This popular brunch spot was recently awarded a Michelin star.

Hilda and Jesse originally opened as a brunch only restaurant but has expanded to dinner service as well. The funky retro inspired diner reflects the playful menu which highlights local ingredients.

Inside Hilda and Jesse.

While they have a tasting menu for brunch, we decided to order from the à la carte menu since their signature dish was not on the tasting menu. Funny enough, an old coworker works there and I hadn’t seen her in years. Both our server and my old coworker gave us impeccable service.

Avocado “Toast” (7/10).

It was probably my fault that I didn’t read the menu thoroughly (I was busy yapping away with my friend) but I was expecting a traditional avocado toast on bread. While the menu did specify that this was a tempura fried sweet potato as the base, nothing can beat real bread. I liked the idea of this modernized avocado toast with sour cream, dill, and horseradish, but the horseradish was completely overpowering the delicateness of the avocado and sweet potato.

Hushpuppies (6.5-7/10).

When I think of hushpuppies, I’m thinking fried delicious goodness and this wasn’t giving that. Not sure how these cooked but almost had a baked “healthy” feel? I also wasn’t crazy about the flavors with sauerkraut and zucchini on the bottom.

Farm Chicken with Hominy Porridge (5.5-6/10).

It pains me to rate this as mediocre as there’s nothing wrong with the dish but it just wasn’t for me (my friend ate most of it). The sauce was supposed to be an “outrageous” brown butter but I didn’t really get that? Maybe my heart just wanted fried chicken instead.

Pancakes Without Boundaries (9/10).

I’m so relieved that their signature dish was by far the tastiest of the meal. This was their double stacked buttermilk pancakes with grilled strawberry maple syrup and it was stellar. The pancakes were fluffy and I liked the smokiness coming from the grilled strawberries. I would come back for just this dish.

While the vibes and service were quite outstanding, some of the dishes fell flat for me personally. However, I could be the outlier as everyone else seemed to enjoy the food and my friend overall didn’t have as many criticisms as me. Therefore my rating is a 6.5-7/10.