Isles Bun & Coffee
Puppy Dog Tail with Cream Cheese Frosting
Caramel Pecan Bun
Open at 6:30am every day but Sunday, the bakers allowed an extra half-hour of shut-eye on that one, it was Tuesday around ten that Isles Bun & Coffee was found busy, a line of three waiting to place their order while at least twice as many were already parked in the nostalgic space eating, reading the paper or conversing with friends amidst air heavily scented with Cinnamon and Butter.
Originally opened in 1993 and under the same ownership since 2000, a focused menu and smiling employees creating the sort of place where regulars go daily and out-of-towners are brought for an authentic taste of The Twin Cities, it is after a brief wait that guests are left to choose between sizable Rolls, Cakes and Cookies, the most obvious choice spelled out in the name though even then there are decisions to be made.
Charged as individual Buns or whole Pans, prices between $4-$5 for singles made of all-natural ingredients and served in enormous portions, it was opting for a Bun topped with gooey Caramel and Pecans plus one “Puppy Dog Tail” that a seat was taken, the DIY canister of Cream Cheese Frosting a bonus for those who really like things extra sweet.
Beginning with the Tail as the Bun was actually still too hot from the oven, $1.50 in this case buying a braid of Dough that bakes up golden with light yeastiness and plenty of Cinnamon Sugar, it was after a spread of Icing that the twist was quickly dispatched, each of three bites a little different but equally good and in reality better than the Bun itself which starts out great but gets monotonous quickly as the center is mostly just plain Dough…though perhaps that is precisely the point of the self-service Frosting.
www.islesbun.com
