By Julia Eagles, Renee Lepreau

Having decided that breakfast was our favorite meal to eat out, we knew we had to review Trotter’s. Who could deny the glory of the classic Potato Mountain, or their tasty Maple Cornmeal Pancakes with syrup straight from Wisconsin?

We biked the short distance down to Marshall and Cleveland on a late Saturday morning. Trotter’s is a quaint, unassuming caf’¨ that gathers popularity from its neighborhood clientele and light, delicious food. Warmed by its natural lighting, Trotter’s delivers excellent food that charms the palate and satisfies with healthy, locally produced and organically grown fare. For example, their grains are organic, the honey from Minnesota, the eggs local and free-range, everything fresh and free from preservatives, all served up by a friendly staff that includes one of our own Macalester students.

We took full advantage of the brunch menu, ordering the veggie pie in a potato crust and a breakfast tortilla, topped off with fresh-squeezed orange juice and Peace Coffee. We found their commitment to quality ingredients perfectly complimented by the tasty, inventive preparation. Trotter’s also offers a full lunch menu with a host of sandwiches (although we both harbor an aversion to tempeh, they do offer a veggie version of the classic Reuben for those with such a craving) and rotating salads and pastas.

The sandwiches are all served on an array of home-baked bread. Trotter’s bread is excellent; and it should be, for the caf’¨ began as a humble bakery the size of one small room. Trotter’s is a good example of what expansion and growth should be: a tiny bakery swelling into a small neighborhood caf’¨. And like any good bakery, Trotter’s has an ample day-old basket for the thrifty. You can always pick up a bag of hearty breadsticks sprinkled with dill, pepper, or asiago cheese.

Don’t let yourself walk out the door without something sweet – the homemade Chaos Cupcakes, pumpkin bars, and various muffins are faves and staples at Trotter’s. Julia savored her slice of raspberry flavored cream cheese coffee cake, which is layered with a thin spread of cream cheese of just the right thickness, and Renee snagged a delectable apple cinnamon scone.

Fittingly, Trotter’s is a member of the recently formed Metro Independent Business Alliance, an organization dedicated to reinvigorating local and community-based economies by supporting small businesses. This means that not only can you feel good about sustaining the neighborhood when you go to Trotter’s, you can also get an ice cream sandwich made from a combination of Izzy’s classic ice cream (located on the same block) and Trotter’s home-baked cookies! And really, what could be better?