Wildflower Cafe, an adorable breakfast and lunchroom at 914 S. Arkansas Ave. in Russellville, is neat as a pin, and it may have some of the most reasonably priced breakfast options in town. It’s open weekdays and specializes in sandwiches, soups and quiche.
I found myself there the other day for a late, light breakfast, and I was astonished to see avocado toast on the menu at the really crazy price of $3.50 — a mere smidgen of what I find the dish served at in larger cities. There are a few reasons for this. You order your toast by the slice, which means a single order can be a bit small — but even doubling the order is still keeping you below those big city prices. The toast is wheat, the avocado smashed, the egg cooked to order (default is over easy), the whole affair sprinkled with Everything Bagel seasoning. Simple, ample, a good quick bite with protein to start your day.
That’s how many of the dishes on the breakfast menu are aimed at Wildflower Cafe. There are a selection of croissant-borne breakfast sandwiches with smoked thin-sliced ham, bacon, turkey or sausage with egg and cheese. There’s the Quiche Lorraine, served for both breakfast and lunch, the former served with a breakfast danish or pastry, the latter with your choice of salad. There’s always a bowl of hot tomato basil soup ready to serve, and a separate soup du jour that ever varies. Paninis, gourmet burgers, a decent chicken Caesar salad — Wildflower Cafe hits the marks.
And then it goes further, particularly with its bacon jam, a jalapeno jam with bacon in it, served over ham or whatever you like. The Ham and Bacon Jam handheld is a solid, whether it’s served on croissant, in a wrap or on regular bread. I witnessed quite a few folks at the Taste of the Valley event in downtown Russellville go gaga over that jam. You can ask for the jam to be added to other items.
There’s also an inspired Jalapeno Popper Wrap, which combines poppers, bacon, chicken, lettuce and tomato in a spinach wrap — and a Big Kids Grilled Cheese with bacon, Swiss and cheddar cheeses melted together. Matched with a side of loaded baked potato salad or hummus, either makes a satisfying lunch.
I would be remiss in not mentioning the Monte Cristo — that rare sandwich of ham and turkey with Swiss cheese, traditionally served deep fried and with raspberry jam. Wildflower Cafe goes the healthy route here, utilizing cinnamon raisin toast that’s grilled instead of deep fried, but still powders the sandwich with confectioner’s sugar and offers a drizzle of its own housemade raspberry chipotle jam, an inspired touch.
Find out more at 567-5205 or www.wildflowercafear.com.
Kat Robinson’s new book, The Great Arkansas Pie Book, is now available in hardcover nationwide. You can purchase a paperback copy at store.tontipress.com. Email her at [email protected].