menus at the establishment was the lemon-apricot blintzed that were light and airy with a nice fruity balance to the cheese. The prime rib was also highly recommended and almost everyone who had it (everyone except Amadeus) commented that it was succulent and cooked well with just the right amount of texture. Rachael got a "small piece" and intended to only eat half, but found herself finishing the whole piece. If you were audacious enough to ask for a "small piece," you wound up with a slice about as big as Rachel Ray's hands. Nancy thought that the piece she had was just a little tough for her taste. Chester and Caitlin noted that there were no steak knives available for slicing and the butter knives, though adequate, were not the best utensil. The carving station also had a sweet potato hash that was very buttery with a nice texture and pan-seared scallops that were very tender. On my first fly-by the station, I saw the sous chef liberally dolloping butter onto the scallops and I have a feeling that these chefs are from the French cooking school of thought. There was also another hunk of meat that no one opted for instead of the prime rib. To round out the food pyramid, there were sauteed haricots verts that Judy decided to forgo on her plate since there is only so much room in one's stomach and we agreed that green beans can be had anywhere.

At the center salad, seafood, sushi, cheese and breakfast station was where many of the tasty tidbits resided. I was happy to note that though there was perfectly shredded romaine and spinach available with a variety of toppings for those who must have a salad, they didn't go overboard with the real estate afforded to this selection. Let's face it, if you are going for the fancy champagne brunch and have any sense in your noggin', Caesar salad with croutons is not what you will be filling up on. There was an assortment of seafood including smoked salmon, smoked trout, poached salmon and lox with the proper accouterments. Also a big mound of ice with shrimp, crab legs and oysters. The oyster were a hit with those who like raw seafood and I particularly liked that they had loosened the oyster so that they were easily slurped. Caitlin enjoyed that the cocktail sauce had some horseradish kick to it and I gave the station points for the lemon wedges that all New Englanders know are a must have for any seafood. A couple of plates of sushi that included spicy tuna rolls, California rolls, crab rolls and shrimp nigiri and a nice seafood salad rounded out the mix but didn't overreach. The spicy tuna rolls had a sprinkling of wasabi and regular masago on the outside and the rice wasn't too sticky.

There also was a selection of Italian style antipasto including a caprese type salad with balsamic sprinkles buffalo mozzarella, marinated artichokes and pickled onions that looked like olives. The artisan cheeses were plentiful and assorted. The highlight was the cheddar-Stilton that was incredibly creamy and flavorful - perhaps the best blue I've had in a long time. Selections of muffins, pastries, bagels, savory rolls and popovers were available that looked delicious, but the cardinal rule of buffet eating is to be careful with the amount of breads and crackers you fill up on. The pastries and breads were a nice individual size, about a third of the usual monstrosities you find in bakeries and the one apple danish I tried was crispy on the outside and flaky with a good filling to dough ratio. It was overheard that the almond-filled croissants were "to die for."

Next came the breakfast type foods. I am taking you through the way the stations were presented rather than the way meals are usually eaten. The cheese blintzes were little pillows of sunshine. There was a hot tray of sausage links and unusually large bacon slices that must have come from hogs the size of cows. The warming trays at this place are the silver round domed types that are easy to open and close and that holds in the steam to keep things from getting overly dried out in this desert climate. There was a dome of hash browns, I believe, but I don't think anyone tried them. Like many of the TCBC members, I prefer my hash browns crispy and there is no way that a warming dome will leave any semblance of a crunch in the potatoes (Amadeus note: I had some and they were actually quite good and crispy, much to my surprise). A silver dome of dollar pancakes and waffles were also on the table with fruit, whipped cream, butter, sour cream, almonds etc for garnish. These also get a little soft but the staff seemed to be doing an excellent job rotating in fresh pans. The made-to-order omelets looked very fluffy and, of course, Egg Beaters or egg whites were available for the health conscious. Although I am not typically an eggs Benedict fan, I liked the fact that these were made to order in the kitchen. Gross tubs of greasy Hollandaise under heat lamps is one of the most disgusting prospects of breakfast buffets. None of us thought to order the Benedict since there were so many other things to try.

Finally, the dessert station which was the station the furthest from our table. (The long walk counts as exercise, right?) Although you might be lured by the siren song of the chocolate fountain with your choice of strawberries, 'Nilla wafers, Oreos and marshmallows for dipping, you will soon discover that there are many more treasures to be found. A made to order bananas foster station using Myers rum and vanilla bean ice cream was popular with those who like bananas and fire. There was an assortment of chocolate tortes and cheesecakes as well as many individually sized tartlettes, chocolate confections, petit fours, creme brulees, mousses and trifles. Hits included the dark chocolate pots de creme that was rich and flavorful without being overly sweet and a milk chocolate mousse that was light and fluffy. For myself, Amadeus, and I believe Jimmy and Judy, the individual key lime tartlette was a true highlight - made of real citrusy lime curd with a nice acidic bite accented with a wedge of lime and some whipped cream on top. There was also a small container of hot chocolate that you could pour a shot from, but Nancy felt that it was just a little too sweet and not as satisfying as the other treats. At this point in the meal, it was very important to share and learn from other's mistakes.

Overall, I think that everyone truly enjoyed themselves and ate too much. We contemplated the feasibility of taking a nap in Jimmy and Judy's room before returning or going for a lap around the block, but instead had a little more champagne and powered through. What truly made this champagne brunch sublime was the fact that everything was executed well and there was a plethora of gems for any palate to enjoy (unless you are looking for the perfect hash browns). If Jimmy, Judy, Rachael and Amadeus wanted to find the best breakfast brunch in Denver, I think that they might have found it today. A great way to end 2 years of graduate school for Amadeus, Jessica and myself with delicious food, good conversation and fantastic family and friends.