Category: Mom and Pop

Mainstreet Coffee Company

On By minnesotaeatsIn Bakeries, Cafe, Mom and Pop, Restaurants outside the MetroLeave a comment

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A little background

Mainstreet Coffee Company was started by Mike and Pam Borgman of Sauk Centre.  By using fresh ingredients in their homemade family recipes, this once family home has become a new hang out for the folks of Sauk Centre.  Corresponding with the seasons and their dedication to providing options with the freshest ingredients, their menu changes weekly.  In addition to a changing menu of entrees, they also offer pastries, specialty coffees and an assortment of other beverages.  Be sure to stop in for either breakfast, lunch or an afternoon coffee.

Wondering where Sauk Centre is?  Just get on Interstate 94 and travel Northwest passed St. Cloud.

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 My thoughts

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When you walk up to the cafe, it is literally a cute, sunshine yellow house with beautiful flower gardens.  The inside is only an extension of the house’s charm.  Mike and Pam have turned this house into a warm and inviting cafe for the citizens of Sauk Centre.  The walls are covered in coffee-addict-inspired artwork like the sign in the image above.  They also offer plenty of treats stored in their own cute serving plates for those of us who have a sweet tooth.

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I’ve been here before and my favorite is their chai lattes.  They’re not made like the traditional style of Indian chai, such as the Grey Duck Chai, but they are pretty darn tasty in my opinion.  Honestly, they make me think of Christmas upon first sip.  They’re always served piping hot and with a well balanced mix of spices.  On this visit, however, I stopped in for lunch with my mom.  Here’s what we got:

I went with the special of the day, a Greek Chicken Penne Pasta that consisted of kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, parsley, feta cheese, and grilled chicken.  On the side, you get orange slices and your choice of the muffins they baked that morning.  My choice?  I went with a morning glory muffin.  I thought the grouping of pasta with a muffin for lunch was a little interesting, but I was happy for a sweet pastry after my meal.  I’ll admit, I have a little … okay, a BIG sweet tooth.  To start, I would definitely order the Greek Chicken Penne Pasta again.  The pasta itself was well made and I was so happy that it wasn’t drowned in sauce.  That has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to pasta salad.  I hate when there is too much dressing and you can’t taste anything else in the salad.  I didn’t find that problem here!  Everything was fresh and made for one awesome lunch.  Thanks Mainstreet Coffee Co.

my meal

My mom went with Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch flatbread with a cup of vegetable soup.  The sandwich, in addition to chicken and bacon, included sauted onions, tomatoes, a blend of three cheeses, and romaine lettuce.  She said it was all very good so I had to sneak a bite of it too!  She, of course, was right.  The sandwich was nice and warm, which helped the cheese become all melty and gooey.  Again, this was another great way to have a casual lunch.

mom's meal

When we had finished our meal, we took a small tour around the outside of the cafe.  There were tons of flower beds, not shown, and this beautiful patio to sit on.  Had it been a warmer day outside, we probably would have been out here.  Take a look for yourself.

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In addition to the cafe, Mainstreet Coffee Co. also offers bicycle rentals for customers on the cheap!  Being located one block away from the Lake Wobegon Trail, which runs from St. Cloud to Alexandria, renting bikes is a nice service offered for anyone looking for a day ride.  In addition, Mainstreet Coffee Co. hosts an annual “Grillin and Chillin” BBQ Cook-Off in Sinclair Lewis Park.  There’s a cash prize and trophy for the best bbq made so be sure to stop in September 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For a full view of their menu, check out the link below:
online menu

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World’s Best Donuts – Grand Marais

On By minnesotaeatsIn Bakeries, Mom and Pop, Restaurants outside the Metro1 Comment

edited shop

A little background

Started in 1969 by Merieta Altrichter, World’s Best Donuts has become a repeat stop for travelers with a hunger for fresh, warm donuts.  When Merieta began the donut business, she would make the donuts by hand every morning.  In addition to making her donuts, she had a day job in a department store.  In 1975, she was able to quit her minimum wage job and work full time in her donut shop.

Skip ahead to the present day, and four generations of her family later, the donut shop is still there.  Located in Grand Marais, MN, World’s Best Donuts is open during the summer from May to September.  They serve a variety of donuts, both cake and raised, and much more.  All donuts are made fresh daily.  They also offer coffee, a perfect pairing to a warm donut.  Be sure to try their signature Skizzle.

To see the donuts being made and meet the family that make it happen, check out their video.

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 My thoughts

Both my fiance and I can agree that World’s Best Donuts really does have the “world’s best donuts.”  We enjoy section backpacking along the Superior Hiking Trail and we make a point to stop here for breakfast every time we cross through Grand Marais.  The bakers at World’s Best Donuts continue to deliver awesome donuts every time.  We’ve never gotten a cold or hard donut.  Warm, soft, and incredibly delicious, it’s a guilty pleasure that I can’t stop bragging about.  If possible, we even bring some home for our buddies in the Twin Cities.

My fiance ordered a skizzle the last time we were there.  Again, I had to sneak a piece of this one.  One skizzle alone can easily satisfy a donut craving for two people.

skizzle

Yep, that sugar-coated saucer is a skizzle.  I urge you, try it!  Below you’ll find the rest of our spread that day (no we did not eat all of them at once).  We were able to save them for our hike for the weekend.  We ordered two of their chocolate-covered knots, a standard glazed cake donut, a chocolate-covered cake donut and coffee to top it off.  Can you tell we both like chocolate … a lot!

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Being in this donut shop alone is an experience.  Once you take your seat in the back room, you’ll notice open shelving along the walls with coffee cups in them.  Take a closer look and you’ll see that they are the cups of visitors that frequent World’s Best Donuts.  The table tops offer up their own stories.  Underneath the glass, you’ll find images and brief stories of World’s Best Donuts traveling coffee cup.  It’s a goal of the staff to collect pictures that include their branded coffee cup.  What better way to do this than asking fans to send in pictures from around the world.

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Overall, we highly recommend World’s Best Donuts to anyone willing to take the trek up to Grand Marais, which you should visit because the scenery all the way up is gorgeous.  The bakers are always friendly and ready to serve you a piece of their family’s 4-generation history.