While “brunch” enjoys a certain élan, and the two eggs over easy with bacon and toast satisfies the basic breakfast customer, in between lay other options.
Yummy crepes for instance, which are a pain to make at home, egg soufflés and delectable breakfast sandwiches, all at a reasonable price in unique surroundings.
A trip around the St. Louis region uncovered a few of these compromises, some in neighborhoods, others on city streets. Whatever the location, they all offered menus full of tantalizing and interesting breakfast combinations.
— COMPANION —
With the name, Companion, diners have a pretty good idea that whatever they order is bound to be tasty. Breads, croissants, pastries, and bagels aside, breakfast at Companion located in the Marketplace at Ladue is a delightful experience (as are the two other locations in Clayton and the recently opened café in the Central West End).
For starters, the sun streaming in the windows begs customers to sit, eat and start the day in relaxing surroundings.
Manager Rodrigo Silva has concocted all manner of wonderful egg strata dishes such as egg and rosemary potatoes, which is as light and fluffy as they come, akin to
a soufflé. Other choices are cheddar, ham and cheddar, and bacon and cheddar. A healthy slice of one of these comes with
a bowl of fruit, toast or bagel, and can certainly be shared between two weight-watchers.
“You really can’t beat our oatmeal,” Associate Libby Walter says. Diners can top their large bowl with an assortment of goodies including blueberries, dried apricots, raisins, pecans or brown sugar.
With its reputation for on site baked bread, who could doubt that Companion would serve a killer French toast? This one, says Walter, resembles a “bread pudding” complete with strawberries and blueberries.
— CAFE OSAGE —
Bowood Farm’s Café Osage, 4605 Olive Street, in the emerging “North End” of the Central West End offers more than just breakfast. It also has a wonderful nursery and gardening shop attached where diners can browse before or after breakfast.
Owner John McPheeters has had Bowood Farms in Clarksville for 20 years. According to Café Osage Manager David Kirkland, McPheeters had the idea of a café where they could sell what is raised on the farm. Looking around, they settled on the Central West End location with the idea of helping to revitalize the neighborhood along Old Olive.
Café Osage has been open for four months for breakfast and lunch, with an all day brunch on Sunday.
Kirkland says more and more people are discovering the unique breakfast place. “It’s becoming a destination place. You can look around the garden shop, and then enjoy a great breakfast.”
David Guempel, formerly of Zinnia’s, is head chef and that bodes well for the menu. Bowood Farms raises its own grass-fed, antibiotic-free bison, which provides the sausage for its menu. Other equally delicious items are organic chicken sausage and Neuske Bacon — a twice-smoked applewood bacon, each providing a new taste for breakfast lovers.
Café Osage combines interesting ingredients for a different breakfast experience. One such offering, Greens, Eggs and Ham, features crostini brushed with olive oil, topped with prosciutto, an egg, then a layer of arugula.
“When you cut in, the yolk runs through to the lettuce, prosciutto and crostini, then blends on your tongue,” Kirkland says. He was right.
Other favorites are the Osage Biscuits and Gravy, which is a cheddar and chive biscuit topped with creamed chicken, mushrooms and leeks, and the two-egg breakfast with the choice of organic chicken apple sausage or bison sausage along with an option of homemade grits.
Let Them Eat Crepes
Breakfast crepes seem especially popular—probably because making them at home is a lot of work and it’s much more fun to go out and let someone else do it. All
three of these distinctive restaurants excel at cooking the crepe to excellence.
— MURDOCH PERK —
Walking around the South City area is like a trip back in time when confectioneries manned every other corner. Residents, particularly those in the South Hampton area (Or SoHa) as the tee shirts for sale attest, meet at Murdoch Perk, a cozy little coffee house on the corner of Macklind and Murdoch avenues.
Brother and sister, Stephanie Seemiller and Ed Gartner, saw this business as their dream come true. Built in 1914, the building was once a rooming house, and the two have done extensive remodeling, but kept the homey atmosphere, complete with exposed brick walls and concrete floors. Artwork by locals adorn the walls, making a comfortable atmosphere where coffee connoisseurs and latte lovers can sit in front of the fireplace and read or catch up on work.
Stephanie calls her crepes “unique” and Murdoch’s signature crepe, The Southwestern with scrambled eggs, green peppers, onions, Colby jack cheese, and smoked ham topped with salsa, recruits raves from customers.
If crepes or the T.E.S.S. breakfast sandwich—tomatoes, scrambled eggs, spinach and Swiss cheese on a flaky croissant do not tempt you, then chow down on the bacon, egg and cheese croissant, Murdoch Perk’s most popular offering.
Stephanie and Ed have put a different spin on the potatoes by using a mix of potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and onions that are boiled, then grilled and sautéed in butter. Little chunks of heaven!
— CITY COFFEE HOUSE & CREPERIE —
Located in the heart of Clayton at 36 N. Brentwood Blvd., the City Coffee House and Creperie started with crepes in 1995.
Owner Ann Gallardo said she always wanted to have a “little coffee house with pastries,” but when husband Ray, a successful restaurateur in his own right, told her she needed to be different from other coffee houses, she seized on the idea of crepes.
“I remembered when we were in France, they sold crepes from these little stands on the street,” she says. “And I remembered the days of the Magic Pan.” (A popular restaurant in the 70s and 80s in Plaza Frontenac that disappeared suddenly, leaving many disappointed patrons.)
“Now,” Gallardo says, “We’re one of the surviving restaurants here in Clayton.
With a warm, inviting Tuscan feel, City Coffee House can put anything in a crepe that could be put in an omelet, according to Gallardo.
Diners can get the traditional bacon and cheese, egg and cheese, and bacon and cheese, or go for the most popular, the BLT, which is bacon, fresh spinach, mozzarella cheese, marinated tomatoes and green onion with the house dressing.
Those preferring their own combination are encouraged to do so—the kitchen
will oblige.
There’s even a peanut butter and jelly crepe for the young and young at heart.
The fresh fruit crepe is especially enticing—a light, wonderfully thin crepe stuffed with bananas and all sorts of berries, and topped with whipped cream. It’s O.K. to sin with the cream if it’s covering fruit!
Crepes can also be made with 100 percent organic buckwheat flour.
— ROOSTER —
Downtown dwellers looking for breakfast, crepes and otherwise, need look no further than Rooster, 1104 Locust St.
Located in what used to be an old barbershop, the restaurant kept the original tile floor in the main dining area, invoking a “comfy, old-timey” feel.
Manager Emily Walker says Rooster crepes are “especially popular.” Some include egg with emmenthaler cheese or gruyére, arugula and goat cheese, bacon and Vermont cheddar, or the GBLT with goat cheese, bacon, tomato and romaine. Other crepes include Missouri-made German style sausages with Vermont cheddar, or sliced apples and cheddar.
Moving away from crepes, Rooster features the Rooster Slinger, a sumptuous concoction of andouille sausage, breakfast potatoes, fried eggs and sausage gravy over homemade thick cut toast, or the Finnish pancake, a traditional custard pancake.
The potatoes are particularly unusual and addictive, thinly sliced, with a mild jolt of hot spices, very good for opening the eyes.
Each day, Rooster also offers a “scramble” of the day. Walker says it is just what Chef Leah Osborne makes up and usually it isn’t repeated. On this particular day, the scramble was eggs, chicken, tomato, caramelized onion and roasted garlic over potatoes.
Rooster also offers gluten free vegan
crepe shells.
Another nice touch—children waiting for their food can color pictures of roosters, and then hang their creations on the wall. Original art!
A latte-lover, I ordered one at each restaurant and found them to be a step above a chain latte.
St. Louis is not at a loss for wonderful, delicious breakfasts at reasonable prices.
So, as an alternative to “brunch,” give these unique restaurants a try for some delicious breakfast offerings.
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TalkingPOINTS
Companion
9781 Clayton Rd.
Ladue, MO 63124
8143 Maryland Ave.
Clayton, MO 63105
4651 Maryland Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 352-4770
www.Companionstl.com
Hours:
Sunday-Saturday: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Café Osage
4605 Olive
St.St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 454-6868
www.bowoodfarms.com
Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 7 to 10:30 a.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Rooster
1104 Locust
St.St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 241-8118
www.roosterstl.com
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
City Coffee House
and Creperie
36 N. Brentwood Blvd.
Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 862-2489
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Murdoch Perk
5400 Murdoch Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63109
(314) 752-9126
www.murdochperk.net
Hours:
Tuesday-Friday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.Sunday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
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