Eat with the seasons at Delano cafe
Date Modified: 02/11/2010 8:05 AM
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Three Crows Cafe and Coffee House
Address: 225 N. River St., Delano, Minn.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
Breakfast specialty: Corned Beef Hash and Eggs for $7.95.
Lunchtime: Soups, sandwiches, paninis, wraps and salads. They also have a kids menu.
Anytime: Coffee, tea, espresso, smoothies and ice cream. Coffee beans are roasted onsite.
Call them at (763) 972-3399
DELANO, Minn. — It was five years ago Feb. 2 that Gina Coburn started Three Crows Cafe and Coffee House on the banks of the Crow River in downtown Delano.
The building was up for sale and it had a kitchen. She had a background in food and an interest in places where people can connect with each other. She decided to dive in and see what happened.
"It's been quite a journey," Coburn said.
She's tried many different things during those years to find the right combo to attract and keep customers. The past two summers were especially challenging because of a detour on Highway 12. She's glad the construction work finished in October.
Before Coburn opened Three Crows, she helped her husband, Brad, with his business while staying home to raise their children.
She also prepared meals in her home on Friday nights for friends and friends of friends. She'd have 20 people at her house three or four Fridays a month in the fall and winter for a secret dinner. People would leave a donation for food and enjoy a respite from a busy week.
"I like to cook," Coburn said. Other people who liked to cook volunteered to cook as well.
It was an outlet for her and for the other cooks. Coburn has nurtured that spirit at Three Crows. People need an outlet, she said. Live music is available at Three Crows two nights a week because people need a place to play and an audience needs entertainment.
Three Crows caters to different crowds with varied events, Coburn said.
Families come in for breakfast on weekends. Businesspeople come in during the week. Those who are musically inclined may take part in the Saturday Jam or for the live music on Thursday and Saturday nights.
They are a popular stop for musicians, Coburn said, because Three Crows has developed a reputation for having a good audience. Everything from bluegrass to jazz is played on their stage. Black-and-white framed photographs of people who've performed at Three Crows fill a shelf running around the dining room.
Their house band, the Jars, plays monthly.
On Feb. 11, Butch Thompson will play at Three Crows as part of their Legends concert series. Dinners are served from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. with desserts and beverage available all evening. They seat about 60 people for a concert.
The walls at Three Crows also feature the art of local artists. Every month, the work of a different local artist is displayed, Coburn said.
When the restaurant started, Coburn was at the cafe all the time. Now, she relies more on her 10 part-time employees. She's still in most every day, and spends Thursday and Saturday in the kitchen.
"It's a huge job, it really is, it takes a lot of time," Coburn said.
She continues to try new things at Three Crows. Pub Nights started Jan. 29. They break out the white tablecloths and wine and offer dinner service from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There's a small menu with three entrees and two dessert choices that changes weekly.
They try to do scratch cooking with local foods and eat with the seasons.
In the winter, they have special soups and in the summer, there are barbecues on the patio.
Coburn buys meat from a local butcher and they make their own breakfast sausage. She'd like to buy local eggs, but hasn't been able to find a producer who can supply their demand.
They make their own jams and make homemade muffins, cookies, scones, bread, desserts and granola.
The cafe has seating for about 40 people for sit-down dinners.
— Janet Kubat Willette