"I've seen the sign for this place on the Beltline for years, but have never actually ventured along that part of Monona Drive until recently. My boyfriend had noticed it on a drive one day and wanted to try it one morning of his vacation, so I met him and we rolled on over. When we walked in, I was surprised to see that it was counter service. I am the absolute worst decider at a new place, so that kind of threw me for a loop because I hate to be that person that makes the counterperson stand there awkwardly while I make a choice. Usually I research things ahead of time, but for this I had failed. Gratefully there was no one behind me, and after several excruciating minutes (and a wonderfully sweet and patient cashier/our eventual server) I landed on panic pancakes. Panic because too many things sounded good and I just pulled the trigger. I specifically got the cranberry pancakes I love cranberries, the restaurant is named after them, it would presumably be a good choice. Pancakes usually fall to the bottom of my list, though, so when I sat down at our booth to wait I started having buyer's remorse. Happy to report there was no need for that they were amazing. Some of the best pancakes I've ever had, actually my guess is that they were made from scratch instead of with a mix. The cranberry flavor was subtle, but present, and made even better by the cranberry butter it was served with. Cranberry butter! I am a weirdo who skips over maple syrup, so this was a perfect accompaniment. For my side, I chose the rustic red potatoes well seasoned, and cooked all the way through. The restaurant only had a couple other patrons on a weekday morning, but that was fine by me nice and quiet. The interior was really cozy with a huge fireplace that serves as the focal point of the dining area. The cashier/server was fantastic, checking in enough that we had everything we needed, but not interrupting our meal. With my flexible work schedule, I'm excited to hit them up on another weekday morning."
