3311 East 25th Street (612-722-4474)
By Serena Bernthal-Jones
Nestled in a quite residential neighborhood of Minneapolis, Birchwood Cafe has been a hub for community gathering for almost ninety years. Long-time Seward residents will remember it as the home of the Birchwood Store, and before that, a dairy. For the past 20 years, the Cafe has been serving simple yet unique food sourced from organic, local farms.
Stepping into Birchwood emulates the feelings of entering into a friend’s kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. Long tables, fit for a whole extended family, seat complete strangers next to each other. And it is meant to do just that: make dining a social experience, and not just between the people you came with. Lively chatter drifts between tables as chefs scurry between stations in the open kitchen.
The savory squash waffle, a Birchwood classic
The menu is carefully crafted around the season’s bounty. Squash takes center stage this time of year, featured as the lead in the flaky cream cheese crust savory pie, roasted to perfection and complimented by turnips and sweet and spicy beets. It is also willing to play a more supporting role, taking the form of a maple squash puree atop the black bean quinoa burger or as a dip accompanying pickled vegetables and seed crackers. Don’t miss the parsnip, which makes several appearances in the parsnip walnut spread and on the parsnip pear sandwich. The Birchwood experience is not complete, however, without the savory waffle, a classic on the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu that attracts newcomers and keeps regulars coming back. This seasons’ rendition highlights none other than the squash, artfully paired with currant and gruyere and topped with red onion jam, apple cinnamon butter, bacon lardoons, and a sunny-side up egg.
To finish the meal, the menu boasts simple yet elegant desserts. The cinnamon apple pie has hints of rosemary and is topped with a double scoop of Izzy’s Vanilla Ice-cream, just adventurous enough without straying too far from a well-beloved classic. The same can be said of the café itself: creative in its approach, yet true to good, simple ingredients.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dishes $12-24.
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