Brunch, And Other Pleasures

Well, fellow Daily Adventurers, I must admit, I've fallen off the wagon a bit in seeking out my daily adventures. I've found it hard to adventure to new places after a long day, especially once I am already home. The best adventures, I've found, come from choosing a new place to do old-standy-by things. This brings me to brunch.

Brunch is a long-standing ritual for my circle of friends. No matter how busy we get or how busy we got on Saturday night, we find our way to brunch, usually around 10:30, at one of the fine local establishments.

The perfect brunch requires several factors. Good food, good coffee, bloody marys, inexpensive prices, solid service, and a friendly, convivial atmosphere. And of the many brunch spots in Des Moines, it seems we rarely find one that succeeds in all of these areas. A.K.'s has good food and cheap drinks, but the service is so slow it has reduced grown-women to tears. Christopher's has great food and solid service, but it's a little stiff in the morning and because it is a buffet, it's hard not over-eat to make it worth the $10.95 price tag.

And, so, my friends, in Sunday morning texts, debate the merits of our stand-bys and compare them to our brunch needs. But, this Sunday, as part of this quest, I sought out something new. Which brings me to Baby Boomers Cafe in the East Village.

Baby Boomers has been around forever, in a little pink building, and forever I've never gone. I don't know what I was imagining the place would be like, perhaps like our gone but not forgotten Stella's in the skywalk, but with more suits and less milk shakes. Boomer's is also famous for their Obama cookies, a big, chunkie hunk of dough and chocolate chips, that won the hearts of the Obama-staffers that were stationed next door to Boomers during the primaries last year.

Then Boomers moved to a slick steel and concrete spot at 303 E. 5th Avenue. The counter is at the center of the room with a chalkboard and wood sculpture rising up--it's covered in inspiration messages about coffee and such. The tables are understated and simple, and off to one side is a small convenience store for the East Villagers.

Even on the morning of the World Food Festival, Boomers was busy but not crowded. The staff was friendly and helpful. The prices were fair. The food didn't come out in a hurry, but, eh. It's brunch. I want to linger. Coffee was plentiful, though the juice tasted slightly of Tang. I ordered the eggs benedict, which is the standard by which I just all brunch spots. These were delicious with a smokey-flavor. The only down-side, the eggs were so deep in hollandaise sauce I needed scuba gear to find them. Also, I was hankering for an adult breakfast-beverage, and none were to be found, though Boomer's does serve beer and wine for lunch and dinner.

Overall, I am glad I ventured to the East Village. Now, when my friends are texting ideas for our Sunday morning meeting, we have a new choice to consider. And, where Boomer's lacks, well, we could always wander down to the Locust Avenue Tap.