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Canoe supplements its brunch entrées with gusto
• by Lisa Tebbe - Photo by Jonathan Swegle
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Canoe Regional American Fare is one of the most recent additions to the dining scene on South Main Street in St. Charles – and a welcome one, at that. Housed in a historic brick building that once served as a hotel, Canoe takes its name from the surveyors who stayed there during the Louisiana Purchase era, canoeing up and down the Missouri River.
Here, as the name implies, chef and owner Ben Anderson, a graduate of New York’s Culinary Institute of America, is practicing regional American fare. His Sunday brunch is becoming a favorite.
Brunch is $10.95 with the choice of one of four entrée items. Included with each meal is fresh orange juice (not “freshly squeezed,” as I discovered – it was Minute Maid) and coffee, tea or soda. A basket of baked goods, filled with tea breads, muffins and pastries, arrives after you place your order. The selection changes weekly. On one visit there were light cherry turnovers so flaky they melted in your mouth; on another it included tropical and pineapple upside-down tea breads and blueberry muffins. The sweets are perfectly complemented by dark and flavorful Chauvin coffee.
The eggs Benedict was a nice presentation with stacked thinly sliced ham and gently poached eggs atop English muffins. These were colorfully served, lightly sauced with hollandaise, sprinkled with paprika and scallions, and topped with a sliced black olive. The Belgian waffle was light and golden brown, served with sliced strawberries, thick maple syrup and crème fraîche – practically qualifying it as dessert.
Cinnamon-raisin French toast tasted delicious, but the inside was a bit gooey for me. A substantial three-egg omelet was perfectly prepared with a choice of at least nine fresh ingredients. I was quite happy with the flavor of the cheese, onion, peppers, spinach and tomato.
Each entrée is served with a choice of sausage (from Williams Bros. Meat Co. in Washington, Mo.) or applewood-smoked bacon (from Nueske’s of Wittenberg, Wis.); the latter on both visits was thick and perfectly cooked – simultaneously crisp and chewy. Hash browns also accompany each dish, but were inconsistent – either overcooked or undercooked.
From noon to 2 p.m. on Sundays, lunch items supplement the brunch fare. The turkey and brie panini with peach chutney ($8) was tasty. The bread was thick and the sweetness of the chutney paired well with the smokiness of the turkey and creaminess of the brie – although it could have been grilled a bit longer to allow the brie to melt more.
The salmon BLT ($9.95) was disappointing. It lacked flavor, but the soft brioche bun and side of German-style potato salad almost made up for it. The Jack Daniels-glazed chicken breast sandwich ($7.95) was much better, topped with Grafton Village Cheese Co.’s maple-smoked white Cheddar and caramelized onions. A fresh side salad (all dressings are house-made) with Key lime-honey vinaigrette had a nice citrus zing.
Guests have their choice of two dining rooms – the front area offers a view of the activity on Main Street and you can imagine what it was like in the early 1800s. The rear room features a fireplace, stained-glass panels on the ceiling and comfy booths. On one occasion we dined in the small bar, which was nice and quiet, with the friendly bartender to keep us company. There’s also a large, shaded courtyard with a trickling waterfall and pond that seems the perfect choice for the crisp fall days ahead.
Service is both professional and friendly, but on the several times I’ve visited – both brunch and lunch – things felt harried. With the current setup of leading folks back out the front door to the patio, the staff seemed exhausted (and it’s exhausting watching them). The restaurant has been open since May, and it still seems to be finding a rhythm that works.
After dining, enjoy a stroll down historic Main Street, with its quaint shops, period architecture and parks. Walking along the riverfront, riding bikes on the Katy Trail, visiting the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center, or watching the artists at the nearby Foundry Art Centre are ideal for a fall afternoon.
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