When Nicole Pederson-Bates and her husband, Andrew Bates, went to name their new St. Paul cafe, one obvious inspiration presented itself: the Bewick’s wren.
The wren, whose name is pronounced like the car manufacturer, is a small, light brown, North American bird with a long tail it waves around a lot. These rare wrens form monogamous pairs and forage together, eventually building a nest along with their mates. Pederson-Bates, chef-owner of Bewick, and Bates, her managing partner, were building the cafe together in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood they call home; the name just made sense.
Open since September in the former Groundswell space (which closed after a fire last year), Bewick Cafe is bright, with wide, tall windows. It’s big, though it feels intimate, with three separate seating areas keeping it cozy rather than cavernous. You’ll order at the counter, choosing from a substantial breakfast and lunch menu, before settling into one of the many tables.
Bewick’s wrens subsist mainly on a diet of insects and insect eggs, so naturally… just kidding, this is where the bird similarities end. Though if you were to set out one of Bewick’s cardamom buns ($4.50), no critter on Earth would turn it down—these buns deserve to be famous. They’re not just lovely to look at, intricately wrapped, and baked to a light golden brown, but taste wonderful: slightly floral, a bit peppery, a dusting of sugar caramelizing slightly around the edges.
Bewick’s bakery is reliably wonderful, from the buttery, crumbly apricot white chocolate scone ($4.25) to the remarkably moist and gooey apple bread ($4) to the chewy chocolate chip cookie ($3.50), which, made with olive oil and sea salt, is that cookie’s platonic ideal. For those who prefer savory baked goods (ahem), there’s a hardy bacon scone ($4.25) made with the Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese, or a saffron and mushroom bun ($4.75), a bright-yellow twist every bit as lovely looking as its cardamom counterpart.
And that’s just the pastry case. Bewick also boasts a menu of small plates, sandwiches, salads, and a few larger options including an omelette and braised beef with corn grits. I love the egg sandwich ($10, and I added bacon for another $4), which arrives with a half-inch-thick egg soufflé, perfectly crisped bacon strips, and a pepper relish with distinguishable hunks of garlic and veggies.
I haven’t found Bewick’s omelettes particularly memorable, but I’ve loved eating my way through the menu of small plates, particularly the marinated cannellini beans ($7). Yes, they’ll make you think of the “beany leeky greens with greeky rampy beans” joke, and yes, they’re a delight—fresh but substantial, especially at that price point, and served with housemade pita on a bed of herbaceous yogurt. On the eggier side, the griddled hard-boiled eggs ($7) are, to me, a perfect plate; you can’t go wrong with a mix of toppings that includes crunchy fried shallots, chili crisp, and chaat. I’m already planning to recreate them at home as a deviled egg.
From the food to the decor to the service, Bewick is practiced in the little touches that make a place feel special. Water is dispensed not from a communal jug but from small brown pop-top bottles waiting on every table. You don’t have to bus your own dishes; staffers do that for you. When I ordered six baked goods in three separate bags to deliver to my colleagues, the person helping me wasn’t annoyed; they grabbed a Sharpie and scrawled the contents of each paper bag on it.
Those flourishes make a weekday morning on your laptop feel a little bit nicer, and make a Sunday morning visit with friends all the more pleasant. And soon, you’ll be able to enjoy those little touches in the evening hours, too—after opening for breakfast, Bewick is now open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day (except Tuesday), and dinner service is in the works.
You know how you feel sort of honored, sort of chosen, when a bird family gathers up twigs and plant debris and begins to assemble its nest in your yard? The people of Hamline-Midway should feel similarly lucky that this little Bewick chose their neighborhood for its nest.
Bewick Cafe
Address: 340 Thomas Ave. W., St. Paul
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Tuesdays)
