Mimi’s Bistro

Although there are plenty of great breakfast places throughout metro Detroit, you can never go wrong with Mimi’s Bistro. The spacious cafe, located on Jefferson Avenue in Grosse Pointe Park, has multiple tasty breakfast and lunch dishes that will make your mouth water. Although located on a busy street, the inside of the restaurant is quiet.

While there, I always go for my personal favorite: the french toast. Time after time, Mimi’s never fails me as they deliver a hot, sweet and perfectly browned plate of five pieces of french toast topped with powdered sugar and fresh fruit.

Mimi’s German fried potatoes are a great side to order with any dish. They are golden brown, crispy and seasoned. Although I usually sprinkle salt on potatoes, these already had a perfect flavor from the seasoning of parsley and sauteed onions.

If you’re more of a brunch type of person, Mimi’s also has great dishes such as the Egg Sandwich. This sandwich is a great combination of scrambled eggs, a veggie patty, pesto, lettuce, and tomato. Although some breakfast foods can be unhealthy, such as pancakes, waffles or bacon, this is a fantastic and tasty option if you’re looking for a healthier breakfast.

The service is fast and all of the workers are kind and attentive. In addition, everything is reasonably priced between $1.50 and $14, but without a decrease in the quality of the food.

Another great aspect of Mimi’s Bistro is they are able to make dietary substitutions with gluten-free bread and vegan-baked goods.

In addition, Mimi’s Bistro has local art featured on the walls throughout the cafe. According to Mimi’s Bistro Facebook page, they have monthly art shows featuring the art in the cafe.

If you’re looking for a fresh, local and unique breakfast place to eat, Mimi’s Bistro will surely not let you down.  

Parks and Rec Diner

   Parks and Rec Diner is a tiny sit-down breakfast and brunch restaurant, which is located in the Grand Army of the Republic Building on Grand River in Midtown Detroit, where the Detroit parks and recreation department operated for 40 years.  I arrived there around 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning, with a party of two, and only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table.  I loved that coffee was available while we waited, and the staff was on the ball with seating everyone quickly.  The tiny space was packed with people, but the space is designed to accommodate a group of any size.  Their service was excellent, especially considering the number of people.  We split an order of “I Yam What I Yam” with two fried eggs on top.  The dish, like most of the menu items, was available vegan, gluten free and nut free.  The blend of flavors was spot-on, even for such an unusual combination of food.  It’s clear that the options available are carefully planned and made to taste great, no matter what you order.  This dish was one of the larger servings available and was easily split between two people, I’d say up to four could share a small serving and explore other delicious options. While their prices may be on the high side, I believe it’s worth it to support locally sourced organic produce that does good and tastes great.

Rose’s Fine Foods

Rose’s Fine Foods, located on East Jefferson, has the best atmosphere to eat a nice, homey breakfast. As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was in an extremely eclectic diner. The waitresses welcomed us with a smile and immediately asked if we wanted any coffee. We ordered our food, and while the wait was a bit long, being able to look around the cute restaurant definitely made it better. The rustic vibe was something really unique to this place, as well as all the natural lighting that came from the many windows.

I ordered the Silverman’s Special, which basically consisted of a classic diner breakfast. It came with eggs made-to-order, potatoes, toast and a side of pancakes. The food was okay; the pancakes were definitely my favorite part. They were unlike any pancake I would’ve expected from a breakfast place. They were thick and battery, but in the best way possible, as they were just the right consistency. The rest of my meal wasn’t amazing, but it definitely wasn’t awful either. The toast came with a Beaubien jam inside of a small glass bowl, which was much different than the usual processed jam in a plastic package you find at most diners. The potatoes were good, and my scrambled eggs were better than I had expected. I usually don’t like very fluffy scrambled eggs, but these were cooked just right.

The prices were reasonable: I paid about $17 for my food and coffee. The service was great; all of the employees seemed to be happy to be there and served everything with a smile.

I wouldn’t go to Rose’s looking just because I was craving their food, nor would I recommend it to people looking for the most amazing food they’ve ever had in their life. But if you love a cool atmosphere to eat in and are looking for a special experience you can’t find anywhere else, Rose’s is definitely for you.

Dime Store

Dime Store is a breakfast and lunch spot located in Downtown Detroit, well known for their hashes, eggs benedict and sweet breakfast items. I went for brunch on a Saturday afternoon, and we were told there would be a 45 minute to hour-long wait. There is a lobby area to hang out and wait for your table to be called, although all the seats in the lobby were taken, so for part of the time we were waiting, we had to stand or sit on the ground. It took a little over an hour for my party to be served. The restaurant itself is very cozy and has a lively atmosphere. Unique lighting, neon signs, and murals added to the overall aesthetic of the restaurant. The wait staff was very friendly and the service was fairly quick, considering how busy the restaurant was. For my brunch, I got the “Tis the Season” french toast, which is only available for a limited time. I would definitely recommend this: the french toast was very sweet and filling, and overall amazing. It had apple butter, cinnamon, and syrup, which tasted great together. The french toast was perfect for the holiday season. Overall, my experience at Dime Store was great. The wait was long, however, the food, service, and atmosphere were enjoyable, so it was worth the wait. If you’re looking for a trendy place with great atmosphere and food, be sure to check out Dime Store.