With Covid-19, it is hard to find a restaurant that allows you to feel comfortable, yet still takes the proper safety precautions. My lovely Margie and I set out to find just such a spot. Our adventure led us to Mimosa, a great breakfast and lunch spot in Franklin. Found at 9405 South 27th street, just north of Ryan rd.
We had been here once before, many years ago and had a really good meal. I was wondering if things had changed due to the current pandemic. They indeed had, but not in the way I would have imagined. As we pulled into the parking lot there was a sign indicating that you must call before entering the restaurant. This was something new, as are so many rules these days. The young lady who answered the phone inquired if I was interested in dining in with them today. I indicated that I was. She had an enthusiastic response that seemed oddly genuine. She asked how many people were in our party. I let her know there were 70, as I was in a comical mood. Without missing a beat, she replied, “Well then it might be a while.” We both had a chuckle and she informed me that I could come right in.
Upon entering Mimosa, we were greeted by the same friendly voice that was on the other end of the telephone. I learned it belonged to a woman named Danielle. She sat us and explained the changes that occurred since the start of the new rules. They had switched to a team serving philosophy. Normally, I am not that big of a fan as I like to develop some type of repour with the person handling my meal. In this case the team serving worked quite well. Every employee worked together and were attentive and friendly.
Ricky brought us our beverages shortly after being seated. I chose coffee, which was a fair-trade, organic custom blend roasted locally by Collectivo. Margie informed our server she could not come to such a place without ordering a mimosa. My coffee was bold without being bitter. The best part about it, as long as we were there, my cup never ran out of the delicious hot beverage. Margie’s mimosa was served in a thin clear glass with no stem. This is probably a safe bet. It had both the flavor of quality champagne as well as fresh-squeezed orange juice. It could not have been any better.
The first thing you will notice looking at a menu at Mimosa is their “Life-long Guarantees”. This is comprised of 13 facts about both the place you are eating at and the food they will be serving you. Not only was this a quick way to get to know the establishment, but several of them reassured you that you will be consuming a quality meal from a conscious restaurant. Allow me to share just a few of the 13. All their food is prepared using sea salt instead of table salt. None of their food contains any MSG, high-fructose corn syrup or food colorings. Their potatoes (more on them later) are cut fresh daily and only cooked in olive oil. They only use local, raw honey and all their maple syrup is from WI. On Wednesday, every bill paid after 12pm, 10% is donated to a local charity. You may be pondering if with all these amazing details you could afford to dine here. Let me reassure you that Mimosa is quite reasonable.
Let us get to the food. Margie ordered the Crispy Chicken Ham Sandwich. The name alone is a mouthful, but so are all the ingredients that it includes. This sandwich is made up of cornflake coated crispy chicken, smoked ham, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, Sriracha mayo, house made Greek yogurt ranch, baby lettuce and tomato all served on a brioche bun. To this lengthy ingredient list Margie also added sliced avocado. The sandwich stacked high as you can imagine. The first thing we both noticed was the breading on the chicken. It was nothing short of divine. Margie said the sandwich would have been great with the chicken alone. That may have been true but let us talk a little about the rest of the ingredients. The ham was tender and just the right amount of smokey. It also would make a good sandwich on its own. Combining the two was genius. The sauces were the perfect compliment. They added slight flavor without taking anything away from the two delicious meats. The vegetables were all fresh and of the highest quality.
As a side, Mimosa offers you many choices. I imagine that you could not go wrong with any of them. They include in-house cut French fries, Tabouleh salad, seasonal fruit or what Margie chose. It was a mixture of brown rice, lentils and quinoa. It comes served in a cup the size of a small soup bowl. Not only was this a healthy side, but you received a healthy amount of it. It had great flavor, however, if I were making this at home, I would have included some garlic or onion.
I was not as decided as the love of my life and had to order a few different items. For my main course I chose the Fresh Fruit Blintzes. For those of you unfamiliar with this dish, the menu offers a great explanation. Crepes filled with their cream filling and topped with fresh berries and house made granola. This dish was extremely sweet, and I knew it would be. The crepes were the perfect texture and not too chewy. The cream filling, which I am guessing was crafted using a cream cheese base, was delicious beyond description. The sauce that topped the dish was equal in its ability to dazzle the taste buds. On top of those delicious crepes where fresh blueberries and strawberries. Just like everything else at Mimosa, the fruit was very fresh and full of flavor.
Knowing my dish would be sweet I wanted to compliment it with a few savory items. It was with this in mind that I ordered both a side of bacon and an order of their Mimosa potatoes. When it comes to a side of potatoes, you have three choices. Although they all sounded wonderful, I decided on the Cheddar, Ham, and Garlic Red Roasted Pepper Sauce option. The bacon was very high quality. It had a good smokey flavor without being overpowering. I would take note next time to order medium bacon as it was a little well done for my personal preference. Taking that into consideration, it still tasted amazing. Margie described it best by saying, “It has a good crispness without tasting over done.” The potatoes were delicious. They were cooked perfectly. The garlic red roasted pepper sauce was a bright red and begged to be tasted. Their flavor was milder than I expected. This is good for people who may be concerned with having breath that smells like they enjoyed too much garlic. I will definitely try one of the other mouth-watering choices they have in this category.
Throughout our meal, both Danielle and members of the staff continued to check on us and make sure all our needs were being met. There was never a feeling of being rushed. The atmosphere of Mimosa also deserves a mention. It is a country cottage type feel. Spacious and clean, yet welcoming. Social distancing was being practiced, but it did not feel strange or awkward as I have felt at other places. Even the restrooms offered a feeling of stylish comfort.
At the conclusion of our meal, an employee named Ruba, who was also very friendly and helpful, assisted us in settling the bill at our table. It was a fairly contactless procedure using a credit card. Ruba made sure all our needs were met as she also offered us an explanation for her wonderfully unique name. If all of this were not enough to make us want to return, before we left Danielle supplied me with a cup of their delicious coffee to go.
Mimosa is a very wise choice whether you are alone or have a group. Make sure to call ahead for seating. I promise you that the service from that initial phone call through the end of your delicious meal will be friendly and welcoming. Their hours are 7:30am – 2:30pm 7 days a week.