When you think about Greenfield’s Café on 87th and Hwy 2, you probably think about breakfast. After all, it is in an old IHOP building and they do have a mouth-watering breakfast menu, much of which is served all day. However, what managing partners Jay Donaldson and John Coffey want you to know is that Greenfield’s is certainly not just breakfast. “We’ve created some great menu options and we would put it up against any high-end restaurant in town,” John explains. After tasting many of the choices when we visited on a Monday afternoon, we would agree.
While talking with John and perusing the menu, we were brought some delicious sweet potato fries with three sauces (avocado ranch, garlic onion and roasted pepper aoli), all of which are made from scratch. “We try to make as much from scratch as possible,” John states. “From our soups to our breakfast items to our signature dishes, we want our menu options to be unique to Greenfield’s and as healthy as possible.” This new way of doing things was a daunting task for Jay and John when they joined the restaurant. The owner, Kevin Knudson, wanted to differentiate himself from not only IHOP, but also DaVinci’s (which the Knudson family owns). John and Jay have many years of experience in high-end restaurants and really wanted Greenfield’s to be among the top tier of eateries in the city. After trying out a variety of items on their menu, we have to say that we think they’ve succeeded.
While still munching on the sweet potato fries, we were brought a Maple Pepper Bacon Crepe, Sweet Potato Hash with Chorizo Sausage and some pumpkin pancakes from their breakfast menu. Unique as they were delicious, these options would be good not only for a filling breakfast, but for any meal of the day. We tried not to eat too much of them, though, because more food was on the way! Namely the Napa Valley Greens (fresh greens and spinach topped with red onion, cucumber, mandarin oranges, fresh strawberries, candied walnuts, raisins and grilled chicken served with Strawberry Vinaigrette), The Ultimate Grilled Cheese (a blend of Swiss, jack, cheddar and feta cheeses with pesto, bacon and fresh spinach leaves), BBQ Pork Wrap, Salmone Afumicato (smoked salmon sautéed with creamy Alfredo sauce, roasted tomato pesto and capers on a bed of linguini), and Red White & Bleu Burger (topped with peppercorns, cheddar cheese, bacon, onion strings and bleu cheese dressing).
If this sounds like a LOT of very yummy food, then I’m describing it accurately! The portions are as large as they are mouth-watering. My favorite was the Grilled Cheese—the feta and pesto were what made it extra special and I will definitely be ordering it again. The burger was also a table favorite, and John explained that it was quickly becoming one of their most popular items along with the Peanut Butter Burger, an option they wanted to have on the menu as a nod to the old P.O. Pears that featured this menu choice. The Salmon truly embodied everything Greenfield’s is trying to do as it rivals any pasta dish in town I’ve ever tried. Amazing!
If it sounds like we should have been good and full by now, you’re right. However, the dessert was next and we definitely weren’t saying no to that! We’re glad we did save a little room because Greenfields’ desserts are to die for! We sampled the Fruity Tooty Crepe (homemade raspberry cream cheese mixed with fresh strawberries and blueberries and topped with walnuts) and the Chunky Monkey (a crepe stuffed with peanut butter cream cheese, bananas and Ghirardelli chocolate sauce topped with their own candied walnuts!). If there’s any way you can show restraint with the rest of your meal and save some room for dessert, it’s definitely worth it!
Don’t be fooled by the exterior of Greenfield’s building…this restaurant is truly a gourmet experience! This will become even more apparent as changes continue to be made (we got a sneak peak and can tell you to envision wine and cheese samplings along with more upscale delicious menu options). You should also keep Greenfield’s in mind this coming spring and summer as they plan to continue to utilize the wonderful outdoor patio area for additional seating and local entertainment. Whether you’re looking for a hearty breakfast to start the day, a unique and delicious lunch with friends or a date night with your sweetheart including great food and some local Empyrean ales or the wines the management has hand-picked to offer to their guests, Greenfield’s will not disappoint.
Stop in today!
87th & Hwy 2
www.greenfieldscafe.com • 402.420.3232