Reporter Food: Ellen’s Bakery and Cafe in Sylvan Lake
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Nov. 21, 2019)
Sylvan Lake, MI- Ellen’s Bakery and Cafe at 2495 Orchard Lake Road in Sylvan Lake is a spot that came recommended by several Facebook friends as a hidden gem of Oakland County.
Inside a simple strip plaza with a little area for patio dining, Ellen’s is surprisingly beautiful on the inside. It’s also well-loved by the customers I saw dining there and picking up sweets in the bakery at the front.
In spite of the focus on breads, cookies, pies, cakes, scones and more, the cafe menu has a refreshing selection of healthy choices. There is even an omelet called the “Super Healthy Choice,” made with egg whites, spinach, artichokes, asparagus, and peppers served with sliced tomatoes. I did not have that, but I feel like a better person having at least considered it.
My selection was the Goat Cheese omelet, which included asparagus, bacon, and scallions. Other omelet choices include Spinach and Asiago with chicken sausage and caramelized onions, Portabella, Florentine, Garden Vegetable, Southwestern and Maryland Crab. There are also breakfast sandwiches and a variety of fluffy pancakes and French Toast.
The lunch and dinner menus are even more impressive. Lobster bisque, chicken nicoise, smoked turkey and avocado pita, wild mushroom fettuccine, spicy shrimp taco, and Ellen’s Sunshine Burger are among the lunchtime delights. And for dinner there are interesting selections such as the roasted cauliflower steak, pan fried Michigan perch, grilled lamb chops, and chicken paillard.
I loved my goat cheese omelet and the fresh baked toast that accompanied it.
On the way out I decided a good review should include the bakery as well. So I picked out a peaches and cream muffin and a secret agent-shaped sugar cookie to take home for later.
Everyone who recommended Ellen’s is right, this is a wonderful restaurant and a great addition to our Reporter Food Index. Check them out online at www.ellensbakeryandcafe.com.
White Castle is the Reporter Food sponsor of Oakland County Times, supporting our quest to explore restaurants throughout Oakland County. Find White Castle locations, and more information about all their menu options, at www.whitecastle.com.
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