Fox in the Snow Cafe — Restaurant in Columbus

Hustling and bustling on a Saturday morning. We were lucky to get a parking spot out front, but the place was jampacked. Play a line at least 20 people deep, we looked around and scared we wouldn't get a seat because nobody seem to be moving. I had mine hold a barstool at one of the counters facing the fishbowl view of the restaurant. The cases were packed just like the parking spots. Lots of beautiful pastries, an amaze balls assortment, really! Plan to wait about 20 minutes or so before they take your order.

A large communal table sat in the center of the cafe. Most other seating was two or four tops. I found a few tables to rudely put their bags in an empty seat next to them. (mind you, there were people standing with their food in hand)

Trays filled with blueberry galettes, pecan and classic glazed cinnamon rolls, brownies, and cookies the size of Big Foots palm. Coffee cake, blueberry scones, many layer biscuits, and fresh fruit pastries. In the way of savory, the only offering I saw is the egg sandwich, with or without candied bacon. So, I got each of us an eggy Sammy with piggy, and for us to split a cream cheese glazed cinnamon roll. Two lattes. And they handed me a number 13 in a stand, and I paid about $32. I thought it odd that they ask for a servers tip in % when you have to grab your own beverage when it's ready and also buss your table and get your own water, and utensils, napkins. They have a runner bring your food... :/ If it was for kitchen staff, they should mark that on the iPad, happy to help out a fellow Chef/ baker.

The lattes were so creamy and not sweet, thank goodness. Copious amounts of silky cream cheese icing top the rolls, and not sickly sweet. Odd, that the cinnamon part was on the bottom of the roll, and cheese on the top. The middle itself was slightly more fluffy than I expected. We should have SHARED the egg sandwiches. Two was too much. The hotel pan made thick egg piece was very tasty, and seasoned well, a bit of creamy salty cheese, chewy candied bacon, arugula and the star of this show really is the bread. SLOW your roll. Evenly distributed airy crumb, crispy crunchy crust, and the chew was perfection. If my mouth had had a microphone, this was ASMR at its core. I had to eat mine with a fork, maybe my mouth is small, or maybe I talk too much. Buttery on the inside and a real breakfast party happening in my mouth. I don't think we ate again...

If you have to pick one place to eat breakfast in all of Columbus, this should be it. I had heard great things about the food here and it did not disappoint. We were here on a Friday late morning in August and the place was still mobbed. There were people sitting inside and outside, literally people everywhere.

However, despite the crush of people, the staff were friendly and pleasant. And I loved the vibe of the place! If not for the continuing ebb and flow and wanting to free up a table for another party, I could have stayed here for awhile. Other notes: Pitchers of water on every table- amazing! And the bathrooms were ridiculously clean, considering how many people were in and out of the cafe.

Now, at last, the food. Oh. My. Goodness. The iced Chai was good as expected. The hubby and I each ordered on pastry and then the same breakfast sandwich (souffled egg). He loved the cinnamon roll, but was not a huge fan of the cream cheese frosting, prefers traditional icing (I loved it and ate some of the frosting by itself). My strawberry diamond was fantastic - recommend trying this for yourself; tender and flaky pastry with strawberry filling.

Finally, the sandwiches! The picture doesn't even do it justice. This is a must-order item! Improbably, it all works: A square of light and fluffy souffled egg, Swiss cheese, candied bacon, arugula, and Dijon mustard all on a ciabatta roll. I love breakfast sandwiches and this one, unexpectedly, was one of the best I have had.

If you are in Columbus, I highly recommend...

Fox in the Snow Bakery, I really wanted to love you, but the experience left me scratching my head. Let’s start with the cappuccino: served in a tiny 6oz cup. Why? Are we rationing milk these days? A proper cappuccino deserves at least 10-12oz to shine, but I guess it was fine—just not memorable enough to make up for the size. Now, onto the pastries, where things got... interesting. The flavors were decent, but the execution felt like a series of questionable decisions. For instance, salted butter in sweet pastries? Bold choice, but not the good kind of bold. It completely disrupted the balance, especially in the chocolate mousse cruffin, which was an emotional rollercoaster. I was promised filling inside, only to find it awkwardly sitting on top. And the texture? Soft, dense, and sadly not the fluffy masterpiece it should’ve been. The biscuit with raspberry jam was another letdown. First off, it was absurdly salty, and the biscuit itself could probably double as a hockey puck. Oh, and the "jam"? Barely there. I had to squint to find it. The blueberry scone was the one saving grace—relatively better than the rest. But the apple open Danish? Good grief, it was drowning in sugar, leaving my taste buds crying for mercy. Overall, Fox in the Snow feels like that overachiever who just tries too hard and misses the mark. There’s potential, sure, but please, less salt, fewer sugar bombs, and a little more thought in the...