Sunday Brunch at Trotter's and Cupcakes from Sweets

Yesterday afternoon, my roommate and I went to Trotter's on Cleveland and Marshall, near St. Thomas, in Saint Paul for brunch. Trotter's is known for its use of fresh, local ingredients and serves breakfast until 2 p.m. on Sundays. Added bonus: there's a coupon in the Blue Sky Guide for 25 percent off any menu item.

I went with the Tortilla Lucia and a side of bacon. The tortilla comes stuffed with scrambled eggs, refried beans, tomatoes, chilies and cheese, and is topped with Trotter's homemade salsa. I found it to be delightful - fresh and filling.

For some strange reason, I thought I needed the bacon to complete the meat-less tortilla. Perhaps my brain thinks I'm a carnivore. Either way, despite being quite good, the bacon was completely unnecessary.

After our satisfying meal at Trotter's, we walked down Marshall to the new-ish Sweets Bakeshop to pick up cupcakes for dessert. I LOVE cupcakes, so I was excited to hear that there was a new shop in my old 'hood.

I found it quite difficult to decide between all of the beautifully styled cupcakes, so I went with three flavors thinking my roommate and I could try each one: the Black and White, the Cookie Dough and the Triple Chocolate.

In the end, I think all of the anticipation got the best of us (we waited until after dinner to eat them). While they're gorgeous and score an A+ on presentation, the cake itself wasn't as moist as I was expecting. It took me completely by surprise because they looked so good and the frosting was so perfect that I just assumed they'd be amazing. Maybe it was just an off day. I'm not ready to give up on Sweets just yet, so I'll wait a couple months and give it another go.

Also yesterday, we made our first stop at Vinaigrette on 50th and Xerxes in Minneapolis, which offers specialty olive oils and vinegars. I picked up the Balsamico di Modena vinegar to use on a balsamic asparagus recipe last night. Worth every penny.