The Green Room

Every so often there is a lively debate about restaurant relativism. Bloggers and commenters—God love ’em—tend to stoke the fires. You know the drill: Delis in Minnesota can never compare to delis in New York. Wolfgang in Minneapolis is nowhere near as good as Wolfgang in L.A. or even Wolfgang in Vegas, and on and on and on. But what happens when the restaurant in question is in Waconia? Does the scale slide from city to country standards just like that? Yes. Though the bravado-filled NYC and Chicago versus Minneapolis disputes are often redundant and wearying, they do offer a yardstick to measure the scene we care about most—our own. The Green Room is a relaxed, friendly café that would feel basic in south Minneapolis, but it’s a lovely gem in the western Twin Cities. The brunch menu is straightforward and comforting with a slight French twist—eggs en cocotte with ham and cheddar, a quiche du jour, excellent scones, eggs and biscuits, and a roasted chicken salad. Plus there is really good bacon. Espressos and mimosas make up the rest of the standard, satisfying brunch menu. Former Corner Table chef Keven Kvalsten runs the kitchen. This spring, he'll tweak the menu by adding a few omelets, BLTs, and burgers with fried egg. I’ll be back to check it out—with luck, it’ll be warm enough for a post-brunch stroll by the lake with my dog. A fine Minnesota Sunday thing to do.

140 W. Main St., Waconia, 952-442-3353, Su, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

ORDER: Eggs en cocotte, scones, side of bacon, fried eggs and biscuits. Eggs Benedict comes on dry English muffins. Maybe chef Marsh will butter and toast them.

LIBATIONS: Basic mimosas, coffees, espressos, fresh orange juice.

BRUNCHMETER: