A longtime breakfast and lunch destination is in new hands this year, and “we’ve been super busy since the day we opened,” says Nela Shahinllari.
She manages the front of house, while her husband Enzo is the main chef at Dexter Brunch House. Nela, twenty-five, emigrated at age eighteen and soon met fellow Albanian native Enzo, whose family moved here when he was five.
“We are used to working a lot of hours and saving our money so we can reach our goals,” she says, explaining how their restaurant experience and connection with the previous owners led them to buy Dexter Riverview Cafe. They thoroughly refurnished the space and now “we’re there seven days a week, open to close. We take care of our customers, and we’re a family there.”
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Highlights of the revamped menu include various takes on eggs Benedict—poached eggs over an English muffin topped with Hollandaise sauce made fresh daily—including a BLT version and one with chorizo and avocado. Enzo, thirty-two, previously worked at Bode’s Corned Beef House in Plymouth, so the Reuben is a popular pick among the slate of sandwiches.
From caramelized banana French toast, to tiramisu pancakes, to a range of chicken wraps and salads, there’s something for every early-day appetite. “We have regulars now. Every time they come, they want to try something new,” Nela says. “Having a big menu, it helps.”
Favorable online reviews have led to lines out the door on weekends, so Nela says they prioritize staffing to keep service on par with the food quality.
“I come from a family that struggled, so money is not everything for me,” she says. “People being happy, people liking our food, people saying good words about us—that’s all that matters to us. That makes us happy and makes everything easy.”
Dexter Brunch House, 8124 Main, Dexter. (734) 253–2039. Daily 7 a.m.–3 p.m. dexterbrunch.com