Buzz
- Mpls St. Paul Magazine, August 2011
Critic Quick Picks: Philip Dorwart: Egg, Cheddar and Bacon Biscuit @ Colossal Cafe
- Metro Magazine, January 2009
The Twin Cities Best Breakfast Spots: “The ultimate egg sandwich. Our first stop is always Colossal Café.
Pancakes: “There’s something special at the tiny Colossal Café where the ‘flappers’ are so yeasty and savory that they make sandwiches out of them.”
- Star Tribune, December 2008, Rick Nelson
“A heat-and-serve chicken pot pie; dullsville, right? Not in the hands of Bess Giannakakis…who does the classic comfort-food dish proud.”
- Star Tribune, May 2008
The Taste 50, “Flappers…that rise on Bess Giannakakis’ well-seasoned griddle at her Colossal Café.
- Minnesota Monthly, April 2008
“….the puffy flip pancake is one of the best breakfast in town.”
- City Pages, April 2008, James Norton
“The CC cakes are things of wonder – fluffy and elegant. And the brie? A righteous note of brilliance.”
- Vita.mn, April 2008
Breakfasts That Bite Back: “Scone and Omelet. One place capable of pulling off a bad-ass breakfast is Colossal Café, a tiny little spot with giant flavor.”
- Metro Magazine, March 2008
The Egg Guys: “How an eatery the size of your home’s mudroom became a near-legend can only be explained by way of a scratch kitchen done right.”
- Minnesota Monthly, December 2007
Best of the Twin Cities: “Pancakes. The flappers are the café’s signature yeast pancakes, which run….to an apple, walnuts and Brie delight…”
- The Rake, October 2007, Jeremy Iggers
“But chef-owner Bess Giannakakis is serious about her food, billed as “American scratch cooking with a European twist,”
- MARosko’s Posts, Online Comments, April 2007
“I ordered a breakfast sandwich on one of their homemade biscuits. Oh…my…God. So good.”
- Lavender, July 2007, Kristin Jones
“…hearty, wicked-good straightforward food.”
- Minnesota Monthly, January 2007, Sue Z
“One of my favorite breakfast spots is the tiny, 15-seat Colossal Café.”
- Star Tribune, December 2006, Rick Nelson
’06 The Year of Thinking Differently: “Chef/Owner Bess Giannakakis lightened up some of the city’s best pancakes with yeast, and the tangy results are so good they almost don’t need maple syrup.”
- Mpls-St.Paul Magazine, November 2006, Steven Brown
“Owner and chef Bess Giannakakis’s expertly prepared from-scratch food is delicious…..”
- Star Tribune, May 2006, Rick Nelson
“You’ll flip for the “Flappers”, a light yeast-based pancake.”
- Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger, October 2005, Restaurant Rosie
“If you haven’t experienced the food at the Colossal Café, stop in for a trip through culinary heaven.”
- Star Tribune, September 2005, Jeremy Iggers
“Small kitchens, big talents.”
- Yelp.com, Online Comments, 2011
“Bacon, cream cheese and green onion omelet. Stellar!! Great, toothy bread for toast and crispy hash-browns.”
“I can honestly say that I have never once in my life ordered a pork sandwich; when it comes to the pig, I’m more of a bacon advocate. However, this rosemary, lemon, garlic, white wine marinated loin served on a baguette with rosemary aioli I had to try. I’d been eating vegan for the past two weeks, this was my big meat/dairy splurge day, so the pressure was on. The verdict? I ate every last bite.”
- TripAdvisor, Online Comments, 2008
“Not for those on a diet.”
- Pancakeology, Online Comments, April 2008
“Flappers are yeast leavened and once you’ve had them, you’ll scoff at baking powder.”
- Yelp.com, Online Comments, 2008
“Egg sandwiches…rule. Scones…rule. Rolls…rule.”
“5 stars? More like a million stars.”
“The people working were really friendly….and the food was amazzzzinnngg.”
“I love this place, food MUST be tasted-yummy ingredients, SUPER chef.”
- The Twin Cities Breakfast Blog, May 2007
“I had the perfect hash brown at this quiet, little, overcrowded, family-owned business…and all I want to do now is shout it from the rooftops of the world. The perfect potato.”
- TwinCitiesBreakfast.com, February 2007, Peter Kastler
“….the café represents what might be the start of a minor trend in Minneapolis: formally trained chefs and cooks taking on small, classic diners, making them their own and churning out delicious diner food.”
- Twin Cities Eats, Online Comments, January 2007
“The Huevos Rancheros were incredible.”
“Colossal Café is a true gem.”
- TwinCitiesBreakfast.com, December 2006. Cassandra
“The Colossal Café occupies a teeny, tiny space in the physical universe, but a huge place in the culinary universe. Look for take out items for dinner in the case at the counter – if there is a chicken pot pie, you must purchase one to take home, or your life will not be complete.”
- C Two MN Foodies, Online Comments, December 2006
“What we’re looking forward to and hoping for in 2007….Keeping the Colossal Café our South Minneapolis secret.”
- Two MN Foodies, Online Comments, July 2006
“Colossal Café is a gem of a breakfast and lunch spot in South Minneapolis.”
- The Rake, Online Reader Comments, April 2006
“What a fabulous little place.”
“Quality ingredients prepared with thought and creativity, generous portions, very reasonable prices and friendly staff.”
- School Assignment: 5th Grade Writing, October 2005, Dylan Leavitt-Phibbs,
“The Colossal Café is a cute, interesting, tiny, delicious, artsy, local and awesome little restaurant/café. I am proud to have it in my neighborhood.”
