Grand Forks is home to multiple kinds of cuisine. Whether it’s homestyle comfort food or food to push you out of your comfort zone, we have got it all. Recently, across the river in East Grand Forks, a new brunch spot called Bernie’s opened up. The owner, who is none other than Food Network’s Molly Yeh, opened the restaurant on October 1st, and it quickly became an attraction. The new Scandinavian brunch spot has seen lines wrapped around the building at all times of the day. From their website, Bernie’s is described as the “… cozy Midwestern farm town is filled with Scandinavian flavor and Church cookbook recipes that are all you want to eat during its long, snowy winters and short, hot summers, and we are here to showcase that.” Bernie’s is named after her daughter Bernadette as well as her husband’s – Nick Hagen- great great grandpa Bernt.   

The restaurant offers all-day breakfast and baked goods to customers, as well as a little market area where you can buy local goods. The restaurant is aesthetically pleasing with a modern and homey feel. The light blue logo and the open scenery of the bakery give the diner an Instagram-esque feel. Reviews have begun to pour in, and the majority are very positive. With  4.5 stars on google reviews, I would say the opening weekend was a success. The online photos of the food look delicious, so of course, I needed to go there.   

As stated before, every day there is a huge line wrapped around the building. Like waiting to get on Space Mountain at Disney World kind of line, and I possibly may be cursed and just show up at the wrong time, but me being an impatient college student – and just being a busy college student in general- have not gotten the chance to go in there quite yet. Along with the lines, the food is also pretty pricey. I cannot say I was expecting this from a Food Network restaurant, but as a broke college student, I do not think this would be my weekly go-to brunch with the girls. For instance, for a yogurt parfait with regular, plain yogurt and pistachio granola, it is $9. It is most likely a fancy parfait, and I am sure it tasted delicious, but I cannot justify spending that much money on yogurt at this time.   

As the hype dies down, I am sure it will be easier to get into this restaurant. I still have not tried it, but I hope to after my next paycheck comes in. This new food with a Scandanavian flavor and a classy feel will bring great prospects to the GF and EGF area. As of now, the restaurant is open from 8 am-3 pm Tuesday-Sunday. They hope to offer dinner service sometime soon where customers can reserve a table and enjoy a delicious dinner. The restaurant is also currently hiring a variety of positions such as management, waitstaff, bartenders, hosts, and more. You can reach them at [email protected]. 

Claire Arneson is a Dakota Student Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].