During a discussion about a desire for cinnamon rolls that were a mark higher than Pillsbury’s peel-and-pop, someone suggested visiting DV8 Kitchen. Beyond their well-known cinnamon rolls, DV8 offers a variety of dishes that are suitable for breakfast, brunch or lunch hankerings. For Sunday brunch, we sampled the curry veggie tacos, the ham and apple butter sandwich, the DV8 grilled cheese, a pecan maple pastry and the cinnamon roll with a reputation.
The taco is filled with sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, avocado and sunflower seeds. I admire the contrasting texture between the avocado and seeds, but the overall flavors are masked by an over-proportioned corn tortilla.
The ham and apple butter sandwich, despite its odd title, is an exceptional intrigue. Inconsistently layered with ham, lettuce, apple butter and balsamic aioli (otherwise known as garlic-seasoned mayonnaise) on a house-made southern biscuit, this sandwich slightly misses the mark due to uneven ratios. But the biscuit is soft and flaky, and the combination of flavors works well.
My sister ordered the grilled cheese sandwich (I was skeptical, but she wanted the bacon), which has cheddar cheese, bacon, avocado and dijonaise sauce. If I am going to be persuaded not to just whip up a grilled cheese at home and instead order one from a restaurant, the sandwich must contain a mix of cheeses and be well-executed. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t meet these criteria.
When viewing the pastries through the glass display I was concerned, yet hopeful. The cinnamon roll has a good flavor; it just doesn’t fit into my definition of a cinnamon roll. This is more like a puff pastry infused with cinnamon and a splatter of cream cheese on top. It is yummy, just not $4.25 yummy. The pecan maple baked good was oddly appealing to the eye, maple brown sugar oozing and topped with chopped pecans. I have no complaints but note that you must have a high tolerance for sugar, as that is the singular flavor you taste.
While the food is mediocre, the customer service is notable and DV8’s underlying mission is admirable. Their slogan seems to be “life-changing food,” which I believe has a double meaning. Not only are they wishing to create delicious food, but their goal is to provide job opportunities for those in the early stages of recovering from substance abuse, according to their website.
Overall, the food is decent. It isn’t amazing, but it isn’t terrible; you can tell there is creative thought behind each of the recipes. So if you are looking for an aesthetic setting for your Instagram food photos or want a lower-priced brunch, DV8 Kitchen will deliver with a modern industrial French bistro vibe and price ranges from $2.00 to $8.00 menu-wide.
