Restaurant Rumination :: Day by Day Cafe

I had Monday off of work in honor of Martin Luther King day.  I intended to lay low, get some things done around the apartment, and relax.  But I got a call from my parents, asking if I wanted to get some brunch.  I always want to get brunch.  Always.  We tossed around a few ideas and then decided to check out a place that my uncle had suggested a few times: Day by Day Cafe on West 7th Street.  I checked out the menu online and with a "breakfast all day" menu, we were sold. 

I'd never even heard of Day by Day when my dad spoke of my uncle's recommendation.  But the menu looks fairly comprehensive, spanning from a stack of pancakes, to sandwiches and salads, to a sirloin steak special.  Open in the wee hours of the morning through 8pm on weeknights and 3pm on weekends, it seems as though Day by Day can cover all of your food cravings.

Day by Day is your classic cafe, with rooms upon rooms of seating, and tables large and small.  The wall next to our wooden booth was filled with vintage books and magazines.  There were copies of the Reader's Digest that went waaaaay back.  It was a great way to give the space a homey atmosphere.  Across our dining room were huge windows, overlooking some water landscaping and, possibly, patio seating for more favorable weather?  It was cute and quaint.  A great setting for some classic eats.

They were out of cinnamon rolls and caramel rolls by the time we arrived, so my dad ordered a blueberry muffin as his "appetizer."  It was more like a blueberry loaf and it was clearly fresh.  When we cut into this loaf of soft, sweet bread, it started steaming and fresh blueberries spilled out.  Yum.

When I go out for brunch, I always err on the side of breakfast.  I ordered the "#8" which consisted of one egg cooked over easy, on top of a mound of hashbrowns, served with a toasted English muffin, and a side of sliced avocado.  The avocado is what steered me toward this breakfast option, and it added some creamy freshness to an otherwise standard breakfast meal.  The hashbrowns were perfectly cooked, the egg was dripping with liquid gold yolk, and I smashed everything together on top of a muffin half.  De-lish. 

I'm happy that Day by Day is now on my radar.  I'm always looking for new breakfast spots in St. Paul that serve up classic diner eats in refreshing ways.  I will certainly be back for more.