Leader

What a cute place! We stopped in because the cafe across the street was too busy. We were so happy we did! The food was so good, everything seemed homemade. With that though be prepared to pay a bit more. The coffee was perfect!
Make sure to check out this shop next door.

Nice place great presentation. Service for the most part was good. Started with 1 and had another lady to help us. Over good experience will most likely go back. Wonton's were excellent little pricey but great taste. If you have never been there I would recommend a visit

Wow, what a delightful surprise. Fabulous restaurant with first class options. Chef McNelley is superb. We had the Chef special with wine pairing. Portions were perfect. We sat at the bar and were able to carry on a conversation with the Chef and watch the food preparations. Not only was the food superb, the staff were so attentive and friendly. I am from Las Vegas and this restaurant is superior to many Vegas restaurants. Prices are so great as well. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Salmon, sourdough, dill, balsamic, and crème fraiche!? I promise ya won't be asking for less. In fact, you'll probably be wonton Smor... ;)

Here's the lineup:
- Salmon Gravlax Smorgas with Cucumbers, Egg, Dill, Crème Fraiche, and Sour Dough bread
- Cranberry Jalapeño Wontons with a Sweet Chili Sauce
- Bluegill Sandwich with Tartar Sauce, Nordic Pickles, and Bacon Cheese Fries
- Baby Back Ribs with Creamed Corn, Baked Beans, and Potato Salad
- Strawberry Cannoli with Whipped Cream

Leader is serving an impressive variety of high-end creations just a short trip north of the cities in Cambridge, MN!

I know it's cliche to say, but everything was excellent. Here's a few highlights
- The salmon appetizer was magnificently balanced. Flavorful salmon, cucumbers, and crème fraiche called out for texture--Enter sliced sourdough, a desirable vehicle for a rich dish finished perfectly with tangy balsamic.
- The wontons would put any store-bought Asian appetizers to shame, and I'm not complaining about that sweet chili sauce!
- Now for a meat-and-greet--Easy to pull off the bone, not soggy with sauce yet still smoky, savory, and tender, I'd call dibs on these ribs with some fresh creamed corn, baked-to-perfection beans, house-made pickles, and standout potato salad any day! But wait... the bluegill will make you wonder sand-which to order next time... hehe! Nothing bad to say about the breading, and terrific tartar sauce makes this main especially memorable
- Bacon Cheese Fries. Need they say more? Absolutely delicious, as the name suggests, not to mention these were some of the better fries I've tried in MN

- And finally, a decadent Cannoli that could rival any high-end dessert. Creamy and subtly crunchy when it needed to be, the sweet strawberry brought back summer memories on a subzero 'sota day

Leader's location, a Restaurant and Apparel/Curated Goods shop in one, has a truly unique aesthetic; the experience is worth the short trip. It's more than fair to say I'm glad I cam(bridge;)

Great old hometown department store. Though not much except clothes now. Restaurant is great but a little on expensive side. Fantastic bluegill sandwich NOT smothered in tartar sauce. The cocktails were very good. Had them bourbon sipper - delicious. Wife had pom rise, good not a great as mine. Service great too

Very clean, modern Scandinavian style design and furniture in the cafe. Food is traditional Minnesota cafe with Scandinavian bases such as the scrambled egg and salmon over a popover with hollandaise sauce that I had. Delicious but mild flavoring/spices. Bloody Mary has homemade pickle juice base that paired very well with the breakfast and provided the otherwise missing flavor in the dish. Finally, cafe meil with very good , strong coffee base and local honey . Nice cinnamon flavor—not just sprinkle. Quiet this morning but open concept likely leads to noisy atmosphere when busy.

Coffee with cream & sugar cubes! How quaint. Delicious Frisco burger and the best french fries I've had in years. Loved the gift shop too.

We have been following a specific waitress for 3 restaurants now. Well she's at Leader. We finally made it in to see her. Jenna has been our favorite for a long time. Her service is always 5 star. And so is the food here. So many delicious options it's hard to decide. I went with 3 appetizers, and my partner had one appetizer and and an entree. We had the popovers and bang bang shrimp for appetizers. Delicious of course. Then we had the blue gill (blue fish?) Sandwich and we also had the wontons, and cornbread. All of it was amazing and complex enough to be different from the norm. The fish sandwich is not something I would usually order but it was so good. The choice of bun and toppings really made this sandwich stand out. The whole atmosphere down to the fine details, staff aprons and they wear their own clothes really added that needed small business touch. We will be back in a few days with company. Highly recommend and I'm looking forward to trying breakfast here!

This place has beautifully made dishes in a town where elevated food almost doesn’t exist. A pure gem. Food was tasty & filling. Bloody Mary was strong and had a unique flavor.

**My only critique is the Hollandaise sauce for the eggs Benedict tasted like butter and needed a little more flavor - the waitress did share with me they are changing up their recipe so it’s a little different than what’s on the menu.

Edit: We tried the dinner menu. My brisket was dry, definitely wouldn’t order again. the filet mignon was on special and was beautifully cooked. Also the kids mac n cheese is the bomb, such a unique flavor and elevated beyond just your standard kids Kraft Mac n cheese

This place is a little slice of heaven. My families favorite place travel to is Laguna beach , a big reason is for their wonderful cuisine and Leaders made us feel like we were back there with the very modern feel of the diner to the diversity of the menu and the delicious coffee choices/ adult beverages. The presentation of each plate is beautiful and when bringing out your tables’ food they use multiple servers vs using a tray or stacking along their arms. This place is classy and their food is as good as it looks. The more peculiar menu items , the more delicious the dish. Everything the chefs pair together works wonderfully together. Can not say enough good things about this gem in Cambridge!!!