I felt sorry for the folks waiting in line for a table at Bonbon Café. But mostly I felt sorry for myself. It was approaching 1 p.m. on Saturday, and I still hadn’t eaten breakfast. Add the time we spent waiting in line to the 30 minutes we spent waiting for our food, and you end up with a formula that leaves pretty much everybody disgruntled.
But it was the server I pitied most during a follow-up lunch visit. Time and time again, she was forced to apologize to her customers, explaining that because of a recent change, a full three-quarters of the already trim menu was no longer available.
Owner Courtney Bonning is painfully aware of the issues that have confronted her and her six-month-old Ohio City café. While the accomplished pastry chef excels at crafting exceptional confections, her transition from sweet to savory has been anything but smooth.
“My mistake was trying to create a restaurant atmosphere when we should have been going for a neighborhood café,” Bonning said during a follow-up phone call. “We’ve been trying to listen to people in the neighborhood about what they want of the space.”
That space, decked out in gleaming marble, tile, and glass, is a showstopper. Like a big-city patisserie, the café is intimate, elegant, and attractive enough to warrant a visit every day of the week. As guests cross the threshold, they come face to face with a diet-testing cooler filled with fruit-laced Linzer tortes, sugar-dusted lemon squares, and embarrassingly large chocolate éclairs. Large windows offer views into the bakeshop proper.
The most significant changes that Bonning has implemented involve the menu and hours of operation. Originally, Bonning had hopes of turning Bonbon into “the ultimate date spot.” A small-plates menu and liquor license were in place to lure guests for an evening meal. But with high-profile neighbors like Flying Fig and Crop — among many others — the concept never grew legs.
So, in an attempt to right the ship, Bonning ditched the dinners, streamlined the menu, and determined to focus all of her attention on breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch. “Bonbon 2.0,” as the chef is calling it, is a rebirth of sorts for the eatery.
“We are simplifying the menu,” adds Bonning. “Many of the items were too adventurous, taking forever to come out of our small kitchen. The most straightforward items are what sell the best, we learned.”
A third lunch visit appears to confirm that the café is on the right track. Items like a quiche of the day and a meat-filled Cornish pasty — both naturals for a bakery — hit the table hot and fast. An Ohio beef cheeseburger — topped with bacon, avocado, and a fried egg, and swaddled in a light-as-air bun — holds its own with any on the block.
I’m of the belief that the three most important words in the restaurant lexicon are “breakfast all day,” and that’s the motto here. Flaky, buttery, and crisp, Bonbon’s croissants are heavenly. Fresh-made cinnamon sugar donuts, served with a trio of sweet dips, make coffee taste better simply by being in the same room. Meaty lardons of corned beef, greens, and an over-easy egg combine in an updated take on hash. Other options include a granola parfait, vanilla-bean French toast, and the breakfast special: two eggs, bacon, grilled focaccia, and a choice of coffee or a Genessee!
Not all items that made the menu cut are winners. Scrambled-egg-filled flour tortillas are the sort of breakfast one whips up at home when the fridge is bare. The tacos arrive dry and bland, with no sauce or salsa to jazz it up. (Hot sauce had to be requested.) Likewise, a vegetable wrap is little more than a side salad plopped atop a pair of flour tortillas. The only veggies in it — apart from shallots — are bits of pepper.
Bonning says that despite the snafus, her neighbors have been remarkably supportive. They adore her and the space and want nothing more than to watch her succeed. And for her part, Bonning is more than willing to meet them halfway.
“We keep our ears open and try to give people what they want,” she says. “Everybody needs to feel it out and find their niche, and with this menu I think we’ve finally done that.”
This article appears in May 30 – Jun 5, 2012.
Courtney is one of the most gifted people in the local business, and I think she’s just begun to show her stuff. Bon Bon is a big favorite in the neighborhood because she has great people, a great vibe, and very tasty treats. I’d back her any day of the week! Visit and see why. Imagine a full bakery facility AND a kitchen run by a fabulous young chef (Kevin). I’m so proud of her and her fabulous team!!!
Courtney and the rest of the Bonbon staff won our hearts early. My then fiance and I would wake up and instantly crave Bubble and Squeak, one of our very favorite items on the breakfast menu. When the time came to look for a venue for our rehearsal dinner, it was Courtney and Kevin who took the time to listen to our needs and create an evening and a meal we will never forget. I swear, my mother in law talks about her every time we get together! Furthermore, Courtney has created some of the most gorgeous, out-of-the-box cake designs I have ever seen. What an all around asset to our community! By the way, any one ever try to brunch in Chicago or New York? We should jump for joy for the occasional 10 or 15 minute wait we might experience!
We are overjoyed that Courtney & Co. decided to run with a breakfast, lunch, and brunch concept to go with their top-notch pastries and baked goods. It seems like a perfect fit! My partner and I are both residents of the neighborhood, and what we found lacking (outside of dive-diners like Nick’s and the WSM Cafe – which are both good) was a “nice” place to have breakfast or to treat guests when they were visiting us. We sure did find it at Bon-Bon.
I love the Breakfast Special which consists of a good portion of ciabatta bread, maple bacon, and scrambled eggs. It’s a filling meal and includes the coffee (or a beer!). My partner *loves* the Bubble and Squeak and he could go on for days about the roasted brussels sprouts included with that dish. We adore their scones, and the French press coffee is great, although a nice touch may be a separate French press for each table so the coffee is piping hot. We have not had a bad breakfast yet, and are pleased that Bon-Bon is here to stay (for breakfast!)
Sounds to me like she is on something here and just needing to fine tune the menu, mental note to stop in some time soon!!!!!
Wow. Sounds to me like someone who has bit off more than they can chew. In a word, incompetent. Now she’s attempting a Hail Mary pass to right a sinking ship. Some people are artist and some are business-minded and not everyone is capable of blending the two. Because she is women, her neighbors, and customers, are giving her a pass. A man would of been labeled as a bungling amateur and sent packing. Pathetic. Well, the Free market isn’t as forgiving as this relenting scribe, (Trattner). End of summer I predict, she’s gone.
If you are flying a plane through a storm and the wind pushes you off course, you don’t turn around and head back to point “A”, but you make adjustments and continue to the destination. This is a tough business. I have to give props for not blindly continuing, but working to “right the ship”. Taking the plunge and opening Bon Bon was and is a personal and professional challenge. I wish her all good things.
The food is excellent and well priced. Went there Saturday around noon for brunch. Waited fifteen minutes for a table and in another ten I was eating the chorizo special and my wife had the tacos. Both were very good and more food than we could eat. I wanted the croissant after seeing a picture on their website, but was told the were sold out. We bought several desserts for later on. Courtney tells us people line up outside the doors on Saturday and Sunday mornings for the croissants, but she did set some aside for me on Sunday. Totally worth it. The chocolate souffle and chocolate, peanut butter, banana parfait were our favorites of the deserts, but everything was good.
TLDR croissants are the best. The lady has a real gift and I will visit frequently.
Aside from the moronic comments from one anonymous idiot here, everyone I know believes in Courtney, and not because she’s a woman!!! Maybe cause she could outwork all of us, and just wait til we get our hands on those donuts!!!