Reetsy Reviews: Trotter's Cafe and Bakery

(photo swiped from MN2020)

Sometimes it ain't easy for restaurants committed to local foods to advertise their local vittles. Since so many local foods are available on a day-by-day basis, printing menus ahead of time, or posting them online can be almost impossible.

Trotters Cafe and Bakery makes it easier for themselves by advertising aplenty once you walk through the door.

And trust me, Trotter's loves how you walk. At Trotter's, every Saturday is Locals Night. Receive 10% off your meal simply because you live within two miles of the cafe. Another 5% off if you walk, bike, or bus it.

Trotters is located in St. Paul, just a short distance from the Lake Street bridge. Like other cafes and bakeries, Trotters rokks the handwritten signage all over the place - but they take it to an insane degree, and I like it (i.e. each cookie in the case has an ingredient list posted over it). Locavores can meander around the cafe learning about the foods they're about to consume, and there's no shortage of local foods at Trotters.

You can find the following at Trotter's most of the time, all served with a local flair:
breakfast (including organic oatmeal and free range eggs)
sammiches
soups
salads
baked goods
pizzas
pastas
burgers
nachos
quesadillas
home made granola

I recently enjoyed a locally sourced, free range poached chicken salad sammich and a wild rice salad for lunch. I also nibbled on a grilled ham sammich with pasta salad. Both were served on organic, whole grain bread. All of it tasted great, and while I was eating it, I felt fortified.

Worth noting:
-their breads are made with organic grains,
-their cheeses are local, including everything from chevre to cheddar
-their produce is local and seasonal,
-their ice cream is local from Pumphouse Creamery,
-they feature Minnesota Cannon River wines and New Belgium beers,
-they use pure maple syrup and local Minnesota honey as sweeteners in some dishes
-they feature Beeler's All Natural Pork out of Iowa
-they've got plenty of vegetarian offerings

I cannot express the awesomeness of the baked goods at Trotter's.
Right now they have Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Pie on the menu, and I'm about to freak out if I don't have a piece in the next 3 hours. Hate refined sugar? No problem. Trotters has you covered in their bakery; their Okee Dokee cookie contains no refined sugars, and their muffins are are sweetened with pure maple syrup and local Minnesota honey.

And yes, for all of you cupcake freaks out there, they have cupcakes - drizzled and frosted, and delightful.

Be delighted!

Trotter's Cafe and Bakery
232 Cleveland N. Ave.
St. Paul MN 55105
651-645-8950

[where: Local Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Reetsy Reviews: Tanpopo Noodle Shop

On a cool afternoon in June, gerg and I decided a big bowl of noodle soup would hit the spot. Tanpopo Noodle Shop had been on my radar, and with that, we headed there for lunch.

Tanpopo offers home-style Japanese cooking, and according to their website, "We use organic ingredients as much as possible, and, in keeping with Japanese food traditions, we feature seasonal dishes using locally grown produce from the St. Paul Farmer's Market."

Local, organic foods meet Japanese techniques? Heck yes!


Walking in, I was charmed by the spaciousness of the dining area. Small tables fit gracefully in the large room. I was also charmed by gerg, who looked dapper seated behind a gigantic peony arrangement.

That is not to say big parties aren't welcome at Tanpopo. They have a gorgeous table that seats up to 10:


This table looks like the perfect place to celebrate something or other. The flowers scattered throughout the restaurant were fresh cut peonies - so lovely this time of the year.

NOW. ONTO THE FOOD.

It was our lucky day! The daily specials included spicy shrimp sushi rolls and pork and nappa dumplings!


I love me some dumplings! These dumplings were beautifully made with well seasoned pork, and a bit of cabbage (they were far more pretty than this photo depicts). They were hand pressed, tender, and flavorful. They were served in a sauce chock full of lime juice and green onion, and they came plated with rice, miso soup, a salad, and a small dish of Tsukemono. It was a lot of food, especially for lunch, but it was tasty.

The Nabeyaki Udon Noodles were served in a served in ceramic ‘nabe’ bowl. A small dish of spices accompanies the soup, which you can add to taste.


The noodles float in traditional Japanese soup stock with shrimp tempura, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, fish cake (meh), Japanese omelet, green onion, and wakame. The chicken and the omelet were both quite tasty. I didn't have the opportunity to ask where they sourced their chicken and eggs, but the flavors of both were top notch. That's some darn fine poultry!

To the mushroom lovers out there, Tanpopo offers a Wild Mushroom Noodle soup with shiitake and enoki mushrooms, wakame and slices of Japanese omelet. You can even have the soup made with mushroom broth to maximize the mycological meal (I can tell you're excited).

To the vegetarians out there, Tanpopo offers vegetarian mushroom broth in place of the traditional Japanese broth. In fact, they also offer an entire vegetarian menu that is updated on a monthly basis (which means, YES, vegetarians can eat again and again at Tanpopo).

Gerg enjoyed green tea and I sipped a sweet Reed's ginger brew during our meal, but they do have Sapporo, Asahi Super Dry, Kirin, for those who enjoy thinning their blood a bit.

It was a lovely lunch on a not-so-lovely day.
Help yourself to a lovely meal.

Tanpopo Noodle Shop
308 Prince Street #140
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-209-6527


[where: Local Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]