I’ll pretty much watch any show on the Food Network, but over the years, I’ve definitely developed a few favorites. Ina Garten’s recipes are always foolproof; watching Giada De Laurentiis cook in dangerously low-cut shirts never gets old (and her food is darn good as well). I love Chopped and old-school Unwrapped, but most of all, I love Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Something about the passion people have for their little underground restaurants, the always delicious-looking and yet entirely unpretentious food, and the thrill of maybe recognizing one of the featured restaurants makes me tune in pretty much every time I see it on. Well, like, every time. For real. I can’t stop.
So a few weeks ago, we went with my family to visit my brother in Minneapolis. When Googling a good place for brunch in the area (what. did. we. do. before. Google.) I spotted a name that caught my eye – Bryant-Lake Bowl. When I clicked on the reviews, I realized immediately I had seen it before on “Triple D,” and even from my couch in Chicago had thought it sounded pretty damn awesome. Since by now the fam knows it’s usually best to give in without a fight to me with respect to food, we were immediately on our way.
Bryant-Lake is a cool combination of bowling alley, bar, and kitschy restaurant, and exudes a very cool, albeit quite hipster-y, vibe. It was Saturday around noon, so nobody was bowling, but the restaurant was filled with people enjoying the delicious-looking brunch menu. Brad and I both got Bloody Marys, because it was a Saturday/tomato juice is totally healthy?/that’s how we do. I got the BLB Bloody, a classic-style Bloody Mary, and Brad got a Bloody Caesar, which was the classic Bloody Mary with Clamato juice and a sea salt rim. Both were delicious and exactly what the doctor ordered after a night (or a few nights, in our case) of serious vacation boozing.
To eat, four out of the six of us ordered the same thing, which is fairly typical Green family business. We got the sausage, bell pepper, and smoked Gouda scramble with whole wheat toast and “BLB fries,” which ended up being a crunchy-on-the-outside, smushy-on-the-inside fried potato concoction that fell somewhere in between potato chips and normal hash-style fried potatoes. I mean, if you put sausage, cheese, and fried potatoes together, Greens will come. Can’t blame us. We also ordered a side of granola pancakes “to taste,” because why choose between sweet and savory when it’s only too easy to have both?
I absolutely loved all the food we ordered. The eggs were scrambled with the cheese, so every bite was filled with delicious smoked cheesy goodness. The sausage was perfectly spiced and not at all skimped on, which always irks me. We all thought the fried potatoes/thick potato chips were great and a little different than your usual breakfast side, with the perfect balance of crunch and softness. My brothers ordered a different scramble and the Egg Sandwich, both of which they also really liked. I gotta say, however, the granola pancakes definitely stole the show. They arrived pouring all over the plate, thick and fluffy while heartily stuffed with delicious granola with craisins. They were good without syrup, but, like pretty much all pancakes, even better with.
Overall, I was very impressed with the food (selection + quality), service, and overall ambiance of Bryant-Lake Bowl. Next time I head on up to Minneapolis, I’d definitely stop by again for some eggs, pancakes, and maybe even a game of bowling next time!
