Inside: Vine & Bean Café

It didn’t take too long for Lucky’s Café in Tremont to become the go-to place for weekend brunch. Now, chef Heather Haviland is at it again. This time, it’s East Siders who benefit from her delicious expertise with early hour temptations. And it’s not just breakfast. At Vine & Bean, Haviland is serving up comfort food throughout most of the day along with cocktails, coffee drinks and live music.

Food: Locavores (people who prefer to eat locally grown and produced food) rejoice. Chef Haviland has a strong reputation within Cleveland for supporting local farmers and producers. In fact, each dish that leaves the kitchen during season is approximately 95 percent locally sourced (60 percent during the winter).

The menu, which features gourmet comfort food, is sectioned into weekend brunch and daily offerings, plus specials.

The brunch menu features many of the popular items found at Lucky’s, like the shipwreck, breakfast burrito and pecan-crusted bacon. Each of these dishes alone is a must-try and will bring you back again and again.

On our visit, we tried the vanilla bean waffles with roasted peaches and caramel sauce and the egg pie with local bacon, ham, Swiss cheese and a side of fruit and banana bread.

Consider yourself warned; These sinfully good waffles are big—way big. Even on two empty stomachs, we couldn’t finish. And this dish is sweet, almost dessert like. Perhaps too sweet, but that’s no surprise given Haviland’s baking connections and history.

The egg pie is a much more manageable portion. Served piping hot, it’s a good start to the day with wonderful flavor and a flaky crust and just as tempting sides (the banana bread is some of the best in town). 

As for the non-brunch items, you’ll find a number of sandwiches (all served on homemade bread), like the turkey with avocado, cheddar and local bacon served on rustic Italian bread as well as build-your-own hot panini sandwiches. There’s also a small variety of soups and salads and a cheese board.

Libations: Unlike Lucky’s Café, you’ll find a small but mighty drink list at Vine & Bean. There are a number of small craft beers available plus a handful of red and white wines. During brunch, mimosas are available.

And like Lucky’s, Vine & Bean is part coffee bar and features a wide variety of coffee drinks. The mama mocha, hot or iced, is a favorite. We also like the cappuccino and Heather’s cocktail, which is like the mama mocha but with espresso and vanilla on ice.

Décor: Situated in an old Victorian century home on Larchmere Boulevard in Shaker Heights in what was once Café Limbo, Vine & Bean resembles a child’s doll house—a silver blue doll house with bright purple and green accents. Inside, it’s close quarters. You can sit in the quaint front dining room (that was once a family room), in the back kitchen, or on the outside patio, which features a hodgepodge of furniture. The place is tiny, incredibly charming and frankly, adorable.

Service: Friendly and laid back, but somewhat on the slow side during brunch when it’s the busiest.

Insider tip: Vine & Bean is only open Wednesday through Sunday. If brunch or gourmet sandwiches aren’t your thing, chef Haviland offers a special, reservation only, farm fresh dinner once a month. The price is typically $35 per person, excluding alcohol, and a meat or vegetarian option is available. Be sure to follow on Twitter or check their Web site often for dinner news as well as live music updates.

Bottom line: Breakfast or lunch, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine coupled with live music, Vine & Bean has something tasty for just about everyone. We guarantee after one visit, you’ll want to be a regular.  

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