ohhh, it's such a haul from Shoreview to Sun Street Breads...on the other side of 35W south of downtown Minneapolis...to the 46th Street exit...sooooo hungry by the time we arrive.
Giving you our take on dining places involves some sacrifice (next time, we'll pack a lunch on the way).
I enjoyed a rye breakfast pastry from Sun Street a few weeks ago, so thought it was worth checking the place out. The end of a strip mall with really tight parking (the fender bender an hour kind of parking--reminds me of many places in Chicago)...but we lucked out and scored the spot by the front door!
Transforming a strip mall space into a pleasant experience takes some effort---here, the floor is sheets of plywood, with some wood in the ceiling as well to dampen the noise. A peninsula jutting out into the dining space breaks it into a more 'friendly' dining experience.
The bakery display is focused---space behind the counter with a limited selection of breads; a glass front one-level display of pastries...today: a turnover, a chocolate cherry round, a cinnamon creation shaped like a large muffin but in a sophisticated style. We were too late for whatever had held the other space this morning.
Order at the counter from the menus that hang to your right. John chose the porketta sandwich with salad with boiled apple dressing. I asked about veggie-heavy choices, and the biscuit royale was recommended (actually, on later review, there were more veggies on other dishes). The biscuit royale is a Swiss and mushroom filled crepe, folded and placed open face on a house-make square biscuit and then topped with steamed kale (the menu says mustard greens, but the cashier responsibly said kale was the green today).
A cold brew from Dogwood coffee and a an apple turnover rounded out the meal.
The service was quick and two attractive plates appeared at our table. Then, the experience went in different directions. My biscuit royale was attractive and tasty. The kale was perfectly steamed, and for the most part, the filled crepe was tasty and luxurious.
Oddly, half way through, we started to get a strong lemon flavor. We don't know if it was part of the crepe batter...but it was clearly present in only 1/2 of the dish. The biscuit was light and tender. Overall, I was pleased with my choice and would recommend it. Rating: 4 of 5 stars.
John did not fare as well. His 'porketta' really had no semblance of the essence of porketta. Having purchased a lot of porkettas at various meat markets around the state and having created my own porkettas from scratch numerous times, the hallmark of porketta is a flavor explosion of herbs and spices and tender moist pork.
Sun Street porketta totally missed it here. Dry, stringy unseasoned flavorless pork does not a porketta make. Top it with a really unremarkable slaw and you have the makings of a totally forgettable lunch experience. The boiled apple dressing on the salad was nearly undetectable--and didn't seem to have any reason to be paired with corn and black beans. Our answer was to figure out that the large pieces of romaine in the salad had some taste of dressing...so we ate each bite of sandwich with a piece of 'dressed' romaine to get the acid that was so sorely needed in the sandwich. While the white 'hot dog style' bun was nicely toasted, overall this was a big miss--2 out of 5 stars would be a generous rating.
Finally, having ordered cold brew or cold press coffee everywhere I've been, I believe that Dogwood Coffee is not for me. I haven't been pleased with a single cold-brewed coffee that started with Dogwood. I think I'll save my $3-$4 and not order a Dogwood cold brew. None has been agreeable-tasting.
The turnover had a nice tart apple filling, good pastry layers, and a crispy and sugary exterior. We'd rate this pastry a 4..and I would give the same rating to the rye pastry I had several weeks ago.
Final verdict: a little over 3 stars for the overall experience. The prices were a bit high for what was served, the biscuit royale could have used a garnish or small piece of fruit to offset the cheesiness, and the porketta sandwich should be reworked.
It's a long drive from here to there.....if you're in the area, stop by and pick up some pastries or a quick lunch. Don't drive from Shoreview for the experience.
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