Honeypie Bakery and Café

I thought it was because of their wonderful dessert, but Honeypie is named after the Beatles’ song. Their sign, a turquoise pig, should have been a clue for me that the restaurant has an affinity for bacon.

The restaurant is retro with the décor of a rural Wisconsin tavern replete with taxidermy, wainscoting, large booths lined up along the wall, and scattered wood tables and chairs. The bar/counter is large and curved.

But not too large and it contributes to the cozy feel. A large blackboard behind proclaims the daily specials, including one for fish and another for the pasty.

The menu reads, “Midwestern food from scratch from our pickles to our pie crust, we believe that good food is rooted in the way our grandparents used to cook.” Their fare, indeed, is cozy, good comfort food.

On recent lunch visit, my friends (one of them a vegetarian) and I ordered salads made of mixed greens, sprouts, carrots, and pea pods; cups of lovely, warm butternut squash soup; and slightly sweet corn muffins. I also ordered chicken and biscuit pie, which was a delight. The flaky crust covered a rich broth, tasty chicken, potatoes, corn, bell peppers, onions, and carrots. For dessert we all had pie, the best restaurant pie I have ever eaten, and locally roasted Anodyne coffee. The menu offers many sandwiches all piled high with meat, veggies, and cheese, some fashioned with innovative twists on old favorites, like the pork BLT, or the Composter, a variation of a standard veggie sandwich, piled with fresh vegetables, sprouts, mixed greens (fresh and varied), tomatoes, cream cheese, and dill sauce.

The menu is light on vegetarian offerings but the kitchen will alter seven of their sandwiches to make them vegan, as well one of their pasties. And 10 items are or can be made vegetarian. Note: they offer a pasty of the day, and they’re made by hand.

The menu states that they get their food from local vendors, like Growing Power, as much as possible.

Now let’s talk about the pie. There are many options including pumpkin, berry/peach, and blueberry-all with flaky crusts like mother used to make (well, not my mother) and an unusual pistachio with an especially good graham cracker crust. The pie, as they say, is to die for, and considering the cholesterol…

On another visit, my friend and I tried the twice baked potato. They harkened back to our childhoods with the rich filling topped with sour cream and green onions. I ordered the Davenport, a plate of generous slices of roasted turkey accompanied by a bit of mustard grain/cranberry sauce, and horseradish mashed potatoes topped with tomato, onions, and bacon. I had them hold the Gruyere cheese sauce. My companion ordered Fancy Mac-mac and cheese made with cheddar and Gruyere with a breadcrumbs and bacon topping. Because we hadn’t ingested enough calories, we asked for a taste of their homemade French fries. We were given more than a taste, and they were delicious-salty and tastier because part of the skin was left on.

And, of course, we had more pie! We left then, not because we wanted to, but because we had to stop sometime. On the way out, we couldn’t resist taking a couple of their lovely frosted cupcakes home, a German chocolate and a hazelnut cream.

Next time pasties and more pie.

More Information

• Honeypie Bakery and Café
• Scott Johnson, Leslie Montemurro, Adam and Val Luck, owners
• 2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
• M-F 10am-”around midnight”; Sat. & Sun. 9am-2:30am
• Brunch menu served Sat. & Sun. 9am-3pm
• Main Menu (not brunch): About 27 items, 7 can be made vegan, 10 are or can be made vegetarian.
• Prices: Moderate. Sandwiches and non-special entrees range $6-$11.
• Smokefree
• No children’s menu, but they will make small portions/Booster chairs/Diaper changing station in women’s bathroom
• Organic/Local: Not entire menu, but some items are local.
• Take Out: Yes; Delivery: No
• Outdoor Patio
• Full bar including 150 bottled craft beers and about 15 organic and/or biodynamic wines.