Friday Night Dinner Date: Monon Food Company

6420 Cornell

Indianapolis, IN 46220

317.722.0176

I'm going to be completely honest with you. We did not go on a date this weekend and I apologize for the late post. It was New Year's Eve and we spent the evening with The Boy's mom and step dad - we ordered pizza and wings and had some beers. Instead of telling you about a dinner date, I'm going to tell you about a breakfast date.

As of December 4th, the Monon Food Company, located in Broad Ripple right next to the Monon Trail, started serving brunch. Pancakes and sausage are two of my favorite food groups, so we had to go check it out.

We had a beautiful Saturday morning with no particular plans for the day. Neither of us felt much like sleeping in and this time of year, I go a bit nutty when I'm cooped up in the house a lot, so we decided we would go find a new breakfast place, check out the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (they talked me into an annual membership - I'm such a sucker), and then finish out the day with a friend at Bourbon Street Distillery for a few drinks. I'll fill you in on the Distillery at a later date.

We headed up to Broad Ripple because breakfast restaurants on my side of town are mostly limited to chain restaurants. There are a few gems here and there, but I wanted something out of the ordinary and Broad Ripple always delivers. Worst case scenario, we'd grab something quick and spend some time walking on the Monon Trail.

From Broad Ripple Avenue we turned north on Cornell (that's where all the free parking is, but don't tell anyone I told you). The Boy parked the car and we turned around - there it was. A giant sign on the porch of the Monon Food Company read "Now Serving Brunch!" Oh yeah, we found it.

We were greeted by the hostess and seated at a small table by the window. Other than the staff, we were the only people there, but they had just introduced their new brunch menu. The interior was clean, bright, and modern and the service was fast. Our friendly server was over promptly with coffee for me and orange juice for The Boy.

We took a few minutes to look over the menu and it was anything but typical. They don't have buttermilk pancakes on the menu. Instead, they serve delicious buckwheat banana pancakes with pecans which I ordered with sausage patties. Both were wonderful although I didn't actually read the menu description, so the first pecan I bit into was a bit of a surprise. The Boy ordered a sausage and cheese omelet and potatoes. I didn't try his omelet because I can't get myself to like eggs and I avoid milk when I'm going to be out in public, but his potatoes were unbelievable and very well seasoned. The Boy did comment that it was the best omelet he'd ever had.

Our total was just over $20 before tip which may be a little steep, but the quality of the food was great and there were several good choices. The ingredients are definitely fresh and the food was hot, although we were the only table. so anything less would be completely unacceptable.

The Verdict: This was a great selection for brunch and they serve lunch and dinner as well. While the price seemed a little on the high side, portion sizes were good and the food was delicious. I don't know that I'd specifically make the trip to Broad Ripple just for brunch, but if I'm headed in that direction, I would eat there again.

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