4 1/2 stars

It's been ages since I've been to Maplewood (literally the last time was to see Jobs with Michael Fassbender in theaters, which was in 2015), but the minute I got to the downtown area I remembered how insane the parking/driving situation is over here. Weird one-way parking spots, yet two-way streets, and obviously the fact that it was two days before Christmas on a Saturday wasn't ideal. Since I didn't feel like being a creepy parking vulture, I just drove straight through the chaos and parked a few blocks away in a residential area. No drama, more Fitbit steps. Coda was easy to find despite numerous businesses in the area - prominent signage right in the middle of everything.

This is my kind of place, with an edgy/dark interior and gastropub vibes. Despite that, I actually saw a ton of families in there, though Coda doesn't scream kid friendly (not anti though, necessarily). My chum and I secured a high top table in the front bar area right next to the window, which allowed for some primo canine viewing, most of whom were appropriately decked out in knitted sweaters. Tis the season.

I didn't have to browse the brunch menu for very long, and decided on literally the first item right at the top, which was a pretty classic breakfast sandwich featuring egg (sunny-side up for me), cheese, bacon and my favorite bread-like accompaniment, the almighty biscuit. It was very good, though the biscuit was on the drier side (which, coupled with its crumbly nature, is probably why most people don't go down that road). Everything else on the sandwich was top notch. The roasted potatoes were actually TOO seasoned for me, which is a rarity; it drowned out the actual potato. It was also cooked with onion, so they basically doubled down on the flavoring - I would just cut one of those out, and I think they'd be good.

The service was excellent. The place was decently packed and yet our waitress somehow found the time to stop by very regularly and chat for a minute or two each time. Super personable and friendly, and was honestly one of the most pleasant people I interacted with this year in a restaurant (and that's saying something). Unquestionably improved the experience.

My only reluctance to coming back is that nutty downtown area, but I'm not going to blame Coda for that - strong recommend.