Bites Nearby: Commonwealth

Commonwealth, 1300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, (248) 792-9766 

It's easy to get bored with diners, coffeeshops and coney islands. How many times can you eat a ham and cheese omelette or a bacon cheeseburger and be completely satisfied? Don't even get me started on the acridness that is diner coffee with its overly acidic lack of flavor. It isn't totally fair to lump  in with these places, but that's only because Commonwealth is so unique.

Places like Commonwealth are few and far between. Open from 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. every day of the week, it is possible to have high quality coffee and made-to-order food focused on locally sourced ingredients almost any time of day.  

Coffee options change fairly often (sometimes daily, in fact).  Commonwealth's website (gocommonwealth.com) is updated with coffee information and tasting notes.  For example, a tasting note might look like "La Ortega Huila, Colombia: A floral cup with pomegranate brightness & a baking spice finish." You might be surprised at these notes, but properly brewed, good quality coffee could have all types of flavors going on.

With a commitment to locally sourced ingredients, the food at Commonwealth is delicious and socially conscious. The fried egg sandwich, for example, has Calder Dairy eggs and Clancy's Fancy hot sauce. Add to that Picconning cheddar, guacamole and mutligrain bread and you have a sandwich that is much more than the English muffin, American cheese and overcooked egg you can get at a drive-thru.

Commonwealth cares about its customers and the local economy.  From carefully brewed coffee to locavore cuisine, Commonwealth is definitely worth a stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner. 

Recommended dishes: Fried egg sandwich, quinoa and roasted vegetables, coffee

Prices: $3-$9.50

Credit cards: All major

Hours: Monday-Sunday 7:30 a.m-7 p.m.