It's Saturday morning. No alarm, no assignment due tomorrow, no 8:30 class to rush to—just the sun shining through your window as you lie under your cozy comforter.
Brrzzzztttttt.
You reach for your phone. It's a text message from your friend.
Carm in 10??
Your face drops. Just the thought of another plate of liquid eggs and watery oatmeal is enough to make you want to crawl back under the covers and pretend you never woke up. But then you remember reading that article on Spoon University last week...
You fling your blanket off of you and reach for your phone again, frantically scrolling through your website history until you see it: "Where to Get the Best Brunch in Medford, MA". You click on the link. You scroll, scroll, scroll, skimming every line for the name of that amazing little caf—your finger freezes. There it is, in bolded letters.
Tamper Cafe.
Now, whether or not that's how you wake up every Saturday morning, I promise you that after one trip to Tamper you'll have no problem getting out of bed on the weekend. From colorful quinoa bowls to heavenly french toast, Tamper has just about everything you could want on a Saturday morning (or Sunday morning, or Monday, Tuesday, really any day of the week).
Drinks
Tamper has a wide variety of drink options, from your classic cold brew to a sweet chai latte, all of their drinks are made to perfection. Their iced coffee is my go-to. Tip: ask for it without room for milk—you'll want those couple of extra sips. Plus, their coffee has a mildly sweet and balanced flavor, which means you won't even need that splash of half-and-half.
I'm also a huge fan of their chai latte, iced or hot. It's made from real chai tea and it's the ideal sweetness, made with your milk preference. When I order from Tamper, I know I'm getting a fresh brew.
The iced mocha is also a customer favorite.
The Buttery Toast (so good it gets its own paragraph
They serve this perfectly toasted bread slathered with just the right amount of butter that is unlike any toast you've ever had in Medford. The bread is just the right thickness every time and it's always a nice golden brown—crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside.
If you're in a sweet mood, opt for their french toast. Made with thick-cut brioche, and drizzled with local maple-syrup.
And then they have their famous avocado toast, which is a combination of their wonderfully toasted bread topped with mashed avocado and roasted pumpkin seeds:
I typically add a sunny-side up egg right on top and it's the perfect mix of textures and flavors: you get the crunchy-ness of the toast mixed with the nuttiness of the pumpkin seeds, all brought together by the runny yolk and the creamy avocado mash.
As an avocado enthusiast, I love this option because it's something I can't get in the dining halls.
Eggs and More
Although the avocado toast is delicious, my absolute favorite menu item is the warm quinoa bowl.
If you couldn't already tell, I love breakfast—it's easily my favorite meal of the day. And that means I like a nice balanced plate (or bowl) to start my day. I'd say this quinoa bowl is precisely that. It's got kale (for your veggies), quinoa (for your carbs and protein), sauteed mushrooms and onions (for some more veggies), and then I like to add a sunny-side up egg on top for added protein. Oh, and they drizzle the perfect amount of house-made balsamic dressing on top, which really brings all the flavors together.
And then they have what they call the "egg plate". You can't go wrong with the egg plate. You get two eggs, any way you want, that glorious toast, sliced in half, and their well-known potato mash (not-pictured), which is pretty much right in between your classic hash browns and mashed potatoes on the potato spectrum.
And what makes Tamper truly the best brunch in Medford? The prices. All of their food menu items are under 10 dollars, most around $6. Yup, $6.
If you have yet to go to Tamper, I highly recommend you make it your next food destination. Everything on their menu is made with fresh, local ingredients, and it's a delicious, affordable way to change up your dining hall breakfast. It's located right on Boston Ave, so its an easy walk from campus, and it's a great place to either get some work done, or grab a bite to eat with friends.
If you go early enough, you can get one of their sensational chocolate chip scones, fresh out of the oven. Melted chocolate chips and warm buttery dough—it's hands down the best scone I've ever eaten.