Restaurants that hawk organic and local fare often serve flavorless dishes in the name of trends.
Though both food movements are noble callings for a healthy, sustainable future, some of their adherents assume touting such labels allows their business to coast on them alone. What those chefs miss is that preparing flavorful, innovative food takes precedent over a 100 percent locally sourced menu. Birchwood Cafe General Manager Tracy Singleton and chef Marshall Paulsen understand this, serving up a menu with both local, sustainable sourcing and timeless taste.
The Seward institution reopened May 20 after an extensive, three-month remodel project. Though the space retains its bohemian vibe, an additional dining room was added in back, separated from the main dining room by a light cherry-colored wood barn door.
Both dining rooms feature blond wooden tables, chairs and benches, with an emphasis on community seating. Red paper-mache chandeliers are juxtaposed with purple paint on the wall above the counter, the first purple around town that’s trendy, rather than homage to the Vikings. The warm, minimalist environment screams Venice Beach, not Minneapolis.
The light-yet-flavorful dishes sit at the nexus of Californian and Mediterranean cuisine. Start with the Birchwood lemonade, a subtly sweet drink that’s a stark contrast from the miasma of other restaurants. It’s all-American lemonade at its finest, not mutated for the over-sugared palates of Country Time and Crystal Light lovers. A sour zing that grows more pronounced by the sip makes this the perfect drink to cool down with on a sweltering summer afternoon.
The mixed greens tasted green — if green has a taste — despite the presence of some overly dry flora, but the addition of parsley and dill saved the side. The rhubarb fennel vinaigrette resembles store-bought dressing in color and texture, but it’s worlds apart in taste, adding sweet contrast to the greens’ inherent bitterness.
The housemade tagliatelle is the star of Birchwood’s lunch offerings. Homemade egg noodles nestle in a bed of fresh vegetables (in this case green beans, carrots, asparagus and onion), topped with divine, nuanced arugula pesto and sunflower oil. The sauce is sumptuous without being heavy because it’s not haphazardly thrown on the pasta American style (Italian pastas don’t swim in sauce like most American pastas do), and the noodles are cooked al dente, yet melt in your mouth.
Birchwood’s carefree atmosphere caters to a variety of diners, from 20-something foodies to urbanite grandparents. It’s the perfect location for a quick date, a lunch with friends or a quiet space to bang out the finishing pages of a novel or thesis. Al fresco dining is an option as well, with five to 10 tables lining quiet, residential East 25th Street.
Noise levels are nearly quiet for outdoor diners, but inside is more boisterous. At no time did the decibel levels approach deafening, though, due to Birchwood’s sanguine energy. Service is sprightly and congenial, and the employees appear committed to the cafe’s mission.
Birchwood is a small slice of California transplanted into Minneapolis. It turns the notion of organic eateries on its head with cutting-edge cuisine that plays on traditional verves. Sporting a solid track record since 1995, Birchwood should remain a Minneapolis stronghold.
What: Birchwood Cafe
Where: 3311 E. 25th St, Minneapolis
Cost: $6-17
