In March, Jobot duo Liam Murtagh and Dana Stern will open Bragg's Factory Diner, their vegetarian and vegan restaurant serving American diner food in the retail space of Bragg's Pie Factory, the former pie factory turned art galley at 1301 Grand Avenue.
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Only a few weeks from opening, menu creation and updates to the space are seriously under way. And when it comes to the eats, Murtagh, who does the cooking, and Stern, who's responsible for the pies, have a few choice dishes in store.
Murtagh has said his vegan and vegetarian breakfast and lunch selections don't rely on fake meat and are familiar enough that even carnivores can enjoy them. And so far, he's created dishes like coconut curry waffles, sweet corn biscuits and poblano gravy, and a beet burger with zesty corn relish to prove it.
On the preview menu below, the names of the current dishes -- and any new entries -- will be updated from basic descriptions to more signature monikers (think Spiced Not Sliced French Toast, a hearty a.m. entry called The Frank Lloyd Bite, and a vegetarian Reuben called The Secret Wonder Bat).
The pie part of Bragg's Factory Diner is still in the work-in-progress phase, but Stern tells me she'd like to do traditional, diner-style pies such as cherry, key lime, and coconut cream as well as more unique creations like rosemary apple and chai-spiced pear. She's also considering cream puffs and cake.
"Any pie that can be made vegan will be made vegan," Stern says. "I did some key lime ones recently and no one knew the difference."