Littleleaf Luncheonette could drop into any neighborhood in Brooklyn and feel right at home with its sunny room, exposed brick walls and out-of-the-ordinary menu for breakfast and lunch. The café feels like the kind of place you discover walking through a new neighborhood and slipping in for unexpected dishes you find yourself turning over in your mind days later, wondering how a simple burger or breakfast burrito could taste so different from anything you’ve had.
Instead, the new restaurant is the inspired vision of Mallory Holt, who poured three years into remaking a historic building in Old Town Waukee into what’s quickly become one of the area’s most anticipated restaurants.
Littleleaf Luncheonette, with its adorable fox logo, opened with a short menu of dishes that changed the ordinary tuna melt into a savory memory, the simple steak and eggs into a masterpiece, and the Italian hero into a superhero in its own right.
Set in a former grocery and later an art gallery, Littleleaf’s new home retains story-rich exposed brick, raw details and a distinctly welcoming air. “I didn’t want to paint the brick. The entire time, every single contractor was like, ‘Paint the brick, paint the brick!’ But first of all, it kind of tells the story of the building and how it’s been vacant for so long. And now that everything’s in here, I think it looks better.”
Design touches include a 16-by-8-foot skylight and plans for a glass-enclosed patio that will be open year-round with 30 more seats outside. The former home of Pin Oak Gallery & Gifts retains the exposed brick and former windows now filled with cinderblock, but plenty of windows give it an airy feel. A bar at one side of the restaurant will become a wine bar after Littleleaf, named for a wildflower, settles into its space. Customers can stop at the coffee bar at the entrance to grab a latte, flat white, or cold brew. The flower, a goldfinch and a fox come together in the logo that oozes the charm of the luncheonette.
Holt and Ryan Nicholson thought of those memorable restaurants they found on exploratory trips to source ingredients and future dishes. “There are plenty of bars around, but sometimes you just want a cozy spot to sip coffee, enjoy a cocktail or grab a bite that feels like a little getaway,” Holt said before the restaurant opened.
The restaurant includes a piece of moss artwork made by the Trendy Gardener that is an overhead view of Waukee.
What does ‘Littleleaf’ mean?
And the name? “Littleleaf” is inspired by Iowa’s native wildflowers — and a bit of poetic symbolism. “I have a wildflower meadow at home,” Holt said. “Littleleaf is a flower that thrives in neglect, and we’re bringing life back to an old brick building. It just felt right.”
What’s on the menu at Littleleaf Luncheonette
To call the cuisine here thoughtfully elevated comfort food almost doesn’t do it justice, but those looking for familiar dishes that taste the same no matter where you eat will be in for a delightful surprise. Holt and Nicholson shaped the restaurant, inspired by their travels, personal history and a passion for Midwest hospitality.
“I think almost every single thing on the menu has a personal type of story, even the sausage and peppers,” Holt said of the sandwich, which uses chorizo from a Portuguese deli in Boston. “Almost every single thing has at least one ingredient in it that’s special or something like that background story. It’s not just like putting food out to serve,” Holt said.
The genius behind this menu is the simplicity of the names for the dishes that hide just how good each one is.
Littleleaf puts a creative, personal twist on classics and less-common breakfast and lunch dishes. Ingredients such as miso, smoked sea salt and small-lot jams reflect a deep attention to detail. “If each ingredient is really thoughtfully picked out, it just makes it that much better. Not everyone needs to know all of that stuff,” Holt said. “I feel like that’ll set us apart from other people.”
Breakfast includes French toast, a creative egg sandwich and their “basic toast” with signature butter. For lunch, the tavern burger, grain bowl and that standout tuna salad sandwich headline a menu filled with carefully considered, often locally sourced or personally significant ingredients.
“It’s not pretentious, but more approachable — meet people where they are, but then get them to try something new,” she added. “Anyone can serve you food, but if each ingredient is really thoughtfully picked out, it just makes it that much better.”
A look at the breakfast and lunch menu at Littleleaf Luncheonette
Tuna melt, $18: “We sous vide the yellowfin tuna and then make the spread,” Holt said. So unlike a typical tuna melt made with canned tuna, this uses chunks of fresh yellowfin. Holt workshopped six types of tuna before settling on yellowfin. The sandwich on milk bread has gribiche (a cold French sauce made from chopped hard-boiled eggs, mustard, vinegar, herbs, capers, and cornichons) and pickled shallots, as well as a dusting of kettle-cooked chips for some crunch.
Tavern burger, $18: Holt found the grind for this burger at a bar in Brooklyn. It combines a 45-day dry-aged flank steak and hanger steak for what she calls a “fat boy burger” but steak burger would also be appropriate.
“People will wait four hours in line at this bar (Red Hook Tavern) in Brooklyn. And now we’ve got it on our menu,” she said.
Breakfast sandwich, $14: The sausage in this dish has a hint of ginger. The fluffy steamed egg will make you notice this sandwich from across the room because it’s stacked so high. The miso honey aioli gives additional umami.
French toast, $13: This French toast is made with milk bread with a whipped peanut butter cream cheese that could be mistaken for the peanut butter in a Reese’s. Hazelnut condensed milk and candied nuts go on top. Technically, this is a Hong Kong-style toast that’s thick and fluffy.
Grain bowl, $16: Farro mixes with arugula, apples, red onions, broccolini, avocado, some cheddar cheese and a pistachio pesto for a sweet, savory, crunchy delight. Add chicken for an additional $4.
Avocado toast, $13: Stracciatella cheese makes the difference on this dish that includes pistachios and yuzu kosho vinaigrette on sourdough.
Breakfast burrito, $13: Nicholson spent time in Mexico and New Mexico to come up with the Hatch chili and red and green chili sauces on top.
Basic toast: The basic breakfast comes with either sourdough or milk bread and the house jam. Right now, that’s blackberry basil. Holt calls the butter “life changing.” It comes with the basic breakfast with two eggs any style.
Steak and eggs, $24: This is another dish that seems simple but is very complex. The adobo bavette steak comes with savory charro beans and fried eggs. On the side, the tortillas and a salsa de rajas for making tacos out of the dish.
Chicken and rice, $16: Holt calls this dish a “hug in a bowl” that she turns to when she doesn’t feel well. Filipino rice porridge, a chicken thigh and a 6-minute egg come together in this dish seasoned with shallots, ginger, cilantro, and chili oil.
Italian sandwich, $18: Small touches like tomato butter and pepper jam elevate this dish with mortadella, hot sopressata, ham and stacciatella cheese.
Fried chicken, $16: This five-spice chicken thigh has a zing to it but, for those who like spice, add Sichuan chili for an additional $2.
What to drink at Littleleaf Luncheonette
Coffees are central at Littleleaf Luncheonette, which uses Parlor Coffee out of Brooklyn. A Golden Miso latte for $7 uses miso and caramel with a smoked sea salt for an earthy edge. A baklava latte, also $7, uses honey, Persian pistachios and cinnamon sticks with orange blossoms.
Littleleaf Luncheonette also offers smoothies, such as the $9 Flamingo Milk with dragon fruit, bananas, unsweetened coconut milk, orange juice and vanilla whey, while the Something Green incorporates pineapple, banana, orange juice, spinach and avocado.
An herbal iced tea with lemongrass, raspberry leaf and rose turns blue from the butterfly pea flower.
Cocktails and natural wines are coming soon, with an all-natural, not-your-average-bottle list planned for the future. A short list of wines by the glass includes orange wine, several sparkling options, and reds and whites. A Bottle of the Moment club for $49 brings a seasonal pick with limited availability.
What’s next for Littleleaf Luncheonette
Littleleaf Luncheonette is committed to evolving. A wine bar and tapas concept will launch in the evening once the team is established, possibly by the Christmas holiday season. Holt also wants to hold a wine dinner with Okoboji Wines with Beaujolais in November.
Littleleaf Luncheonette is a creative labor of love — intimate, inventive, and proudly independent — with a heartfelt hospitality focus that makes every meal feel like a special occasion.
Where to find Littleleaf Luncheonette
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Littleleaf Luncheonette transforms Old Town Waukee with elevated comfort food
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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