When Mary Glessner brought me a freshly baked roll with homemade caramel dripping down the sides, she said she often goes to Valley Dairy on South 42nd Street for rolls on Saturday mornings.
When Susie Shaft came bearing an egg salad sandwich on fresh baguette bread, she said she finds such treasures at Valley Dairy at 4701 S. Washington St.
Although there is a string of seven Valley Dairy Stores in greater Grand Forks, these two larger units have gone over and far above the usual fare of munchies found these days in gas stations. They have become gathering places and quick stops for people on the go.
Tressa Setness, a food manager, says the baking begins at 4 a.m., and there are freshly baked choices for customers who show up early. Along with the regular gas sales, there are often more people who need to eat quickly. They include workers in the city's industrial park not far from the 42nd Street Valley Dairy store.
Setness says many workers who have only a half hour for lunch buzz in for a quick pickup. There is a Hero Sandwich with ham, turkey, salami or taco meat with lettuce, cheese and sauce. They pay $5.19 for a whole sandwich and $3.29 for a half.
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For those who like to linger, there are chairs and tables. The food centers at these Valley Dairy places also are a gathering point for groups who like to visit over coffee in the morning or afternoon.
There are giant muffins and monster cookies as well as caramel rolls inside the big Valley Dairy stores. There are Danish and scones, along with mini banana bread loaves.
And the pride of the menu might be the Norwegian waffles. For $2.99, they come with cinnamon sugar or cream cheese with bacon. They can be topped with ham or cheese. Or, for true Norwegians, there is a choice of Norwegian brown cheese to top of the Norske waffles. The waffles are a local creation of Stine Aasland.
Valley Dairy menus are creative with such features as 99-cent tacos on Wacky Wednesday. There's a Meaty Monday special of two sloppy joes with chips and fountain pop for $6.
The Valley Dairy store across from the Alerus Center on 42nd Street is open from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. It's closed on Sunday.
The store at 47th Avenue and South Washington Street is open at 5:30 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. On weekends, it's open at 7 a.m. with closing at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Valley Dairy Coffee Bar, Bakery & Deli
• 4701 S. Washington St., Grand Forks, (701) 757-1057
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• 1125 S. 42nd St., Grand Forks, (701) 746-1564
Eatbeat Report Card: A wide variety of baked goods along with hot drinks including lattes or cappuccino draw people who are on the move in Grand Forks to the two large Valley Dairy stores. The food is fresh, better than average. The price is right and the service is quick. Novelties include a breakfast pizza. The 42nd Street store is a draw for UND students living in nearby apartments as well as construction workers and others from the industrial area at the west end of the city. The South Washington Street store is a convenient stop for people on the go in the southernmost area of Grand Forks. While Valley Dairy, with seven outlets, is one of the oldest business names in the city, it shows a penchant for keeping up with the times in its larger coffee bars, bakeries and delis.
