I’ve lived in Bloomington for pretty much my entire life, and one thing has never changed: my weekends revolve around Bloomington brunch, which is why I'm always looking for something to spice things up. Enter: The Black Canyon Bakehouse, a welcome surprise among Bloomington breakfast classics.

Sitting just minutes away from the Sample Gates and sprawling restaurants of Kirkwood is the Black Canyon Bakehouse, a new twist on an old favorite. The Black Canyon is the spiritual descendant of the Scholar's Inn Bakehouse.

I’ve eaten plenty veggie Benedicts in the cozy cottage that is the Runcible Spoon and waited hours to get into the Village Deli on a Saturday for a cinnamon roll pancake. I've rode my bike on sunny Sunday mornings to drink the best latte of my life at Hopscotch Coffee while devouring lemon tarts from Piccoli Dolci. 

But I've never had chorizo biscuits and gravy, or sipped mimosas while nibbling on a breakfast flatbread complete with scrambled eggs, gravy, and avocado.

This classy maroon and black restaurant is putting a new spin on what you think of a B-town breakfast joint. I got an inside view from Abby Richey, the Black Canyon's front-of-house and catering manager, to see how they can show us a whole new world (of food, that is).

So, in a town full of breakfast places, what makes the Black Canyon unique?

Abby Richey: I think what makes us unique is how much of what is on the menu is local and made in-house. You can get a good breakfast a lot of places in town, but a lot of what we do is local and that makes it special.

We get our bread from the Scholar's production facility, we grind our meat fresh here, and our kitchen manager, Ishmael Gonzalez, is an emigrant from Mexico so he brings a lot of flavors here that you can't find in most places.

What is your favorite thing to get at the Black Canyon Bakehouse that you can only find here?

AR: Probably the California burrito with steak--there are french fries inside the burrito! Plus, it comes with our verde sauce, something else we make in house, which is this amazing creamy-spicy sauce that you won't be able to find anywhere else. It's really amazing.

Also, the biscuits and gravy has chorizo in it, and I love chorizo (Doesn't everyone love chorizo? Yeah, pretty much!). It's really fun and something special that only we do.

The breakfast flatbread with chorizo is the owner's personal favorite, and Abby says that everyone should try it at least once.

Anything else you would recommend?

AR: You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but the pizzas are really the unsung heroes here. Everything on the pizza is made here (even the dough!) and there are so many different ways that you can customize your pizza, you'll never have the same thing twice. It's really fun to experiment with it.

The burgers are great too, because we grind the meat in-house and have burger specials on Wednesdays.

Okay, important question—pancakes or waffles?

AR: Pancakes, always. I appreciate waffles and I understand why people like them, but pancakes are just so fluffy and heavenly, and they're fun to play around with and add toppings to. We do have some delicious chicken and waffles, though!

What's your favorite pancake topping?

AR: Bacon/chocolate chip pancakes sound weird, but are pretty delicious.

Any recommendations from the coffee menu?

AR: I really like Uel Zing coffee, and the name is right, you really do zing! Our lattes and cappuccinos are classic favorites, though.

What's the best time to come and dine at the Black Canyon?

AR: Well, expect some lines for any kind of parent's weekend, or homecoming, but on a normal day, 10:30 am is a great time to come in. People who come around then usually don't really have to wait--it's out unbelievably fast.

Is there anything on the horizon we should be looking out for?

AR: Oh yes, we have a lot in store. We've got a good menu working for us, and we're going to start putting out new specials, so keep your eyes out for those!

You heard it here, folks--there's something for the Blooming-foodie who is looking to adventure out of their brunch comfort zone and try something new at the Black Canyon Bakehouse, so stop in and smell the chorizo (as long as it isn't a parent's weekend, that is).