The Children’s Museum of South Dakota in Brookings is all about promoting learning for children of all ages and abilities through interactive, hands-on exhibits and programming. People travel from all over to see things like the Cloud Climber and Tangle Town, but did you know they also come for its restaurant, Café Coteau?
The eatery is known for using “always fresh ingredients,” and director and manager of Café Coteau, Pouran Borchardt, is very proud of that.
“People come in and see the menu and are blown away by the quality and range,” she said. “They expect a museum to have things like hot dogs and burgers.”
“i have changed the menu seasonally and people keep asking me to keep certain items because they’re our best sellers.”
MORE OF WHAT'S ON THE MENU
BREAKFAST
CAFÉ COTEAU BREAKFAST SANDWICH
Warm wheat berry bread served with sliced cucumbers, walnuts (on the side), feta cheese, and special seasonings.
KIDOODLE’S KIDS MENU
CHICKEN CATERPILLAR
Grilled chicken, marinara sauce, and cheese rolled up in pita bread.
PIZZA BAGEL
Ham, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese served with a side of veggies.
PASTA
MEDITERRANEAN NOODLES
Chicken, mushrooms, and olives in a cream sauce served over angel hair noodles.
THAI NOODLES
Served with seasonal vegetables, house Thai sauce on egg noodles. Add shrimp.
SALAD
CAFÉ COTEAU SALAD
Romaine lettuce and spinach topped with chicken salad consisting of slice apples, walnuts, spinach, and grapes, topped with avocados, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese and house dressing.
GRILLED CHICKEN ITALIAN SALAD
Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, angel hair pasta, topped with parmesan cheese and house dressing.
SANDWICHES
LOADED GRILLED CHEESE
Grilled cheese with tomato, mozzarella, basil and Italian spices, served on wheat berry bread.
SALMON SANDWICH
Fillet salmon with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber, served with house dressing.
“Our chicken has never been frozen and is always high quality,” said Borchardt. “Our salad is the same way. When Brookings Farmers Market opens up we get a lot of our produce from them. Our eggs are cage free and are grown right in our surrounding area.”
Another best-selling item (and a great example of farmers market ingredients) is the House Specialty Salad. It includes romaine lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, walnuts, feta cheese, red onion, and eggs served with fresh mozzarella, and choice of dressing.
Because of its growing reputation for natural ingredients, Borchardt says they wanted to get more into gluten-free options. The café had been outsourcing desserts and select items previously, but they brought in someone to bake in house.
“I have a woman who comes here to do our baking and she has her own kitchen where she can produce anything we want,” she said. “She can do pizza crust, bread, pretty much anything we want her to do. Our biggest sellers are Caramel Rolls, cookies, and muffins.”
Patrons can also do special orders for items like cakes.
Along with food items, Café Coteau is known for coffee drinks. A favorite is the Café Glacé.
“It’s essentially coffee with ice cream,” said Borchardt.
For those who enjoy the museum’s menu, special dinners are hosted three to four times a year, complete with a white tablecloth and authentic Middle Eastern cuisine. Borchardt said, “Sometimes [attendees] don’t even know what they’re getting, but they’re excited to try it.”
Dinners are by reservation only and are promoted in the café and on the Children’s Museum of South Dakota’s Facebook.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT PRAIRIEPLAY.ORG.
