Al’s Breakfast

Brunch-lovers will find everything their hearts desire and more in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From extravagant restaurants to old-fashioned diners, and haunts at the front of the organic food scene, check out The Culture Trip’s guide to the 10 best places to eat brunch in Minneapolis.
The Birchwood has morphed several times in its 88 years in existence. It was founded as a dairy in 1926, morphed into a grocery in the 1940s and finally became a restaurant—Birchwood Café—in 1995. Since then, the cafe has drawn upon the eras when it sold farm-fresh milk and food to form a menu comprised of the finest fares; nearly all of the ingredients come from organic farms within 200 miles of the Birchwood Café. Its efforts to maintain this farm-to-table system is rewarded with raving reviews about its food, like the popular savory waffles made with pumpkin, amaranth and Gruyère and topped with red onion jam, apple cinnamon butter, bacon lardoons, a sunny-side up egg, maple syrup and powdered sugar. The luxurious bacon & current oatmeal made with pistachios, aronia berry coulis and maple syrup is also worth mentioning.
In the late 1800s, patrons would come to the Main Street area for very different reasons than they do today, namely because a woman named Mattie St. Clair used to operate a brothel in the neighbourhood. These days, diners flock to Mattie’s on Main—named after the aforementioned Madame—for its dynamic, trendy and colourful décor, live music, and all-you-can-eat family-style brunch on Sundays. Start with a peach jam sweet roll, and then chow down on build-your-own omelettes, grilled cheese sandwiches, meats, potatoes and fresh fruit. Wash everything down with bottomless mimosas, bottomless Bloody Marys, or an ‘adult’ milkshake that comes in flavours like the Nutty Irish Man, Ginger Snap or Young Grasshopper. Come on select Saturdays for brunch and a fabulous drag show.
Mattie’s on Main, 43 Main Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, USA, +1 612 886 2121
Mythology surrounding the Linden tree suggests the plant has peaceful, relaxing and flavorful properties. The tree is categorized in the genus Tilia, which also happens to be the name of a Minneapolis restaurant that has the same qualities of tranquility. The establishment’s minimalist, crisp and clean design is accented with delicate light fixtures, and its solid brunch menu, compiled by a team that includes the James Beard Award semi-finalist Steven Brown, is flecked with a mix of comfort food and innovative tastes. Menu standouts include the Reuben benedict, made with poached eggs, corned beef hash croquettes, caraway cabbage and Swiss hollandaise, in addition to the yogurt crème brulée garnished with tinned peaches, blackberries, blueberries and mint.