Joe's first restaurant review

For a while now, I've contemplated writing something like a Bloomington food guide. Sort of a Zagat for Bloomington. However, other than being fat and generally enjoying the process of eating, I am totally unqualified to do that. Nevertheless, I will begin periodically discussing some of my favorite and least favorite eating establishments in Bloomington. I apologize to my non-Bloomington readers...this will not be interesting to you. Instead, I suggest you read Matt Taibbi's attack on David Brook's attack on populism. It's long, so you could probably skim some of it, but it's pretty good (apparently Taibbi has some special hatred for David Brooks. I tend to like both of them, but whatevs).

I will start with my present locale, the Scholar's Inn Bakehouse.

I've been coming here for years now. It's one of the few places off-campus where one can really get some work done. It's got a lot of big tables (though few electrical outlets for laptops), and it's roomy. There's a lot of light during the day, and parking is easy. Free wifi...the whole deal.

As a restaurant, however, it's extremely overpriced. The coffee sucks and generally tastes burnt. Their cheapest whole sandwich is $7.25. And, while served on their excellent bread, their sandwiches are nothing to write home about. Most of their breakfast foods are bland and expensive.

However, one should probably not be suprised to encounter sub-par food at a bakery, or rather, par food that is overpriced. But, one can find decent values at the bakehouse if one knows where to look. First, their French toast, made with thick challa bread, and their Hangover Special, a hodge podge of sauteed peppers, onions, potatoes, and eggs over easy, are excellent breakfast options. They provide hefty portions at a reasonable price, and the dishes are exceptional.

The other way to maximize the value of the Bakehouse is to focus on their pastries. I am particularly fond of their Dream Bar, a bar cookie made with coconut, chocolate, and nuts. It's an excellent treat to serve as reward or fuel for a study session. Another good idea is to utilize their day-old bags of pastries. They sell for a significantly discounted rate.

So, in general, I appreciate the Bakehouse for its service to the community as a gathering place and a study hall. And, it has some tasty, reasonably priced options if one is careful. Just avoid a the 8 dollar sandwiches.