Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube
CRAVE Blog
The Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis, near the University of Minnesota’s West Bank, is a vibrant community of immigrants, college kids and young families. One gem, nearly hidden in an unassuming residential area, is Tracy Singleton’s Birchwood Cafe.
Offering an edited, delicious menu of brunch options, soups, salads and sandwiches, that focus on locally sourced and grown produce and grains, free-range eggs and fair-trade coffee, this cafe quickly won over all seven members of my group with its home-cooked taste. The bright, smallish cafeteria was nearly bursting with diners, mostly young adults and older couples without children. Luckily, we were able to cobble together enough tables and chairs for all of us. We all ordered separately at the counter, then waited with our numbered flags at our table.
I had the delicious combo meal of a half Wild Rice and Pecan Turkey Salad sandwich and cup of Coconut-Carrot-Ginger soup. It was wonderful. The crunchy, nutty texture and flavor of the wild rice paired perfectly with the pecans and turkey. The soup was a big hit, sweet and creamy with just a hint of spiciness from the ginger. I loved it, and so did all my friends who tried it.
My boyfriend, the only male member of our gathering, ordered the Lamb Gyro. He had asked specially for it to be made with real lamb strips, since it normally comes with lamb sausage or a meat substitute. They were able to accommodate this request. As usual, I had to steal a taste. The tabouleh was perfectly fresh and tangy, fresh vegetables, and the lamb was seasoned perfectly.
My sister got their Grass-fed Beef Stew, which was the featured entree that week. She loved it; tender meat and vegetables with a heap of mashed potatoes mounded in the center of the bowl. It came with a side of bread.
Other items ordered were the Beet and Cheese salad, the combo with Chipotle BBQ Tofu sandwich and the carrot-ginger soup, the Cheese personal-sized pizza: featuring a generous sprinkling of watercress and a banana pepper, and the combo of a deli salad and cup of the favorite Carrot-Ginger soup. A few of the brownies were also tried, which were declared quite sweet.
Birchwood Cafe also serves Sweet Cheeks Baby food and Izzy’s Ice Cream.
To go:
Birchwood Cafe
http://birchwoodcafe.com/
3311 East 25th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-722-4474
Stacie Clark is a true Crave gal! Stacie’s passion for teaching fitness is readily apparent in her fun and innovative training classes. Stacie believes that everyone has an inner athlete and can work harder, burn more calories and perform better in 2010! I have been taking her classes for over 10 years and can attest to the intensity, high energy and physical challenges Stacie brings to each class she trains. Never boring, always high energy with a quick wit, Stacie is an athlete herself and inspires people from all over the country to push towards tougher personal goals! Clients who have traveled to LA to check out the celebrity hot spots for “hard” workouts come back to Stacie and declare she is much tougher and they see better results from Tiger Athletics in good ol’ Minnesota! And, best of all, she does every move in class with the class — no slacking for Stacie. She teaches us what is good form, how taking it slow is better, why heart-rate is important, and best of all, that with our own drive we will push past our perceived limits and we can do it! Stacie is Tiger Athletics. Stacie and her husband Chris are a truly dynamic duo in cutting edge philosophy and create workouts geared towards improving performance and building confidence. 
Jillian Moriarty is a busy mom and wants other moms to feel her energy, excitement and happiness about getting healthy and staying healthy with your family! She is a true Crave gal for sure! She owns multiple fitness and health related businesses, and has developed her own DVD for Target stores nationwide for mom and baby fitness. Her businesses are not just about FITNESS — they are learning, literacy, speech, language therapeutic interventionists, nutrition, aromatherapy, massage, and based off of yoga and Pilates. Jillian Moriarty is a MSPT – Physical Therapist, Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified Yoga Instructor, Thai Yoga Body Practitioner, Nationwide Presenter and Instructor, President and Founder of 2 fitness businesses.
Chillingly cold winds swipe at our faces and tug at the scarves we have wrapped snugly around our necks. Searching for a warm place to chat and eat, my friends and I light upon the perfect option. Overflow Expresso Cafe! Their blazing fireplace, hot soups, coffee and tea are just what we need. Overflow has been a favorite hangout for my friends and I ever since Molly Barnhart opened it in June 2007.