Diggin’ In!: All American, Internationally … A Legacy of Great Food in a Cozy Cafe Continues

Here it is: the first edition of a fabulous new food column! Once a month, it will provide profiles of the people and places that bring great eats and good times to the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, both LGBTQ+-owned establishments and places that welcome our community in general. A review portion of the column gives an opinion on the cuisine each venue offers, while the main text chronicles the feel of each place and the often-varied biographies of the cooks and owners who make it special. Enjoy!

Main Street, USA isn’t found in Disney World. It’s right here in Minnesota, in historic Stillwater (the first city incorporated in our state). Antique shops, taverns and restaurants line the shopping street, and tourists from all over the world enjoy the Midwestern small-town feel of the place (in recent years made more pedestrian-friendly by the controversial closing of the Stillwater Life Bridge to vehicular traffic).

Smack dab in the middle of things is the iconic Main Cafe, an eatery that sums up the Classic American dining experience. Murals by a local artist line the walls and cozy booths, ample tables and a counter-seating area create a throwback atmosphere that makes you exhale and know, “This is going to be great!”

However, not all is as simple as it seems. This little cafe boasts an international heritage and new ownership that is building a growing menu that fuses American favorites with international influences.

Casie Beltran is the new owner of Main, but when we visited, former owner Sammy Youssef was one day from retiring after thirty-five years as head chef and owner of the establishment. “I have been working,” he says simply.

Youssef recently sold the cafe to Beltran, a former Main employee who has become his hope for keeping the legacy of the diner an ongoing concern. He had considered selling the business for some time, and recalls, “Some people gave me an offer of a good price but wanted to turn it into a bar — I wanted to keep it as it is.”

Born in Egypt, Youssef went to high school and college in his native country. Then, his first college summer found him in Paris, France, working in various culinary capacities with three cousins who had emigrated there. Then, back to Egypt for school. Then back to Paris again — a migration pattern that continued for eight years until Youssef emigrated to Minnesota in 1984 and found himself on the fiftieth floor of the IDS center, working as a bar-back.

“But I had a goal in my head,” he says. “I wanted in five years to have my own business.”

A newspaper listing led him to the Main Cafe. Youssef recalls, “For one week, nobody knew what I was doing — I just came as a customer to watch the place and discover the town. I thought: ‘That’s good!’” And he was on board for his long tenure at Main.

As Beltran takes the reins, Youssef says, “I would like to see the place become more successful. If she succeeds, it’s good for me — makes me real happy. I will miss the customers. I have a really good connection with a lot of people.”

Beltran’s bio is much more local. Born in St. Paul, she moved to Lake Elmo at age five, then to Oakdale at age 15. She relocated to Stillwater two years ago.

Beltran has some education in interior design, but, like Youssef, found herself called to the culinary life at an early age when she started her food-service career in a family-owned sports bar. Work as a server led to stints as a banquet coordinator, caterer and coordinator for weddings and other events.

“I even did some baking, making wedding cakes,” Beltran recalls. “I was thrown into it — I did a little bit of everything, but I always liked cooking. My dream was to own a bed and breakfast and wedding venue,” she says, but she first found the opportunity to buy Main Cafe, also a former employer: “Sammy and I really hit it off, and it just went from there.”

“I want to keep that home-cooking, classic menu for the most part,” Beltran says, noting that the loyal clientele of Main will always want to nosh on their breakfast favorites: “The locals are what keeps it going. But I do want to try some new things, too,” such as initiating some in-bouse created desserts and more adventurous soups like a creamy Shrimp Corn Chowder.

“I want to kick it up a notch,” she says.

And she has. When I checked in with her a few weeks after my initial visit, she had hosted a weekend Cajun Breakfast special and had featured a Breakfast Burrito combining Mexican chorizo and salsa verde. A Chimi Churri Steak Breakfast brought together a six-ounce sirloin and roasted red peppers topped with Chimi Churri sauce, Swiss cheese and a fried egg topper. Beltran even did a Chorizo Eggs Benedict, which substituted the spicy sausage for the traditional Canadian bacon component of the dish.

“I want to keep the sense of community, and being comfortable when you come in here,” she says. “I want people to feel welcome, no matter who they are.”

She sums up the appeal of the venue: “It’s the iconic little cafe in downtown Stillwater. And I’m excited for what the future’s going to bring. You just gotta try it!”

Main Cafe is located at 108 Main St. S. in Stillwater, Minn. For hours and other information: themaincafe.wixsite.com/maincafe

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We began brunch with coffee, of course: a robust medium roast served in a thick, warm mug. It opens your eyes and prepares you for the great food on hand.

The Gringo Breakfast features crispy, perfect hash browns with gooey cheese and just the right amount of fresh green peppers, onions and tomatoes. A cup of medium salsa ties it all together. The two scrambled eggs are perfectly cooked and just beg to be mixed with the other ingredients to make a crunchy, lip-smacking flavorful mess that satisfies. Side of toast. As with all the food we tried, a generous portion satisfies.

You don’t have to go to the Mediterranean for the perfect Gyro Omelet — it’s right here, a menu standby item that I, personally, cannot live without. The lamb meat is tender and the accompanying veggies are perfectly proportioned, cheesed in just the right amount and served with a cucumber sauce that’s creamy, cool and discreet enough not to overwhelm the main ingredients. A Greek-American fave sure to please. A traditional flatbread Gyro is also on the menu.

Falafel, another Mediterranean delight, is available, too: it’s crunchy, it’s spicy, it’s fresh tasting and just the right thing for a brunch outing.

Great Harvest bakery, a local gem, makes the main ingredient of Main’s Triple-Berry French Toast, which features berry-swirled bread topped with fresh berries and powdered sugar, and a side of maple syrup. It’s a buttery, sugary, thick-cut yum yum — tender on the inside with just the right crunch on the outside.

And the choices go on and on, an American bill of fare that tweaks things just a little and makes comfort food … comforting.

Are you convinced yet? The food is good at Main Cafe.

’Nuff said.