Restaurant Review :: Anodyne Coffeehouse

Is it just me or has August been insanely busy this year?  My goodness!  I can especially tell now that I'm blogging because my most recent posts have all been about restaurants and not about new dishes I'm cooking.  That's not to say that I haven't been cooking...I just haven't made anything new.  I have revisited a few of my old favorites -- fried rice, quinoa with sundried tomatoes, salad with my fave dressing -- but I went to the market today with some new recipes in mind and hopefully I'll have some delicious snacks ready for you guys this week!

But in the meantime, I met two good friends today for brunch at Anodyne Coffeehouse in the Kingfield neighborhood of South Minneapolis.  I'd never heard of Anodyne before, but my friend gave it a good review and the online menu looked very promising.

First, it's completely adorable.  There are a few sunny seats outside, but most of the tables inside are made for two.  If you are a group of three (like we were), you have to snag some of the amazingly comfortable couches and chairs and cozy up next to a coffee table.  I love eating out but feeling like you're eating in.  Anodyne also has a long table in the middle of the coffee house for people who want to plug in their computers and surf the interwebs.  Genius!  And the menu was written in chalk, natch, featuring some tasty-sounding options.

Since I'd already had a donut at the Farmers' Market (oops) and a piece of zucchini bread at my parents' house (double oops), I opted for the oh-so-healthy sounding Anodyne Oatmeal.  I vaguely recalled reading the differences between that and the "ordinary oatmeal", but there were no descriptions on the chalkboard menu to double check.  Instead of asking, I just went for it.  And a pot of tea, please.

Mmmmm....these oats were thick and chewy, filled with delicious additions.  I tasted chunks of sweet pear, bits of tart cranberry, and the crunch of pecans all mingled together in the mouthfuls of warm, hearty oats.  But these aren't just ordinary oats -- they are fortified with super healthy wild rice!  Topped with a bit of brown sugar and a quick pour of soy milk and it was oatmeal perfection. 

Good atmosphere, good food, and wonderful friends all made for a great Sunday morning brunch!  I'm glad Anodyne is now on my radar...it's the perfect little place to stop in when you need a fabulous bite to eat.