Colette Bar & Bistro

By far, the best Eggs Benedict I have ever had...again and again.  Also love the yummy desserts and superb French bread, baguettes, croissants, etc.

Introduced to us by our native Minneapolitan friend, Colette Bar & Bistro made a wonderful immediate impression for us of the Twin Cities' foodie scene.  CB&B is comfortably elegant, bright, and tasty little French bistro featuring classic dishes and charming pastries.  Located in the Sofitel Hotel (directly adjacent to the Double Tree by Hilton where we stayed), my dining companion and I enjoyed lunch, breakfast, dinner, and brunch at CB&B in the 3 days we were there.

While the dinner felt pricey for what we ate, we thoroughly enjoyed Colette's comforting breakfast/brunch and fun lunch.  Here's a rundown of what we ordered:

BREAKFAST & BRUNCH
- Egg White Omelet with Spinach, Sun Dried Tomato, Brie (instead of Goat Cheese) plus Chocolate Croissant, Berries, and Grapefruit Juice: A refreshing start to the day with the omelet and berries; their pastries are wonderfully flaky and flavorful with a delicate touch.  We enjoyed this the most and ordered it on the second morning visit.
- Duck Confit Hash with Poached Eggs with Croissant and Coffee: A heartier contrast to the above with nice savory flavors.
- Caramelized Banana Waffles with Berries plus Green Tea: A very pleasant sweet selection to start the day.

LUNCH
- "30 Minute Taste of Paris": French Onion Soup; Tomato-Mozzarella Napoleon; Seared Salmon with Fried Jasmine Rice, Asparagus, and Black Pepper Sauce; Layered Raspberry Sponge Cake: An outstanding deal ($18.75 for this lunch box) with an exciting (nice accent from the veggies in the fried rice) and satisfying portions!
- Grilled Chicken-Brie Panini with Pesto Mayonnaise and Mesclun Salad was wonderfully crisp with a light chew through the pressed bread, plus nice chicken, delicately sharp brie, and a flavor kick from the mayo balanced with the salad made for another delicious and hearty selection.

DINNER (2 x "Taste of Paris")
- Chardonnay flight ($15): Somewhat characterless and not very distinguishable in flavor/aroma/etc.
- Smoked Salmon with Lemon-Dill Creme Fraiche; House Salad; Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Puree, Gremolata, and Lemon Yogurt; Fruit Tart: The salmon and scallops were decently executed, while the tart was good (we bought some from the Patisserie earlier).
- Blue & Brie Cheese; Goat Cheese Fritter with Mesclun; Beef Bourguignon; Chocolate Mousse: Also rather plainly prepared, though the beef was a bit dry.

For dinner, the four-partitioned serving tray for $26 felt pricey (not very different from lunch in experience, plus it felt a bit rushed since it came all out at once and got cold faster).  The dishes that were served for dinner felt a bit out of the kitchen's comfort zone--more brasserie (more luxurious, thus requiring different approach) than the more casual bistro.

However, for a quick (hearty) bite for lunch, the slightly less fancy version of the dinner "Taste of Paris" felt like a great value because the fare seemed more up to the kitchen's bistro cooking.  Befitting a comfortable bistro/patisserie, the lunch and breakfast/brunch fare hits their culinary sweet spot--great quality comfort food that is unpretentious yet sophisticated and pleasing to foodies.

I definitely recommend for elegant, yet inexpensive-to-moderate costing breakfast, brunch, or lunch.  The service is pleasant, accommodating, and friendly while the ambiance is that of an elegant cafe.  Plus, CB&B makes nice pastries so take a peek in their patisserie adjacent to the restaurant after your meal.

What has happened to the classic egg benedict that we have loved over the years? Went there this morning for my husband's birthday brunch and we were very disappointed. The eggs were over done, the English muffins were dry and hard and there was hardly any hollandaise sauce! We will think twice before returning.