Crème brûlée French toast at Baldamar's Champagner brunch
Brunch is back. After a slow post-COVID rollout, the leisurely weekend morning ode to eggs Benedict is finally being added onto more restaurant schedules. Like it or not.
While Baldamar's extravagant brunch buffets have been a constant, they've now added an exclusive new brunch to top all others. The Roseville steakhouse recently introduced the Champagner, a Saturday-only event in a sunny side room looking out at Rosedale Center. The ticketed brunch ($90, plus tax and a 22% hospitality surcharge) has two seatings in which guests have two hours to order nearly anything on the special menu in whatever quantities suit them. It's a buffet that feels like a sit-down meal, or a bit like the fancy place at an all-inclusive resort.
You're offered a glass of sparkling wine or a mimosa upon entry, and frequent refills by roaming staff. Or, order from a list of cocktails and zero-proof drinks. Pastries come around in a basket; starters are playful, from a Scotch egg to an Italian chopped salad.
For entrées, go sweet, go savory, go both. My companion and I ordered three for the two of us — she the smoked sea bass hash, me the steak and eggs, both delicious. We had every intention of taking only a bite of the crème brûlée French toast. Instead, that was the one we devoured. Practically half a loaf of bread is soaked for hours in cream that's been infused with Chinese five spice, with hints of star anise and clove cozying up the caramelized crackly edges. Chopped walnuts are drizzled with bourbon maple syrup that sneaks in little bits of bacon. And it's all topped with a scoop of not-so-sweet whipped cream that's almost as thick as butter. It's the epitome of brunch itself: expensive, entirely unnecessary and utterly delightful. (Sharyn Jackson)
1642 W. Country Road B2, Roseville, 651-796-0040, baldamar.com

Kruse Markit's Avocado Toast, But Make It a Bowl
The new market and breakfast/lunch spot in Minneapolis' Kingfield neighborhood is a prime example of why the Great Resignation was a good thing. Owner Heidi Stark had been crisscrossing the country for years while working for Wells Fargo. In every metro area she traveled to, she would seek out the cool all-day hangs and gourmet grocery stores. When the road started to wear on her, she decided to get off the fast track of corporate life and look into opening a place like the ones she loved to visit, but here in Minnesota.
Kruse Markit is part coffee shop and part retail shop in which a food fan easily could lose an hour poring over all the goods. "I tried to stock mostly BIPOC and women-owned brands," Stark said when we popped in for a visit. There are cool treats (note the Outkast quote above the cooler doors) and shelf-stable items that run the gamut from THC gummies to potato chips.
There's also a tidy breakfast and lunch menu. The kitchen is run by chef Sarah Lee (who used to work at Wise Acre Eatery). Dishes are light, like the Avocado Toast, But Make It a Bowl ($15). It's the best kind of breakfast salad with an oozy egg and creamy avocado zipped up with everything spice and a slew of smashed breadcrumbs standing in for toast. It's all served over a pile of mixed greens. Paired with a latte, it's all a tasty early-day indulgence. (Joy Summers)