Northfield Breakfast, Ranked
Northfield's got a lot of eats for such a small town, and Lynn knows which ones are worth it!
Northfield's got a lot of eats for such a small town, and Lynn knows which ones are worth it!
Folks, I’m thinking about breakfast this week. I’ve had multiple conversations centering around the theme of coffee/OJ/waffles (breakfast) and it’s got me thinking about morning eats in Northfield. I’ve decided, as the resident Carleton expert on breakfast, to rank all of the spots you can find it in our small town—from 5 to 1.
5. Goodbye Blue Monday
I’d say this is the most well-known coffee spot in Northfield, and it definitely has a downtown/smalltown vibe. The lights are dim, the soundtrack to Juno is playing, and the chairs are mismatched colors. Blue Monday isn’t my favorite in terms of food, but they’ve got bagels, muffins, and oatmeal to top off their coffee drinks. If you can get a seat, it’s a great study spot for a few hours.
4. The Tavern
The earliest breakfast you can find in Northfield—I think it opens at 6:00 AM, if not earlier—and definitely the most variety. The breakfast menu’s got it all: eggs, hash browns, pancakes! And, if you order coffee, they will keep refilling it for the entire time you’re there. The Tavern‘s a nice place to sit down and have breakfast if you don’t want to simultaneously have your laptop out! I recommend the french toast. Everyone else recommends the Tavern Special.
3. The Hideaway
True to its name, The Hideaway is a little tucked away in downtown Nofo, but a definite must-stop and great destination for all-day studying. The only slight downfall is that there are only windows in the front of the store, so if you’re looking for natural light, you might want to go somewhere else, UNLESS you get lucky with one of the two window-seat tables, placed directly next to the windows. The Hideaway gives one free refill on coffee, plus they have scones and muffins, and sandwiches and soups, if you stick around for lunch. They’re open in the evenings, too, for a light dinner.
2. Tandem Bagels
There’s definitely a lot of controversy when it comes to Tandem Bagels; but I’m here to clear it up. Yes, their bagels are smaller than you might expect. Yes, they are sometimes a little hard. But guess what else they are? Delicious, and also pretty cheap! Plus, Tandy offers a ton of other goodies like scones, cinnamon rolls, granola, and oatmeal—and their coffee is pretty good, too.
1. Brick Oven Bakery
Definitely Northfield’s best-kept secret, Brick Oven is across the river from Carleton’s campus, but not Too far away at all. They’re open from morning to afternoon and serve a huge array of breakfast and lunch foods (scones, quiche, sandwiches, soup!)—my favorite is the oatmeal. Steel cut, topped with pecans (unless you’re allergic like Sam), dried cherries, creme fresh, and honey. WOW. Plus, they give you unlimited refills on coffee—one of the few places in town to do so!
Lynn is a senior CAMS major and WGST minor from the desert. She’s super into podcasts, comedy, queerness, and food. You can catch her doing improv with Cujokra or stand up with the Queens of Comedy — or perhaps reading something by Roxane Gay, baking at Dacie Moses, looking at her résumé to remember what else she does, or in the Weitz trying to find her hard drive. Meet the other bloggers!