Cafe Muse - Royal Oak, MI

At first glance, the breakfast menu for Café Muse does not appear to be very vegan-friendly.  There's a lot of eggs, cheese, buttermilk, and whipped cream.  There’s steak, sausage, bacon, and salmon.  And you can guarantee that not one of those pancakes is vegan. 

Go all the way down to the sides, however, and you’ll see the muffins have the following disclaimer – “we’d tell you they were vegan but you wouldn’t believe us.”  You can choose from cranberry orange, lemon poppy seed, and blueberry.  Last time we went I ordered the lemon poppy seed muffin and it was delicious.  Most vegan muffins I eat I make myself and always use bananas or applesauce instead of oil but Café Muse clearly does not make any such substitutions.  This was the real deal.  It was the kind of muffin that makes you feel like you may as well be eating a slab of cake for breakfast.  Not that that’s a bad thing (every once in a while).  I also ordered a side of fruit, which isn’t on the menu by itself, but our server was fine with it.  The fruit was very fresh, ripe, and delicious.  It was a little over-priced but that’s what I expected.

Fresh Fruit - $4.00, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin - $2.75

On the sides menu you’ll also find toast, which is vegan as long as you remember to order it dry, with French jam.  They also have steel-cut oatmeal with apples and I never asked but I assume it’s probably made with milk.  You never know, though.

If you are looking for something savory, do check out the specials menu, which always has a vegan option.  It’s usually a tofu scramble.  I’ve had a few before and they’ve been pretty good; however, they’re a little oily and the last one had cubed tofu pieces instead of scrambled, which was disappointing.  The combinations are unique and the veggies are always fresh.  I’m pretty sure they do local and seasonal when possible.  With the scramble you have your choice of garlic sautéed fingerling potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.  The sweet potatoes are vegan, even though they are so smooth and creamy you’d hardly believe it.  I almost don’t.  You also get toast with the scramble and usually a small side of fruit.  For around $10, it’s not a bad way to go.  I’ve asked before about a sweet vegan special, such as pancakes or French toast, but they have yet to put anything on the menu.  Please help me pester them about this.

I’ve never been for lunch or dinner but they have a black bean, brown rice, and red lentil vegan burger that I’d like to try.  Definitely make reservations for lunch or dinner and if you’ll have more than 2 people or are going at a peak time, either do call-ahead seating or make reservations for breakfast.  I always dress pretty casually for breakfast but I think you’ll want to look a little more presentable for dinner.  

If you’re looking for an upscale restaurant for a classy vegan breakfast or brunch, look no further than Royal Oak’s Café Muse.

Café Muse is located at 418 South Washington Avenue in Royal Oak