La Chaya Bistro

The middle of the road is like a tranquilizer—there’s no thrill in the sublime, no despair in the awful. There’s just . . . OKness. La Chaya, despite being reviewed as something special at dinner, does only a middling brunch. The servers oversell a menu of mostly Mexican and Spanish dishes such as huevos rancheros, quesadillas, and molletes. Bland but melting Oaxacan cheese shows up everywhere, including on a decent rendition of eggs Benedict with avocado and tangy green salsa. Omelets with housemade chorizo or poblano peppers and onions are fine. The molletes—kind of Mexican pizzas—are a pleasant diversion from typical brunch fare, as are the fish tacos. While the dining room is attractive and there’s clearly attention paid to the plating and presentation of the food, I can’t shake the feeling that La Chaya is more style than substance. The prettiness comes at the expense of personality and genuine deliciousness. It’s too bad, because it wouldn’t take much for this place to stand apart from the pack. —Kate Rogers

4537 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-827-2254, lachaya.com. Su 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (There’s a “we’ll close if it’s slow” attitude toward business hours.)

ORDER: Mixed greens salad, quesadillas, eggs Benedict, molletes, omelets.

LIBATIONS: Duluth–based Alakef coffees, generous mimosas, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies.

BRUNCHMETER: