Saturday, June 13, 2009

Tria's Patio: A Perfect Sunday Brunch


Once again, Tria lives up to its reputation of being predictably unpredictable. If you have ever dined at the Tria Restaurant in North Oaks, you will know what I mean. If you haven’t had this opportunity, let me enlighten you.
This is all from my personal dining experiences at Tria over the past few years. Since it is a relatively new restaurant which opened in 2006 (I believe), they have had some time to work out any glitches in the menu and service. Usually one of two things happens when I dine at Tria: the service is horrible and the food mediocre or vice versa with passable service and a meal that leaves you wishing you had ordered something else on the menu. 
However, I was blown away this morning by both today’s brunch and the service!
We did not have a reservation for our party of 7, and were questioned about if we had called ahead (which I did but no one answered the phone). The hostess looked worried as she scanned the nearly empty dining room so I offered that we would love to sit outside. Relief as there were even more empty tables out on the patio. (Perhaps they were anticipating a huge brunch rush that never materialized.) Being true Minnesotans and Wisconsinites, my family reveled in the opportunity to dine outside in the brilliant sunshine of a balmy Sunday morning. 
The waiter greeted us immediately (a change from my previous Tria experiences) and didn’t leave us waiting in the hot sun for our cool drinks. He promptly took our order and even checked back to let me know that they had found some chocolate for my son’s off-the-menu request for chocolate chip pancakes. A plate full of fresh-from-the-oven funnel cakes appeared (covered in powdered sugar) as a courtesy from the kitchen. Nice touch!
Usually Tria requires quite a long wait for food but not today. Everyone’s brunch food arrived without a long wait and was met with pure satisfaction. My Florentine omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and Boursin cheese was outstanding as were the East Coast Eggs Benedict served over crab cakes topped with a sauce that had a bit of  kick to it. Best of all, the chocolate chip pancakes passed the test and were polished off. 
I’m impressed. If this is the new Tria, sign me up. The food was very reasonably priced and delicious served with perfect timing by our attentive waiter. Although the patio could stand a bit of a spring cleaning around the edges, I’d say it was a lovely outdoor brunch, and I’ll be back again this summer.
Brunch at Tria includes your choice of juice or a mimosa, and prices range from $10-15. The patio is open during the summer months. I also would recommend the bar for a late supper or a drink after the movies as it’s pub-like atmosphere is especially warm and cozy during the winter months. 
If you would like to try the Tria Restaurant, it is located at 5959 Centerville Road in North Oaks, Minnesota. For reservations, you can call 651.426.9222. I have better luck reserving a table at Tria through OpenTable.com or at triarestaurant.com.

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