There aren’t many things better on a weekend than sitting at Lucky’s, sharing breakfast (which must include the pecan-crusted bacon) with Jamie and Natalie while reading the paper. Oh wait – there is! A Saturday morning trip in the summer to the North Union Farmers Market at Shaker Square followed by breakfast at Vine & Bean Cafe, which is also owned by Heather Haviland and therefore features many of my favorite dishes found at Lucky’s in Tremont.
A few weeks ago this is exactly what we did since I was lucky enough to review the super cute Vine & Bean for Metromix. We started off at the market, where we picked up some Ohio Honey and a Tea Hills chicken (tried the Heidi Robb recipe – it was so good that I’m slowing becoming a chicken fan).
Next up was the super quick drive around the corner to Vine & Bean. We chose the funky patio featuring a hodgepodge of furniture (my favorite place to sit) versus the equally charming and quirky inside dining area.
You can read the full story here or keep reading for a portion of my review.
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It didn’t take too long for Lucky’s Café in Tremont to become the go-to place for weekend brunch. Now, chef Heather Haviland is at it again. This time, it’s East Siders who benefit from her delicious expertise with early hour temptations. And it’s not just breakfast. At Vine & Bean, Haviland is serving up comfort food throughout most of the day along with cocktails, coffee drinks and live music.
Food: Locavores rejoice. Chef Haviland has a strong reputation within Cleveland for supporting local farmers and producers. In fact, each dish that leaves the kitchen during season is approximately 95 percent locally sourced (60 percent during the winter).
The menu, which features gourmet comfort food, is sectioned into weekend brunch and daily offerings, plus specials.
The brunch menu features many of the popular items found at Lucky’s, like the shipwreck, breakfast burrito and pecan-crusted bacon. Each of these dishes alone is a must-try and will bring you back again and again.
On our visit, we tried the vanilla bean waffles with roasted peaches and caramel sauce and the egg pie with local bacon, ham, Swiss cheese and a side of fruit and banana bread.
Consider yourself warned; These sinfully good waffles are big—way big. Even on two empty stomachs, we couldn’t finish. And this dish is sweet, almost dessert like. Perhaps too sweet, but that’s no surprise given Haviland’s baking connections and history.
The egg pie is a much more manageable portion. Served piping hot, it’s a good start to the day with wonderful flavor and a flaky crust and just as tempting sides (the banana bread is some of the best in town).
As for the non-brunch items, you’ll find a number of sandwiches (all served on homemade bread), like the turkey with avocado, cheddar and local bacon served on rustic Italian bread as well as build-your-own hot panini sandwiches. There’s also a small variety of soups and salads and a cheese board.
Décor: Situated in an old Victorian century home on Larchmere Boulevard in Shaker Heights in what was once Café Limbo, Vine & Bean resembles a child’s doll house—a silver blue doll house with bright purple and green accents. Inside, it’s close quarters. You can sit in the quaint front dining room (that was once a family room), in the back kitchen, or on the outside patio, which features a hodgepodge of furniture. The place is tiny, incredibly charming and frankly, adorable.
