Another brief Sunday brunch update, this time from near the Metrodome. The subject: Spoon River, an upscale eatery owned by Brenda Langton (of the famous Cafe Brenda). Its locally sourced, farmer’s market-driven menu dexterously straddles the line between a worldly American brunch and the bland fancy fare usually eaten by the local elite.

A tremendously comforting and wholesome ham-and-cheese omelet boasted a perfect consistency, but lacked flavor oomph; the chopped scallions that topped it were a nice gesture, but not all that effective. Fortunately, a bit of salt and pepper woke the thing up, and it made for a satisfying breakfast.

Warm duck confit salad was executed brilliantly. Rather than shredding the duck, the meat was presented on the bone, to be shredded by the diner; this helped maintain its heat, which made for a delicious contrast with the cool frisee that surrounded it.

The pre-game crowd had depleted the coffee cake and vegetarian sausage, so I went with a chicken sausage patty as an alternative. It wasn’t bad for a circular piece of chicken, but lacked the brash spicing and consistency one normally associates with a breakfast sausage. A browned herb crust was an admirable salute to the idea of breakfast sausage, but it was ultimately just enough like sausage to make you miss the real thing.

All in all, however, a nice selection and pleasant atmosphere; a really solid brunch for when you can’t get down to Barbette, the Swiss Army knife of local eateries.

AN EDITORIAL/MATRIMONIAL NOTE: That was probably my last “Skeptical Diner” entry for the month. I’ll be getting married in Madison next week, and then it’s off to southern Spain, where underseasoned but ultimately satisfactory chicken sausage patties will probably not be among the emerging culinary challenges.