After coming back to Michigan to watch the Wolverines beat Notre Dame in a football thriller, we were able to see my grandma at Sunday brunch before driving back to Chicago. We decided to try out Cafe Muse in Royal Oak. I'm usually not big on going out for breakfast, since I'm fairly lazy on the weekends and have no problem making most of what you can get eating out myself without leaving home. That being said, I was quite interested in Cafe Muse after perusing the menu in advance.
We decided to order both of the soups on the menu to start as appetizers, since none of us were having a sweet dish for breakfast. The tomato curry soup with coconut milk was a nice start, having a milder curry flavor that didn't dominate the soup. We also ordered the wild mushroom soup. Tasting purely of mushroom, this was the favorite of the two soups. A drizzle of truffle oil further heightened the earthiness of the soup. Unfortunately, we devoured it so quick that we forgot to take a picture. Oops.
My grandma ordered the smoked salmon scramble with gruyere and chives, with a side of sweet potato mash. I was expecting a cold smoked salmon with the eggs, and I was pleasantly surprised. The fish was well smoked, staying juicy on the inside while having a delicious crisp around the edges. I didn't taste the gruyere, but I only had one bite of the eggs. The sweet potato mash didn't necessarily pair well with the salmon, but was tasty on its own.
My grandma also ordered a side of seafood cheddar grits, which we all split. They were a bit disappointing, as they were more overcooked than creamy, and there wasn't much seafood.
My dad ordered the Ammoglio sauce scramble with fresh mozzarella. Ammoglio sauce is made from tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. The eggs were simply scrambled, but the Ammoglio sauce made quite a difference. It actually reminded me a bit of the Clancy's Fancy hot sauce (without the heat).
I ordered the chipotle chicken and eggs special, with fingerling potatoes. The eggs were soft and fluffy, and the chicken was good, but it was a bit one-note. I enjoyed these much more with a drizzle of the aforementioned Ammoglio sauce. The potatoes were buttery and cooked with soft, sweet, whole garlic cloves.
Kristen ordered the Grilled 3 Cheese sandwich, which was apparently featured as a 5 star dish on Oprah. I really enjoyed this. The Fontina, Mozzarella, and Havarti melded together beautifully to create a creamy, stringy filling. Tomato and basil kept the familiar and successful theme, while a honey added a touch of sweetness.
The Panzanella salad that came on the side was a closer to a bowl of croutons than a Panzanella salad. Both of the salads served to us had very little cucumber, tomato, etc. present. The waitress even noted that it had far too much bread, and offered a new salad when she saw that we hadn't eaten much of it.
My mom ordered the short rib Grilled Three Cheese sandwich. Similar to the previous grilled cheese, this version added braised short ribs. As good as Kristen's grilled cheese was, this was even better, with the tender, beefy short ribs stealing the show. For me, this was my favorite dish and a must order next time.
I really enjoyed Cafe Muse. I thought the food was well prepared, and there are a number of very good looking choices of both sweets and savories for brunch. Throw in a regularly rotating list of specials, and I would be happy to go back and try more the next time I am in the area.
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