993 S. Cooper
922-5314
On Sunday, Warren, Satchel (age 9) and I went to breakfast at Stone Soup Cafe, the new breakfast/lunch place in Cooper-Young. (Jiro, age 7, was on a school camping trip.)
By the time we got there it was almost noon, but no matter, they serve breakfast until 3pm!
The place was fairly bustling when we arrived and I wondered if we'd made a mistake going somewhere new & exciting for breakfast on a Sunday. We waited on a giant square cushion in the foyer, which was both awesome and awkward. We could see all the happy people eating, but we really couldn't get in a good position to talk to each other. We grabbed some menus and started reviewing our breakfast options. About 5-10 minutes later we were asked if we wanted to sit outside. We declined, and in a few more minutes were shown to a table.
The sun was blaring in, and the shutters could not stop it, but I was prepared.
I actually asked Satchel to switch seats with me since it wouldn't be so much in his face, him being several inches shorter than me. He did not want to switch and soon it became a THING.
Suddenly we were dining with Mr. Crankypants. He had spent the night out, so I started quizzing him about what he'd eaten that day--donuts, followed by Mountain Dew and candy that he bought at the corner store. Can you say sugar crash? All of this was coinciding with the fact that our waitress was completely ignoring us. Sure, she had a full house, but she walked right past us several times without making eye contact, saying hello, or even acknowledging our existence.
The hostess, who I also believe is one of the owners, noticed that we were orphaned and came over to take our drink orders. Then a few minutes later, she came over to tell us that the kitchen was backed up by 20-30 minutes. Considering Satchel's condition I asked Warren if he wanted to leave. He said no. So, we hunkered down and hoped that at some point our waitress would actually come take our order.
Thankfully she did. By that time Satchel no longer wanted breakfast, he wanted gumbo. And bacon. I was too hungry to decide and made a last second decision to get the gut bomb--a grit bowl with cheese and sausage. I was seriously considering a yogurt parfait, but that seemed lame on a Sunday. Warren ordered a spinach omelet.
While we waited, Satchel kept putting his head on the table, trying to rest. We wouldn't let him, so he tried leaning down in his chair and resting his head on the back. Again we told him to sit up. This was just making him crankier. At one point he hid under the table.
We tried ignoring him. We tried cheering him up. We tried everything. It was clear that he needed food. Our waitress was still MIA so I got the hostesses' attention and asked if Satchel could have his gumbo, since I was assuming it was already cooked. She could see that he was in a state and quickly rushed into the kitchen.
By the time she came out with the gumbo and homemade bread, Satchel was in tears. It was pretty awful. He pulled it together and our food came out just a few minutes later.
The gumbo was very tasty.
The gut bomb was not, but it wasn't anything a little hot sauce couldn't fix. (The sausage had good flavor but the grits were very bland.)
Warren gave the spinach and feta omelet with homemade bread the thumbs up.
It was amazing how quickly the mood at our table improved once we all got some food in us. By the end of the meal everyone was smiling. Then the hostess told us we could have a free dessert! We let Satchel pick and he went with the lemon ice box pie.
It was gone in about two seconds flat.
By the time the check came, I was feeling sympathetic toward rather than annoyed by our waitress. (I was seriously wondering what I had done to make her hate me for a while there.) The restaurant is new, and obviously has a few kinks to work out (i.e. hiring a busser or two). Ultimately, I think it's going to end up being a solid, go to kind of restaurant. The atmosphere is very friendly, the location is great, and the prices are very reasonable.
We never made it to the restrooms so I can't vouch for a changing table, but the giant cushion in the foyer would do in a pinch, provided you have a cushion protector. There were several kids there when we went, and there's great outdoor seating options when the weather is nice.
3 comments:
That's why I let people like you check out the new & exciting places & then I go once the excitement has died down a bit. The food definitely looks good!
We had breakfast around 9:30 on Sunday. We did ok getting our food, but coffee and water refills were few and far between. At one point, my husband flagged down a waitress for more coffee. I didn't notice until I picked up my cup a few minutes later that he was the only one who got coffee!
I expected a few kinks, but in the meantime, we will make sure to bring snacks for our 2 year old.
P.S. My husband spotted an old clawfoot tub converted into a changing table in one of the bathrooms.
I've been twice. The atmosphere is so charming and the food is good. The service leaves alot to be desired, but I hope that will change as the restaurant hits its stride.
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