Many times in our search to find something new or change a routine, we overlook restaurants where the food is consistently good with stellar service. The one restaurant in Bloomington that always comes to mind particularlySaturday brunch is Uptown Cafe at Kirkwood and Walnut Street. It's Mother's and my favorite spot. When the weather's cold and dreary, we always choose to eat in the bar area where Mark the bartender/waiter greets us with a bright smile and promptly brings a mug of fresh coffee. We were there just this morning and saw a number of familiar faces, so they too, know the secret of eating behind the saloon swinging doors. Many times, the seats at the bar are taken by locals coming in for a cappuccino and the European soccer matches. The pub-like atmosphere at breakfast time is like to no other cafe I know in Bloomington
Along with the ambiance, the breakfast menu is an eclectic mix of creole and standbys with a few surprise specials like huevos rancheros and Indonesian corn fritters. Like all restaurants in Indiana, Uptown has biscuits and gravy, granola, lox and bagels and eggs. But it's the extras that make breakfast so enjoyable for me. The "home fries" a.k.a. red skin potatoes browned with onions and mushrooms are to die for! The potatoes are always well-seasoned and caramelized. I'm also a big fan of the fresh salsa on top of a vegetarian Popeye omelet. It's a three-egg omelet with fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese. Regardless of the fillings, the Uptown omelets are always perfectly flipped, done in the middle and never browned around the edges like so many omelets in town.
Another tasty looking dish my mother prefers is the creme brulee French toast--especially on a summer morning at a shaded outdoor table. The menu describes it as slices of baguette baked atop a layer of custard infused with vanilla. It's way to sweet and sugary for my morning taste, but it looks like a sweet tooth pleaser.
Mom and I may venture to new places, try new things but always circle back to the classics. Uptown Cafe is no exception.
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