Lunch files: Fresh Freaks
It’s been a while since I busted out a lunch reco. I figured it’s high time I wrote about one of my favorite spots in Brno. Fresh Freaks opened up about eight months ago in a killer location (well, killer for me; it’s right across the street from my apartment). I dropped in the first week and fell in love with the place.
Right when you walk in, you feel a great vibe. Their decor is modern, bright and airy. I love the comfortable cushioned benches and tables made of repurposed pallets. I immediately felt at ease with the relaxed atmosphere. The staff is incredibly friendly and they set the tone for the cafe.
The fantastic atmosphere (and the fact that it’s right across the street) has drawn me to it regularly. It’s been amazing watching a new cafe come to life, grow and mature in front of my eyes. The idea of the cafe is to bring fresh clean food in a nice atmosphere. It has been great seeing them grow into that.
They are challenging themselves every day to come up with unique and interesting choices. We aren’t talking about culinary masterpieces like what you see at Leporelo or Koishi. But they are proving the point that you don’t need to be the most expensive place in Brno in order to offer a fresh take on food.
From the beginning their desserts were lights out. They have the best cupcakes in Brno and their cakes are first rate. They are a perfect location to have a good coffee and dessert. They have a regular menu of quiches and burgers. The burger is fine and the quiches are fantastic, though it seems like they are a work in progress (more on that later).
Their lunch menu is what excites me. Despite only having one daily item on the menu and one weekly salad, I find myself more interested in going there than any other place in the area. My last trip there, they had a chick pea green curry and a Polish leek and egg salad.
We ended up starting with the cream of zucchini soup, then sharing a couple of quiches and a salad. The salad was unique and delicious. The veggies and egg paired perfectly with a great mayonnaise dressing. We also got a beef/red wine quiche and a tomato vegetable quiche. Both of them had strong flavors that were well balanced. The only thing I found lacking were the crusts. This is a double edged sword.
Fresh Freaks decided to go gluten free this year. That is a bold move I’m sure some of you will appreciate. I don’t really buy into the craze, so it doesn’t really matter to me. That said, their crusts and breads are a work in progress. It took a month, but their bread is fantastic again. But I was not a fan of quiche crust texture.
Overall, this is one of my top choices for a bite to eat. It’s a great place to go for a nice lunch, or some beers and snacks in the evening. The prices are on par with the other bistros/cafes sprouting up in Brno and the atmosphere is one all of them should look to match.