Jay's Cafe Rokked the French Toast

photo lifted from www.nodinpress.com/macaroni/spring06_food.htm

gerg and I ate a late breakfast at Jay's Cafe in St. Paul on Saturday.

I drive past Jay's Cafe almost everyday and was all about checking it out.

Apparently, Karl Gerstenberger is wild for locally-sourced ingredients, which is a reason for a sustainability gal like me to give myself whiplash every time I drive by Jay's...I'm always trying to peep the menu on the board outside.

So on Saturday, we darted between raindrops and grabbed a little table. Peace coffee (of course) and comics were our appetizers as we scanned the brief and reasonably priced breakfast menu. The atmosphere was unremarkable and definitely unpretentious.

We ordered the "Surfer" Burritos - a burrito with eggs, avocados, salsa, cheese, and tomatoes. Savory and acceptable.

But the home run, out of the ballpark, knock you on your ass and until you scream "uncle" dish was the Apple-Carmel French Toast - we're talkin thickly sliced Ciabatta bread french toast served with diced apples, drizzled with caramel, and then topped with real whipped cream and maple syrup. A big up yourself to the Gods who looked down upon Jay's Cafe when this was served to us. I thank ye.

We made sure to check out the art. Since we spend 1/3 of our free time in hardware stores, the photographs of Noll Hardware were pretty interesting to us.

I chatted up our server before we departed, and she indicated that the most locally sourced menu at Jay's was the dinner menu.

You know I'm all about trying the Organic Cantaloupe Soup with ricotta dumpling and scallion oil for $6.

Jay's Cafe

791 Raymond Av
Saint Paul, MN 55115
Phone: (651) 641-1446

[where: 55406]