Camacho Watcho

It’s been two days since the incident happened so I think this is enough recovery time for me to move on and write about it. They predicted it…I will give them that, and I should have been forewarned. So when I woke up to an overcast, brisk Sunday morning I should have known that, for once, their predictions would be correct. But I remained naive, oblivious to the warnings and set out without a second thought.

At first it wasn’t so bad. Just another chilly fall day at the end of the season when the golds, reds, greens and browns all mix together to form an interesting array of color on the ground and on the trees. I knew I wasn’t dressed perfectly for this time of year, but it was also kind of nice to jam my fists deep into the pockets of my down vest to find warmth. I shuffled along, the leaves making a “shoosh-shoosh-shoosh” sound as I moved through them.

I stopped along the way to take pictures of the trees, the leaves, the lake and a small mushroom that was camouflaged along the path I was walking. Of course, stopping made me colder and my hands could hardly move once they left the warm coccoon of my vest pockets. This I didn’t mind. But the further I walked, I started to feel the reality of the predictions…the knowledge that winter was just around the corner.

The corner, as it turned out to be, was the very last bend before I returned to my car. I put away my camera and sipped on my hot coffee while I waited for my friends to return from their run. And at that exact moment it happened. It snowed.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind the snow and I don’t mind winter. I actually love the coziness of the season…warming up next to the fire with warm soup or cocoa. The tragedy of this particular snowfall is that it was the most disappointing first snow ever. With the temperature hovering right around the freezing point, there was no chance of white fluffy flakes drifting to the ground and accumulating to create a winter wonderland. (Although Kyle did lie on the grass and pretend to make a snow angel, which did lighten the mood.) Instead, the flakes came down in a fury…a wet, slushy fury. Sigh.

Taste of Scandinavia
Perhaps it was the setting of the slushy snow that swayed my breakfast experience that morning as well. Since we were up near Vadnais Heights, we headed to Taste of Scandinavia, a small bakery and cafe in a strip mall in North Oaks. I have had several breakfasts there before and enjoyed them. But this time, unfortunately, was not fully the case. I would have to say that they were 50-50 for me and, based on this visit, I would return back only for their sweet breakfast items and baked goods.

Taste of Scandinavia is a cute little restaurant with a large glass display case along one wall with cakes, breads, and pastries that are sure to make your mouth water. We entered and immediately sampled their apple coffee cake that was offered to us. Wow! I was sold. I ordered the classic egg breakfast (of course with crispy bacon and eggs over medium) and a full piece of the apple coffee cake. Unfortunately, they told me that they were out of the coffee cake. Wait…they offer me a sample to entice me into buying it and then they tell me they’re out? Humpf. Odd, but okay. A little disappointed but we changed the pastry order to something with slivered almonds and almond paste (which was not nearly as good) and an order of the pulla french toast with lingonberries and green apples for Kyle.

Thankfully the coffee was very good and there were free, help-yourself refills…which were much needed on that gray, cold morning. (By this time the snow/slush was coming down almost sideways outside. Yuck.) Our order arrived quickly and we dug in. The down side is that I just don’t think eggs are their thing. Mine were browned and spongey and the poached eggs that Carly got had hard yolks (that is how she likes them, but that’s not how she ordered them). The bacon wasn’t crisp, the hash browns were oily tasting and the toast was just, eh.

Kyle’s breakfast, however, looked and tasted spectacular. It was a huge order of french toast, loaded with lingonberries, caramelized green apples, whipped cream, powdered sugar and a few chocolate shavings. I had a little taste at first and then finished his breakfast for dessert. The yogurt, fruit and homemade granola that was ordered also looked fantastic. It was polished off quickly so that speaks volumes.

All in all, I will return to Taste of Scandinavia but I will stick to their coffee cake (when they have it) and their sweet breakfast items like the french toast or yogurt and granola. And as for the weather? It’s a beautifully sunny day out the window right now, but winter is lurking. And while I know this is a naive thought, I’m hoping the next snowfall fulfills my more romantic ideals of winter.

Taste of Scandinavia
845 Village Center Drive
North Oaks, MN
651.482.8285

I headed to St. Paul on Saturday afternoon to get some Nookie…(get your mind out of the gutter, I was after a burger from The Nook). Unfortunately, The Nook was extremely busy so we decided to go a few miles away to the Shamrock Grill on West 7th, where they have The Nook burgers on their menu. It wasn’t my first choice, but I was willing to try it out.

In contrast to The Nook, which is a small, cozy bar, the Shamrock Grill is a large space with both bar and high-top seating, as well as several booths and other tables in the main dining area. Although it was also busy (we were there during the Gopher game), there was immediate seating for us in the dining area. With only a glance at the menu, we put in our order…cheese curds, two Juicy Lucys and two diet cokes. If you’re not familiar with the Juicy Lucy, it is a cheeseburger but with the cheese inside the burger. This ensures that the cheese is still hot and melted when it arrives at your table. But be warned, while melted cheese is always a good thing, you do have to be careful not to burn yourself on it. For more on Juicy Lucy’s and a map of where to find them in the Twin Cities click here.

Back to the Shamrock – I had high expectations for this meal, as The Nook’s Juicy Lucy is my favorite in town. Note: I haven’t tried all the Juicy Lucy’s out there, but it’s my favorite of those I have tried. Our Lucys arrived and I was a little surprised, to be honest. Although it’s controversial, I think the bun is a crucial part of the burger experience. So it was a bit concerning to me that the Shamrock’s bun was not as soft as The Nook’s bun. Despite this difference, however, the burger and cheese were the same and they were oh, so good…so I couldn’t really complain. Overall, it was a good experience, and if they would switch up their bun, the Shamrock Grill would be a major contender in the realm of Juicy Lucys.

Shamrock Grill
995 7th St. W.
St. Paul, MN
651.228.9925

It was Sunday and breakfast was the main priority. I didn’t care where we went, as long as there would be eggs. At the precise moment when Kyle made a suggestion of where we should go, we received a text from our friend The Freets. He and his lovely wife Sue were headed to Day by Day Cafe. Perfect!

We should have thought of Day by Day Cafe to go to, as it was the last day of summer and Day by Day has an amazing back patio (with a pond and everything!). We headed out and were there in no time. The Freets and Sue were already seated outside when we arrived (thank goodness, as the lines for Day by Day can be murder on a Sunday). We joined them and immediately did some damage to the carafe of coffee sitting at the table. I love it when restaurants give you your own carafe!

Pondering the menu, I was trying to figure out if I wanted to go all out with the breakfast burrito (always a solid choice) or the special of egg casserole (minus the hollandaise). Again, just as long as there were eggs. The waitress came to take our order and, of course, I panicked. Searching the menu for the answer, I ignored the orders of my dining companions and just stared at the selections. It was finally my turn to order. I defaulted…two eggs over medium, sausage patty (mixing things up from my usual crispy bacon order) and whole grain toast. Whew! That was tough! Then I turned to Kyle to ask what he had just ordered. The waitress answered, with a straight face…”the exact same as you.” Oops. Okay, so maybe I’m not that original sometimes.

Our food came very fast – first the caramel pecan roll that we ordered as an appetizer and then our full breakfasts. Eggs perfectly cooked, toast crispy and lightly buttered…yum! Day by Day Cafe can always be counted on for a great breakfast and it’s even better in the summer. With a carafe of coffee and the sun shining down on you, what a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

Day by Day Cafe
477 W. 7th St.
St. Paul, MN
651.227.0654