7 Minute Miles

Lunch at Tiny Diner


On Friday, Colleen and I visited a “small place with big ideas” for lunch – Tiny Diner in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis (East 38th Street and 11th Avenue South). I’ve liked just about everything that Kim Bartmann has done in town (Barbette is still an all-time favorite), so we naturally wanted to try her new place just south of Colleen’s office. Tiny Diner is restaurant number seven in the growing empire (number eight, Third Bird, is also on my list and just got a rave review from Rick Nelson).

The building is very hip, with a tightly packed parking lot in front and a large patio that makes me long for warmer weather. Others have already talked about the solar panels, rainwater retention and the in-town farming plans, so I’ll just jump right to the rotating city showcase. Our server said they feature a different city every few months and they had just switched to Milwaukee. The starred menu items all had a touch of cheeseheadland to them, so of course I had to pick from those:

  • Pork Schnitzel with Barley Pancakes, sunny side up egg, pilsner-poached apricots, malt and maple, 12.75
  • Sprecher Root Beer Float, 5.25

Colleen ordered the griddle-fried turkey loaf with mustard, pickled red onion, kaiser roll (8.50) and the $2 side of greens, which she gave two big thumbs up to. She also ordered a cup of the beer cheese soup with jalapeño and cheddar (3.25), but first had to send it back to be reheated, then said it was too much beer/not enough cheese and a too strong jalapeño flavor.

I knew my choice was a little out of my comfort zone, but I really wanted the egg and schnitzel (which was great). I tried a few of the apricots and liked them, but found the barley pancakes with molasses to not really be my thing. I guess I’m just so used to buttermilk cakes, melted butter and maple syrup to venture too far from that for breakfast-type food. The root beer float was (of course) awesome.

Tiny Diner isn’t super tiny (56 seats), but it was basically full while we were there. The fries and burgers that I saw others eating looked incredible and would be my next choice on a return visit (the fries look very similar to Barbette). I’d probably also like the Breakfast of Champions (three eggs, short stack, hash browns, maple sausage and toast, 13.25), so it looks like we’ll be back soon – maybe when the next featured city appears…

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Originally published by DK on February 1, 2015 at 2:14 pm in Family, Food, Longform


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