Birchwood Cafe

The cozy neighborhood cafe is part of the life in the city experinece that should not go unnoticed. Fortunately, Minneapolis is filled with great little third places tucked into neighborhoods that invite trust and neighborhood identity. A "third place" is a home away from home. It is the third place in our lives made up mostly of 1) home, 2) work and then 3) the third place we go most frequently for comfort, solice and joyful entertainment. In Italy, the third place is a coffee bar or cafe where the patrons know the barista and talk with eachother about everything from politics to opera to soccer. In England the "third place" is the neighborhood pub where young and old alike gather and in France it is the bistro. At one time (okay old timer tell us), we had the barber shop or beauty salon and the corner drug store and soda fountain as our comfy third place but all across America these common public institutions have disappeared, epsecially in big cities. Presently, in America it is less clear where the third place exists outisde the home. But in Seward neghborhood, a simple frontrunner has emerged: Birchwood Cafe. Set on a residental street, the cafe used to be an old ice cream store, diary deli and corner hang out. The chef founders of Birchwood have captured this legacy and keep it alive. They also serve IZZY's ice cream. But Birchwood, and its organic whole food veggie leanings is totally modern and grabs the hipster character of Sewards young and first home buyer jive. Expect to find a variety of wholesome salads, soups, stews and sandwiches made on hearty artisan breads. And the selection of deserts is also awesome. When you order at Birchwood, it is deli-style, so you assemble items from their case a la carte but they also have a list of daily specials. Once you've placed your order, customers sit down cafeteria style in tables lined up, seemingly to encourage neighbors to talk about their children, the playground down the street or the daily news. more

Nestled in the near southside neighborhood of Seward is an old creamery and former grocer deli modernized and turned into this cafe. While Birchwood has transformed to fit the times, it remains local and very much a neighborhood fixture to meet its demographic. Inside you find a deli-like counter with a gaggle of young (and not so young) counter-cultural counter workers making some very delicious baked and stirred veggie dishes for anytime of the day or night. Birchwood, it could easily be said, emerged from the crunchy granola era of restaurant/cafes with simple, organic, and wholesome soups, salads and sandwiches. Whether it is 9-grain goodness, crusty French, or yesty sour dough, they all compliment the tasty breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. Waffles are a recommended morning dish. Check out their thick and rich soups of the day made from squash and ginger or other exotic vegetables. In the evening try the Salmon cakes or the Greek Spanikopita with spinach, feta and dill inside flaky phyllo bread. Over the years, Birchwood has let down its veggie guard a bit and you might find turkey, ham and bacon on their sandwiches. They even have pizza's with pepperoni! Entries $7 to $13, deserts $3 to $5. Kids menu. Wine and beer. more

I can only comment on the breakfasts, because that's the only time I've ever been here, but I know their breakfasts well. Birchwood is an organic eatery with a walk-up ordering / deliver to table setup with an evolving chalkboard menu of delicious food. They offer vegan and organic options, fresh OJ, homemade granola, local bacon, and great breakfast combinations. They also serve Peace Coffee, which as anyone who's drank it knows, is delicious fair trade coffee imported to Minneapolis. The outdoor seating fills up fast on a beautiful weekend morning, so be patient. There is plenty of sidewalk chalk on hand to keep kids occupied. The streets can be a bit confusing for newbies in this area. The Mississippi runs at a SE angle, leading to some strange intersections. If you find yourself on W River Rd. turn at 25th St. It's a few blocks W from there. more