Monday, February 8, 2010

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.

1 comment:

  1. I almost always find that the gorgeous cupcakes don't taste as good as they look. One of life's disappointments.

    Once you've bought the "good" balsamic...you won't be able to stand the grocery store variety. I agree...worth every penny!

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