03.14.2010
'wichcraft -
Las VegasPork sandwich
Our first real food destination in Vegas was a lunch at 'wichcraft, Tom Collicchio's sandwich joint hidden somewhere back in the dark recesses of the MGM Grand. The first thing I noticed about the place (other than the line of 20-something photography convention attendees curling out the door), was that the place had a very chain-like feel to it. I didn't know at the time, but after doing some looking I see that there are 7-8 'wichcrafts in New York, one in San Francisco, and one in Vegas. So this is definitely a big operation. And while the food was certainly at least respectable, you could tell that the 'operation' aspect of it overwhelmed the 'Tom Collicchio' aspect of it. In fact, Collicchio's name is nowhere to be seen, be it on the menus, under the logo, or anywhere else a restaurant would usually want to splash the credentials of their celebrity chef owners. Very curious. Anyway, the food: Good, but not terribly memorable. My pork was a little dry and crispy (in a bad way), the cabbage did nothing for it, and the mustard was all sort of on one side of the thing. Libby had a turkey sandwich with balsamic onions and avocado, which I actually thought was much better than mine. And we shared a chicken corn chowder soup, which was surprisingly bland. I mean, from what I know about Collicchio, he's all about fresh, natural, local foods, and letting the ingredients sort of do the heavy work. No fancy sauces, crazy spices, or anything like that. And you could sort of see that in 'wichcraft; the pork, despite being dry, tasted like pork. You could really taste the corn and chicken in the soup. The problem, I think, is that you have 5000 people (Exaggeration? No idea.) coming through those Vegas doors every day, in only a few short lunchtime hours, and their expectations probably aren't terribly high. How are you supposed to keep quality control in check in the situation they're in? All while keeping prices (to their credit) very reasonable. I don't know how much business the New York locations do, but there's no way they pump as many people through as this one. I wonder also if that's why his name is nowhere to be seen.
11.16.2009
3 Tiers -
South MinneapolisMeatloaf sandwich
There are two anecdotal rules to sandwich-craft that I know in my heart to be true. One is that the addition of pickled onions on a sandwich will make that sandwich at least 20% better. The other rule is similar, in that adding horseradish to a sandwich makes your sandwich 20% better. So if we do the math, 3 Tiers has created a sandwich that, even if the meatloaf was replaced with, oh, wet paper towels, we already have a 40% edible sandwich. The fact that their sandwich also contains competent meatloaf and homemade bread (this being a bakery, and all), we're looking at like a 95% sandwich. That missing 5%? A little chewy. A little chewy.
08.10.2010
3 Tiers -
South Minneapolis"Elvis" Cupcake
3 Tiers is now offering peanut butter, bacon, and banana cupcakes. And they are awesome. Take note, trendy hipster cupcake joints: this is the shit you should be doing!
11.23.2008
508 -
Downtown MinneapolisSteak sandwich
Not to be confused with the 112, 331, or 128, the 508 is a bar/restaurant on 1st Avenue downtown. While their usual nighttime clientele is dudes who couldn't get into Drink because it "was too fuckin' busy, but it fuckin' sucks balls anyway," it was pretty quiet on a Sunday afternoon. But let me just say--the food was surprisingly good. I had a steak sandwich, which was sort of Philly cheesesteak style with jalapeno cheese sauce. And the fries were hand-cut garlic fries! Da-umn, 508! Not too bad considering we went there because an ad on KFAN said it was "your downtown fantasy football headquarters."
02.01.2010
A Baker's Wife -
South MinneapolisRolls
Whenever I buy rolls at the Baker's Wife, I am overcome by a clear feeling of guilt. "This shouldn't be so cheap," I think. "They must've made a mistake when they rang me up." It feels like I'm stealing, just walking out the door with caramel rolls and bread pudding I didn't pay for. If they go out of business some day (and let's hope they don't), it's all my fault.
04.19.2012
A Baker's Wife -
South MinneapolisDoughnuts
The City Pages Best of 2012 is here! Finally, we can know what the best of things is! No more guessing! No more opinions! Just facts! I still like reading the list every year when it comes out, I won't lie. But there does seem to be a real randomness to the selection. I suppose they want to let everyone get a crack at being on top, especially the new cool trendy whatever places (cough-bachelorfamer-coughcough). But criticizing a best of list for being snotty is just about the snottiest thing you can do. So I won't. Instead, I'll use this space to give City Pages a big pat on the back for naming A Baker's Wife, for the second year in a row, Best Doughnut. Take that gutter punk art school Donut Collective! Kidding. I like the Donut Collective. Really. But you'd be crazy to deny the perfection of the Baker's Wife doughnuts. Crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle, not too sweet, not too big. It really does hit you with one of those "Oh, this is what a doughnut is supposed to taste like" moments. The only thing better is their ham and cheese croissant, which I hope will someday get a list category of its own.
06.24.2012
Aida -
RichfieldChicken shawarma
Three things to know about this miraculous new (new?) Mediterranean place called Aida. 1.) It's in Richfield. 2.) It's indiscreetly housed in a building that very obviously used to be a Taco Bell. And 3.) After one meal there I'm already prepared to crown it best restaurant in Richfield. Yeah, move over, Joy's Pattaya and, well, Potbelly? Think Shish, but less fussy. And cheaper. And if I dare say it, better? Stray observations: a.) For being housed in an old Taco Bell, they've actually done a good job cleaning it up and making it their own. There's money invested here, it's not some crummy hole in the wall. b.) They offer a homemade hot sauce that the middle eastern guy working there though tI was crazy for getting. "It's so hot outside! I don't know why you'd want it!" c.) A lady came in while I was eating and ordered a gyro for her husband. She said he's eaten there 3 times a week since they opened. He might be crazy, but I'll call that a good sign.
05.20.2010
Al Vento -
South MinneapolisLamb bolognese
It somehow took us 6 months, but Libby and I finally at dinner at Al Vento last night. Yes, I've had it quite a few times before (mostly lunches), but this was our first official dinner there as neighbors. And it was super good. Even better than my bolognese was the blue prawn appetizer we had. Despite the fact that prawns look like freaky little aliens, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Some sort of white bean sauce with citrus. Who knows. It was great though, and respectably affordable. And I spilled all over my shirt, too, so that's cool.
12.21.2010
Al Vento -
South MinneapolisDuck Pasta thing
Al Vento was great, and my ducky pasta was great, and it's all great. But by god Germaine's pork tenderloin dish was unbelievable. Like a big piece of pork candy.
11.29.2010
Alma -
Northeast MinneapolisDuck, etc.
A loverly evening of food, wine, and friendly professional acquaintances at Restaurant Alma. Libby and I had infamously been there before, stuck at the loser table, requests to move to another empty table refused, but the food was great anyway, and they actually sent us a gift certificate to apologize for our cruddy evening, which I still feel guilty about. But the table was much better this time, and the food was pretty much as good. All three dishes I had, lentil salad, chicken ravioli, duck two ways, were solid 8's or 9's on the Steve Just Made This Scale Up Food Judgement Scale. But each dish also had a tiny little issue I could complain about. The salad's cabbage was a little too bitter for my taste. The ravioli needed one more something, and the duck, which was at least the second or third best I've ever had, came with a pear puree that was a bit too strong, and didn't seem to jive with the rest of it. But that's all nitpicking, because really it was all amazing. And best of all, I didn't even have to use my guilt-laden gift certificate!
03.02.2011
Alterra -
MilwaukeeCookie
Speaking of the Milwaukee airport, I suppose I need to also give Alterra its due. From what I gather, Alterra is Milwaukee's big-time hipster coffee chain, one that probably has a lot less cred now than it did 12 years ago. Think Pizza Luce if Pizza Luce roasted coffee. They still have art-school illustrations on their menus, and organic pork in their burritos, but we're still talking operation here. Anyhow, they too have a Milwaukee airport location, and I had a chocolate chip cookie and a peanut butter bar there (on two separate trips... I'm not a glutton!), from Alterra Bakery. And let me just say: they were very, very good. I'm actually excited to stop there once more on my trip back in two days to get another. I can't speak for the quality of their coffee, of course, but I'd imagine it's "fine." (By the way, the Milwaukee airport also has a French Meadow location! What is the deal with the Milwaukee airport!? And an even better question, what is the deal with French Meadow!?)
11.08.2008
Amazing Thailand -
Uptown MinneapolisGreen curry
I finally ate at Amazing Thailand in Uptown last night. I had green curry. It was okay--nothing amazing, but not terrible. The leftovers this afternoon, however, were almost better than it was last night!
09.22.2009
Arby's -
Uptown MinneapolisNot Enough Roast Beef
It's time now for Music And Food And Math. Get out your slide rules. So tonight I ordered a regular roast beef combo, which comes with a small drink and small curly fries. The combo was $5.01. Since I'm never content with a single sandwich, I ordered one additional regular roast beef for something like $2.50. This total comes to $7.50. Already, I'm pissed because Arby's is always about two bucks more expensive than it has any right to be. So then as I'm eating, I'm studying their menu and doing a little math. See, they're offering their 5-for-5 deal right now. That's 5 roast beef sandwiches for $5.00. If you get this deal, you can also get a small drink and fries for $1.00 each. That's $7.00 for five sandwiches, a drink and fries. If you remember correctly, I had just paid $7.50 for two sandwiches, a drink and fries. That is fifty cents more for three fewer sandwiches. Now, if this was a one-sandwich difference, I'd be a little bummed. A two-sandwich difference, and I'd be borderline depressed. But three entire sandwiches? Pure insanity. Shit. I actually went entirely beyond "depressed," and found myself entirely empowered to do something about it. And anyone who knows Steve Marth knows he's not the "empowered" type. So I brought my receipt to the cashier, who clearly had nothing go do, and he actually (albeit humorlessly) refunded me 50 cents and gave me three more sandwiches to go. I don't know whether to be glad that I got the deal, or confused about which ancient Mesopatamian god Arbys' financial officers consult when creating their menu.
07.20.2011
Artopolis -
ChicagoRoast lamb leg
I'm currently staying the night in a hostel above a Greek restaurant in the Greektown neighborhood of Chicago. No joke. So I have to have some Greek food for dinner, right? The running joke about Greektown, as far as I could tell from my brief scans through Chowhound, is that all the restaurants in Greektown share the same kitchen. They're all apparently good, but just very similar. And walking down the street here, I really get that vibe. Lots of white table cloths. Lots of blue and white. Lots of logos designed around 1988. The one I chose, Artopolis, is supposedly a newer, fresher take. It actually touts itself as a bakery, and the best comparison I can make is French Meadow. It has both a bakery counter and full dining service. It has a big menu with everything from light sandwiches to full entrees. It has many deserts. And most of all, like French Meadow, I ordered the most expensive thing on the menu and it was... okay. I was expecting a bone-in lamb shank, and got slices. And they were a bit dry. But the sauce, a light tomato and mint based number, was great, as were the roasted vegetables (squash, zucchini, and red pepper? Get original, Artopolis!). I had a desert, as well, a sort of lemon custardy thing inside a phyllo dough shell. It would've been great if it was chilled, but they... microwaved it?. As far as I can tell, they did. So Artopolis did everything they could to ruin my meal, and I probably payed about $5 too much, but I still left satisfied. Now if only this hostel would turn their AC up a bit!
01.26.2009
Axel's Bonfire -
St. PaulBeef brisket sandwich
I don't want to turn this website into an annoying outlet where I complain about chain restaurants (see post below), but the subject is necessary to bring up when talking about Axel's, since it is slowly become a huge chain around the Twin Cities. Now, I've been to the Grand Avenue location (the first one, I think?) a handful of times, and I've always liked it, though I couldn't tell you what I've even eaten there in the past. So it hasn't left much of an impression. But this weekend we went there again and I had the "Cowboy brisket sandwich", which was beef brisket and a spicy sauce and poblano pepper. And it was great. The brisket was very well cooked, and lean, which is surprising for brisket. And how often is a sandwiched topped with a poblano pepper? It sounds so simple, but it really made the thing. Libby had a walleye benedict (best of both worlds for her), and also really enjoyed it. So at this point, I'm all for Axel's taking over the suburbs. I welcome them, even. And you just watch, because I'll bet the Chatterbox is right behind them.
10.07.2010
B&B Grocery -
Des MoinesPork tenderloin sandwich
I can't think of anywhere in Minneapolis that I can safely compare to B&B Grocery Meat and Deli. Imagine walking into a nasty old corner convenience store (on, say, 35th and Chicago), and then noticing there's a full-on butcher shop hiding in the corner. And then you go to that corner and find that they serve homemade deli sandwiches with their own fresh meat. And then you order their breaded pork tenderloin sandwich (because it's Iowa, right?) and it's the size of a frisbee. And it's on a crappy white bread bun with a slop of ketchup and mustard, and a couple pickles. And not only does it manage to not be a greasy, gross mess, but it's actually quite satisfying. Plus, you can buy some autographed baseball cards on your way out.
12.05.2012
The Bachelor Farmer -
Downtown MinneapolisGrilled venison
It has all led to this, hasn't it? This Bachelor Farmer place has built up more hype and goodwill than any restaurant I can remember opening in the (relatively few) years I've been paying attention to such things. New York Times articles, visits from the goddamn President. And just a general sense I've had that people, starting this summer, have been sizing each other up in secret by asking them whether or not they have, or have not, yet been to the Bachelor Farmer (it has a secret bar, The Marvel Bar, in its basement, you know. I'm sure you've been there, of course!). Well up until today (my birthday), I was one of the Have Not Beens. But now I have. Been. And I get what all the hype is about. But I also don't. Based on the food we had tonight (rutabaga apple soup, beef tartare, grilled venison with parsnips, riced potatoes, some kinda Scandinavian fish called "walleye"), I'm impressed for sure, but not any more impressed than I've been with a large handful of other "good" Minneapolis restaurants. Heartland, 112, the Craftsman, Victory 44, Red Stag, Alma, the list goes on. Trust me, it was as good as most of those places, but certainly no better. So why the epic poems and ticker tape parades? I don't know. But I can tell you that, beyond the food, it is a very pleasant dining experience. The decor is all cool and design bloggy and wareshouse districty, and very nice. The service was better than a lot of other places, in that the wait staff was very low-key, yet entirely attentive and helpful (you never felt like you were invading their turf, which is a feeling I get way too often at some joints). So, I don't know. It's great. It's expensive. It's doing nearly everything right. But there's no need for anyone to get their trosor in a knut.
09.07.2012
Bagu -
South MinneapolisSushi
Despite my deep seeded fear of fish, I like sushi. And despite my liking of sushi, I am pretty much wholly unable to discriminate between good sushi and great suhi (or for that matter, bad sushi). Kowalskis or Lunds deli sushi, sure! Expensive downtown Nami or Origami sushi? Absolutely! They all taste the same to me. But good-same! So take this review with a grain of salt (although I'm probably not even going to review the food itself). But after seeing the fantastic documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" the other night (it's on Netflix! Go watch it!), I was dying to eat some raw fish and vinegar rice. So our choice was Bagu, over on Chicago, near Pepitos. And it was good. How good? I don't know. But I liked all of it. Happy hour prices were a LITTLE steep (we ended up paying $45 for dinner for two... so...), but I didn't leave hungry, and I was totally satisfied. Also, they have a good handful of Thai dishes and curries as well, so there's always that option. My point is, I'll go there again, for sure.
05.03.2013
Bangkok Thai Deli -
St. PaulStir fried basil duck
The Bangkok Thai Deli has the same menu as Krung Thep, the same owners, the same quality, but is located inside an old (barely renovated) Burger King on University Avenue. It's well worth a visit. Just remember to take those little red pepper symbols in the menu very, very seriously.
08.03.2009
Banh Thai -
PlymouthPanang gai
Back when I was a bratty little snot-nosed loser kid who didn't like Chinese food, there was this Chinese restaurant next to Marcellos in the Four Seasons Mall (the magnetic epicenter of all the sadness in the northwest suburbs*). The only memory I have of being in there involved me ordering a cheeseburger, which tasted funny because it was probably coated with MSG and cooked in a wok. Now, 20 years later, that creepy little Chinese place is a creepy little Thai place. It was unflatteringly decorated and completely empty. And the chicken curry was the best I've had in over a year. I'll make no claims of this being some hidden gem in the middle of a half-abandoned strip mall, as the menu looked a little boring, and Libby's pad thai was fairly unexciting. But I will say that, well, this place is actually worth investigating if you're north of 394. High praise.
* Libby would claim that the Down In The Valley location in Crystal truly holds this title, but I think since there's an Axe Man and Half Price Books within spitting distance, that the Four Seasons takes the cake.
08.24.2010
Bar Harbor -
NisswaCheeseburger
My new least favorite thing at restaurants: secondary menus. Bar menus, pub menus, patio menus, whatever. I had a lame experience at Mabel Murphy's in Fergus Falls a few weeks back, where I was sitting in the "pub" section of the restaurant, where they give you a different menu than the dining room. In that case, they at least let you order off the main menu if you ask for it, but they definitely didn't go out of their way to let me know that before I ordered off the pub menu. And now, up at Scott's cabin, I got to order from a "patio menu"! (We were sitting on the patio, you see). This time, with my Fergus Falls experience fresh in my mind, I smelled that something was up, and asked about the dining room menu. And they said 'yes,' they did have one, but we weren't allowed to order from it on the patio. Ugh. So I got a bacon cheeseburger, I guess, and it wasn't great and was very expensive. But at least we were on a patio, lesser customers or not.
12.05.2010
Bar La Grassa -
Downtown MinneapolisPasta
Everything you've heard about Bar La Grassa is true. And such large portions!
01.16.2009
Barbette -
Uptown MinneapolisDuck breast, sea bass
Had dinner at Barbette tonight. I ordered the duck breast special (with sweet potato stuff, bok choi stuff, and cranberry-kumquat chutney). It was okay, but a little disappointing. Halfway through, I switched with Libby, who had some sort of sea bass dish with curry muffins and yogurt sauce. Or something like that. It was also okay, but a little disappointing. That makes 3 meals I've eaten at Barbette now, and every one has left me feeling okay, but a little disappointed. I have no particular complaints, I just wasn't really excited by any of it. But, I had a couple bites of Libby's appetizer, which was better than okay and not disappointing in the least. In fact, it was downright surprising. Two wild rice pancakes with cranberries, topped with real maple syrup and three seared scallops and some green herbs. I never would've considered pairing scallops and pancakes (classic breakfast pancakes, not some fancy fennel and squash Top Chef bullcrap), but they tasted perfect together. Not terribly dissimilar from pancakes and sausage. But the texture and herbs took it out of breakfast land and into "Holy crap, I could eat this all day"-ville.
07.19.2009
Barbette -
Uptown MinneapolisFrench toast
Barbette is currently winning the "Best French toast in town" contest that, until this morning, didn't even exist. Someone tell Sunny Side Up that it's on.
07.26.2009
Barbette -
Uptown MinneapolisBison ribeye
Everyone is surely at the edge of their seat to see what I'll write about the ribeye special at Barbette Thursday night. So for the sake of being a contrarian jerk, I'm just going to link you to a photo of a barbette hat.
02.04.2009
Barrio -
Downtown MinneapolisTwo tacos, soup
Barrio, from what I gather based on their "totally sweet tattoo, bro" brand aesthetic, probably isn't much fun at any point after 6pm, at least for someone who does not own any hair gel. But since I've heard lots of good stuff, I gave it a shot for lunch this afternoon. They do their menu "tappas style", meaning (based on my extensive knowledge of Spanish) a bunch of small, cheaper dishes, and a few large expensive ones. I decided to splurge a little, and go with two tacos (one carnitas, one potato and chorizo) and a bowl of corn chowder. The tacos were both above average; the potato and chorizo was the better of the two, tasting downright foreign (I wonder if it was more "South American" or "Spanish" than "Mexican", because it certainly had a different taste than I'm used to). The corn chowder, however, was a big soupy bowl of cream and cheese, and not much else. Very disappointing. Really, the tacos would've been enough for a lunch, and at $3.50 a piece, it's a pretty good deal. But the soup was way too expensive, and not nearly worth it. In the end, I'd go back there for lunch, perhaps, but for dinner I don't know if it would be worth fighting off the crowd who see the words "tequila bar" as a good thing.
11.07.2010
Barrio -
Downtown MinneapolisTacos
I still like Barrio just enough to occasionally come back. But even their happy hour prices seem just a bit too high. And the red mole chicken wings were juuust a little too bland. I just wish there was a happy Mexican medium between Barrio and Masa downtown. And that's just about it.
09.10.2010
Betty's Pies -
North shoreEggs, hashbrowns, pumpkin pie
I'm sure there are people out there who scoff at Betty's Pies. "It's phony." "It's too big." "It's just not what it used to be." To which I say: Chill out. It's great. And you're not what you used to be either.
06.26.2011
Big Daddys Barbeque -
St. PaulPulled pork, rib tips
Big Daddy's, on the corner of University and Dale in a skanky little corner of St. Paul, won "Best Barbeque" in the City Pages Best of 2011 this year. Good for them. But as I've discovered, opinions about barbeque are even sketchier than opinions on politics. Everyone has their own dogma, everyone has their own expectations, and everyone is just so goddamn sure they're right. I'll read four reviews a BBQ joint and not even be sure they're writing about the same place. I'm as guilty as anyone, defending Ted Cooke's like it's the fucking Ron Paul of barbeque. But just as many people eat Cooke's and say, "meh, not as good as Roosters," or "That's not barbeque! It's all sauce!" Seriously, what other cuisine has people staunchly arguing about its very definition? ("It's about the meat!" "It's about the sauce!" "It should only be smoked!" "It should be smoked then grilled!" "Pickles are for socialists!") Anyway, my point is that from here on in I'm not going to go into new barbeque joints with expectations, like I did today at City Pages Award Winning Big Daddy's. And it worked, because despite me not thinking it's the "best" I've had, it was certainly not bad. The pulled pork was a little thin and seemed to have been sitting for a while, but it tasted good and was still somewhat juicy. Plus they served it with pickles! Score! I could easily imagine someone complaining about them because of this or that, but screw it. I ate it and enjoyed it. Cole slaw: good enough. Baked beans: unique. And delicious. On my way out, I grabbed a to go order of rib tips (because how can I judge a place without eating the ribs?), and they were perfect. I'd imagine the ribs here are excellent based on the tips, and I'd definitely order them next time I'm there instead of the sandwich. The sauce is good, but nothing special. They serve everything dry, however, and claim on their website that sauce "is only used to cover up mistakes." I disagree. And the cycle continues.
03.22.2010
Bill's Garden -
South MinneapolisGeneral Tsos
We stopped getting Bill's at work a year or so ago after, well, I don't even know what. But after having it for dinner (and leftovers) this weekend, I really think that Bill's is sort of the best cheap/crappy Chinese place in the vicinity. Plus they sell big glass dragon statues and furry tiger ornaments! Can Xin Wong say that? 绝对不会!
03.11.2011
Black Sheep Pizza -
Downtown MinneapolisPizza
An hour long wait, an hour of the booth next to us having a WWF-level argument about the pros and cons of union labor (see, the guy in the flannel shirt and baseball cap thought unions are the protectors of the American Dream, and the guy in the sweater and shiny shoes thought they're literally destroying the country), potentially awkward run-in with clients. Black Sheep was truly a powder keg this evening. Let me tell you, even the most minor problem with the food would have sent me over the fucking edge. But by god they did it; Black Sheep put together a pile of food that, from the bread and marinara to the mushroom and rosemary pizza, satiated everything inside me that otherwise would've led me to punch someone in the head. Oh, and 1919 Root Beer on tap. We can all agree on that, right?
11.29.2010
Blackbird -
South MinneapolisBanh Mi
The new Blackbird! Now open! In the awkwardly placed, middle-of-where? location of 38th and Nicollet. The space is big and nice, albeit a tad less charming than their previous spot. But at least this one isn't buried underneath a pile of wet, smoky ashes. Always a plus. Anyhow, the banh mi was totally respectable. Certainly hardier than a cheap one you could get at a Vietnamese deli, although over twice the price. Libby had a spicy peanut noodle salad, which was also delicious, but a bit heavy--oh god. Here I go complaining about something again. Blackbird was good. I'll be back. There.
03.10.2009
Guest Post by Libby
Blackbird Cafe -
South MinneapolisBLT
I'd like to give a quick shout out to my favorite corner cafe, Blackbird. It's right next door to work and for that I am thankful because I often have very good lunches and too many fries. I will probably write a post about every delightful meal I've had there (The Longhorn beef brisket! The flatbread pizza! The Mister Crunchy!) And everything's made from scratch. But let's focus on the most recent, shall we? Today I had the BLT for the first time (the re-added it to their menu recently) and it was dee-lish all Rachel Ray style! Delicious and simple: Good bacon, crispy lettuce, creamy mayo and what sets it apart - tomato chutney. God, I should've gotten their tomato basil soup instead of fries! This just came to me now, but I have no regrets. I just know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow.
04.23.2013
The Blue Door -
South MinneapolisConey Baloney Blucy
I'm on board with this new Blue Door location. It's a little large and charmless, at least compared to the small and charming St. Paul location, but at least you don't have to sit on a stranger's shoulders to wait for a table. And their current Blucy of the Moment, the Coney Baloney (topped with onions, chili, mustard, and fried bologna), is the second best burger I've ever had there, after St. Paul's unbelievably good french-dip-style one (which isn't available in the Minneapolis location. Frowny face). It might be the first time in my life I've ever enjoyed bologna.
04.27.2009
The Blue Door Pub -
St. PaulCajun Blucy
We finally got around to getting all the way inside the Blue Door, which I've heard nothing but good things about. From everyone. In the world. But once you've actually eaten one of their Juicy Blucys (get it?), it's obvious why this place has already completely outgrown its space. It's good. Really good. I got the Cajun Blucy, which has jalepeno and pepper jack inside of it. Even if it wasn't stuffed, it would be a fantastic burger. So, as always, the question becomes: "How does it compare to Matt's"? And my answer is a total cop out. They're both extremely good, but it's like comparing boxing to ultimate fighting. The Blue Door's burger was big, exciting, perfectly cooked, and comes with a variety of stuffing options. But Matt's lucy's are classic. No frills, fried onions, cheap buns, but they taste so perfect you just want to cry. The Blue Door may be a big bloody UFC championship match, but Matt's is still the sweet science. Now someone just tell the Blue Door to build a damn waiting area.
10.11.2009
The Blue Door Pub -
St. PaulJiffy Burger
The Jiffy Burger seemed like one of those things that sounds gross but then you try it and have your mind blown. Seemed like. In actuality, it tasted like a burger with peanut butter on it. Nothing more, nothing less. The bites with pickle actually weren't too bad, but the pickle distribution on this particular burger wasn't what it should've been. It certainly wasn't bad enough to alter my opinion of The Blue Door (which is high), but I think next time I'll steer clear of anything that mixes peanut butter and beef and City Pages recommendations.
01.22.2011
The Blue Door Pub -
St. PaulPastrami Blucy
I want to speak to you not about the quality of my lunch at the Blue Door (which was good but heavy on the cream cheese and not as good as previous Blue Door burgers I've eaten), but about the their capacity issues. We were lucky enough to get there at 11:15 and get the last open table without waiting, but holy (stuffed) cow, did it get busy quick. Which was no surprise, because it's pretty much always busy. And it's so tiny that people have no choice but to stand in between tables, guts all up my grill. Plus the fact that it's like 7 below out today, and people are standing there with the door open while there's a table full of people trying to eat about 4 feet away, forced to wear their winter jackets and hats just to enjoy an above-average burger (not us, but still...). You can't blame the Blue Door for being wildly successful, but cheese louise! Short of commandeering the back end of the Mall of St. Paul next door, something has got to be done. Because scarfing down food while two dozen hungry people give you the stink eye is charming at a place like Al's Breakfast, but it does not benefit the Blue Door.
01.22.2011
The Blue Door Pub -
St. PaulPastrami Lucy
SOLUTION! After posting the post below, I took all of 30 seconds and solved the Blue Door's capacity issues. They should switch spots with Taste of Thailand! Perfect, right? They get bigger, Taste of Thailand gets smaller, and they'd only like a block down from where they are now. Everybody wins. Commence!
04.30.2011
The Blue Ox -
BurnsvilleMeatloaf sandwich
"Do you love chaos? Do you hate taste? Do you long for undisrupted vistas of the Sears Auto Center off the frontage road of the Burnsville Mall? Well then come on down to the Blue Ox Sandwich Shop! It's food!"
And now that I'm done making fun of them, I'll at least throw them this bone: They're trying. Someone independently decided to open their own sandwich shop in the middle of Burnsville's shopping center nightmare world. You have to give them some amount of credit. But credit can only go so far. Maybe we'll try it again some time (there are only so many non-Subway options around the Burnsville Unique, after all).
06.12.2012
BLVD -
MinnetonkaLamb flatbread, wings
The first thing you'll notice about BLVD is that you don't belong there. And if you do belong there, you're probably not reading this blog. I did the math. The second thing is that BLVD really, really doesn't want you to remember that it used to be a Don Pablos, and that it's next to a Michael's and an Office Max and a Dick's Sporting Goods, and that you can see 394 from there and that you're only an 8 iron away from a Great Clips. Nope. You're in the big city! The big. city. In a fancy place. See, there's some subway tile! And there's some mini antlers all over a wall! And one of the menu items even says "organic." Ooh la la! And the worst part of all is that I can't complain about the food. Nuts.
09.10.2010
Bob's Smoke Stack -
ElginRibs
So one thing lead to another and Libby and I are sitting in what is supposedly the best barbeque place in Minnesota. This is according to the already-debunked list compiled by Minnesota Monthly, of course, but what harm could it do to try? The story of Bob's is an inspirational one, but one that I will not relate here, lest it get in the way of my honest opinion about the smoked meat and sugar sauce served by Bob. And that opinion is this: Good, but can't compete with Ted Cooke's (or Rudolph's, for that matter). It was definitely better than Louie's Bucket Of Bones (the magazine's #7 choice), having the fall-off-the-bone tenderness that those ribs sorely lacked. But they were too fatty, and even though they were rubbed, didn't taste like much. The sauce was decent (again, better than Louie's), but didn't really have an attitude of its own. It may as well have been Heinz. Okay, fine, a little better than Heinz. But without sounding like a broken record, I've yet to taste any barbeque in this state that is on the same level as ol' Teddy boy's. I think I'm going to make it a goal for the winter to at least find a competitor.
03.14.2010
Bouchon -
Las VegasBread pudding french toast
We ended our Vegas trip with breakfast at Bouchon. Usually I'd imagine a place like Bouchon being a little too upscale for dirty old me, but I'd read their breakfasts were casual and reasonably priced. And Thomas Keller is sort of a deity to some people, the French Laundry and whatnot. Okay, deal. So we traveled up to the 10th floor of the Venetian, away from all the hubub and inanity of the strip, and found ourselves actually in what seemed to be a real, honest-to-god restaurant. Not the Vegas caricature of the "real" Bouchon, but what could honestly just be considered "One of three real Bouchons". It wasn't huge. It wasn't glitzy. The waitstaff was friendly and courteous. And the food, despite not really being my 'cup of tea' was all tremendously crafted. I ordered "Bouchon French toast," which was more like a bread pudding with custard and apples. A little too sour and mushy for my tastes, but you could tell it was correct. Libby liked it a lot more than me. She had some egg bake thing, which was also delicious. Top that off with some great potatoes, house-made blackberry jam, and unquestionably fresh orange juice, and you've got yourself an truly respectable French breakfast, all for the same price as the stupid buffet in your "French" hotel (who make you wait 10 minutes for a table even though you can see, as clear as day, at least 7 open tables within 30 feet of you, but they keep you waiting just so next time you'll pay 5 bucks extra for "VIP" seating, those jerks!).
11.20.2012
Bradstreet Crafthouse -
Downtown MinneapolisChicken and waffle sandwich
This is totally unfair to write anything about Bradstreet Crafthouse, considering all I ate was a single (a la carte small plate) fried chicken and waffle sandwich, and technically wasn't even in the Bradstreet Crafthouse. Instead, we were upstairs at Cosmos Ultraswinglounge (or so I assume it's called), because Bradstreet itself was too busy to get a seat after Saturday night's (awesome) Aimee Mann concert. (Parentheses). But the point is, here's this chicken and waffle sandwich with maple glazed bacon on their late night small plate menu, and who do you think I am? Of course I'm ordering that. It gets 5 stars for simply existing, but it let me down. Too dry, too coarse, too dense, not enough maple, you name it. So as of right now, Uptown Cafeteria still holds the title of Best Chicken And Waffle Anything In the Cities, and I don't need to go to Bradstreet Crafthouse anytime soon.
05.22.2010
Brasa -
St. PaulBeef and chicken
It is believed that about 1.8 million years ago, random genetic mutations in a series of generations of Homo Erectus (or, arguably, Homo Antecessor) led him to find himself with a larger brain and smaller teeth than his ancestors, which in turn led him to heat his food over fire in order to more efficiently chew and digest it. Some scientists may argue the timeline of this genetic and behavioral shift, many believing that it happened closer to 700,000 years ago, while many others, mostly those of a hard-line Christian faith, believe man was placed on this earth with inherent and unquestioned knowledge about the cooking of our food only 4,000 years ago by a singular, omnipresent creator. And now we have Brasa.
10.07.2009
Brits Pub -
Downtown MinneapolisShepherds Pie
After spending nearly five hours in the emotional gauntlet of Wednesday night's baseball game, and coming out on the side labeled "Euphoric," I decided to stay downtown for a while and treat myself to some food. I ended up going to Brit's (because how better to celebrate America's Pastime than with the food of the British Isles?), where I seated myself and waited about 10 minutes before going up to the front and alerting them to my presence. 5 minutes after that a very uninterested bloke took my order, very uninterestedly. I went with the shepherd's pie, this being Brits and all. It wasn't very good. In fact, I would actually characterize it as "Completely lame." I've only had shepherd's pie once before, so for all I know this was the world's most perfect plate of pie. But as far as I'm concerned, The Local's version is far superior. But in the end, despite the terrible service and only slightly better food, I didn't care one bit, because I had just witnessed The Greatest Game In American Cricket History.
12.03.2012
Broder's Cucina -
South MinneapolisSpaghetti
I hear Broder's Cucina is expanding into another space across the street. Don't they know I like it just how it is? How dare they.
11.04.2009
The Bulldog -
Uptown MinneapolisThe Southern (something) Dog
Pinto beans. Cole slaw. Bacon bits. Cajun seasoning. On a hot dog. I don't know who conceptualized this thing, but I think it works.
03.14.2010
Burger Bar -
Las VegasBurger
My problems with Burger Bar are 3-fold.
1. The make-your-own burger concept. This place is the brainchild of Hubert Keller, a legitimate French chef who thought it would be fun to have a burger place. So why is it that there are only like 3 pre-composed burgers on the menu? Why would I be left to choose my own burger's ingredients when a guy named Hubert could've done it for me!? The guy won the burger challenge on Top Chef Masters, for cripes sake!
2. For the price, it really wasn't all that great. I built my burger with organic beef, prosciutto, provolone, and a red wine reduction. It cost me $20 bucks. The sauce tasted fantastic on its own (it would be great on a duck breast or lamb shank or something), but you could hardly taste it on the burger. It was just overwhelmed by everything else. Even the prosciutto sort of disappeared under all the beef. And the fries. They were just pre-made standard sports bar fries, but like $4. Can't you make some real french fries!? Just cut some potatoes and fry'em up! Maybe soak them in malt! I don't know, do something! I understand they're going for the whole "no BS sports bar" schtick, but the fries just seemed cheap. And the cole slaw literally tasted like nothing. Not even worthy of discussion. But speaking of the sports bar thing...
3. The atmosphere.. Awful. Just awful. Again, I'm sure they're just going for the "fun times sports bar" thing, but the interior of this place is just plain lame, especially for Vegas. Like a sub-TGI Fridays. You could pick up the place and move it into downtown Minneapolis and it would still be lame. So consider that's now in the glitz and glamour and over-the-topness of Vegas, and you wonder who ever approved of any of it. Oh, and the logo is horrible and all the waitresses were over-tanned, low pantsed, bitchy skanky Vegas chicks. They selled Burger Bar thongs! What!?
Don't get me wrong. The burger wasn't necessarily bad. The place was just so disappointing that it actually made me mad the more I dwelled on it. Ugh.
06.14.2009
Burger Jones -
Uptown MinneapolisBacon cheeseburger, chili
After months of anticipation, I finally ate at Burger Jones this afternoon. And while it didn't exceed my expectations, it also didn't fall short. So that's something. The first thing to point out is to be very careful ordering. They really nickel and dime you with extras ($2.99 for a side of fries? Really?), and once you get a malt and an appetizer, you're looking at a very pricey meal for a burger joint. That said, everything we ate was worth the hefty pricetag. The chili was short rib chili, and obviously fresh and homemade. Not quite as good as the Loon's, but definitely in the same league. I just ordered a bacon cheeseburger, which is terribly unadventurous for a place like this, but I wanted to start basic and move up over time. When it came, I was a little disappointed that it had no pickles or onions. But then the waitress showed up with a bowl of homemade pickles (and pickled onions) which made the burger. I usually don't like sweet pickles, but these things were from some other world, and I can't even begin to guess what made them so great. There was almost a hint of apple cider in them. Who knows. Either way, these pickles are the key to making Burger Jones burgers worth the extra couple bucks you're paying for them. Overall, I'm excited about the potential this place has (the menu has plenty of options on it to keep you coming back). They'll definitely see more of me this summer, that's for sure.
07.08.2009
Burger Jones -
Uptown MinneapolisBison burger
While, after three visits, Burger Jones has yet to entirely blow me away, tonight's bison burger was the best I've had so far. Only $15 to go until I get $10 from my Parasole Dining Club card! (Why they didn't call this the "Frequent Fryer Club" is beyond me).
05.13.2012
Burger Jones -
Uptown MinneapolisPulled pork hot dog
For the crime of not living up to some make believe and ill-defined standard which I decided to create for it, Burger Jones had been off my list for the last two years or so. I never hated it, or even disliked it, really. It just never seemed worth the trouble. So this weekend I decided to give it one more shot, and did so without even ordering a burger. I know, right? Enter, the "Pitbull". A grilled hot dog topped with barbeque pulled pork, cole slaw and fried pickles. I'd been too focused on their burgers to notice this on the menu in the past, but I made no such mistake this time; they may as well call this thing the Steve Marth dog. And it didn't let me down. Each individual element tasted just how you'd want it, between the dog itself (split, then grilled), the pork (with a nice vinegar sauce), the fried pickles (not the best I've ever had, but perfectly fine), and the cole slaw (cole slaw-y), and the result was pretty much exactly equal to the sum of the parts. It came together just like I hoped, but didn't reach much higher. But, you know, I'll take it. Burger Jones still seems somehow not quite right, but I feel good enough about it to take them off my shit list for the time being.
05.07.2010
Burger King -
South MinneapolisCinnabon(tm) cheesecake
Bite #1: o-kay!
Bite #2: o...kay...
Bite #3: o-kaaaaaaaaaay?
Bite #4: ohhhhh. kay.
09.21.2010
Burger Moe's -
St. PaulBacon cheeseburger
Oh, I get it! It rhymes with "Burger Joes"! Was that on purpose? It'd have to be, right? Anyway, it was a fine but not amazing burger on west 7th in St. Paul. While the burger was just okay, the patio makes up for it. Clearly it used to be some sort of Italian-something-or-another restaurant, and they spent a lot of time and money on the patio. Gardens, ivy, an old brick 'patio bar', fire pits to keep you warm. The ambiance is very nice. Way too nice for a place called "Burger Moe's."
11.12.2009
Busters -
South MinneapolisBeer braised beef sandwich
Ignoring, for a moment, the time that I ate their chicken wings and soon after found myself violently hurling by a tree on the parkway, I've never had a bad meal from Busters. Unfortunately, I've never had an amazing meal, either. They have a great menu, in theory, but in the end there's always just that little wisp of disappointment, that feeling that there's something just not... quite... right. But they're only a couple blocks away from the new house, and they have elk pizza. So I'll be back.
12.04.2009
Busters -
South MinneapolisButt steak
Finally, a fully satisfying meal from Buster's. A butt steak (not sure what that means, but I can guess) wrapped in bacon and leaks and served on top of garlic mashed potatoes. I'm starting to think the entree route is the way to go at this place, since every sandwich I've had ends of making me a little sad inside.
01.01.2010
Busters -
South MinneapolisBrunch
Asian pork soup: amazing. Beer braised beef sandwich: dry (again). Breakfast burrito: tasty, but greasy. Steak eggs benedict: undercooked, but still delicious. Omelette: Apparently good, because Jake actually showed signs of happiness and appreciation. All in all, quite impressed by Busters' brunch menu. But there was a curious lack of pancakey, french toasty, sweet flour-based breakfast items. And they still need to work on their grease levels.
06.20.2009
Busters on 28th -
South MinneapolisChicken wings
Not that I want to slander a perfectly respectable local eating establishment, but I do believe that something I ate from Buster's on Thursday made me vomit so hard that I still have a piece of my own appendix stuck in my teeth. On the plus side, I think I can finally fit into my wedding dress again!
12.06.2009
Butcher Block -
Northeast MinneapolisShort rib sandwich
I ate so much food this weekend. So much. I won't bother with the full list here (as not to embarrass myself) but let's just say I'm not proud. Not proud at all. The climax was Saturday night, when we finally got out to Butcher Block for my birthday (because I'm not going to pass up a place who's menu contains 14 flavors of chicken wings and beef carpaccio). Any worries we had about a lack of reservation were replaced with entirely new worries when we walked into the door to find the place entirely empty, save for one table of loud U of M students, and about a dozen employees gossiping and joking at the bar. I don't mind being in an empty restaurant, but man, there's something about having all these staff members just sitting around that made me uncomfortable. And they kept walking back and forth from the kitchen (where there must've been something hilarious going on) to the bar, right past our table. Our waitress, while she did a fine job otherwise, seemed like she would rather hang out with her co-workers than actually wait on her only table. But the much-anticipated food? Fine, I guess. I tried two flavors of chicken wings. The sambal chili was the best, but I've had better wings. The short rib sandwich tasted good, but was drowning in grease. The fries were fried well, and were coated in some interesting spice mixture (five spice?). Our beef carpaccio was nice enough, and Libby's ravioli, according to her, had a very homemade quality to it, in a good way, but could've used a little more... flavor? Something like that. I'm not complaining, mind you; it was all good, and the service was fine despite the off-putting exploits of the staff. But considering they don't start serving the sandwich/wings menu until 9pm every night, I'm not sure how soon I'll be back there. Their menu looks fantastic though--plenty of good options for next time. In the end, the Butcher's Block gets a big, hearty "Could've been worse."
02.14.2010
C&G's Smoking Barbeque -
South MinneapolisPulled pork sandwich
I'd never heard of C&G's, nor was I seeking out barbeque, but my bus today missed my stop, then dropped me off at the next one, right across the street from this place. It was sort of in a strip-mall type situation, connected to a gas station, a cheap Chinese place (Xin Wong, actually), and a glucose-free bakery. It seemed like it might be alright, so I gave it a shot. It's not all that different than a Ted Cook's or Rooster's, in that it's a small little place with an order counter, and maybe 4 tables. Their menu has mostly standard pulled pork, ribs, brisket, cole slaw, that kind of thing. But they also have Coney dogs, "loose beef" sandwiches (sloppy joes, I assume), chili, and some other stuff. I went with the pulled pork and fries, and walked away neither disappointed nor blown away. I think there might've been something weird going on back in the kitchen, like something wasn't working right, and they were rushing to get out people's orders, which might've affected the food a bit. The fries are fresh-cut, but a little soggy, and the pork was tender, but maybe a little fatty (which mushed up the bun a bit). The sauce was fine, but nothing to write home about. I'll definitely go back in the future, since it's a short bike ride away, and there are plenty of menu items to try. But in the end I'd say it's maybe a little better than Caps, about equal to Rooster's, but nowhere close to Ted Cook's. But what is?
12.02.2010
C&G's Smoking Barbeque -
South MinneapolisBeef brisket, loose beef
A second chance at C&G's proved fruitful. The fries are still soggy and the sauce is still extraordinarily dull, but the beef brisket was satisfyingly moist (read: "Good fatty") and flavorful. Probably better than a couple of the out-state BBQ joints we tried this summer. But still downright meek in comparison to the mighty Teddy Cook and all 19 of his holes. The biggest surprise was the loose beef sandwich. I'd read many reviews about it, so I had to try it out. We're essentially talking about ground beef and a chili-like substance on a hot dog bun with some onions and mustard. Very basic, and cheap, but it had a bit of sweetness to it that I can't quite put my finger on. It's not going to win any awards, but it's certainly satisfying. I also tried their famous "hot water bread." I know, right? It's supposedly a Detroit thing; sort of like a fried cornbread type concoction with a little onion in it. Interesting, and cheap enough to order as a side. But I'm not going to tell you to go order it right now or anything. Ultimately I'm still a little wary of C&G's; my experiences have been adequate-to-good, but there are definitely red flags. To wit: They were out of ribs! A barbeque joint, out of ribs! What!? And a guy at another table said his food was cold. So there's that. So I guess we'll see. Maybe I'll be back. Maybe I won't. Maybe they'll get their act together. Maybe this was all... a dream?
11.29.2010
Cadillac Ranch -
BloomingtonPork sandwich
I wish I could think of the perfect simile to describe this new MOA behemoth. Something thoughtful and colorful and probably a little snobby. But honestly I don't even want to waste the energy to put my feelings about this establishment into snark. It's simply the most uninteresting place you can imagine. Even freaking Kokomo's at least tries to put something interesting on their menu. But if you were to take every menu item off of every sports bar menu in every city of American, assign a numerical value to each item, and average them all out, the number you'd come up with the exact latitudinal coordinates of the Cadillac Ranch. But on the plus side, two Vikings cheerleaders talked to me while I was there. They were trying to sell me a bikini calendar. I did not purchase one.
11.03.2010
Cafe Maude -
South MinneapolisReuben
Brunch at Cafe Maude. Brunch at Cafe Maude. What is there to say? It's all good, really, but I'm about ready for them to change their brunch menu. There's only so many reubens and benedicts that one can eat. Maybe I should actually eat dinner here some time.
01.12.2009
Cantina #1 -
BloomingtonShrimp tacos, chicken wings
A Mexican restaurant owned by Corona located on the fourth floor of the Mall of America with a second location in Kansas City? And they have their own gift shop? Count me in! Actually, it wasn't too terrible. It was just completely stupid. The decor, the menu descriptions, the fake Mexican staff (oh wait, they were real). "Famous Mayan pork chops"? It's a meal and a history leson! And of course, "Margaritaville" played in the background at least once while I was there. Recommended!
12.22.2009
Cantina #1 -
BloomingtonNoodle thing with chorizo
Remember when I said R. Burger wouldn't make it until March? Well, scratch that. We tried to eat there last night and it was closed because, to quote the manager, "We haven't been doing too good on Monday nights." Alright then. So on to Cantina #1, where Libby had some decent enchiladas, and I had this weird sort of Mexican spaghetti. Noodles in a tomato sauce with chorizo and crumbled cheese and avocado. Hell if I know if that's a traditional Mexican dish, but honestly it was kind of good. That's two trips to Cantina #1 now, and if you ignore the kind-of-depressing vibe in the place (4th floor of the MOA, mind you), it really isn't that bad.
04.07.2013
Cap's Grille -
South MinneapolisBreakfast
Breakfast at Cap's isn't too different from lunch at Cap's. The food is good, but could be better, and there's way too much of it. But with lunch, at least they have barbecue, which even at its most mediocre is at least unique and somewhat rare. Their breakfast menu, however, contained mostly your standard breakfast combinations–-eggs, hashbrowns, ham slices the size of my head--that could be found just about anywhere else. And not a bit of barbecue to be found! No porkchops. No pulled pork scrambles. Seems like they should go that way. But what we're left with is a slightly better Country Kitchen (okay, more than slightly), a pile of uneaten ham and a stomach ache.
03.29.2010
The Cardinal -
South MinneapolisPatty melt
I just ate a patty melt so perfect that it might have been grilled by God himself. Though since it was just a patty melt we're talking about, it was probably just cooked by one of the Cardinal's meth addict cooks.
12.30.2012
Cassidy's Golden Pine -
HinckleyPatty Melt
Do you know Tobie's? Off the Hinckley exit on 35W north of the cities? You've probably stopped there at some point for some disappointing cinnamon rolls and microwaved meatloaf, along with thousands of other hypnotized drivers taken in by its pull, on their way to the casino. Kind of like Emma Krumbee's down south, it's Frankensteined itself from a bakery breakfast joint into some sort of Road Trip Breakfast Industrial Complex. It's a no good. Well, off that same exit, just on the other side of the highway (away from the casino instead of towards it), perfectly juxtaposed, sits Cassidy's Restaurant. Built somewhere around the time Don Draper was taking Megan on that fateful trip to Howard Johnson's, Cassidy's has barely changed. I mean, the carpet and some furnishings are a little early-90s frumpy, but the shell of the place is very HoJo. But unlike Tobie's it hasn't been Frankensteined or marketed to death. And unlike Tobie's, my god the food was actually pretty good! I ordered a patty melt, which I find to be the go-to menu item at shabby diners and family restaurants that you aren't so sure about. It was great! And the fries... the fries. Seriously some of the best fries I've had in months. Totally homemade. Hand cut. Perfectly fried. I was expecting shitty crinkle-cut frozen things, but I got fries with soul, man! Libby had their (classic!) salad bar and chicken spaetzle soup. The salad bar also included a hot bar with baked spaghetti and some other random stuff, along with some surprisingly good bread pudding. Although at that point I had been impressed enough with the burger and fries that it wasn't that surprising. Add to that a drink menu that includes Brandy Alexanders and Peppermint Patties and a number of other vintage (but non-ironic!) drinks that Don Draper's mistress might order, and you've got yourself a fascinating, and better-than-bad, roadside stop.
03.28.2011
Cat man do -
St. PaulVeggie momos, chicken noodles
I know I shouldn't have ordered stir fried noodles at a Nepali restaurant, but I really, really wanted stir fried noodles. And I happened to be near a Nepali restaurant, one that I've been meaning to try for a while now. So I ordered the stir fried noodles, as well as some vegetarian momos. And I know I shouldn't sit here and judge a Nepali restaurant by anything other than their curries, but I have to say that everything was just a bit too bland. Not a lot happening. The momos and dipping sauce were good at first, but after the second or third one they just overwhelmed me with saltiness. And now I'll stop judging, and just say that I will definitely try it again some time. Maybe get something actually, you know, Nepalese.
05.21.2011
Cecils -
St. PaulPastrami
There was a time when I loved Cecil's. Then there was a time when I was "over it," buying the line that it was a pale imitation of a "real" deli. Well now I'm over being over it, and I'm totally on board the Cecil's bandwagon. Great place, totally delicious. Had their carrot cake for the first time tonight, which was outstanding. Their deserts there are really below-the-radar. And have you had the sauerkraut rye? Ooh.
07.30.2011
Central BBQ -
MemphisPulled pork, ribs
Something I noticed driving through the south is that barbecue joints, as advertised, are everywhere. In small towns, in strip malls, behind gas stations on the side of the highway. And by most accounts, you can't really go wrong; if it's smoked, it's generally good. But one of the more highly touted eateries in Memphis is Central BBQ, located in a semi-hip (but not quite) residential neighborhood a couple miles away from downtown. While by no means a behemoth or a chain, Central is certainly more than a hole in the wall, with an indoor and outdoor seating area, its own parking lot, and plenty of literature on its catering, cross-country BBQ shipment services, and various 'green' initiatives. No, it's not a behemoth, but it certainly knows its place on the hierarchy of Memphis BBQ joints (and that place is: high). The service was fast and friendly, the seating was limited (I actually shared a table with a family in town from Maine), and the BBQ was every bit as good as hoped (vinegar sauce!). Nice. That said, my experience helped inform one of my new BBQ maxims (yep, I've got maxims now!), which is that there are many subtly different BBQ's in this nation of ours, some better than others, but no one is superior. Here I was, in Memphis, a true barbeque mecca, wholly satisfied and happily impressed, but not transformed. Is there BBQ plateau? I think there might be. A point at which BBQ is simply perfect, and can get no better. Atop this plateau, you'll find dozens, hundreds, of variations and options, but the quality of each is essentially equal, a matter of personal taste. Yeah, Central BBQ was great, and I'm glad I went there, and you should too should you ever be in Memphis, but there is nothing inherent in Memphis that makes it's, or Kansas City's or Dallas' or Raleigh's, BBQ any better than our own.
07.12.2009
Chang Mai Thai -
Uptown MinneapolisSpicy noodles with chicken
What's the deal with Uptown? Like, Uptown Uptown. Lake and Hennepin Uptown. I mean, really. For a part of town that prides itself (lives and dies, really) on being the place to be, it seems every time I want to get something to eat around there, I find absolutely nothing. A few days ago, at 6:30 on a Thursday night, I actually tried going to Chino Latino. Chino Latino! I was that desperate. "How bad could it really be?" I asked myself. Without getting even five feet past the front door, I was so overwhelmed by guys in unbuttoned shirts and gold chains, and girls in high heels and all sorts of elaborate scents, I didn't even want to try squeezing into the bar. And to think that the place serves guinea pig! How on earth does a place that will prepare and serve you a a whole guinea pig also attract dudes with Ed Hardy shirts and girls with eyelash implants? And where are these people coming from, anyway? It's not I see them walking around on the sidewalks on Aldrich, or hanging out by Minnehaha Creek on weekends. But I digress. This is a Chang Mai Thai post. Because I ended up giving up and going there tonight. It was good. Try the curried beef spring rolls. Stupid Uptown.
08.05.2010
Charlies Cafe -
FreeportSteak sandwich
Oh, by the way, I forgot to write about how I went to Charlie's Cafe in Freeport, MN on the way to visit a giant TV tower in North Dakota. It was supposedly the inspiration for the make believe cafe in Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegone universe (universe?). It was okay.
11.07.2010
The Chatterbox -
St. PaulChicken salad sandwich
Speaking of restaurants that need to update their menu, The Chatterbox has gotta be exhibit A, right? I like hellcat inferno chicken wrap and the Chatterbox pub burger as much as I ever did, but I've been feeling stifled and boxed-in for a year or two now when I look through their menu. There's never anything new there, and I don't even think they have specials. They're probably doing plenty of business anyway, I guess, so they're not itching to change. But man I'd love it if they did.
11.01.2009
Cheeky Monkey -
St. PaulMeatloaf sandwich
I was told by multiple people who are "in the know," that Cheeky Monkey, despite its awful, awful (awful) name, makes the "best sandwich in town." Better, even, than B'Wiched (though we could argue all day about who chose the inferior name). "Dubious," I thought. "Dubious." And since today I was finally in a position, both geographically and spiritually, to try it out, I did. My opinion is as follows: Cheeky Monkey is very good. Outstanding, even. As good as the sandwiches were, the chili was even better. Easily the best chili I've eaten all year. The kind of chili that I wish I could make, so people could say, "Man, I hope Steve brings his chili to the party!" And the price on everything was reasonable-to-cheap. But really, the two are incomparable. Cheeky Monkey is hearty and loving, while B'Wiched is technically savvy and secretly hates you. And yet. I dare say, with apologies to Andrew and Craig and Lucas and whoever else carries an understandable sense of St. Paul Pride: In the battle of gourmet Twin Cities deli sandwiches, a battle which nobody asked for which the outcome affects even fewer, I choose B'Wiched.. If they ever move out of Cathedral Hill (which may as well be rural Budapest as far as I'm concerned), I would probably eat there about six times a week. But as good as it is, I feel like other places could equal what they're doing. B'Wiched, on the other hand, is in their own little world, charging more, yes, but also leaving me like I just experienced something great. They also don't have a cartoon monkey in their logo.
04.29.2013
Cheeky Monkey -
St. PaulPie
Two notes regarding our Sunday outing to Cheeky Monkey on Selby. One: they have brunch. It's full of loud children and crying babies and yuppie couples and unpleasant service. But they do have their full sandwich menu available, so that's more than you can say for a lot of brunch places in town. Two, and most importantly: Pie! Cheeky Monkey actually makes some fantastic pie! French silk and key lime, specifically. And if you know anything about me and French silk pie, ho boy! It's almost a little too far on the dark end of the chocolate spectrum, but otherwise it's absolutely top notch. Their key lime, too, is almost as good as it gets. I'd still pick Birchwood's key lime in a head-to-head, but Cheeky's is wonderful nonetheless. So, there. Skip the brunch. Go for pie.
03.14.2010
The Cheesecake Factory -
Las VegasAsian chicken thing
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. "You went to Vegas and you ate at the Cheesecake Factory?" Yes. Look, we were there with my family. And it wasn't even their choice, it was my dad's cousin's choice. He lives in Vegas and offered to take us out for dinner, and that is what chose. The Cheesecake Factory in Caesar's Palace. Maybe he doesn't know it's a chain. Maybe that's the only one in Vegas. I don't know. But... but... ready for this? It was actually really good. Maybe not the best, but at least the most satisfying meal I had in Vegas. I know, I know, I know, I know.
06.13.2011
Chevys -
BloomingtonEnchiladas and stuff
Hi Andrew and Sarah. Thanks for reading my music and food blog. The food part of it, at least. I realized I haven't updated it in a week or two, so I thought I'd fill you in briefly on Chevys. I mean, you're pretty much the only people that read it, so I haven't exactly been getting emails about how it hasn't been updated. And I know you don't really need to be filled in on Chevys, nor do you want to be. But the point is, Chevys is that big lame Mexican restaurant across from the MOA (and there has been one sitting vacant downtown for a good 3-4 years now). I went there yesterday after getting a flat on my bike and not being able to ride away from it before it sucked me in. I mostly just wanted to watch the NBA finals game that was on. So I got a 3-piece combo, with an enchilada, a chimichanga, and a couple flautas. It was terribly expensive, but at least there were leftovers, right? Actually it wasn't the worst Mexican food ever; better than a Chi Chi's, and probably Don Pablos. But here's the weirdest thing: The flautas came with a "jalepeno jelly." I've had jalepeno jelly before, but this was something different. It was a sweet sugary syrup, with a vague hint of jalepenoness, like dipping your flautas into General Tsos sauce or something. Really weird. But I have to admit it was kind of good. Addictive, even. Anyway, the point is, if you absolutely have to, go ahead and eat at Chevys. Get a three-thing combo, and share it between the two of you. Oh, and the have fried ice cream! I didn't get it, though. Sorry.
01.04.2009
Chicago Diner -
ChicagoBlack bean burger
It's hard to believe that, of all the diners and eateries in Chicago, the one that actually gets to be called "The Chicago Diner" is located in a classic old diner space in a big gay neighborhood and is entirely vegetarian. And yet their menu contains buffalo wings, Philly cheesesteaks, bacon cheeseburgers. Entirely fake meat, yes, but as I recently learned with the fake pork at Evergreen, this can totally work--and it pretty much did. The buffalo "wings" (their usage of quotes, not mine) were weird at first, but then once you realized that the sauce contained no butter (50% of wing sauce, really), and the chicken obviously wasn't chicken, they were pretty tasty, and very spicy. My black bean burger was good, and had a great mustard sauce on it. Everyone else had good to great food, and were all impressed that such a place can even exist. And in a city as ridiculously large as Chicago, it actually does a ton of business.
05.20.2011
Chick Fil A -
U of MChicken sandwich
This town needs more Chick Fil A's. Like, at least two of them.
01.20.2010
Chickwich -
BloomingtonChicken sandwich
Look, I know you're really excited about Chickwich. It's not a Chick-Fil-A, but it looks like the next best thing, right? Fried chicken? Waffle fries? Cartoon chicken in the logo? Considering the only Chik-Fil-A in Minnesota is a tiny little kiosk in Coffman Union on campus, the fact that it has a second-rate doppelganger in the Mall of America food court sounds like a cause for celebration! Well, guess what? It sucks.
09.06.2009
Chins Asia Fresh -
MinnetonkaMongolian chicken
This is so stupid. Who am I? What am I doing here? And why is there pesto on my potstickers? I mean, really. You can cover up the potstickers with whatever substance you want, but the fact remains that they are still bland, wet potstickers. And you can put my Mongolian Chicken with brown rice on a fancy black porcelain plate, but it's still goddamn Leann Chins. Only I'm paying twice as much for it.
11.02.2012
Chris & Rob's -
South MinneapolisTater tots
Chris & Rob's has started putting generic ketchup inside of Heinz ketchup bottles. THIS CAN NOT BE TOLERATED!
12.14.2008
Citizen Cafe -
South MinneapolisBiscuits and gravy
We had breakfast at the Citizen Cafe on 38th near Hiawatha this morning, after reading some positive stuff about it. And as a whole I'd say it was good, but maybe not so great that I'd want to go out of my way to go there for breakfast in the near future. I had the biscuits and gravy, which were cheese and chive biscuits instead of plain old boring biscuits. The gravy was better than some that I've had elsewhere, but there wasn't anything terribly special about it. I'll take Fat Nat's any day. All in all, considering how the place positions itself ("Citizen" title, constructivist logo and hip menu), I expected the food and atmostphere to be a little less timid. Homemade ketchup, chive biscuits, and lox benedicts are a good start, but if you're promising a revolution, you've gotta blow up some cars and knock down some statues and maybe use some fennel or something.
08.30.2012
Citizen Cafe -
South MinneapolisMeatloaf
I like the Citizen Cafe, haven't had a bad meal there, haven't had any sort of problem at all, really. But I've decided that, despite their name and general constructivist brand aesthetic, their food qualifies as very good hotel restaurant fare. In a good way. In a good way.
06.18.2012
Clancey's Meats and Fish -
South MinneapolisRoast beef sandwich
I've always heard whispers about this Clancey's place in Linden Hills being the best meat market in the Twin Cities, having all this amazing stuff to choose from, and to top it off, having some of the best deli sandwiches around. I'd eaten some sausages from there once or twice, always delicious, and the legend grew, with me never quite convincing myself to go there, because, ugh, it's in Linden Hills (I know, right?). But in order to pick up some lamb, blueberry, and pinenut sausages for a trip up north, I finally went. And it is everything they say it is. Maybe more. Beautiful meat, everywhere. Leg of lamb. Korean short ribs. Ground goat. Steaks that made me want to break through the glass case and eat them raw. All so expensive, however, that I'd never dare even try to cook them, which would just be setting myself up for devastating failure. And then I ate their roast beef sandwich. I nearly cried.
04.07.2012
Classic Saigon -
EaganBeef pho
Don't go to Eagan. Just don't. There's nothing for you there. There's nothing for anybody there. My thesaurus tells me it's "supererogatory." But if fate compels you to start biking east from the MOA, across the 494 bridge, and south down Pilot Knob Road past Lockheed Martin, you'll be there, and you'll be hungry. And it's either Buffalo Wild Wings, Houlihan's, Smashburger, or Classic Saigon. Do the right thing. Get the "classic" beef pho. It will be the only thing Eagan has ever done for you.
05.15.2010
Colossal Cafe -
South MinneapolisEggs and sausage
So Libby and I decided to try out the Colossal Cafe this morning for breakfast, only to find a camera crew filming for an episode of Drive Ins, Diners and Dives on the Food Network. At first I figured maybe we'd just be in the background while we were waiting in line, but after we sat down outside waiting for our food, it became clear that they were definitely going to do something with us. Libby ordered some fancy pancakes with apples and brie, and I ordered a plain old eggs/hash browns/sausage plate. As soon as the food came, we were swarmed by a camera, boom mic, and jovial producer who immediately started making small talk with us (he was clearly a master of making small talk with complete strangers). And they filmed us eating. So weird. I'm fully aware that I eat like a slob, but suddenly when there is a big professional HD camera 10 inches away from my plate, following my every move, eating became some sort of controlled, choreographed mission to keep my damn fingers out of the ketchup. I think I succeeded. So then after they left us alone to finish our meals, they came right back for the interview portion. Now, I was comfortable with the idea of speaking on camera, but I was sort of intimidated by the speed and certainty of the film crew. It wasn't really a case of them asking if we wanted to talk and giving us time to think... they simply surrounded us and started questioning. And I was awful. I kept looking at Libby and looking down the street, and the producer guy (bless his heart) kept reminding me to look at him. And I had nothing to say. Which is funny, because I sit and write crap about food all the time on this website. But the meal I ordered was so normal, that the only thing I could manage to talk about was the homemade sausage. And how it was homemade. They make it there, I think. Like, homemade sausage. WIth fennel in it, maybe? Idiot. What I really wanted to talk about was how I'd thought for years that the Colossal was a vegetarian/vegan diner, and it was only last week that I was informed otherwise. But all I could get out was "sausage good." Oh, I also described the toast as "beefy." Jesus. Libby was much better, and I'll bet she makes the final cut. I certainly won't.
01.14.2011
Colossal Cafe -
South MinneapolisPork sandwich
Have I mentioned yet how Libby and I got interviewed for an episode of Drive Ins Diners and Dives, and it aired on TV a a few weeks back and Libby got 1.5 seconds of screen time??? No lie! In honor of the event (and its appearance on YouTube), we got Colossal for lunch. And I feel the same way about the lunch as I did about the breakfast: I could tell it was good and well-made and high-quality and all that. But it didn't move me. And I suppose it's that kind of attitude that left me on the cutting room floor.
12.11.2008
Common Roots -
Uptown MinneapolisRoast beef sandwich
As much as I really want to love Common Roots--their heart is certainly in the right place, and it's just down the block--every time I go there, everything seems only about 75% right. The cashiers never seem to care, the food is never quite as good as it should be, and I can never tell where to stand in line. Oh, and the water from the cooler is usually lukewarm. This time, I was ordering my food, and right after I say "potato salad..." the cashier walks over and starts scooping me some of the potato salad. I didn't even finish giving my order! Can't she wait until she's placed the rest of the order (including Libby's) and take our money before she goes over and gets the potato salad? Do I really need it that soon? She just walked away! Anyway, then it took forever to get our food, and it was good but not great. All that sounds totally catty and dumb, but it's stuff like that that happens all the time... yet it's never bad enough to stop going there entirely.
07.05.2011
Compeneros -
Park RapidsBurrito
Back when she lived up north, Libby worked at this Mexican restaurant called "Compeneros". Although it might have been called something else back then. There was a lawsuit involved. But Compeneros is one of the 3 or 4 restaurants in the town of Dorset, MN, which, with a population that hovers around zero, holds the record for 'most restaurants per capita' in the US. No joke. The restaurant is located on its own street, called "Fajita Loop," if that says anything about the scope of this town. So anyway, the point is, I finally got to eat there this weekend, and it was way better than it needed to be. I was expecting the most half-assed, unseasoned ground beef and velveeta cheese, flavorless Ortega salsa, all that stuff. But it was actually pretty good! Spicy homemade salsa, flavorful barbacoa, verde sauce. It was all there, and huge, and very tasty. Sure, it wasn't real Mexican (see above), but it was a heck of a lot better than a handful of places you could go to down here. And their kitchen manager is the mayor!
12.26.2008
Convention Grill -
EdinaBacon cheeseburger
Hey, Merlin's Rest... this... (dramatic pause...) ... is how you make a cheeseburger. Granted I haven't been ordering burgers a lot lately, but this one was the best I've had in a long time. Big, thick, juicy, good bacon, perfect grilled onions, hand-cut fries, and a hot fudge malt to top it off. The Convention Grill is one of those places that I've been hearing about for ages, but never really had any reason to go to. But today I had time and was in the area, so I went for it. And at 2:30 in the afternoon, it was absolutely swamped with people--each one of them ordering burgers. And the interior of the place was surprisingly true to what it probably felt like in 1934, and not in some cheesy fake way, either. The only thing cheesy was the smoked cheddar on my awesome burger! (And that closing line).
12.26.2009
Cooper -
St. Louis ParkHappy hour stuff
St. Louis Park opened a stupid new movie theater in a stupid new shopping complex, where we went yesterday to see a stupid new movie about stupid blue rasta otters. Surprisingly, the least stupid thing about the entire even was our time spent at Cooper, killing two hours before the movie. It's a new Irish bar/restaurant (I refuse to say "pub") by the dude that owns The Local and Kierans and every other , well, "poob" in the cities, and everything I ate was at least as good as the Local. Maybe... dare I say it? Better? I'll just say this: Rueben bites. Imagine biting into a piece of falafel, and finding it stuff with corned beef, sauerkraut, and cheese. Yes, please.
07.28.2011
Cotham's -
Little RockCatfish, Cheeseburger
Little Rock, I quickly learned with a little online research, is not a food town. "It's the south," you'd think, "there's gotta be great places!" Not really. But the one that everyone, including William Jefferson Clinton himself, recommends, is Cotham's. Located in a broke down old antique store 10 miles outside the city, Cotham's is famous for their cheeseburgers. I guess Man Vs. Food recently filmed something there, so they get a lot of people like me coming through. But when I was there, I just didn't feel like a burger. So instead, to the confusion and surprise of the waitress, I ordered the catfish. If Arkansas has a food specialty, it's catfish. And while I'm never one to order it, or fish of any kind, I figured 'when in Rome,' right? It was fine. I have no gauge to judge catfish by, but it the breading was nice, crispy, but the fish had a weird mushy, fatty texture. I think that's not abnormal for catfish, which is a bit of a garbage fish as far as I know. The onion rings, however, were fantastic. Some of the best onion rings I've ever had. Just perfect onion rings. Wonderful. Yet still a voice nagged deep inside me: What about the burger? Their burger is famous. Everyone goes there for it. I would never be back, right? So I got one to go! To be honest, I ate half of it in the car before I even left the parking lot. It was, I must admit, fabulous. Flavorful, with herbs and salt atop the melted cheese. And served with only mayo and brown mustard. I've eaten very few burgers without ketchup, but they specifically gave me brown mustard, so that's all I used. It was great. And then I got the heck out of Little Rock.
08.16.2009
Craftsman -
South MinneapolisBacon filled venison burger
We're looking at a house on 42nd and Lake, and in my scouting of the neighborhood, I saw that the highly-recommended Craftsman was less than a block away. One could quite literally throw a stone to hit it (and since this is Lake Street we're talking about, one most likely already has). I sat down at the bar to eat while killing time for the light to go down (my neighborhood scouting is just that thorough), and ordered a bacon filled venison burger. The burger itself was practically flawless; great taste and texture, the bacon didn't overpower the venison, the bun was a good match for the meat, and the chili ketchup had a nice tang. But there was one major problem: Bleu cheese. I guess I just don't like bleu cheese. And the stuff they used on this burger, while not a large quantity, was very strong, and made what should've been a fantastic burger a struggle to finish. But I won't blame the Craftsman, because it was everything they said it would be.
05.08.2011
Craftsman -
South MinneapolisSpaghetti carbonara
Fantastic dinner, with a capital F, last night at the Craftsman. A rich, tangy spaghetti carbonara with some bacony sort of thing (which Wikipedia tells me is " guanciale", a sort of bacon made from pig cheeks). Oh god it was good. Maybe my favorite meal of the year so far. Libby had a reuben which she thought was great, and I can't disagree, although there are certainly better reubens out there. All told, an extremely positive if expensive experience. I feel bad that we haven't gone to the Craftsman more (or at all) since moving into the area, since it's an easy bike ride away. But after last night's accidental dinner (we tried going to La Grassa but they wanted no part of us), we'll be spending a lot more time there this summer, even if it bankrupts us.
01.16.2010
Crave -
BloomingtonHappy hour stuff
There was no way this was supposed to be good. First of all, it's called Crave. If you follow Steve's "Happy Chef" rule of restaurant naming, you'll know that any restaurant that needs to put a qualitative statement in its name is likely compensating for its own low quality. Secondly, it's in the Mall of America, with second and third locations (which all opened magically around the same time) in the Galleria, and that new stupid shopping complex in St. Louis Park. No good can come of this, right? But holy shit, were we surprised (shocked, stunned, stupefied, even) when it turned out their food is actually really, really good. Everything from their Korean chicken nuggets to their mini sausage pizza and their sushi was all high quality, well-conceived, and extremely tasty. But their pulled pork sandwich--my god. In terms of "nice restaurant pulled pork" (i.e., not Ted Cooks), this sandwich was head and shoulders (pork shoulders!?) better than similar pulled pork at Pop!, Citizen, Town Talk, or anywhere else I've tried the pulled pork. The secret is that they aren't afraid to make it sloppy and tangy. No subtlety here. And the pickles were chopped up and mixed in instead of just perched on top. Magnifique. Their happy hour deals were all pretty reasonable (mostly $4 and $5 appetizers), but they absolutely did not skimp on portions. Considering we went to this place with pretty much zero expectations, it was actually a joy to sit there eating this stuff. I'm still in shock. It was like going to going to a Sandra Bullock movie and walking away talking about Oscars (well, Golden Globes at least). It isn't going to compete with The Modern or 112 or anywhere like that, but until they give us any reason to think otherwise (we haven't tried any entrees yet, which seem a little on the pricey side), I see no reason to eat anywhere else at the Mall of America. At least during happy hour.
04.06.2010
Crave -
BloomingtonPulled pork sandwich
Like the funniest character in a Cormac McCarthy novel, or the most personable TSA agent at the airport, I've decided that the pulled pork sandwich at Crave is the best food item at the Mall of America. Congratulations.
07.27.2012
Crepeville -
DavisDenver Crepe
This place called Crepeville (really) has a bit of a mini empire in Davis. There's Crepeville itself (think of French Meadow if it franchised in Minnetonka and only served crepe-related dishes), a mega-popular college hangout burger place called Burgers And Brew (really), and soon a pizza place, which I can only hope will not make their pizzas on crepes. I was only able to eat at Crepeville itself, getting breakfast there the other morning. Essentially a denver omelette inside a folded crepe, the portion was surprisingly huge, and there was nothing that I can really complain about. Which is unfortunate, because I really feel like complaining. I kind of got tired of eating it, so I let it be and bid it adieu.
05.02.2012
Crystal Garden -
South MinneapolisSzechuan chicken, shrimp lo mein
Based on the foggy memory of a single mediocre lunchtime buffet, I've been ignoring this Chinese place Crystal Garden over on Hiawatha for the last 6 years, claiming Bill's Garden (no relation) as the best mediocre Chinese food in town. But out of desperation we've grabbed takeout from Crystal Garden twice in the last two weeks, and it's actually satisfying! Perfectly okay! Acceptably tolerable! Bill's still has the best general tso's, but otherwise we'll be making this place our go-to 'Chinese, I guess' destination.
11.20.2008
Cue -
Downtown MinneapolisHappy hour
We went to Cue at the Guthrie for some quick "happy hour" drinks and food after seeing tonight's performance of A Christmas Carol (SPOILER ALERT: Scrooge has a change of heart in the end). As we could've guessed, everything was too expensive, and some shaved-head dipwad waited on us. But the pulled pork sliders were tasty--cooked in a pretty strong and sweet sauce and topped with pickled onions--and the bittersweet chocolate cake was certainly bitter, sweet, chocolate, and cake. God bless us, every one.
01.23.2009
Cue -
Downtown MinneapolisShrimp
Appetizers before a Guthrie show. "Chilled wild caught shrimp with yellow curry cocktail sauce. $13" It wasn't terrible, but come on. If you hadn't told me there was yellow curry in the cocktail sauce, I never would've guessed. You're really pushing your luck here, Cue.
12.16.2012
D&L Taco Gringo -
ClearwaterBurrito
I left D&L Taco Gringo satisfied. No real complaints. The prices were fair. The portions were plenty. But I couldn't help but feel that the nice people behind this establishment created their recipes based on the vague memories of the one time they ate Mexican food 20 years ago.
03.23.2010
Dairy Queen -
South MinneapolisOreo Blizzard
The new Dairy Queen by Minnehaha Park is architectural AIDS. Full-blown. There is no denying that. It's tacky, awkwardly placed, and 10 feet taller than it needs to be. It's a big stupid clown airdropped into a Judi Dench garden party. And also other metaphors. But--but--they actually put a reasonable amount of chunks into their Blizzards now, so maybe I can look the other way.
01.01.2009
Dao -
ChicagoStir fried basil and beef
Our first meal on our New Years Chicago trip was at a random Thai place right by our hotel, called Dao. We had to kill 45 minutes to get our room ready (ack...), and just happened upon it while walking away from some of the more ridiculous Miracle Mile mega-restaurants. It wasn't a hole in the wall, by any means, but probably at about one step below a Sawatdee (in size and decor, but certainly not taste). My beef dish was simple, but very tasty, just beef, basil, peppers, and sauce. Libby's chicken curry was above average (and subtly unique). And our potstickers (not Thai, but whatever) were honestly some of the best I've had anywhere. But best of all is that it was surprisingly cheap, considering its location in between Michigan Ave and Navy Pier. And there were cool hole-in-the-ground booths that made it look like you were sitting cross-legged on the floor, without actually having to do so (because that would be totally un-American).
08.16.2010
Day By Day Cafe -
St. PaulSausage hash
I was first excited when I overheard a server at the Day By Day mention that Carl Pavano was eating breakfast out on their patio. They even mentioned something about a mustache. But later in the day it occurred to me that the Twins had a 1:00 game that afternoon, and Carl Pavano was most likely nowhere near Day By Day's patio, nor was he eating breakfast anywhere at that moment. Plus, the italian sausage hash I ordered barely qualifies as "hash."
10.23.2012
DeGidio's -
St. PaulSpaghetti
I've somehow never noticed this place before, even though it's a very large Italian restaurant and bar a little ways down from downtown St. Paul on West 7th. Nothing about it is cool, or hip, or neat or historic (even though they've been around since 1933), but they serve big plates of no-nonsense red sauce Italian. Like, spaghetti and meatballs. Cheese ravioli. That sort of thing. It's pretty similar to Yarusso Brothers (another big dumb St. Paul red sauce place that's been around since the 30s), but a bit bigger, a bit fancier, and just a little less interesting. But whatever. I like it. Sure, the Al Ventos and La Grassas of the world are great, but sometimes it's nice just to sit down in a booth with a football game on the TV and eat some big, fat, dumb plate of sugary tomato meat.
01.30.2013
Devil's Advocate -
Downtown MinneapolisMeatball sandwich
I'm not saying that Devil's Advocate is doomed, but I am saying that it is a restaurant specializing in meatballs (and only meatballs), which only has 5 types of meatballs (one of which is actually falafel, so really 4), and is located in the perpetually doomed location on 10th street between Nicollet and Marquette. So try to get there sometime in the next 5 months, because I don't see it making it to 6. Because even though they're doomed (and you didn't hear that from me), their meatballs are great meatballs. But unless you're a fat guy who runs a food truck with a witty name like, say, "Balls to the Wall" (that one's on me), you're not going to survive on meatballs.
04.28.2012
Dickey's Barbecue Pit -
Coon RapidsPulled pork sandwich
These Dickey's places have been popping up everywhere in the last couple years. And by 'everywhere' I mean 'in the suburbs'. And by 'in the suburbs' I mean 'in the middle-to-upper-middle-class suburbs where people are are willing to occasionally pay $11 for a meal, but don't feel ashamed at the idea of going to a national barbecue chain called Dickey's.' So it was with this noble lack of shame that I had lunch there today. It's exactly as mediocre as you can imagine. Not bad. But not much else. Considering the wide net that Famous Daves has cast on the cities in the last decade, I can't think of a reason to go to Dickey's instead (and if you're already in Coon Rapids, good god just go north on highway 10 and go to Q Fanatic!) The prices are comparable, and as far as fast food chain barbecue goes, Daves is heads and shoulders (pork shoulders!?) better. But get this: free ice cream! They have an ice cream machine near the exit that's free! Amazing idea. Unfortunately it was some of the worst soft serve I've ever had, so I'll just leave it at that.
04.22.2013
DiNoko's Pizza -
South MinneapolisDeep dish pizza, wings
I believe my feelings about DiNoko's PIzza have been expressed previously on this music and food blog of mine, but I feel I need to check back in regarding two new developments in the DiNoko's portfolio. One: Deep dish pizza. I've always liked DiNoko's well enough. It's kinda no frills, cruddy sloppy pizza, but at the very least better than Pizza Hut. But I recently discovered that they now offer a Chicago style deep dish, and that the locally respected (?) Heavy Table blog gave a big glowing review to it. Well, it took an hour and a half to be delivered, and the thing weighs a solid 12 pounds, but I have to say, I like it better than their regular hand tossed. It's a total mess, way too much cheese, sauce everywhere, but the crust has a good flavor, and all in all it's a satisfying experience. So there. The second development: Buffalo wings. They've always offered "boneless" "wings", since the pre DiNoko's days of Pizza Joes. But that's totally disingenuous. They were chicken nuggets. Now they legitimately have wings, albeit only drummies! Which is almost enough to make me send them back in a furious daze. But instead, I stopped whining and ate them. They're okay... baked, not fried, and at first I couldn't make out what was so odd about their sauce. It was thick, a deeper red than the usual fluorescent orange of buffalo wings. Then it hit me: They mix their buffalo sauce with pizza sauce. Weird, weird, weird. But edible, and a change of pace. And that really sums up DiNoko's in my mind: Edible, and a change of pace.
05.21.2011
Dong Yang -
FridleyBibimbap
Someone once told me about this little hard-to-find Korean place by a strip mall in Fridley, hidden in the back corner of a Korean grocery store. Best Korean food in the city he said. Then a year later, City Pages goes and crowns Dong Yang officially. So it makes my list. After a failed attempt to eat there this winter (it truly is hard to find), I finally made it there today. And it.. is.. so.. good. So good. And so pleasant, despite its hole-in-the-wall-ness. I had the bibimbap, which is essentially a bowl full of sprouts and carrots and mushrooms and a handful of other mystery vegetables, along with a bit of beef, an egg, and an entire tray full of various kim chee. I loved every bite of it, and I spent the entire meal staring at their photo menu (very handy) dreaming of what I was going to order next, angry that I wasn't able to eat a second lunch right after the first.
04.01.2012
The Donut Cooperative -
South MinneapolisDoughnuts
I wonder how many votes it took for the Donut Cooperative to decide on the spelling of "Donut" instead of "Doughnut." I mean, if it really is a cooperative, there were surely long, tedious discussions, passive aggresive arguments, a little name calling, a bit of grandstanding, and at least one person who pulled the 'fascist' card. Half of the members threatened to splinter off and form a new doughnut co-op. It was a mess. Aaand... End of schtick. So these guys did the Kickstarter thing, designed a hipster logo, and took over another hipster Seward bakery and make doughnuts and stuff. And they're good, don't worry. They're re a bit doughy and chewy, and not super sweet, as if to say, "Hey man, we're like a total artisanal doughnut shop, not some Krispy Kreme corporate bullshit!". But really, isn't that the point of a doughnut? Do I really need to try to focus on the subtleties of flavor when I'm stuffing my face with sugar and butter and chocolate on a Sunday morning? But they're good, they're good! Don't get me wrong! I just wish they weren't so precious about the whole thing.
06.14.2009
Doug Fir Lounge -
PortlandBurger, chowder
We made a quick, whirlwind stop in Portland on the way home from our Pacific Northwest trip. As part of it, we stopped to eat at one place I had eaten at my previous whirlwind stop in Portland a couple years ago: The Doug Fir. If you're ever in Portland, it's worth visiting for the ambiance alone; it's like Jetson's retro-future meets log cabin diner. Very cool, but surprisingly welcoming. Anyhow, our food was quite good as well. I had a bacon and gruyere cheeseburger, which was a solid burger, and Libby had some fancy chicken and cornbread, which she was also happy with. But the best part in my mind was the seafood chowder, which was a close second to the Market Grill's for the best chowder of the trip. We also had a caesar salad with a crab cake on top, that was light but satisfying. There were also three guys wearing matching leather jackets who all ordered the exact same meals (coffee, salad, salmon, asparagus). They were probably in a band. How cute, Portland. How cute.
10.13.2012
Duino Duende -
BurlingtonPoutine, Japanese noodles
Duino Duende—actually it's called ¡Duino! (duende), but I refuse to type it that way on the same grounds that I refuse to call Tune Yards "tUnE-yArDs" or whatever the hell—is a "international street food" joint in the "cool" part of Burlington, Vermont. Really, the entirety of downtown Burlington could be considered the "cool" part, if you consider Phish tee shirts and organic bakeries to be cool, but if you prefer guttery half-punk burnouts performing unimaginably bad poetry to mediocre free jazz, this is the place for you. Anyway. There's actually a lot I have to say on the subject of Burlinton, but most interesting is how it's only an hour or two away from Montreal, and you pick up French language public radio, you can watch Canadian football on TV, and best of all: poutine! Not just any poutine, but hipster poutine! Sweet potato fries, tangy gravy, good cheese. Easily the best poutine I've ever had. Although every other poutine I've had has been pretty nasty, so it didn't take much.
11.22.2008
The Duplex -
Uptown MinneapolisDuck sloppy joe
Yes, a duck sloppy joe. And while that sounds like the best of all possible food combination possibilities, the reality is closer to, "Yeah, it was a sloppy joe, with duck." I would be raving about it if it had either more duck, or a better bun (which was sort of cheap and soft), but it was only $9, so I can't feel too disappointed. But I really should've gone with the bison chili (the second best of all food combination possibilities.)
05.10.2009
The Duplex -
Uptown MinneapolisDuck ragu
We ate at The Duplex this evening, for the first time in a while. I had a duck ragu on rice. It was pretty good, except I couldn't help but notice that it was exactly the same as the stuff on their duck sloppy joe (as seen in my previous Duplex post). Only it came with plain rice instead of fries, and nothing instead of a bun. Oh, and it was about $6 more. Duplex? More like the Dupe-lex!
08.30.2009
The Duplex -
Uptown MinneapolisHangar steak
Call me crazy, but I don't love steak. It always sounds good, and I imagine how good it could be, but no matter where I order it, how it's prepared, or how expensive it is, I almost always walk away underwhelmed. The same goes for Tim Burton movies. So last night, imagine my shock when I took a bite of a hangar steak at The Duplex and actually said, "Wow, I really like this." Granted, a hangar steak is a very different cut of meat than a strip or a T-bone or whatever, and it was swimming in a tasty dijon mustard demi glace, but hot damn it tasted great, was cooked perfectly and there was enough of it to fill me up. The carmelized onion potato au gratin was too much "carmelized" and "gratin" and not enough "onion" and "potato", so that was a bit of a let down. If I was sitting at a judge's table ton Top Chef, I'd probably more quickly throw out words like "A total disaster," or make a reference to bricklaying or something, but I'm not so I won't. All in all, the Duplex is still holding up well. They need to change up their menu pretty soon here (I can only convince myself not to order the duck sloppy joe so often), and their space will always be noisy and awkward (same goes for the service... ZING!), but it's good to know there's a place to walk to for something like a birthday dinner when the Hour Car doesn't give us enough time for the Modern, and Alma is too full (or unwilling to deal with our gift certificate?) to visit on a Saturday night.
10.14.2012
East Corner Wonton -
ManhattanRoast duck and pork on white rice
"We should go check out Chinatown and get some lunch," said a particularly unimaginative part of my brain. And so we did. And it was quite a sight. Like, it was like China. And I'm only being half sarcastic; New York's Chinatown is quite a scene. Even more so than San Francisco's. Very few English signs. Banks I've never heard of (good luck finding an ATM). A different world, man. I'm mildly embarrassed that when I saw some people exchange money for something on a corner, I was actually surprised it was U.S. currency. Even more surprised when I caught a glimpse of myself in one of the mirrored walls at East Corner Wonton, shocked to see that, "Wow, I forgot I'm a white guy!" This was after only about 30 minutes. Anyway. We chose this place, of all the hundreds of similar Chinatown restaurants, because the Village Voice named their roast duck and pork on white rice dish to be the best dish in Chinatown, and I'm a sucker for hype. The duck was too fatty and boney for me, although the skin had a great flavor. But that roast pork was incredible! It was like what roast pork at every other shitty Chinese place is trying to do. I didn't even care that it was cold. Plus the whole plate was only $5, and the service was awful to us, and the Chinese patrons, so we didn't feel too bad about it.
08.22.2009
Egg -
BrooklynCheese omelette, candied bacon
The obvious first thought: "Oh god, someone opened a breakfast joint in the middle of Williamsburg and decided to call it Egg? Why don't you just shoot me in the head and feed my body to some free range chickens and get it over with? However, after eating there, I have nothing to complain about. For having the gall to name themselves "Egg," there was little or no sense of self-importance or preciousness in either the menu or the interior itself. The space was small and contemporary, but inviting--white walls, unfinished wood ceilings, reclaimed wood tables, that sort of thing, but lived-in enough that you wouldn't get kicked out if you spilled ketchup all over the floor (which I didn't do, thank you very much). The food was perhaps a little too pricey, but really no more than eating at French Meadow or such a place (and cheaper than Cafe Maude, although you should expect to pay a premium for suchcivilized leisure). I suffered major ordering regret--cognitive dissonance, if you will--about my omelette. I should've went with the biscuits and gravy, which Ben ordered and were spicy and just how I like them. The omelette was okay, a little too mushy in the middle, but the hashbrowns were fantastic. Very different, as well; they were basically a big ball of potato hash deep fried into what could easily be confused as a giant falafel ball. Crunchy on the outside, hash-browny in the middle. And of course, I wouldn't dare eat at this place without ordering their candied bacon, which sounds a lot more ridiculous than it really is. Basically, they cook up their bacon coated in maple syrup to create a nice layer of sweetness on the outside. Very tasty. All in all, it was probably a little too expensive, and it can be an awfully long wait to get in if you don't get there early enough. But I'd certainly go back there in the future if its space isn't taken over by a cupcake shop or discount keffiyah outlet. (Oh, and also, free homemade donut holes when you are seated.)
09.17.2010
El Nuevo Rodeo -
South MinneapolisSkirt steak with mole enchiladas
As we could've guessed, it being Friday night and all, Town Talk was packed. But the Mexican place next door, El Nuevo Rodeo, was (as we could've guessed) mostly empty. Rodeo, as you may know, is the restaurant wing of the Latin mega-club that is just upstairs. Drive by on a weekend night and we're talkin' dudes with white cowboy hats, muy caliente chicas, bands with accordian players, the whole bit. And honestly I hadn't heard anything about the quality of their restaurant, but I figured since it actually caters to that community, how bad could it be? And the answer is: Not too bad at all. The place, from the atmosphere and menu to the actual food, reminded me of Tacos Morelos, an old favorite of mine on Nicollet (near Azia) that is closed now. Totally respectable food, with a few nice surprises thrown in (a nice radish and pepper 'salad,' a full blackened, roasted onion, pickled hot peppers and vegetables came with the chips.) Libby thought her enchiladas were a little bland, but I was happy with everything on my plate, from the grilled stead to the rice. My only minor disappointment was the mole, which didn't bowl me over like the stuff at Dominguez. It was a little more coffee-like, and a little less sweet. Different styles, really. Anyway, aside from some weird service and some borderline-high prices, I really give this place the thumbs up. And I'll absolutely be going back in the future.
03.22.2013
El Taco Riendo -
Northeast MinneapolisTacos
As far as hole in the wall legitimate Mexican taco joints go (the "HITWLMTJ Scale", as I know it), I'm going to go ahead and say El Taco Riendo is one of the best we've got. And that's after just one visit. Of my 3 tacos, the chorizo/potato was the least impressive; I've had better at a couple other places. But the carne asada and al pastor we absolutely top notch, particularly the pastor. It had a real rich flavor and little hints of spices that go above and beyond the red saucy sweetness that a lot of places fall into. I didn't have any rice or beans, so I can't comment on that. But as far as meat goes, I think Taco Riendo is doing it right. Give it a shot.
05.14.2013
El Taco Riendo -
Northeast MinneapolisTacos
I posted fairly recently about El Taco Riendo, so I won't get too deep here. But I just had to add: Their barbacoa is, to paraphrase any number late 50s sitcom goodie goodies, out of this world! It's got this flavor to it, almost like it was cooked with a little bit of cinnamon or nutmeg or even cocoa (almost like mole, but I've never heard of cooking barbacoa with mole). I've never had any barbacoa like it. Or any mexican meat for that matter.
05.08.2013
Element Pizza -
Northeast MinneapolisPIzza
Driving past it for the last year or two, I've always felt there's something seemingly not right about Element Wood Fire Pizza. It's on a weird part of Broadway. There never seems to be anybody eating there. You simply never hear about it, no writeups, nobody on Facebook raving about it. Does it even exist? If a a tree falls in the woods and starts on fire and cooks some pizza and there's nobody there to taste it, does it make a sound? We decided to try it out tonight, and I can confirm: there is something odd about Element. But it's a matter of cognitive dissonance; the fact is that every other similar pizza place in town (Lola, Black Sheep, Nea, Punch, et. al.) is cool. Element is not. It's trying to be, and maybe on the day it opened it was, but now it's a tiny triangular shaped place with only a handful of tables, wood paneled walls, bad art, weird Budweiser-branded table caddies, an entirely middle-eastern staff, and a sad looking menu that essentially says "if we can't cook it in a wood fired oven, you're out of luck." Not an ironic mustache in sight. That said--that said--the pizza is good. I promise. Odd, though, in the fact that, while the crust is that perfect chewy, smokey, wood-fired crust that you get at Punch and all those 'good' places, the toppings seem more pedestrian. Like, Leaning Tower quality. But that can be good, and it is. This isn't gourmet stuff, it actually reminds me of the pizza we got out on the east coast in New York and Connecticut earlier this year (which, incidentally, was some of the best pizza I've ever had). Really, it's the best of both worlds; the awesome crust of Punch and Lola, and the guilty-pleasure no frills toppings of Leaning Tower or Parkway. And my spicy sausage was actually spicy! Point is, if I lived near this place, I'd love it. I'd eat it way too often and get sick of it. I'm not going to go out of my way to go there again necessarily, but I wish it was closer to me.
01.04.2009
Eleven City Diner -
ChicagoChicken Sandwich
This was the second time eating at Eleven City Diner near downtown Chicago, and it was nearly as good as the first. In a place where you need to order corned beef or pastrami or something of that meat family to really get the full experience, I was worried about the potential of a cajun chicken sandwich, but it ended up being a well-above-average cajun chicken (which can often be pretty boring). The bread really made it. Big, fat, soft, and almost french-toast-like. Well worth the 5 hour wait. Or maybe a little less.
01.05.2013
Embers Bridgemans -
South MinneapolisBreakfast skillet
After years of judgmentally eyeing it with revulsion and trepidation, Libby and I were finally cornered into a position where the Embers Bridgemans by the Minnehaha roundabout was our best choice for breakfast. "Low expectations!" we said. "It couldn't be any worse than the Nokomis Grill!" And so we entered, seated by our clinically depressed and joyless teenage hostess at a corner booth next to a group of (of course) retired old men with chronic coughs and skin conditions and overalls. Kind of charming, I guess, in its own way. They even talked to us. But the food was, somehow, worse than the Nokomis Grill (which is now closed, the reason we ended up here to begin with). You know exactly what was bad about it, no need for me to indulge. I mean, it was edible. It satiated our hunger. But just think about the how great a restaurant in that location could be, so close to the Falls! And it's just being wasted.
12.26.2008
Evergreen Chinese -
Uptown MinneapolisPepper mock pork
After eating one bite of this mock pork dish that Jeff had a couple months back, I was convinced that if I'm ever forced to sit and eat fake meat, this would be my choice. So tonight I ordered it at Evergreen, and it was even better than I remembered. And so simple... just breaded fried mock pork, garlic, basil, hot peppers. But that mock pork of theirs really does it. I'd almost say I'd prefer it to having real pork in that dish; there's no way Chinese restaurant pork could've stayed that tender after being fried. The interior, while basically a fluorescent lit white box, is surprisingly calm and welcoming. I could see myself sitting there and reading without feeling awkward. And bonus points for the the Chinese owner speaking Spanish to one of the customers as he ordered "Los seaweed" and "Tofu frito." Ah, Nicollet Avenue. Melting pots, and what have you.
04.10.2009
Evergreen Chinese -
Uptown MinneapolisBoiled peanuts
Since Libby is away in Phoenix, I decided to paint the town red and live it up in the big city. So like any happenin' bachelor, I went to Evergreen and had a plate boiled peanuts. They tasted like how I imagine China smells. Read into that how you will.
(I also had the the pepper fried mock pork again. And it was still good).
07.28.2009
Fitgers -
DuluthRueben, homemade root beer
Something I've noticed about Duluth on my last few visits is that, in terms of its shopping and dining choices, it's become a sort of Minneapolis Two (or "Minneapolis Too!" as some savvy marketing brain would likely render it). Pizza Luce. Grandmas. Hells Kitchen. The Electric Fetus. The Global Village. These are all perfectly fine establishments, some of them even got their start in Duluth, but when I'm driving three hours to get to a city, I want some options! And while I'm sure there are a number of hidden little gems sprinkled around town, there doesn't seem to be any one place that says "Hey everyone, I'm an amazing restaurant that is easy to find and entirely original to Duluth! Eat at me and tell your friends about how great I am!" Hells Kitchen would be one of these places if it wasn't an arm of the Minneapolis one, and Luce would certainly be one if it never left Duluth. But as it stands, I can only really think of two places that even come close: Pickwicks and Fitgers. Pickwicks, I have never been to. Someone told me the other day that it's very good, and it will certainly be on my list in the future. But this weekend, when killing time on the drive back from the Upper Peninsula, Libby and I ate lunch at Fitgers. More specifically, we ate at the Fitgers Brewhouse Brewery & Grille (points subtracted for the 'e'). Fitgers, you see, is really a big newly-renovated shopping complex which used to be a brewery, and now houses a mini brewery and a Life Is Good store. The restaurant itself, just a fairly standard bar and grille, and was actually, given the circumstances of its creation and surroundings, good. I had a grilled reuben, which suffered from none of the potential problems which ruebens often suffer from, and all-in-all was a great sandwich--well deserving of the little "chef's choice" icon next its title on the menu. Thanks chef! We also got onion rings, which were perfectly acceptable, and chips and salsa, which was seemingly homemade and not bad for being free with the sandwich. But the best part of my meal, easily, was the root beer, which they brew on site with all their beers (Libby liked her beer, too). I've had plenty of brewhouse-brewed root beer (Herkimer, Town Hall, that old Hops place), but this was probably the best I've ever had. Right up there on the list of best root beer I've had, home-brewed or not. It was like drinking pure velvet, cut from the finest robe of the most charming king, regal but just. Our waitress, however, was a female douchebag.
07.01.2009
Five Guys Burgers and Fries -
EdinaBacon cheeseburger
We have a winner in the Great Minneapolis Burger Wars of 2009! And a surprise one at that. Five Guys narrowly but decisively defeated Burger Jones in a hard fought trench battle that tested the gumption and wherewithal of both sides. But in the end, like Hitler marching into Russia unprepared for Stalin's scorched Earth defense, Burger Jones simply overreached where Five Guys pulled back to basics. A reasonably priced burger, pattied fresh with free fixins of your choice, cooked to order and piled high, yet surprisingly manageable, Five Guys is simply the better value. It's very comparable to In And Out Burgers out west, but I found it to be far easier to eat; In And Outs always seemed to fall apart and end up all over my shirt by the time I was finished. Throw in hand-cut fries (cooked in peanut oil!), and free peanuts, and you've got yourself a decent little burger chain. Even though it's a couple months old by now, it was still incredibly busy tonight, with no seating to be had. Luckily, there is a lame little man-made pond and corporate campus park across the parking lot, which, judging by the amount of people sitting on benches eating burgers and scattered ketchup cups littering the ground, seems to be acting as the de facto outdoor seating area for the time being. So congratulations, Five Guys. Now I'll see you again in about 4 months, when maybe I can actually find a place to sit .
09.25.2010
Freeziac -
BloomingtonRed velvet frozen yogurt
So you'll probably never go there because it's in the Mall of America and you're all anti-consumerist and urbane and in-touch, but I'm post-anti-consumerist, so I was excited to finally try this new frozen yogurt place up by the east food court (yes, I know the difference between the two). They charge you by the ounce, but otherwise give you free reign over what you put in your bowl. I usually wouldn't care about a new mall-ready frozen yogurt "joint," but between the notably retro-futurist design, and the intriguing flavor offerings (I've seen pomegranate, green tea, and lime, for starters) I had to give it a shot. The biggest problem with a place like this? They'll getcha. Paying by the ounce and having a plethora of topping opportunities (topportunities!) could potentially add up to an 8 dollar bowl of yogurt, and an evening of sadness. So I went in with a goal of not doing too much, and not being too tempted by the giant bowl they give you. And I think it worked. I took a small helping of red velvet cake yogurt, and a hit of peanut butter yogurt, topped it with a couple brownie chunks and hot fudge and called it a day. When it was all said and done, I had a perfectly satisfying and sizable treat for only $2.80. Cheaper than a Blizzard, and a heck of a lot more interesting.
03.29.2010
Gandhi Mahal -
South MinneapolisBuffet
I finally popped into Gandhi Mahal (near Lake and Hiawatha, sort of by the Town Talk) for their lunch buffet on Sunday. It was fairly cheap, $9.99, and everything I had was good, if maybe not quite as good as Bombay Bistro, and not quite as much to choose from. Plus the chicken tikka masala had tons of little bones in it. But it's the closest Indian place to us, and it was good enough to go back in the future, at least.
11.21.2010
Gandhi Mahal -
South MinneapolisLunch Buffet
I still don't claim to know the first thing about Indian food. But yesterday's lunch buffet at Gandhi Mahal over by Lake and Hiawatha was pretty much flawless. Maybe the best I've had. All the standards, like chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, red pepper chicken curry, and many other forms of chicken. But they also had some Bangladeshi style pureed... potatoes? I think? And some spiced apple slices. And it was all fantastic. I am definitely going back, soon and often.
01.22.2013
Gandhi Mahal -
South MinneapolisLamb rezala
Does anybody know of a better Indian restaurant in Minneapolis than Gandhi Mahal? It's so good. But really, I'm really asking. This isn't hypothetical. If there is, I'd love to try it. Let me know. Thank you.
03.06.2013
George & the Dragon -
South MinneapolisCurry chicken salad sandwich
Based on this one meal (curry chicken salad sandwich, fries, maybe a sausage roll appetizer, and I swear just one chicken wing), I plan on spending lots of time at George & the Dragon as soon as the snow melts this spring (bussing there is a bit of a trek, you see). It's like Merlins Rest's cooler, more successful little brother. Nothing against Merlin's Rest. But this was bloody delicious.
01.01.2009
Gino's East -
ChicagoDeep dish pizza
Because eating a big deep dish pizza is a required activity for anyone who ever visits Chicago, we finally got around to getting to one of the standard deep dish spots (which are, in generally-accepted order of quality: Lou Malnati's, Gino's East, Giordano's). The actual experience of going to the downtown Gino's East was something akin to waiting for the cable guy. You wait and wait and wait, get yanked around and treated like crap, and then you watch hours upon hours of Bravo and think to yourself, "What am I doing?" Then you get the bill. And yet, in the end, you are really glad you got cable. Yeah, that's about right.
07.20.2011
Gion -
New HopeBun bo hue
The best compliment I can give Gion, as backhanded as it may sound, is that it in no way stands out from any Vietnamese noodle/soup place you could find on Nicollet's Eat Street. "Geez, Steve, that's pretty mean." No! What I mean is that Gion, a tiny little place in hidden strip mall in New Hope, could go head to head with any of those places. It's not any better than them, but it's certainly not worse. And for being the lone Vietnamese restaurant in New Hope (and one of the few in the western suburbs), I think that's amazing! And it's only a few blocks away from Fat Nats! New Hope: foodie paradise?
07.30.2010
Glaciers Cafe -
South MinneapolisChicken sandwich
Glaciers is one of those places that, until very recently, I had never even considered considering. I hardly even knew what it was; all I knew of it was just a overly-slick mountain logo on a couple signs near the Town Talk. Coffee shop? Smoothie stand? Tibetan bakery? Close. Turns out it's a frozen custard place first and foremost. That explains the glaciers. And they have breakfast. And burgers. And pizzas and sandwiches? I only decided to try it because I saw an ad in the City Pages that had a photo of a burger on it. I'll be totally honest: the place needs a lot of help. The interior is neither exciting nor intimate. The design of everything is pretty amateurish, in a bad way. And the service was fairly slow, as it seemed like there were just two teenagers running the whole place. But hot diggity dog the sandwich was outstanding! Plus it came with "Kansas City style" cole slaw, which was like no other cole slaw I've ever had. So in the end, even though I didn't have any of their (supposedly very good) frozen custard, I'm left feeling like Glaciers could be a really great place. But right now it just makes me sad.
08.08.2010
Glaciers Cafe -
South MinneapolisChili dog
Well, my second stab at Glaciers in a week, and I must say... I'm still impressed. Vienna beef chili dog with some solid homemade chili, Libby had a totally respectable flatbread pizza. And we finally tried their frozen custard, which was fast-melting but otherwise perfect. Still, there's something off about the place; something between the service and the atmosphere and the menu that just does nothing to help their otherwise above-par food offerings. Too much blue, I think. Seriously. Read the link...
01.26.2009
Good Day Cafe -
Golden ValleyCorn beef hash
After two failed attempts, we finally got around to eating breakfast at the Good Day Cafe this weekend. The previous two times it would've been about an hour wait, which is pretty insane considering this place is on a frontage road of 394 in a commercial section of Golden Valley. Between the unqualified successes this place and Fat Nat's, I really wonder why there aren't more "mom-and-pop" (I hate that phrase too, but it's better than "independent") restaurants in the northwest suburbs. Clearly people go out of their way to go here, and they have cars at their disposal. So why is New Hope and Plymouth still overrun with Applebees and TGI Fridays and Perkins locations? Oh wait, probably because people don't want to pay way too much money for corn beef hash and toast after waiting for an hour and a half. That sounds as if I didn't like it, which is incorrect. It was pretty good, and the atmosphere (while crowded with people) was very nice. It was maybe just a little pricey for food that didn't blow my mind in the way that a much cheaper place could do, and has done. And come to think of it, I don't even like corn beef hash! Why do I always insist on ordering it?
04.15.2013
The Good Life Cafe -
Park RapidsThai peanut butter burger
As much as old meanie Marth wants to be critical of the Good Life Cafe, a conspicuous attempt at bringing some urbane Cities cool into charming little downtown Park Rapids, I'm not gonna go there. Because hey, they're actually doing something fun and worthwhile! And the food ain't bad! The whole thing is sort of one step short of the Lowbrow--bright colors, cool light fixtures, big blocky wood tables, a few different burgers and a fish BLT, and some (assumedly) decent bloody maries. And if someone is willing to show up in Park Rapids and serve a burger with spicy Thai peanut sauce and pickled cabbage and basil, I don't care if the burger isn't fresh pattied (The Royal, across the street, FTW). I don't care if the peanut sauce is probably canned. It was tasty, and they're doing their best, and it's in their right to put a bird on it, gosh darn it!
05.10.2012
Granite City -
RosevilleKorean tacos
The thing I like best about Granite City is how it's not terrible. Really!
01.26.2011
Greek Grill -
Downtown MinneapolisGyro
Although its interior is utterly devoid of character, a neither charming nor repugnant food hole in the neither charming nor repugnant City Center, I think the Greek Grill might have some of the best food in the skyway. The competition is meager, yes, but still. Try it some time, won't you?
08.21.2009
Grimaldi's Pizzeria -
BrooklynSausage and red pepper pizza
For the second time this year, I found myself standing in line with a horde of bitter people for a unusually long amount of time outside a highly-regarded pizza place in a very large American city. But unlike my experience with Gino's East in downtown Chicago, this time I actually left satisfied. Granted, Grimaldi's is a completely different beast than Gino's East; we're talking about a one-off, family-owned, coal-fired pizza joint who's popularity is based solely on its reputation and quality, not a mythic regional institution who filters millions of customers a year through its several locations in search of a pizza the size of a tractor tire. The fact that it is located practically underneath the Brooklyn Bridge (very impressive, by the way) certainly doesn't hurt, either. Thin, chewy, and fresh, the pizza was much more similar to something you'd get at Punch than any big greasy pie you might find somewhere (anywhere) else. And to be honest I have a hard time finding anything particular that distinguishes it from Punch. But if you were to set a Punch pizza and a Grimaldi's pizza in front of me right now, I'd choose Grimaldi's, hands down. It was just a perfectly enjoyable pizza with good sauce, good crust, and good cheese. As we were finishing up, we were kindly greeted by who I assume is the owner, a cartoonishly Italian Brooklynite who managed to disparage Bostonians, Asians, gays, children, and himself in about 1.5 minutes, in a way that would've been charming even to gay Asian children from Boston. I believe the staff of Gino's East simply turned the lights off and spit in our to go boxes as they pushed us out the door.
07.05.2010
Grocery Stores -
South Minneapolis5th Avenue bar
You know the feeling you get when you eat a Butterfinger bar? That feeling like you just ate something magical, yet your teeth are coated with quick-dry plaster? Awful. As much as love Butterfingers, I hardly ever eat them, because I don't consider physical misery to be part of a pleasant eating experience (* see: Lotus of Siam). So shame on me for never having tried a 5th Avenue bar. You've probably seen them before: they're in the Sadness section of your local grocer, decked out in the same packaging they've had since 1930, in between the RC Cola and the 100 Grand bars. But these things are great! They taste just like Butterfingers, but without all the baggage. I think the chocolate/peanut butter ratio is much closer; they're about the same width, while 5th Avenues are only half the height. And the crispy, crunchy, peanut buttery (TM) inside is just slightly less sweet and sticky, and therefore more easily masticated than a Butterfinger. I need to stock up on some crates of these things, because I get the feeling that Hersheys is waiting for the last of America's 70+ set to die out so they can finally stop making these things, because I'm not sure if anyone born after the depression buys them.
10.15.2009
Harry Singh's -
Uptown MinneapolisLamb curry, chicken wings
Go to Harry Singh's. It's on Nicollet and 27th. It's a perfect little place; between the food and the atmosphere and the service, you couldn't ask for anything more. I won't even try to explain the food, since it's Caribbean (i.e. "Indian meets soul food meets hell if I know what else"), but it is unbelievable. Real jerk chicken wings. A big pile of fresh and hearty (and very green) lamb curry. I'm just going to stop now, because I still don't know the first thing about Trinidad or Tobago, but I can tell you that every good thing you'll ever hear about this place is 110% true.
03.17.2012
Harry Singh's -
South MinneapolisLamb roti, doubles
Now that Harry Singh's has taken the State Fair food building by storm, things have really changed. 30 minute waits. Line out the door. People taking pictures by the sign.
Kidding. I was the only person there. But man, what great food! I ordered the lamb roti, essentially a lamb and potato curry folded inside a big piece of roti bread that could be eaten like a sandwich, but only if you have zero shame and a mouth the size of Chaguanas. (Did you know Chaguanas is the largest city in Trinidad and Tobago!? It is!). I also ordered something called "doubles," which sounds like a game that Brooklyn kids in the 50's would play, but is in fact some chickpea curry mixture between to pieces of doughy eggy bread. Also good. So when you're at the State Fair this summer, go to the food building and get some Harry Singh's. And when you're not at the State Fair this summer, go down to Nicollett and get some Harry Singh's. Just don't take home leftover roti because it gets a bit gross.
12.05.2008
Heartland -
St. PaulWild boar chop
Heartland was outstanding. Pheasant wild rice soup with squash and apple cider base, wild boar chop glazed with maple and cider, walnut vinegar roasted cauliflower, goats milk cheesecake with caramel and apple compote and a mini apple fritter--and that's just what I ate. So while I was slightly (and superficially) disappointed that the boar roast with homemade BBQ sauce wasn't being served tonight (which would have been three meals of BBQ pork in a row, covering every possible BBQ pork scenario from "working man's" to "rich bastard's"), the food all tasted even better than it sounds. And it sounds like something a 16th century king would eat. Not only that, but we actually received friendly service and were seated at a good table! What is this, my birthday?
12.05.2008
Hell's Kitchen -
Downtown MinneapolisBBQ Pork Sandwich
As part 1 of my 2-day birthday extravaganza, Libby and I stopped in for a quick dinner at Hell's Kitchen last night before going to see the hah-larious comedy stylings of Stella, three guys who used to be on The State. I knew that Hell's Kitchen had recently moved to a new location downtown, but I didn't know until yesterday that they're actually serving lunch and dinner there now, along with their infamous (and amazing) breakfast offerings. And while my BBQ pork sandwich, albeit a little soupy, was tangy and delicious (right up there with Town Talk's and maybe better than Pop's), I couldn't help but feel that their sandwiches and dinner entrees just weren't nearly as interesting or original as their breakfast fare (sausage bread!). Mostly just standard stuff, although a lot of their sauces--the delicious BBQ sauce, for instance--are homemade, so big bonus points for that. The other thing I have to say is that their new space is HUGE. It has three separate dining areas, two bars, and a take-out window. Between that and their big location smack-dab in the middle of Duluth's Canal Park, it amazes me how they're able to make enough money to not only stay in business, but to balloon to such a large operation without, it seems, having taken a second step.
11.16.2012
Hell's Kitchen -
Downtown MinneapolisPulled pork
The title up there says this is a review of Hell's Kitchen. It's not, though. Although I did eat there the other night, I mostly wanted to use this venue to whine about something that was running through my mind on the night where I eventually ended up eating at Hell's Kitchen, which is still tasty, despite their underwhelming non-brunch menu. Oops, that was a review. But really I wanted to go to the hot new food hole The Butcher & The Boar, and had to abort after finding that the bar was full, and the place was way too fancy-pants for me to be sitting there in my dirty hoodie reading a book and drinking ice water. I looked at their menu, though, and unsurprisingly (for a place called "The Butcher & The Boar"), it was full of succulent sounding slow cooked meats and sausages. Low-brow, hearty, meaty Man Food run through some artisanal-Brooklyny-Anthropologie-bearded whatever. Great, right? But it hit me: It seems like every restaurant that's been opening lately has been part of this same continuum. Smokehouses, gastro pubs. Low brow American made high brow. All with the same $15-20 price point, small plates, craft beers, old timey logos. It's aaaaall great. But where do we draw the line? At what point does it all just become the same restaurant? Funny that after I had this debate with myself, I ended up at Hell's Kitchen, which was kind of one of the first places in town to go into the deep end (they have sausage bread for god's sake!). And I enjoyed it. All I'm saying is I could stand to see an interesting new Chinese place open every now and then.
02.23.2011
Heritage -
Washington DCLamb vindaloo, other stuff
It's been long enough since I was in DC that I no longer remember what I wanted to write about Heritage. But for the sake of record keeping, let it be known that I found it to be well above average. Especially the fried rock bass, and the vindaloo, which the bowtie-clad waiter warned us would be "extremely spicy," but was in fact quite pleasant. There are apparently a couple Heritages in DC, because after we left Ben found out we were at the "wrong" one, whatever that means. But this one seemed perfectly fine to me.
01.21.2011
Highland Grill -
St. PaulTaco salad
I'm going to need the Highland Grill to put up a big sign inside, maybe on their chalkboard, that says "Hey, Steve, order the taco salad." Because every time I go there I seem to forget how great it is and ignore it and order the turkey burger instead (which, incidentally, I had for lunch today.) Sure, the turkey burger is great, but this taco salad... hoo boy. And while we're making this sign, let's add a little footnote that says "By the way, don't order the chili mac."
04.26.2010
Hogan Brothers -
NorthfieldCorned beef sandwich
Hogan Brothers seems to make a decent sandwich. Fine. But more importantly, the city of Northfield really does smell like Malt-O-Meal. I always thought that was some sort of rumor or joke or wive's tale. But no. It's like sticking your face into a newly opened bag of Marshmallow Mateys. Crazy.
03.30.2009
Home -
Uptown MinneapolisLemongrass chicken
Libby and I made lemongrass chicken the other night. The only lemongrass chicken I'm familiar with is Quang's, which is awesome and practically the only thing I eat there. I happened upon this recipe for it, and it seemed simple enough--nothing but chicken, fish sauce, sugar, peppers, garlic, and yes, lemongrass. I picked up fresh lemongrass stalks at one of the Asian grocery stores on Nicollett, and it turned out pretty well. Super cheap, super easy, and tasty. And who would've guessed: lemongrass smells just like lemon! I won't go into detail about the horrific bottles of fish sauce the store had, but suffice it to say, I'll stick with the less gross, less chunky fish sauce brand you can pick up at Kowalski's.
02.27.2010
Home -
South MinneapolisBeef in barolo
Libby and I made this Crock Pot beef roast thing the other night, from a recipe in a slow cooker cookbook. Beef in barolo, it was called. Not too complicated, just some chuck cooked in crushed tomatoes, red wine, some garlic, sugar, onions, and rosemary. Oh, and a bay leaf. And Libby made some awesome horseradish/garlic mashed potatoes with it. The first night we had it, it was fine. The rosemary was pretty much the only flavor going on in it, and the beef turned out a little tough, but it was nice. But tonight, three nights later, the leftovers were amazing. Everything really just needed to sit and stew a little longer, I guess. Anyhow, that's all.
05.08.2011
Home -
South MinneapolisChicken shawarma
From now on I'm cooking everything in yogurt, no matter what.
07.16.2012
Homi -
St. PaulEnmolada
Hey you. Go to Homi. It's a tiny little Mexican place in the middle of the University construction wasteland that needs your business. But don't go out of pity, go because it may well be the best Mexican food in St. Paul. And it wouldn't kill you to order the enmolada, basically a chicken mole enchilada. It was some of the best mole I've ever had, and tasted very different than most other moles, almost leaning into red curry territory, as opposed to the dark brown stuff you're used to. Anyway, I was there at 12:30 on a Sunday, and it was dead. They need you. And you need them. So go! Andele!
08.13.2012
Homi -
St. PaulSteak burrito
Second trip to Homi, this time with Libby in tow. The place was dead empty again (thanks a lot, guys!), and I feel like I shouldn't even be writing because it was sort of a bust. I had a steak burrito, which was okay I guess, but what I actually ordered was the beef birria. Apparently my Spanish is so poor that the waiter though I said burrito. So kind of a bummer, because I was looking forward to the birria. And Libby got some chicken enchiladas, which I thought were great, but they were too spicy for her to really enjoy. (Weakling!). So, whatever. We'll get'em next time Homi.
11.07.2009
Hot Plate -
South MinneapolisPumpkin buckwheat waffles
Funny that you don't hear about Hot Plate more often than you do. Granted it's in a random little part of the city, 52nd and Bloomington, but I never even would've heard of it had my boss raved about it a couple years ago. But since we're moving into the neighborhood, we poked in this morning, and were shocked to find a busy, bustling, quirky, fun little place who's apparent popularity is matched by its delicious food (and borderline obsessive paint-by-numbers collection). While I may not strike you as a pumpkin buckwheat waffle kind of guy, it seemed like the perfect choice for a November morning, and it was absolutely worth ordering. It was pretty much everything you'd think it was, but came topped with caramelized walnuts and whipped cream. If anything, it was maybe a little too sweet; I could've eaten just one instead of two, with a side of sausage or something, and been happy. But as it stands I was perfectly content with the waffles and the experience as a whole, and we will certainly be going back there many more weekends in the future.
11.29.2009
Hot Plate -
South MinneapolisBreakfast burrito
Second time at Hot Plate. Not as good as the first. In fact, my breakfast burrito was actually kind of gross. I'm going to continue to give them the benefit of the doubt (thanks to their pumpkin waffles), but considering their ability to screw up something as unscrewupable as a breakfast burrito (covering it with that nasty sauce from cans of chipotle peppers? Guh.), and the obvious frozen-ness of their fried potatoes, I'm a little wary of what this place has in store for our future.
04.18.2010
Hot Plate -
South MinneapolisBacon glazed doughnut
I don't have much more to say about Hot Plate's breakfasts after my third trip there (still good-but-underwhelming). But, this time around there was an added bonus: Glazed doughnuts with bacon sprinkles. It's exactly what it sounds like; a homemade fried doughnut topped off with fresh bacon bits and glazed, Krispy Kreme style. The first bite is a little curious, but by the end you're thinking, "Wow. I want another one." I asked the waitress if they'd have it every weekend, since it was listed as a special. She wasn't sure, because it was the first time they ever tried them. Apparently Hot Plate's owner saw a place on "Drive Ins, Diners and Dives" that served them, and thought he'd give it a shot. I gave her my official vote that they keep them on the menu. So we'll see.
02.25.2013
Hot Plate -
South MinneapolisBreakfast stuff
I'm starting to think Hot Plate isn't so hot. Too many 'meh' kinds of meals there, and it's always so busy I think maybe it's just not worth it. However, their bacon pancakes. Totally hottt. They remind me of my old favorite, bacon pannekoekens at Pannekoeken Huis. And I absolutely mean that as a compliment.
12.27.2010
Il Gatto -
South MinneapolisRabbit bolognese
It would have been nice if the bartender would've made taken my order, or at least made eye contact, in the 15 minutes I sat there fluttering my eyelashes at him. It also would have been nice if they would've brought out my appetizer before my pasta. And needless to say, it would've been nice if the small plate would either have been either as big as, or as inexpensive as Bar La Grassa's. But this rabbit bolognese was good enough to make me ignore all of that. Still, in a world where Il Gatto and Bar La Grassa both exist, I don't see a reason not to choose La Grassa.
07.27.2012
In-N-Out Burger -
DavisCheeseburger
Alright, ready? Can you handle this? I can wait. Okay. Okay? Ready now? I think I like Five Guys better than In-N-Out. There. Sorry.
11.15.2008
Indio -
uptown minneapolisLechon, other stuff
Indio is a somewhat new high-end Mexican restaurant across the street from Cheapo on Lake Street. Aside from Masa downtown, I'm really not sure what over comparable Mexican places there are around town, so it was a pretty new experience for me. And I have to say, it was all pretty tasty, and certainly worth the extra couple bucks you're paying compared to Pepitos or Pancho Villa or wherever. My "Lechon" was basically a grilled pork tenderloin served over a bed of mashed-corn-stuff and topped with anaheim peppers and some creme sauce and pickled onions. It was a south-of-the-border taste explosion! And despite some less-than-perfect service (see Libby's post), I'd definitely go there again.
11.16.2008
Guest Post by Libby
Indio -
Uptown MinneapolisChicken flautas, shrimp and scallop ceviche, pork taquitos
Saturday roommate dinner at Indio last night. My meal was pretty delicious (and just as delicious nuked the next day). The chips that came with the ceviche were housemade and nice and salty. The taquitos were tasty (but a little too juicy).
I'm almost more picky about the vibe and the service at a restaurant than I am about the food. Here I feel like we were left hanging a few times. It took our server awhile to make her way to us after we were seated to make the first contact and take our drink order and it took much too long for us to get them after we ordered (just two beers!). However, the owner or manager later mentioned that he noticed we were cold because we were putting on our scarves (we were seated by corner windows) and asked if the temperature had improved after he adjusted it. I thought that was a very nice gesture because we hadn't complained.
Overall, a nice meal. I'd definitely go back, just not on a Saturday night.
12.13.2008
Indio -
Uptown MinneapolisHuarache Azteca
After a second time eating at Indio, my first opinion still stands: !Muchos muchos el qualite food des Mexicanos! Last night I tried the Huarache Azteca, which was steak and peppers and cheese and other stuff on top of a flat, thick, corn-based tortilla (which was part cornbread, part pita). I assume that is the "huarache" part of the equation, although according to Google, a huarache is a sandal. But it was one tasty sandal. And surprisingly spicy!
11.19.2012
Indochin -
St. PaulNoodle salad
There's a Vietnamese restaurant in St. Paul, over by Macalaster. It's called Indochin. They're open until 9:00 every day except Wednesday. They serve Vietnamese food, did I mention that? You could eat there if you chose to do so.
09.16.2009
Jasmine Deli -
Uptown MinneapolisStuff with fish sauce in it
I don't eat at the Jasmine Deli as much as I probably should, but I've had it twice in the last week, so try to follow along; Curry beef noodle salad: Awesome awesome awesome. Pork and shrimp spring rolls: Too much cilantro and/or mint, and too peanutty dipping sauce. Stir fried chicken noodle salad: okay, but should've gone with the char broiled. Pot stickers: unbelievably amazing dipping sauce. Mock duck sandwich: It's mock duck. Gimme a break. All in all, the curry beef noodle salad is the winner.
04.13.2010
Joys Pattaya -
RichfieldBasil duck
In order to prolong an otherwise brief and destinationless bike ride, I decided to eat tonight at the Calico Elephant, a Thai restaurant in what used to (pretty obviously) be an old American diner on Lyndale near 494. Not surprisingly, when I got there I found that the Calico Elephant was gone, but in its place was Joy's Pattaya. I don't know what a Pattaya is (or who Joy is for that matter), but since I just rode nearly 7 miles to get there, I said "what the hell" and got a table. And wouldn't you know, it was actually pretty darn good. I mean, maybe not as great as my last meal at Sen Yai Sen Lek, or even close to as good as the Thai Restaurant Of Death in Las Vegas, but you could tell they know what they're doing. Aside from standard Thai fare, they have some interesting items like a pumpkin curry (which, rumor has it, is actually served in a pumpkin), and spring rolls with avacado and mango (which weren't my cup of tea, but I bet Libby would love them). My duck stir fry, for example, included fresh green beans and bok choy, which I don't really see in Thai food too often, but gave it a certain unique flair. My only qualm was that there was maybe a little too much skin and fat on the duck, which was otherwise tender and tasty, so I'll let that slide. I'll definitely be going back to this place in the future (it's small and cozy, too). I just hope they last a little longer than the Calico Elephant.
08.28.2009
Katz's Deli -
Manhattan A pile of money on rye
Katz's is supposedly one of the last original non-chain Jewish delis in New York, so of course we had to go give it a shot on my last day in the city (since I wasn't going to have time to fulfill my dream of throwing a trash can through the window of a racist Brooklyn pizza joint). It was delicious. There is no doubt about that. And the restaurant, while very large, certainly had a legitimate charm and history to it. But holy cannoli, look at those prices! Given the swarms of people that must eat there every day, it's probably completely reasonable for them to charge $15 for a single sandwich with no sides, or $4.50 for a side of cole slaw. They do brine their own corned beef and pastrami so it's incredibly fresh, and I assume they make their own cole slaw and potato salad as well. But if I lived nearby, I can't imagine wanting to go there too often. It was probably better than Cecil's (very different, at least), and at least as good as Mort's (and now that I think about it, Mort's certainly isn't for penny-pinchers), but I'd bet if you're living in Manhattan, you probably have a handful of places that you can get a comparable meal for half the price. Although I doubt you'll find better potato salad.
03.15.2013
Key's -
Downtown MinneapolisMeatloaf
Yesterday was Pi Day (3/14, get it!?), so we went to Key's to get some pie (because it was Pi Day, get it!?). They were practically out of pie. Because it was Pi Day. So instead, naturally, I decided to get a meatloaf sandwich. My expectations were low, as previous eating experiences at Key's had taught me. They were low, and they were shattered. Best meatloaf I've had in ages! I'd go as far as saying it's the best meatloaf in the Twin Cities. Even better than The Modern's. Bacon wrapped. Cranberry glaze. Nice and chunky. Just fantastic, way better than expected. And other sentence fragments. Oh, and awesome pumpkin pie, too.
10.24.2009
Kindee -
Downtown MinneapolisRed curry
God, I'm so over Thai coconut milk curries. The one at this Kindee place was fine and everything, but, well, blllluuuuh. It all just tastes the same to me now, wherever I get the stuff. Their fried spring rolls with chicken and mushrooms, on the other hand, were wonderful, and very unique compared to any other Thai place. They were good enough to convince me to go back again in the future, at least to try something other than the curry.
06.30.2012
The King and I -
Downtown Minneapolis34 with Beef
All I need in life is a bowl of 34 with beef and a spoon.
02.25.2009
The King And I Thai -
Downtown Minneapolis34 with beef
Just so everyone knows, the 34 with beef is just as good with brown rice as it is with white. Just, you know, so you're aware. Thanks.
03.24.2013
King's -
MiesvilleBurger
If we're going solely on a per-capita food judging basis, King's is probably worth the hype that it gets. Miesville has a population of 125, and Kings burgers are certainly good. But since municipal population does not yet factor in to our mammalian ability to taste, I feel safe in saying that there are at least a half dozen burger joints in Minneapolis that are better (a solid 10 if we're counting St. Paul). It was a good burger, don't get me wrong. But I needed it to at least be better than the Cardinal (the perfect mid point on the yard stick of Minneapolis burgers). Maybe they were having an off day, I don't know. But unless you happen to be passing by on highway 61, you're probably better off sticking closer to home.
12.30.2009
Kings -
FridleyKorean buffet
It took nearly until 2010, but I finally got around to eating Korean food (Oh give me a break... it's not like there's a surplus of Korean restaurants in the cities. Hell, I had to drive past the edge of civilization [i.e. north of 694] to do it). I'm not sure I could tell you what I ate, or how much of it was actually Korean. But there was bulgogi, and there was kimchi, so I have those bases covered. Both were wonderfully delicious, and I will certainly try to eat more of it in the future when my surroundings allow it (i.e. when I am stuck in a bad part of St. Paul or a good part of Fridley).
09.01.2009
Kinh Do -
Uptown MinneapolisHoly Basil with chicken
I know it's probably not some legitimate traditional Vietnamese dish, and I know it's nothing but jalepenos, basil, chicken, and a bucket of fish sauce and sugar, but hot damn this is a good pile of food. Sure, it's not better than the King and I's 34 with beef, but it's at least in the top 3 of my favorite Asian dishes around town. Quang could probably make it better, though.
06.23.2010
Kokomos -
BloomingtonJamaican pork something
I had to walk past the front entrance about 5 times before I built up the courage to actually walk into Kokomo. You know the place, right? Up on the third floor of the Mall of America? Across from the Forest Gump restaurant? Looks like it was designed by the gay brother of a cartoon witch doctor on an ether binge? Yeah, that's the place. I probably don't need to tell you how the food tastes, or what led me to eat there to begin with, but I will quote for one of their menu options: Bob Marley's Soup Of The Day. Just ask your beach staff for Bob’s favorite bowl of soup! Lobster bisque, if you were wondering. Wow.
02.23.2010
Korean Garden -
St. PaulBul go gi
It's official. I totally like Korean food. Sweet beef? Pickled everything? Absolutely. (I'll note that I tried going to the more-respectable Mirror Of Korea tonight, but they're closed on Tuesdays! What!?)
09.02.2012
Kramarczuk's -
Northeast MinneapolisSausages
We picked up some Kramarczuk's sausages for this weekend's cabin grill-out. Moroccan lamb, apple gouda, and caribbean jerk pork. The lamb is officially my new favorite sausage in town (not that I had an old one). Grill it up, throw it on a pita with a little hummus, some tzatziki and some hot sauce... holy moly! Good stuff. The apple gouda is also wonderful. Tame, subtle, whatever. It's great. Finally, the caribbean jerk: good god it's spicy! Seriously. Not even just "Polish sausage market" spicy, but legitimately painful. But still edible! We cooked it up, tossed it in some dirty curry rice with some shrimp, voila. Not too bad. I fell in love with Clancy's meat this summer, but I think Kramarczuk's, the old faithful, has a bit of a leg up.
03.02.2012
Krung Thep -
Uptown MinneapolisNoodles, sausages, pork stuff
Hi everybody! Welcome to Music and Food, the site through which I give you my opinions about music and food! After a 6 month layoff where I no longer cared about giving you my opinions about music and food, here we are! Mostly I just wanted an excuse to teach myself some Jquery and AJAX, thus all the pointless bells and whistles you'll see on this new site (check out those arrows up and to the right!). Anyway. Krung Thep! I haven't eaten there in a couple months, but I figured I had to at least get it on the record on my first post back that Krung Thep, a new Thai place on Eat Street (by the owners of some famous Thai deli in St. Paul), is the real deal. Maybe right up there with Sen Yai Sen Lek. Maybe even better. Really. Really? Really.
01.14.2013
Krung Thep -
South MinneapolisSpicy noodles
I still love Krung Thep. Might be my favorite Thai food in town. But lawd almighty when they say "Thai spicy" they mean "Thai spicy." It didn't cross the Lotus of Siam threshold of making me dizzy and nauseous, but it certainly did make me drink lots and lots of water.
03.15.2012
La Mixteca -
BloomingtonShredded pork
You know that creepy looking little Mexican place in the strip mall by where you live that has terrible lighting and advertises cuts of meat you've never heard of? You should go there some time. It's probably good. Not great, but at least good. La Mixteca, for instance, in a strip mall JUST on the Bloomington side of 494 (on Portland), made my night last night. They have a ton of stuff on their menu, including short ribs and pork shanks, which is a bit unusual (but compelling), as well as tongue, face, and less scary shredded pork and creamed chicken. I just had a straight-up platter of the spicy shredded pork with rice, beans, and corn tortillas, and I couldn't have asked for anything more. Great flavor, nice and tender and juicy, top notch! I will definitely be back (the barbacoa looked incredible). And like every other random strip mall Mexican place, it was served on a cafeteria-style styrofoam plate, so I'm destroying my intestinal track, and the earth!
07.05.2011
Las Teresitas -
South MinneapolisTacos
It's a genuine Nokomis food find! Las Teresitas! In the skeevy strip mall at the end of 34th Avenue where it hits 62! They've got al pastor! They've got asada! Lengua! Tripa! (Read: Tongue! Intestine!). They've got real mexican cheese! They've got a salsa bar with about 8 different salsas (arbol chile and garlic is the frontrunner) and all the chips you can eat! Homemade mole, richer and more layered than Dominguez's! Daily specials! Friendly staff! A welcoming and helpful owner! It's like you've traveled south of the border (or at least north to Lake Street)! And it's a dump! But not too much of a dump! I mentioned this on Facebook, but: Please eat there so it doesn't go out of business. I'd like at least another two months with it.
03.29.2009
Leaning Tower of Pizza -
Uptown MinneapolisPizza
I don't care what you say; I like boring old Leaning Tower. I like their boring pizza and I like their boring buffalo wings and I like their boring cheese sticks and their boring hot hoagies and I even like the boring ambiance and the boring waitstaff. Sure, you can't get mock duck on your pizza, and you can't have it cooked over the embers of ancient Japanese pine trees, but it tastes good, it's a block away, and I like that they cut it in triangles. I also like Everybody Loves Raymond. So what?
05.26.2012
The Left Handed Cook -
South MinneapolisHoisin pulled pork
It seems that the Midtown Global Market, the grand monument to, and fighter of, the push/pull polarization of urban gentrification (a word that so loaded that I feel like an idiot for using it), is itself becoming gentrified. What started out as a well-intentioned vehicle to bring the exotic, often times overlooked cultural experiences of Lake street to terrified but superficially curious white people like myself, seems to be changing into something... else. Many of the original food booths seem to be closing, which is understandable, but in their place, instead of other small Lake Street businesses (like, say, an Ethiopian deli or a pupuseria), we're starting to see brand new foodie-hipster restaurants. First Sonora Grill (admittedly awesome), and now this place called The Left Handed Cook (disappointing, but in a good way, and that's where my official review ends, sorry). Not to mention the fake food co-op, the "Market Kitchen" high end kitchen store, the Salty Tart. I guess I'm fine with the idea of the Midtown becoming a haven for startup restaurant ventures that couldn't afford a food truck. But what if I just want some oxtail curry, and some homemade chorizo? The place always had a lot of weird kinks and imperfections, chintzy gift shops that no one needs, depressing minimart type convenience stores, a general air of chaos. I don't know. Their heart was in the right place. They could really make it work in a way that's true to the original vision. This smells a little like giving up.
01.01.2013
The Left Handed Cook -
South MinneapolisBok Bok Bap
A Minnesota Timberwolves blog, of all places, recently did a fun and informative rundown of the best bibimbap in the Twin Cities. The Sole Cafe was touted the Ricky Rubio of bibimbap. Dong Yang is the Kevin Love of bibimbap. High praise, so I thought. But then, a surprise entry at the end: The Left Handed Cook, the Lebron James of bibimbop. Holy cow. I had to try that, right? Call it high expectations, but I was a little let down by it. It wasn't bad by any means, I just think some of the proportions were off. Too much rice. Not enough pickled stuff. It was all just a bit too mellow. Plus, real bibimbop gets nice and crusty where the rice sits in the hot bowl. But since this place is in the Midtown Global Market, you get it in an aluminum to-go container, so there's no heat to get the rice going. The best part, by far, was the fried chicken on top. A perfectly fried strip of 21-spice chicken. That's a lot of spices. It was super. I could've used more of it. Still, I ate the whole thing. So it couldn't have been that bad.
03.06.2013
The Left Handed Cook -
South MinneapolisH and K Poutine
Pork belly. Kimchi. Parmesan cheese. Cheddar cheese. Fried onions. A poached egg. Curry gravy. Chipotle aioli. On top of a pile of hand cut french fries. It's everything you want it to be.
01.04.2009
Lito's Empanadas -
ChicagoEmpanadas
An empanada is a delicious little fried pocket of dough, stuffed with fillings of your choice. "A Hot Pocket?" Yes. But a Columbian Hot Pocket. Everyone really enjoyed theirs, but my personal favorite was filled with ground beef, potatoes, olives, raisins, and dipped in homemade jalapeno, onion, and cilantro salsa. It was our last "meal" (heavy snack, really) in Chicago, and made me want to find a good empanada source in Minneapolis. Or I'll just buy a Hot Pocket and tell the cashier about how much better the real ones are.
11.17.2008
The Loon Cafe -
Downtown MinneapolisDirty pork stew
I've been raving for a while now about The Loon's chili-- best chili in town. Seriously. They have 3 or 4 different kinds of chili, and one of them is called "Dirty pork stew." It's like a cross between chili and soup, and has pork in it (clearly). Anyhow, I thought it would be cool to find a similar recipe to make it at home, so I looked it up quick on Google. And sure enough, the first thing to come up is the actual Loon Cafe recipe! Hot damn! So I made it last night, and it's delicious and very easy to make--although not quite as perfectly delicious as it is at the restaurant. Plus, there's beer in it!
04.13.2009
The Loop -
Downtown MinneapolisSteak sandwich
My last day of bachelorhood, and I decided since I was so worn out from yesterday's Shakopee trip, I'd just ride over to Leaning Tower for my traditional ballgame/book/chicken wings. But then I somehow ended up at Joe's Garage in Loring Park, who inexplicably wasn't playing the Twins game (although they were playing the Mets-Padres game instead. Good for them). So I left there with the intention of turning around and going back to Leaning Tower, but then I somehow ended up in the Warehouse District. Part of me had always wanted to go to this Loop place, even though I have never heard much about it, so I went. Aaaaaaand, it was alright. The steak sandwich was almost a carbon copy of the one I had this winter at the 508 (as were the fries), but somehow not as good. They must partake in some sort of steak sandwich exchange program. I also had some wings that were comparable to Green Mill's (in a good way), and the ass-hat bartender forgot my Coke until halfway through my meal and then charged me for it anyway even though I didn't even want it anymore. But on the bright side, I did get to hear a 50 year old business guy in a nice suit describe the entire plot of Bad Lieutenant to his buddies. "Oh you gotta see Bad Lietenant! This guy's a New York cop, but he fuckin' breaks all the rules!" I wish I was paraphrasing.
07.30.2010
Loring Kitchen and Bar -
Downtown MinneapolisMeatloaf and ribs
I can't believe I'm at a point in my life where I can be let down by a menu. But here we are. I heard this place was good, found myself in Loring Park, and got a nice table outside on their patio. Then I looked at the menu, and it was just so boring. So boring, in fact, that I can't even remember what was on it at the moment to make fun of it. They did have some halfway interesting looking small plates, so that's what I did. Chorizo meatloaf (easily the most interesting item they had), barbeque ribs, and roasted brussel sprouts with bacon and blue cheese. And for as boring as it all sounds, it was all surprisingly fantastic; especially the brussel sprouts. I'm actually salivating thinking about them right now. The meatloaf was #2, and the ribs a respectable third (they were really good at the time, but afterwards I started thinking that they weren't all that special). So while I actually ended up being happy with the place, I've already exhausted my options there. So I guess that's that.
03.14.2010
Lotus of Siam -
Las VegasNua Yum Katiem
Never in my life have I had an experience like this. In my mind, it's an epic tale, but in reality, it's borderline embarrassing. So what happened is this: Lotus Of Siam is a Thai restaurant in a dirty strip mall a mile off the strip, on Sahara Ave., east of the Sahara Casino. After spending only a few minutes on Chowhound's Las Vegas boards, it became clear to me that Lotus was a must eat destination; practically every thread on the board recommended it without hesitation. There have even been national food magazines that have claimed this place to be the best Thai restaurant in North America. Whether this is true or not, I honestly can't say. Not only have I not eaten at every Thai restaurant in North America, I didn't even eat at Lotus of Siam. It ate me. So here's a tip for when you're ordering food at a "real" Thai restaurant: You know how here in Minneapolis they ask you how spicy you want your dish, from 1 to 5? Well I usually go with a 4. Spicy, sure, but very manageable. So when the waiter at Lotus asked me about spice on a scale of 1-10, I did some math and decided on 7. "That's like a 3.5, really." Logical, right? So they bring me my dish, which was pretty much char-grilled skirt steak with garlic and peppers and some lemon juice sauce on a bed of cabbage. After just one bite, I was already impressed. Perfectly cooked beef, fresh cabbage, a sauce tha--Oh my god. Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygod. I can't feel my tongue. Deep breath. Deep breath. It will cool down in a sec--no, no. It's getting worse. It's getting worse! Where's the water, where's the water!? Rice! Rice will help! Oh god the rice just burns more! Libby, Libby let me have a bite of your Pad Thai. Please! Oh god it's like there's an angry cat in my mouth!. And so forth. You get the picture. Easily the spiciest thing I've ever eaten. By the end of the meal, I could actually feel my body temperature rising. I was sort of light headed, and felt even a little nauseous. And yet I ate nearly 3/4ths of my dish, because it was so damn good! And Libby's pad Thai was probably the best I've ever had. And yet I could barely enjoy any of it, because I was just trying not to cry like a girl. In the end, I gave in and asked the waiter for something to help with the spice, and they brought me a tea with cream that worked miraculously, despite setting off an obscene chemical reaction in my stomach. It was truly an event. So in the end, I really wish I could've given it another shot, and next time I'm even anywhere near Las Vegas, I'm going out of my way to eat there again (maybe at like a 4/10 this time). But it might take a while before the night terrors end.
08.29.2010
Louie's Bucket of Bones -
IrontonRibs
I knew something was wrong with the Minnesota Monthly's list of "Best Minnesota Barbeque" when Ted Cook's was ignored in favor of C&G's. Which--come on. Anyway, circumstance led us to be very near Ironton, Minnesota, home of the #7 BBQ joint on the magazine's list, Louie's Bucket Of Bones. So I dragged Libby and her North Country entourage along to give it a shot. And as you can imagine from the opening sentence of this post, none of us walked away terribly impressed. Which surprised us, because everything about this place makes it seem like it's going to be amazing; from the funky exterior, to the homemade menu, to the incredibly personable and gracious owner and her passionate descriptions of their cooking process, the place definitely has the feeling that you're experiencing something special. And then the food comes, and it just doesn't live up to the hype. Nothing was bad, at all. It was all competent and good and fine. But it was nothing that you couldn't get anywhere else. The ribs were a little tough, the sauce tasted sort of generic, etc. I'm calling it "BBQ Theater." Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The two staff members of Ted Cook's (or, say, Arthur Bryant's in KC) may yell at you from behind the kitchen wall and disdain your very presence, but the food is amazing. This was sort of the opposite. Which is fine, I guess. If I lived up there, I'd probably go there often enough (just for the atmosphere if anything), but don't bother making the 2.5 hour drive just to do it.
02.05.2011
The Lowbrow -
South MinneapolisBurger, chili
Ladies and gentlemen, The Lowbrow. They opened up very quietly recently on 42nd and Nicollet, just down the street from Roadrunner Records. No reviews, no ads, not a ton of publicity at all. But I think they'll do just fine. The menu isn't fussy or complicated, just straight-up well prepared food made from high quality ingredients. Grass-fed beef, local pork, all that stuff. The highlight was the bison chili, which had a deep, rich flavor to it, and a healthy amount of bison. The Fire Breather burger, topped with jalapeno and guacamole, was perfectly fine, but not the best I've ever had. The guac, however, was fantastic, and would be delicious just with some chips and salsa. Fries could've been crispier, but at least they were hand-cut and (I think) infused with some malt vinegar. So anyway, the takeaway after my first trip to the Lowbrow is that it is great addition to the area, and I'll definitely be back, but it's not a "game changer" at this point, whatever that means. (Oh, and that they need to add some lunch items to their brunch menu. Otherwise it's just, well..."
08.12.2012
The Lowbrow -
South MinneapolisBBQ bacon burger
I've been a little harsh on the Lowbrow since they opened. Not because they're bad, but because they're not better than not bad. But they won me over this weekend with something as simple as a barbeque bacon burger. Best thing I've had there. Not too greasy, homemade BBQ, decent fries. They're back in my good graces.
04.06.2013
The Lowbrow -
South MinneapolisBreakfast tacos
Oops, I forgot to report on our recent breakfast trip to The Lowbrow. That report is: It's alright. You could do worse. But they really, really need to add a couple more "unch" items to their "brunch".
10.04.2009
Lyndale Deli -
Uptown MinneapolisLamb chops
One thing I'm actually going to miss about living near Lyn-Lake is being 30 seconds away from the Lyndale Deli. Two years ago it was just a regular old convenience store deli next to Treehouse Records, where you could order a surprisingly good gyro, and not much else. But in the last year, they have been slowly expanding their menu offerings, mostly as daily/weekly specials. In the last couple months, it even appears as if they are phasing out their store shelving entirely, at the same time stretching their culinary offerings to places where you'd never expect such a place to go. We're talking Moroccan chicken stew, cornish game hen, that sort of thing. Lots of legitimate Middle Eastern stuff that I've never heard of, too. Tonight they had marinated, grilled lamb chops. No frills, but shockingly good, and cheap. They came with their standard basmati rice, hummus, and fantastic 'Greek' salad. If you would've given me this meal on a nice plate at a "real" restaurant for twice as much money, I would've been perfectly happy with it. The fact that it came from a junky little convenience store on Lyndale is mind-boggling. I'd guess they'll eventually try to convert the place into a full restaurant, but unfortunately I will be long gone by then.
11.25.2012
The Lynn -
South MinneapolisFrench toast
The group consensus on brunch at The Lynn (which I will not be calling The Lynn on Bryant, thankyouverymuch), the new Brooklyny, earthy, hipstery, subway-tiley cafe to occupy what once was a burnt out husk of Patina and Heidi's (or rather the space next to that), is that it's good. It's good. Right? But too salty. Particularly the hash brown cakes. And the bacon steak, which I'll be damned actually is a bacon steak, is borderline criminal. If you ever meet someone who can eat the entire thing: do not trust that person. There is something wrong with them.
04.23.2013
Maid Rite -
St. CloudMaid Rites
OMG you guys, I forgot to tell you about Maid Rite! As in, I finally went to Maid Rite! White Castle-era loose beef sandwiches on white buns served to you from the unkempt corner of a St. Cloud gas station! With mustard! Yum(ish)! The unaccountable popularity of this place throughout the state of Iowa speaks volumes of the inoffensiveness of the people of Iowa, and even more about how maybe not everything that's stuck around since 1930 necessarily should have.
09.16.2009
Mainstreet Bar And Grill -
HopkinsBuffalo steak sandwich
Apparently it was Bingo night at the Mainstreet Bar And Grill in downtown Hopkins, where I randomly biked to on Tuesday. I knew this because when I walked in the door, the bartender was reading off Bingo numbers, and people were all checking their Bingo cards. "I can't read my book if there's all this hubub," I thought, so I walked across the street to the Hopkins Tavern (as seen on the TV commercials). Unfortunately it was also Bingo night at the Hopkins Tavern. So I walked across the street back to the Mainstreet Bar And Gril, where I ordered the most outlandish item on their menu: The buffalo steak sandwich. No, not buffalo steak like bison steak. I mean a ribeye steak sandwich slathered in buffalo wing sauce and fried onions and mushrooms. I love the classic sports bar mentality at work here; "Steak sandwiches are good, but we need something else. I don't know, maybe throw some buffalo sauce on there?" And voila. You have a "special." Actually, it was very delicious, and was something I have never seen on anyone's menu before (probably because it theoretically sounds awful). Best of all, it gave me a good excuse to not order buffalo wings and a steak sandwich. Mainstreet Bar And Grill, your home for Tuesday night Bingo and pragmatic solutions to menu-based indecision.
02.04.2009
Manny's Tortas -
South MinneapolisChicken torta
Yesterday I ate my first ever less than good Manny's Torta. Up until then they had been a pillar of high-quality consistency. Probably my fault, though, considering I called in the take-out order to the wrong location. So when I showed up to pick them up at the Lake/Hiawatha location, I was alerted to my mistake and had to drive over to the Midtown Global Market and pick them up. So I'll just blame it on them for now. But I suppose I should've been more careful considering that all three of the Manny's locations are within about a mile and a half of each other on Lake Street.
(By the way, I also have to point out that Denny's was giving away free Grand Slam Breakfasts yesterday morning/afternoon. When I went to Manny's to pick up the non-existent food, people were line up out the door and around the block at the Denny's next door. I guess their promotion was truly a grand slam.)
02.07.2013
Market Barbeque -
Downtown MinneapolisPulled pork sandwich
And finally, with the consumption of a mediocre pulled pork sandwich at Market Barbeque, I have connected the final dot of the Minneapolis barbeque connect-the-dot puzzle. Turns out it's a pig.
06.10.2009
Market Grill -
SeattleHalibut sandwich, chowder
Based on a kindly Chowhound recommendation, we made a quick stop at the Market Grill, a little dirty-looking stand in the middle of Pike Place Market. And while it was so loaded with tartar sauce that I could barely tell that the fish was even there, the sandwich was really delicious. The sauce seemed to be homemade, and the fish was blackened with some good spices. The chowder was even better. Probably right up there with the best chowder I've ever had. All in all, this place came highly recommended, and I certainly wasn't disappointed.
02.10.2010
Masa -
Downtown MinneapolisDuck enchiladas
Holy mole! The space is a little loud and overly formal, the prices are a little high, and I think the maitre d' made fun of me at one point, but this was the best meal I've eaten in months. Braised duck and a little crema and cheese in a tortilla topped with mole and a few dehydrated apple slices. It was barely even Mexican, but it was muy pinche delicioso.
09.28.2012
Masu -
BloomingtonSushi
Forgot to mention that we went to the new Masu location at the Mall of America. It's great! It's been open for a couple years in Northeast, and while people like it, I don't think it's become a hotspot or anything. But I can tell you that, pretty much by default, it's already the best restaurant in the MOA. And sort of funny to see that the design of the MOA location is attempting to create almost a carbon copy of the Northeast one, right down to the white brick and Roman columns of the exterior.
12.04.2012
Masu -
Northeast MinneapolisCurry udon
Did you know that funky new sushi place at the MOA has another location? It does! In Nordeast. (That's what you call northeast Minneapolis if you're ITK [In The Know]). Anyway. Enough of that. Point is, we had nice night with friends at the Northeast Masu (which I only call "The Northeast Masu" because I happened to go to the MOA one first. Which makes me totally square, but whatever) this weekend. I think their sushi is pretty darn good. And I finally tried a noodle dish there: the curry udon. Great flavors, just maybe too much of them. After about 6 bites I hit the wall. I think maybe it would be better as a little side dish, or maybe as a big sharing dish between everybody. Still, it was good. The place was a bit of a scene, though. You're better off at the MOA location where the quality is equal, but you're not waiting for a half hour and surrounded by young professionals and condo dwellers.
12.15.2009
Matts -
South MinneapolisJucy Lucy
Matt's has not only the best burger in town, but the best juke box. Pure class. And I dominated that thing tonight. "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder, followed by Rod Stewart's "Maggie May," and capped off by the lovely "More Than This" by Roxy Music. I saw four different people dancing or singing along to "Sir Duke" within the first few bars. They didn't know what hit them. And the burger was stellar as always.
(Wait, this is a music post, too!)
10.23.2010
Matts -
South MinneapolisJucy Lucy
Have I mentioned yet how I love Matt's? Libby and I waited a full hour from walking into the door to getting our food, we sat at a dirty un-bussed table for nearly 15 minutes before anyone came to clear it off, and there was only one (1) waitress working the entire bar with a line out the door. And yet I never once felt like complaining, and the burger and fries were as good as ever. Man, if they ever change a thing about that place, I'm going straight to the mayor.
12.09.2010
Matts -
South MinneapolisJucy Lucy
New Rule: I'm no longer going to wait in line to eat at Matt's. Don't get me wrong, I'll continue to eat at Matt's, as I still stand by their's as the true Jucy in town, and the best burger as a whole. But they get so ungodly busy, and standing shoulder to shoulder with a dozen other people back by the barely-insulated door is just too much to take. You wait a half hour, then sit down and wait another 15 minutes to get your table cleared off by the lone waitress, then another 20 to get your burger. I'm not necessarily complaining here; I know there's nothing they can do short of expanding into a bigger space with more staff. And that's just about the last thing I want. But I feel at this point like I've had the proper Matt's experience, and from here on in I will try to keep it to 3:00 late lunches or 8:00 late dinners.
02.28.2009
Maverick's -
RosevilleBeef brisket sandwich
At least 6 times a year, for the last couple years, I find myself with a car in the vicinity of Rosedale, saying to myself, "Hey, I should go try Mavericks for once!" Mavericks, you see, is a little hole-in-the-wall roast beef joint hidden in a random strip mall in Roseville, which I have continually heard nothing but good things about. The problem was that I had no idea where it actually was, and I never had the forethought to actually plan on eating there. So those times when I was in Roseville, and it would suddenly occur to me to seek out and eat at Mavericks, I was left without a clue. But today, desperation finally took over, and I called Little Jake (a sort of Judi Dench to my Daniel Craig) so he could look it up online for me--this being especially desperate, considering he is 2000 miles away in Los Angeles, looking up a restaurant for someone in suburban Minneapolis. Anyhow, we eventually found it, and ate there. And it was quite good; like Arby's for people who hate Arby's. They're known for their roast beef, but they have pulled pork and beef brisket and that kind of stuff too. Very basic. The best part is they have a very thorough condiment selection, from ketchup and BBQ sauce to hot peppers, horseradish dijon, onions, and pickles (dill and sweet!). Overall, it was good, but not the best thing I've ever eaten. In fact, for my money, and even though they're completely different kinds of establishments (and cuts of meat), I'd sooner recommend Mayslack's roast beef as the superior beef (that's what she... nah.)
01.16.2011
Mavericks -
RosevilleRoast beef sandwich
Here we have a pie chart. A big, round, roast beef sandwich-shaped pie chart, split right down the middle, 50/50. One half of that is the romantic notion of Mavericks, the little guy; hailed by everybody as how to do food the right way, an oasis of goodness in the middle of a Roseville strip mall, with City Pages awards and Urbanspoon stars hanging on the walls to prove it. On the other side are three words: "Arbys for grownups." After a second visit to Mavericks today, I sadly need to redraw that pie chart to 51/49, in favor of the cynics. God bless Mavericks and everything they do and are (except the cheesy western theme, of course), but while their food is nearly as tasty as their mission is noble, I think they get just a little more credit than they deserve. Just a little. Nevertheless, I will definitely be back.
02.16.2010
McDonalds -
BloomingtonChicken McNuggets
Olympics advertising convinced me to seek out a McDonalds to try their new sweet chili dipping sauce. So I took the train to the mall in order to do just that, only to discover that--get this--the Mall of America McDonalds has Pepsi instead of Coke! What the hell?
06.02.2009
Guest Post by Libby
Mee Sum -
SeattleBBQ Pork Hom Bow
The best cheap treat (well, treat, period) when you are making your way through the throngs of tourists at Pike's Place Market (*coughcough* you'reoneofthem *cough*) and hippies selling bad art and beaded items; dodging the tossed fish by the hot dudes in orange overalls; withstood the lines inside the original Starbucks to get your Starbucks-obsessed roomie a souvenir as you watch the baristas drop your cup for your iced coffee on the ground but make your drink in it for you anyway.* Then you come upon this Chinese bakery place smashed up next to this Chinese juice bar and here, delicately made golden rounds of hom bow, a filled sweet bun, sit next to sesame balls and other wrapped treasures. Order a BBQ Pork hom bow and it will slide into it's bun paper sleeping bag and you will hand them $2.50 and you will be intensely satisfied. Add a fresh-squeezed lemonade from the juice stand next door and go forth. A small moment where the stars align and everything is in exactly the right place at exactly the right time.
*The barista that took my order at Starbucks asked where I was from and when I replied she goes - "Oh she's from Michigan!" and I say "Nice!" as in, holla for the Midwest! The Michigan girl says, "Not really." Excuse me? Be proud of where you're from, Michigan barista girl! Despite the greatness of Seattle, I'd like some love for the Midwest.
12.17.2008
Merlin's Rest -
South MinneapolisVadalia burger
Really nice little neighborhood bar. Cozy. Inviting. Lots of seating. Seemingly nice patrons. Totally lame cheeseburger. Although the onions were cooked in the meat. Magic. The menu is mostly 'Irish'. Shepherds pie, fish and chips, that kind of stuff. They also have a surprisingly large vegetarian menu, including a walnut burger, and vegetarian bangers and mash. I'd totally go back in order try the Guinness stew (which I overhead was good), but there's 100 other places to get a better burger. Thankfully I finished before the band started performing, because we all know how I feel about Irish folk music.
05.25.2012
Merlin's Rest -
South MinneapolisFish and chips
Last time I went to Merlin's Rest, I ate one of the saddest burgers I've ever had, but was nonetheless impressed by the general coziness of the place. But the sadness of the burger outweighed the charm of the interior, so I hadn't gone back. Since then, I kept hearing nothing but great things about it, with people talking up their traditional British pub fare, and City Pages giving it a handful of "best neighborhood bar" awards. So this time out I went with the "award winning" (why not?) fish and chips. And they were fine. Not as good as Anchor's, but better than Van de Kamps. They came with a nice sauce, sort of a tartar mixed with horseradish type situation. I also had a pastry-wrapped sausage appetizer, which along with some HP brown sauce was enjoyable as well. I had to put up with a loudmouth conversationalist next to me at the bar who kept talking to everyone and no one (you know the type), and a classic old-dude bar band playing random rock hits of the 50s and 60s, but I suppose that's what a neighborhood bar is all about, right?
04.01.2012
Mickey's -
St. PaulCheeseburger and mulligan stew
It's easy to forget, or to have never known to begin with, that Mickey's has a second location, way out where west 7th seems to drive through the woods, just up the bluff from Pike Island, in that St. Paul no mans land that's always kind of given me the creeps. Anyway, it's technically "Mickey's by Willy," and has been around since 1960, surely having gone through multiple rounds of ownership and now run by what seems to be an entire middle eastern family. Considering it's sort of the 'fake' Mickey's, it's actually still pretty cool. The same awesome/terrible atmosphere, the same awesome/terrible food. I had the "classic" which was a tiny cheeseburger on a gigantic bun, with hash browns (top notch!) and a little bowl of mulligan stew. The meat-bun ratio was laughable, but it didn't take away from anything. It's no Matt's, it's obviously no Blue Door, but it was fine. Hell, it was Mickey's. And even if it's second rate Mickey's, I'm glad it's there.
12.21.2010
Midoris Floating World -
South MinneapolisBeef bento box
Did You Know! Edo, as Tokyo was originally called back before the internet, was known as the Floating World? And that's why Midori called her noodle and raw fish shop "Floating World"! How Edocational! Now that I have that out of the way, I will let you know that we tried Midori's for the first time, and left pleased. I feel like maybe I like Tanpopo better, but it's great to know that there's a really pleasant place to get some noodles and sushi very close to our house. There was even a homeless guy there drinking hot saki. Cool.
07.24.2010
Midtown Farmers Market -
South MinneapolisHot dog, steak taco
Libby dragged me, kicking and screaming and kvetching even, to the Midtown Farmers Market. This was a compromise of sorts, after the previous Saturday's trip to the downtown Farmer's Market, which had all the human cattle of the State Fair, without the upside of having actual cattle. (I can ignore the inhumanity of the State Fair only for the potential that I might get to touch a mammal with multiple stomachs. Libby can ignore the same inhumanity of the Farmer's Market only for the potential that she might find some good lettuce. Which elsewhere is currently making its way to a cow's second stomach. A free range cow, mind you, that will someday be sectioned off and sold. Possibly at a farmer's market.) The Midtown Market is much more negotiable than the big downtown one, and actually had better on-site lunch options to boot. We shared a hot dog from the Magic Bus, which is a worthy competitor to the Chef Shack in the much-appreciated world of gourmet traveling food trucks. I'd still give Chef Shack the slight edge, not only because their food is a little more well-conceived, but you also don't have the indignity of ordering from a human cartoon in a Grateful Dead shirt and a flower crown. We also got a steak taco from Taco Taxi, which I've never seen around town before, but was quite delicious. Good steak, cilantro and onions and radish, and fresh, spicy salsa, and for just $2, which at the farmer's market is the same amount it would cost you to buy a bunch of cilantro, 7 onions, 12 radishes, a jar of homemade salsa, and two cow stomachs.
04.05.2010
Millside -
St. MichaelBacon cheeseburger
On the drive from Minneapolis to Park Rapids, there is scant little opportunity for a good meal. You'd think between all the small towns you pass, and the 'funky' potential of St. Cloud, that you'd be able to find something other than Perkins or Culvers to eat on your way up north. But despite always being on the lookout for such a place, I've found practically nothing. That's why I've always been intrigued by one highway exit food sign a few miles before Albertville. Big, bold, unadorned black letters spell out "MILLSIDE," and the black silhouette of a burger and fries look so perfect (in a Wes Anderson sort of way) that there'd be no way it could be bad. So on Friday, Libby and I (having already given up on the Maple Grove vortex as a dining possibility after even TGI Fridays had a line out the door) decided to just go for it. Turns out the place is like 3 miles off the highway, and really is tucked away by a the side of a mill. But the unpretentious purity of their black and white sign was spoiled right away by a big, brand new log-cabin style monstrosity, and an overly fussy sign. Oh well. The inside was a no frills small town food hole (but not in a good way). At this point, I don't have much more to add. It was the Friday night fish fry. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and chili. It took a half hour for the food to show up. Other than the insanely long time it took for our food (an experience we clearly shared with a handful of impatient-looking diners sitting near us), I really can't complain about much. The burgers were fine, and the chili even tasted homemade, in a Minnesota chili sort of way. But it didn't live up to the expectations set by its own unassuming exit sign. And now I'm afraid there are no more mysteries to be discovered between here and the North Country.
04.15.2013
Minne's Diner -
RogersSouvlaki pita
Libby and I went to this place, a seemingly forgettable family diner/restaurant off of 94 in Rogers, a couple years ago. I don't remember what it was called back then (it might have actually been called "Libby's Diner", no joke), but it was surprisingly good. Their menu was full of the standard family diner/restaurant fare, but it also contained some interesting greek stuff, and gyros. Nothing super special of course, but better than some cruddy place off the highway in Rogers ought to be. Less than a year later, they were all over the local news when they rebranded as "Minne's Diner," and their "MinneApple Pie" became a big hit at the Minnesota State Fair. This was my first time returning since they changed to Minne's, and it's still pretty much exactly as good as it originally was. The menu is the same, the food is the same. The biggest difference is the fact that they clearly hired some young quirky cool graphic designer to go nuts on the place. Very Sharon Werner-y. It's almost overkill--graphics on the walls, all over the menus, sandblasted into the glass above the booths. It definitely gives the place a "Hey, we care!" kind of vibe, but also reeks a little bit of Baker Square's recent foray into giving a graphic designer license to do interior design. But this is not a graphic design blog! Point is, yeah, the food is better than you'd think, but don't let the hipster graphics fool you. It's still very much a interstate exit diner in Rogers.
09.02.2012
Minnesota State Fair -
St. PaulState Fair roundup!
Harry Singh's jerk chicken roti: Great as always.
Blue Moon Cafe Korean pork tacos: Somehow different than last year, not quite as "Korean" as I remember. Still very good.
Vescio's fried ravioli: Totally middle of the road. Kinda like Vescio's!
The Lamb Shoppe lamb chops: A little fatty, still good.
I'll try to eat far more next year.
02.16.2009
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisMeatloaf
Because we are (or should I say, 'I am') so cynical about "Hallmark Holidays" and life in general that we go completely full circle and become cynical about the idea of being cynical at the idea of Valentine's Day (deeeeeep breath), Libby and I went to our favorite place, The Modern, to have an early Valentine's Day dinner before taking in some 20th century Scandinavian symphonies at Orchestra Hall. That last part was supposed to be read in a funny voice. Anyway, The Modern is one of my absolute favorite places to eat, and is right at the top of the list of "places I'd bring friends from out of town," that is to say if I had friends who were from out of town. I have never had a less-than-great experience there, though Saturday's was awfully close. It was fairly empty when we were seated, we ordered, got our soup, ate our soup, and then waited. And waited. And waited. It was one of those horrible feelings where everyone else in the restaurant who sat down after you were all eating their meals, and you were left wondering if maybe the waitress died. But she didn't die, of course, because she was giving food to all those other people. Eventually we got our meals and a minor apology (and free wine), so that was cool. In the end, the meatloaf was great, and I couldn't feel too bad about any of it because we weren't late for anything, and the service at the Modern had been nothing but fantastic up until then. So don't worry Modern. I still love you.
05.07.2009
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisLamb burger
The Modern can do no wrong. I'm assured of that at this point. After passing on it numerous times, then seeing it made (entirely from scratch, meat grinder and all) on Drive Ins Diners And Dives, I finally tried their lamb burger. And it was amazing. It was more Moroccan or Middle Eastern in flavor than I expected, but that was a very good thing. Tomato chutney, tzatziki, french fries. And love, I assume? Oh, and chicken wings. Chicken wings. It's enough to make me want to bleach my hair, grow a goatee, and throw on a bowling shirt.
05.12.2009
Guest Post by Libby
The Modern -
Northeast Minneapolisgnocci
Now, we all know how Steve and I feel about the Modern. No real need to go over this again, but if I must remind you it's probably our favorite dining establishment in the Twin Cities. We don't go often enough to try everything on their menu before they switch it up (but God, I wish I could've eaten this one meal from last summer a thousand times: gnocchi with sweet corn, bacon, dates, creme fraiche and whatever else. The flavors complimented each other perfectly. Now, I order pretty much anything with creme fraiche), so it's always a treat to visit. This time I had the gnocchi with edamame, oyster mushrooms and lemon fondue. It was excellent, albeit a little chalky at first. Light and bright and super delicious. That was me, the youngest nerdy girl on that Tmobile commercial with the glasses and great striped sweater: The Modern is Super Delicious!
07.31.2009
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisStewed pork
For only the second time ever, I left the Modern tonight slightly disappointed. I blame the stewed pork. It wasn't terrible, just not necessarily up to par. To get technical for a moment: it needed more crunch. That would've done it. However, I had a cup of red bean and ham soup which was so good that I don't even have the heart to really complain about the pork.
10.04.2010
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisBBQ short ribs
I love it: these supposedly great BBQ joints that Libby and I have visited recently devote their entire livelihood and reputation on barbeque. That's all they do, and they want to be the best at it. The results are mixed at best. And then The Modern comes along and decides to throw some BBQ short ribs on their menu (why not, right?), and they are some of the best ribs I've ever eaten. They put Louie's Bucket Of Bones and Bob's Smoke Stack to shame. Not even close. And they'll probably never serve them again.
04.26.2011
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisPork chop
All is still well, for the most part, at The Modern, after their head chef left this winter for the Birchwood. They re-designed their menu, which freaked me out, and it seems the prices are all a buck or two higher. But my pork chop (with pickled cabbage and red-eye gravy) was classic Modern goodness. That is to say: I happily ate every last bite. Consider me relieved.
05.23.2012
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisSmoked beef brisket
Forgot to mention that we popped into the Modern last weekend to get away from Art A Whirl. I apologize for any trepidation I might've had about them over the last year, because this brisket sandwich was just about enough to make me cry. Which is more than I could say about the art.
03.11.2013
The Modern -
Northeast MinneapolisVenison merguez
I implore all of you to get to the Modern as soon as you can, and get some of this merguez while it's still on the menu. Merguez is basically a middle eastern (north African) sausage, kind of spicy, intensely flavorful, in this case served with a garnish of green lentils, pear, and capers. Honestly it's one of the best things I've ever had at the Modern. At least top 3. It was one of rare times when, as soon as the first bite hit my tongue, I let out an aubidle "urmuhgerd!" and had to set down my fork to regain my composure. Out of this world.
03.15.2010
Mon Ami Gabi -
Las VegasFrench onion soup
Oops, I forgot to post about Mon Ami Gabi. Not a whole lot to say, I guess. It's one of the Paris Hotel's "French" restaurants on the ground floor of their hotel, where Libby and I stopped in quick for a fast pre-dinner. We shared a fantastic cup of French onion soup, and a less-than-fantastic grilled cheese and short rib sandwich. Oh, and some top-notch fries. The place was not too dissimilar to Salut, really. Sort of an American steakhouse/bar with a few French touches. Better atmosphere, maybe. But if I had to choose the better French onion soup, I'd have to go with Salut. Basically, if you were on the strip near Paris and wanted a decent lunch, you could do worse.
06.01.2009
Monsoon -
SeattleLamb stir fried with bean sauce
Very high on my list of places to possibly eat in Seattle is Monsoon, a slightly high-end Vietnamese restaurant that prides itself of giving a Pacific Northwest twist to Vietnamese fare (South Pacific Northwest?). I will spare you the infuriatingly long story about how we got lost trying to find another place, then got lost again, then punched a Seattle city planner in the gut (driving in this city is like watching the second season of Twin Peaks), but suffice it to say that we ended up at Monsoon in the Capital Hill neighborhood, and couldn't have been any happier. The waiter (who probably thought I was an idiot) talked me out of getting a crispy pork belly dish, and instead convinced me to get this lamb dish. The sauce could've used a little more zing, but the lamb itself was outstanding; perfectly cooked and packed with enough flavor to make me not care about the lack of zing. But the best part were these beans. I don't know what kind of beans these were, but I know one thing: They were marinated high upon a forested mountaintop, in the sweat of the world's only remaining unicorn. Libby's meal was almost even better. She had black bass or cod or some such thing, with shitake mushrooms and fantastic sausage and lily roots and more of those beans. I usually don't get excited about fish, but the couple bites I had of hers were outstanding. And the sausage was perfect for the dish. All of that, plus some shockingly good egg rolls and desert made up for all the hassle it took to actually get there.
03.20.2012
Mort's -
Golden ValleyBrisket sandwich
I swear to god reading reviews of Twin Cities delis is like reading college essays on the shifting morays neo feminism. Meaning: It is not fun.. I don't know what it is about Jewish delis and barbeque, but food writers just get so stuffy and dogmatic with those two subjects. Oh, they don't brine their own pastrami, the real way. Oh, they don't use caraway rye, the real way. Back when I was a kid, delis did this and that. As if anyone in Minnesota has any real history of eating at these places. Hell, even New York hardly has any "real" delis anymore. So why worry? Let's throw any qualms about "authenticity" and "integrity" aside for the moment, and just focus on "sandwiches." Mort's makes good ones. I like eating them. They taste good. They're better than Subway. They're better than Cecil's. (Sorry Cecil's. Although, dollar for dollar, I'd choose Cecil's $8 sandwich to Mort's $13 one. And Cecil's latkes were much better overall). They're better than Rye (I'm not sorry, Rye). I don't care if they ship the meat in from New York. It's good meat. It's cooked and flavored properly. It's a disaster to try to keep together. It's expensive, but so is Katz's in Manhattan. So in that sense, yeah, it's authentic.
06.30.2012
Mosaic Cafe -
South MinneapolisBanh mi'tloaf
I have about 15 negative criticisms to make about the newly rechristened Mosaic–formerly Glaciers–Cafe, but all of them would just make me sound like a nitpicking a-hole who doesn't appreciate what he's been given. So instead I'll just give the imaginary anthropomorphized personification of Mosaic a firm handshake and a pat on the back and a brotherly "You keep up the good work now," because for the most part Mosaic has improved its game on every level, even if the entire atmosphere of the place comes off as a little desperate, like the imaginary anthropomorphized personification of Mosaic is walking around with a sandwich board that says "I'm a real restaurant, look at my subway tile and funky stools!" (1 of 15.) But I cannot complain about the food, despite its crass sloppiness (2 of 15)—which was a step up from the competently humble Glaciers—the effort, or anything else. Go there. Let them know you care. They need you.
10.28.2009
moto-i -
Uptown MinneapolisBraised pork ramen
Apparently "moto-i" is not meant to be capitalized. Though it brings me physical pain to not hit the shift button, I will, out of respect for the restaurant and its proprietors, follow moto-i's brand guidelines and keep it all lowercase. There. Now that that is out of the way, I have to say that while I wasn't necessarily blown away by it, I'm very intrigued by moto-i. I had a very tasty pulled chicken bun, a satisfying-but-could-be-tastier bowl of braised pork ramen, and a plate of fried donuts coated in a mixture of sugar and 5-spice that was most likely sent from whatever omnipotent and benevolent being created life and love itself. (I liked them). I am by no means an expert on Japanese cuisine, or ramen bowls specifically, but I feel like you could make a better one than this. I liked it, don't get me wrong. It just could've used little more something. But considering that they had about 20 more things on their menu that I wanted to eat, and the fact that there simply aren't many other places in the Twin Cities serving this kind of food, I'm excited to go back again sometime.
04.13.2011
Mozza Mia -
EdinaSausage pizza, etc
I've decided that Parasole restaurants aren't actually restaurants; they are pieces of commercial art created to make you think you are in one. And the food is not food, rather a carefully composed mix of foodstuffs measured and cooked to give you the impression that what you are eating is food, and you are being satisfied. It is a tenuous lie, one that has gone too far and has lapped itself, a snake eating its own tail, to the point that it actually, truly, is food. It actually is a restaurant. And sure, it's satisfying.
07.28.2011
Mr. D's Country Store -
VicksburgFried chicken buffet
Did you know that Greg Maddux, over the span of his four straight Cy Young winning seasons, had an era of 1.98? Is that not incredible? And to watch Greg Maddux pitch, you'd think nothing of it. He didn't overpower, he didn't get cute. He just pitched exactly how a pitcher is supposed to. And he was unbeatable. The connection I'm going to make here should be obvious: The fried chicken at Mr D's, a highly praised little southern cookin' buffet located in a former country store in a practically non-existent town on the side of a highway in western Mississippi, tastes exactly like fried chicken should taste. Not flashy, not cute. It is the Greg Maddux of fried chicken. And it's almost enough to make you cry.
Special attention must be paid to the owner of this place, Mr. D himself. This guy is the definition of personality, to the extent that I fear his employees constantly want to smack him. He's probably there every hour of every day they're open, cooking, bringing food out the buffet, and talking to every single person eating there. Those who wanted to talk to him more, he gave them all the time they wanted, talked about cooking, talked about his recipes. No secrets. Those like me, who just were enjoying their food, he gave a very pleasant greeting to, and let us eat. The line I kept hearing from him was, "It's all you can eat, don't feel bad for the cook!" He's just one of those people. Even if the chicken wasn't the most beloved in all of Mississippi (which it is), people would still come to this place.
(Oh, and they had amazing potato salad, too. And amazing cole slaw. And amazing black eyed peas. And did I mention pork ribs and chicken fried pork chops? Cornbread was a little dry, though).
07.03.2009
Namaste -
Uptown MinneapolisChicken curry
I've yet to have anything but a great meal at Namaste. That cannot be denied. But holy High Holiness, is their service slow. Ex-cru-ti-ating-ly slow. And not that I want to generalize or judge (HAH!), but it seems that as a Nepalese restaurant, they went out of their way to hire the kind of waitress that really wants to work at a Nepalese restaurant. Nay, nay; the kind of waitress that wants to be in Nepal. The waiting table part sort of becomes secondary to the collecting of prayer flags and the wearing of Asian symbol tattoos. I mean, like, why do they even have to wear shoes just because some ignorant city inspector says so, and they'll come take your order in just a minute, so calm down. Great place, though.
02.17.2013
New Bohemia -
Northeast MinneapolisGerman and Filipino bratwurst
I think my eyes rolled when I first passed by New Bohemia this summer when it appeared. Like, I don't know, a seemingly hipster/sports-barish/maybe-chain Eastern bloc sausage place, just a block down from Kramarczuk's, lacking the history but potentially taking the business. And since then, I've heard literally nothing about it. Nobody's talked about it. I haven't seen anything written about it. I don't think it made its way into the Chinook Book. So I have no idea what its reputation is. But I'll say this: I like it. First of all, it's far more laid back than I imagined. The design of the place isn't too fussy or hip (just hip enough), other than the fact that it's long-table communal seating (I suppose like some German beer house or something), and it's an order-at-the-counter type joint, which I'm 100% in favor of. A great lunch, place, basically. Or a quick dinner place. But besides that, I have to give a thumbs up on the sausage as well. Which is good, because it's just about the only thing they have. And they have everything from bratwurst to wild boar Italian sausage to Filipino bratwurst to rabbit and rattlesnake sausage. You order the type of sausage, and one topping (I highly recommend the German smoked brat with spicy red kraut; the Filipino brat wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but it was still nice), along with really nice Belgian style fries (whatever that means) and a handful of different dipping sauce choices; curry ketchup, ginger mayo, etc. Do they make their own sausages on site? I don't know. Are they taking business from Kramarczuk's? I'd guess probably not. Are they probably going to chainify the place? Most likely; I'd expect to see one on Cathedral Hill by the time the snow melts, and another one in Uptown by all star break. But I like what's going on there, and there's about 12 other things I want to try. So I will certainly be back.
12.11.2009
Nick and Eddie -
Downtown MinneapolisPot roast
We sort of went to Nick and Eddie as a fluke, trying to get a fast bite to eat before the Andrew Bird concert at St. Marks, dealing with horrendously slow bus service and horrendously cold weather. Joe's Garage was too much of a wait, so we ended up at Nick and Eddie, and were not the least bit disappointed. I have to say I was surprised by their prices; while it wasn't cheap, it was all very reasonable, and the restaurant in general was far more informal that I have always thought. Granted, the menu isn't terribly exciting, but we both enjoyed what we ordered. I had pot roast (short rib, I believe) that had a fantastic jus (I think with some cider in it), and Libby had lobster mac and cheese, which she enjoyed. Throw some perfectly good pierogis into the mix, and we left happily (and quickly).
05.09.2013
Northbound Brewpub -
South MinneapolisWild Rice Burger
This isn't a review as much as it is a warning. Northbound has an item on their menu called a "wild rice burger." It is exactly that, a burger made of wild rice. It is not a beef burger pattied with wild rice. The menu won't tell you that. You will be disappointed. You will wish you hadn't ordered it. You will look at the plates of the diners around you and see stacks of pulled pork and roast beef and big juicy burgers, and you'll take a bite of your weird mushy salty rice lump and you'll think of all the mistakes you've made in your life.
09.22.2012
Northbound Smokehouse -
South MinneapolisPulled pork
The day has arrived! The long-awaited, Kickstarter-funded, local-news-ballyhooed Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub is open! And it's... not... bad? I can't really critique it too harshly, as 50% of its reason for being is that it's a brewery, and you know me and beer. But that other 50%... "smokehouse"! Right? I liked my pulled pork sandwich, although it had a bit of that 'wet pork' (eww!) quality to it that you'd expect at a place that doesn't posit itself as a smokehouse. But it had a good flavor, and a homemade sauce with a very unique taste. There were a couple little chunks of something in it that sort of shocked my system. Some herb or chunk spice, like maybe sage leafs or something? Very odd. Also a bit of a bummer that the sandwich is served alone, fries only come as a side order for 5 bucks. No cole slaw, nothing. The fries were technically garlic fries, with garlic oil, not chunks. They weren't too garlicky, and they weren't hand cut as far as I could tell. But not bad by any means. Let's see. What else? I can say that my fears of this "smokehouse" being a threat to the very nearby, tinier, less-brewhousey Ted Cooke's are unfounded. Instead of offering a bunch of barbeque items, they treat the smokehouse aspect a little more widely. Smoked salmon, turkey, cheeses, roast beef. That sort of thing. I overheard the guy next to me claim his buffalo wings were the best he'd every had. Really. So next time, then. Aside from the decentness of the food, my biggest takeaway from my first visit was the atmosphere of the place. It sounds like a terrible insult, but I couldn't help but feel it was a little bit... "Maple Grovey". Granted, if it was in Maple Grove, we'd probably say, "Huh, this place is really great for Maple Grove!" But it's on 38th Street. They've gotta aim higher than painted drywall, old timey photos, and Becker Furniture World tables. Just the fact that it's called "Northbound", and the logo has the skyline and some pine trees. The whole operation, image-wise, screams "take the first exit towards downtown Rogers" than "neighborhood brewpub in south Minneapolis." But anyway. I'll be back, I'm sure. I wish they made their own root beer though.
10.11.2012
Northeast Kingdom -
BrooklynBurger
For our second NYC dinner, we met up with Libby's old friend Chris (who, insanely coincidentally, lived literally around the corner from where we were staying), and went to his favorite local spot called Northeast Kingdom. The food was fine. All you really need to know is "duck fat tater tots." Yes. But more important for me to note about this place is how it represents a eye-opening and noticeable trend in the world of Brooklyn restaurants (specifically Bushwick, Brooklyn restaurants). Maybe it's a European thing or something, but the branding happening on new restaurants there is absolutely minimal. No signs, no logos, no awnings. At most, the name of the place will be hand painted in a small corner of a window. Or written on a chalkboard on the sidewalk. Maybe some gold leaf window lettering. But it's almost as if there's an unspoken competition happening about who can make their bar/restaurant more inconspicuous (see: Roberta's). The interiors are all similar, too; dark, bricky, woody, earthy, desperately trying to feel lived-in. It works though!
03.02.2011
Northpoint -
MilwaukeeCheeseburger
Take it from me, a man who's now eaten there twice: If you're ever stuck at the C terminal of the Milwaukee airport, you must get a burger from Northpoint. I imagine it's a Milwaukee institution type place, a Five Guys style no BS burger joint that simply does everything the right way. Greasy, fresh burgers with homemade buns and fried onions and special sauce, perfectly crispy krinkle fries. It barely gets better than this in the real world, much less at an airport.
08.24.2009
Oasis of Williamsburg -
BrooklynShawarma sandwich
I've had chicken shawarma before, and I've had plenty of gyros before, but this thing I ate at this randomly chosen Williamsburg deli was something else. It started as a standard pita stuffed with sliced shawarma--lamb and turkey in this case--but on top of that was a pile of red cabbage, some sort of peppered pickles (which, according to my research, may have been pickled gherkins), mystery onions, a tzatziki sauce unlike any I have ever seen, and a substance that can best be compared to Chipotle's hot salsa. It was like Egypt, Germany, and Mexico all crammed into one unfortunate pita. The meat, I'm sad to report, was a little bit dry, and the meat/veggie distribution demanded some creative bite-taking. But as I made my way to the middle, it was juicy and delicious and different. And just five bucks. I can't imagine finding a much better and equally filling five dollar meal anywhere, be it New York or wherever. Okay, so I could probably get a better deal on it if it was "Oasis of Cairo" (where it would likely be served to me by the immigrant deli owner, a guy from Kansas City named Andy), but the more I think about it, I don't know if I could ever find a similar sandwich in the Twin Cities. As soon as I get home, I'm storming into the Lyndale Deli and demanding gherkins, dammit! Gherkins!
07.03.2009
Olive Garden -
St. Louis ParkBraised beef tortellini
Libby and I just love the Olive Garden. It's such a great place to sit back with some friends, share some stories, drink some wine, and enjoy all the wonderful pasta dishes by the chefs from the Tuscan Culinary Institute. (Libby likes the endless breadsticks, too!). And the service is so friendly; you really are family! It's like going to a Tuscan villa without leaving the 394 frontage road!
Aaaaaand, done. Okay, serious time now. Libby got a $25 gift card to the Olive Garden for Christmas, and we decided to use it tonight. It wasn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. My short rib tortellini had a tasty sauce, though the meat was a little weird. Libby had a chicken pasta thing that seemed to be about 93% cheese to me, but she liked it. All in all, it was pretty good, but surprisingly expensive. If you're going to pay that kind of money for Italian food, you're better off going to Broders or Rinata or Al Vento or any other legitimate Italian joint, which are all very comparable in price. If the entrees were about 2/3rds the price of what they are (which is what I expected), I would actually be very willing to go back. As it stands, I'll keep the Old Spaghetti Factory as my go-to lame generic chain Italian restaurant, thank you very much. At least they give you free spumoni.
03.07.2011
Oohhs and Aahhs -
Washington DCMeatloaf
"A little hole in the wall southern cookin kinda place," they said. "You gotta go." And so I did. Hole in the wall? Definitely. Southern cookin? Catfish, greens, rice and gravy, sounds close enough to me. Gotta go? Well... sure. I'd only recommend it because from what I've learned, there are surprisingly few soul food restaurants in Washington DC, and this is by far the best-regarded. And, oh yeah, it's good. Not in a, "My god I'm finally experiencing the real south" kind of way, but more in the "Huh, this meatloaf is pretty darn good" kind of way. It all tasted like somebody's above-average home cooking, and really, that's the whole point. So yes, if you're in DC, and want to do the southern thing, by all means go to Oohhs and Aahhs. Just try to bet the lunch rush.
04.08.2009
Oxendale Market -
Grocery StoresDill chicken pasta
I'm completely addicted to the dill chicken pasta at the Ox. I can't stop eating it. Every lunch. Every day. I'm not even sure what's in it. Chicken, dill, noodles, a few red and orange chunks, and white stuff. I'm not even sure why I bother getting anything else to eat with it, really. I wish I had some right now.
01.25.2011
Oxendale Market -
South MinneapolisThousand Hills Beef
Things really are getting better over at Oxendale's. Slowly, slowly, they're starting to get their act together in becoming legitimately respectable. As part of the transformation, they've recently started carrying Thousand Hills beef products. Libby and I just made a mushroom and beef pasta using some of their chuck roast, and I'll be damned if it isn't worth the extra cost over whatever cheap meat Oxendale's usually stocks. Will that neighborhood buy enough of it to make them continue to carry it? That's the big question. I did once see an old lady there argue against buying an organic banana because she "doesn't know what they put in those things," so we know they've got a ways to go. Baby steps.
03.11.2011
Paciugo -
BloomingtonGelato
Some new gelato place that is pretending to be Italian and artisan opened up a while back at the Mall of America, and I finally got around to trying it. And though it pains me to say it, I think it's legitimately good. Tons of flavors (I had half pistachio and half chipotle chocolate), they make it on site, and I think they really do use real ingredients. While they do have some cheesy flavors like "wedding cake" and "Rocky Road" (just like in Sicily!), they also have some more interesting ones like black sesame and the aforementioned chipotle chocolate, which is actually spicy. Anyhow, give it a shot. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
12.06.2009
Pannekoeken Huis -
St. Louis ParkBacon pannekoeken
Pannekoeken, if you didn't know, is Dutch for "clinical depression." They don't tell you this in the menu, but it's easy to figure out once you step foot into the Twin Cities' last remaining Panneloeken Huis. The place has all the charm of an abortion clinic, and is staffed by waitresses who just couldn't cut it at Perkins. They still make a tasty Dutch pancake, though.
05.07.2012
Pardon My French -
BloomingtonAlmond cookie
There's this new place in the Mall of America, in the corner by Nordstrom's where that Wolfgang Puck pizza place used to be, called Pardon My French. Now before you go jumping off a bridge at the very thought of it, let me say, it might be good! I haven't eaten any real food there yet, which seems to be mostly light sandwiches and a couple burgers and some 'flambe' flatbread type things, but I did have an almond and chocolate ganache cookie from their bakery. And it was tasty! And all the other sandwiches in the case looked to be quality. So who knows! I guess his isn't so much a 'review' as it is a heads up: Pardon My French might actually be worth trying out. And now that Bagu is opening an MOA location, things could start to get interesting. The Mall might not be a food black hole after all!
06.06.2012
Pardon My French -
BloomingtonFrench onion soup, french chicken sandwich
There's this video going around the internet this week, of a high school girls track meet. In the video, one of the runners, physically unable to finish the race due to injury/exhaustion/something, is helped across the finish line by a fellow runner, who forfeited her own place in the race in order to help her fallen competitor. Inspiring, heartbreaking, supposedly. Yet I feel like there's something wrong about the whole thing. ("Of course you do, Steve.") First, it feels like a purposeful imitation of that similarly inspiring/heartbreaking video from a few years ago, where the softball player hits a game winning home run, injures herself rounding the bases, and is helped to home plate by the opposing infielders. As if the runner saw the other runner go down and said, "Oh, I should help her like those softball players did. That's a thing I'm supposed to do." But in the case of the softball game, something was at stake. The injured girl had to touch home plate to win the game, and the team that lost because of it helped her do it. Sportsmanship. In this race, the injured girl was already in last place. By a lot. The girl that helped was in second to last. Nothing was lost or gained here. It wasn't a once in a lifetime achievement that had to be fulfilled. It wasn't going to decide who did or didn't win the state title. It was just to finish a single race. Which leads me to think that, if I was the runner that collapsed, would I want another runner to help me across? There's something oddly shameful about the situation. Like, "I understand and appreciate your support, but please just keep running, I'll be fine, I'm in last place anyway, don't make a big deal out of this." Finally, the injured girl, upon crossing the finish line, looked seriously ailing. It almost looks like all the heartfelt struggle of getting her across the finish line made things worse. Maybe she should've just had a doctor attend to her on the track when she first had problems. Maybe getting some tearjerking footage for everyone's Facebook page wasn't worth the possibility that this girl may have had a goddamn heart attack.
And that's what I think about Pardon My French.
05.17.2013
Parka -
South MinneapolisFried chicken
Parka. A new restaurant. Cafe? Not very big. Separated only by a half-wall partition from an artisan and vintage furniture showroom. Weird, right? It probably photographs beautifully, what with the cool chairs and geometric wood booths, and it could easily be mistaken for a simple coffee shop. Alas, no. It's full menu, full service, small plates and entrees, kinda current American cuisine (reference point: the folks behind Victory 44 are involved). Everything on the menu looked good, but they had me at "fried chicken." Then they lost me. It was 4 or 5 chicken breast strips on a biscuit with gravy, carrots and peas (and a little carrot and pea puree). I see "fried chicken," I want bones, man! Bones! Anyhow, I wouldn't really complain about this if anything about it was particularly inspiring, which it just... quite... wasn't. It was good, well made. Just not special. More special, however, was the brussel sprouts we got on the side, served with smoked quail eggs and a coffee/mustard vinaigrette. Great flavors. Undercooked, but great flavors. I'm going ahead and giving Parka a (measly) 6 for now. I fully expect it to be better in the future, and we will definitely be back. But I just felt our first try was a little lackluster.
06.02.2009
Paseo -
SeattlePork sandwich
Holy shit. If this place existed in MInneapolis I would see no reason ever to eat anything else. I won't go into details, because they won't do anyone any good.
09.08.2012
Pat's Tap -
South MinneapolisBrunch
It never even crossed my mind that Pat's Tap offered a weekend brunch, and apparently it hasn't crossed anyone else's either, because when we popped in there this morning on a whim, it was d-e-a-d. Every other time I've been there it's been shoulder to shoulder, almost too busy, usually late Thursday or Friday nights I guess. But the brunch menu is one of the best I've seen; plenty of sandwiches as well as plenty of breakfast items. And odd stuff, too; chicken curry hash, bacon steak, that sort thing. I, obviously, had the bacon steak. Duh. I think it's actually just the burger patty from their bacon burger, along side some hashbrowns and eggs. Which is totally, totally fine. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the hashbrowns were just about as good as they get. Loved it. I'll be back.
10.11.2012
Peel's -
ManhattanChicken sandwich
Peel's may have possibly, maybe, maybe, possibly been our favorite meal on our trip to New York. It came recommended to us as a great brunch stop, but due to some accidental subway craziness (sorry again Libby), we stopped in for some lunch instead. It's in the "Noho" neighborhood of Manhattan (even though I was told to never, ever actually refer to it as "Noho", so from here on in I won't), and its design and decor could probably be described as "cheery 1920's French industrial diner". Old timey, but not novel. Crisp, clean, bright. Totally pleasant. I don't remember what was on the menu, but I got a fried chicken sandwich with honey mustard and pickles, and Libby got a smoked turkey sandwich. Nothing flavor-wise was funky or unusual, but everything was just done right. And to go along with the decor, everything seemed very precisely composed. No grease, no mess, everything in its right place. We were both really impressed with the place, and would definitely go back if we're in NYC in the future.
08.06.2012
Pei Wei -
St. Louis ParkSpicy chicken
I've seen these Pei Wei places around the burbs here and there, and I'd somehow always associated them with, or gotten them confused with, Chin's Asia Fresh, which is Leann Chin's failed attempt at creating somewhat higher quality fast food Asian. Little did I know that Pei Wei is actually P.F. Chang's attempt at creating somewhat higher quality fast food Asian. Or rather, their attempt at creating a somewhat cheaper P.F. Changs. And being a consummate P.F. Apologist (in that I will not apologize for my love of P.F. Chang's), I practically ran through the front door to give Pei Wei a try. It was better than I even hoped it would be. The food was only a tiny half-step down from Chang's, but for about five dollars less, and with no stupidly long waits hanging around Southdale's parking lot with the type of people who wait in line to eat at P.F. Chang's. This particular Pei Wei location was near the new St. Louis Park "West End" shopping center, but just far enough away from it that you don't have to deal with that, either. Wei to go!
01.07.2009
Peninsula -
Uptown MinneapolisKambing rendang
I can't claim to know the first thing about Malaysian food, but I can tell you that my meal tonight at Peninsula (on Eat Street) was fantastic. I've seen it a thousand times on Nicollet Avenue, but it's never crossed my mind to try eating there. But tonight I was on my own, Evergreen and Morelos were closed, and I said "what the heck" (because I'm from Minnesota). For an appetizer, I had Roti Canai, which is a very Indian-like flatbread, served with very Indian-like curry sauce (which contained a single potato and a single chunk of chicken--not that I'm complaining). I could've eaten just this appetizer, and would've gone home happy. And it was only $3.95! Amalayzing! My entree, a red curry lamb was sort of curious at first, as it seemed sort of bland compared to the roti canai's sauce I just ate, but after a few bites, I got a better idea of how it tasted, which just surprised me, because I'm so used to straight-up Thai curries. This was closer to a Nepalese style curry you'd get at Namaste. But it was both spicy and non-overpowering, and the lamb was cooked perfectly--lean, tender and flavorful. Maybe just about 2 dollars too expensive. But the super cheap flatbread made up for it. In the end, I'm totally excited to go back there, because there were at least a half dozen other things on their menu that I still want to try (Lamb shank! Duck breast!). Oh man, what if scientists managed to create a mutant lambduck? Count me in.
03.15.2009
Peninsula -
Uptown MinneapolisLamb shank
My second trip to Peninsula, and it was just as good as the first. I was a little hesitant to get the lamb shank, as it was a Sunday night, and I feared it wouldn't be as fresh as on a Friday or Saturday, but I went for it anyway. I was sort of right; it clearly wasn't as fresh and perfect as it could've been, but it was still awfully tasty, and not too fatty. In fact, the coconut milk (etc.) sauce on it made me rethink my "I'm totally over coconut milk curries" stance. But the best part (again) was the roti canai, a fried thin bread/pancake and spicy curry sauce which is super cheap, super simple, and probably the best $3.95 you can spend in the city.
05.20.2011
Pepitos -
South MinneapolisEnchilada and taco
I like Pepitos alright. It's too busy and too expensive usually, but it's tasty enough. I tried their chicken mole for the first time last night and found it a bit bland. I'll take Dominguez mole any day. Although Dominguez doesn't have free valet parking. They do have Brother Ali, though; we saw him there last week, giving his kid a stern talking to.
10.02.2012
Petite Abeille -
ManhattanChicken stew, waffle
I was going to wait until we were home from New York to post anything about it, but I figure I better do this now before I forget about this place completely (zing!). It's called Petite Abeille. It's an adorable little Belgian cafe in adorable little West Village (or maybe Greenwich Village?) with an adorable little logo and an adorable little chalkboard menu. Its menu was on par with Barbette, and the quality was as well—so it was slightly less good than you'd think it would be (zing!). Granted, Libby said her mussels were delicious, and my fries (sorry, "frittes") were Barbette quality as well, but my chicken stew was about as good as homemade chicken stew your grandma would make. So, good, but maybe not for the price and for a single trip to an adorable little cafe in the West Village. Not to mention the fact that I actually ordered the beef stew. My biggest takeaway: I should've gone with the burger.
01.23.2011
PF Changs -
EdinaDali Chicken
I hate to say it, but I still think PF Changs is really good. Big Bowl, too. And I don't care that you once spent a month traveling around Beijing.
09.10.2010
The Pie Place -
North shoreChocolate pie
The Pie Place is weird. Not in a 'tiny hole-in-the-wall in the middle of nowhere' weird, but more like 'I just got offered an organic lemonade in a place that looks like my great grandma's house' weird. Their logo has two bears fishing for a pie, their tables are covered in white table cloths and glass, and the circa-1987 lighting fixture has six dead moths in it. And yet the lemonade the 20-something waiter offers is organic. Specifically. Interesting. And, despite being called "The Pie Place," there were a lot of interesting-looking items on the menu, from honey meatloaf to raspberry BBQ ribs, and other things I can't remember at the moment. Unfortunately, we weren't there for dinner, just for pie. And it was fine. Obviously made from scratch with love and stuff. But no so great that I'm telling everyone they have to go there. Lovely. So anyway, as we're leaving, we see that they have a "gift shop" upstairs, which sounds creepy but we decide to give it a shot. And we go up there and see some pretty impressive, well-made, tasteful pieces of art. Pottery, baskets, some drawings, paintings, and some actual working studio spaces. This wasn't the kind of bullshit gift shop that you'd expect on the upper floor of a restaurant advertised with two bears fishing for pie. And that's when I realized what was going on here: The organic lemonade, the 20-something waiter, an art studio upstairs. The Pie Place was something once, and now someone, be it the employees, the owner's son, whoever, is trying to turn it into something else. It may be in an awkward growing up phase right now, but I'd be willing to bet in a few years it will be a destination.
04.23.2012
Pig & Fiddle -
EdinaLamb pasty
What struck me most about Pig & Fiddle, surprised me really, is its sheer lack of irony. The placed is designed to feel like a cozy but classy Irish pub--not where you'd watch the footie match while you're in Dublin, but more like where you'd stop to rest your weary feet because you're a Hobbit trying to bring a ring back to a volcano. Considering that it's a brand new gastropub at 50th and France, I was expecting some Mozza Mia or Salut style overthetopness. There are no oversized photos of pig ears on the walls, no custom fabricated light fixtures, the bartenders don't wear Rovers jerseys. The whole place exudes uncool. And the food, as far as I can tell, abides. It's not some new American twist on pub food, nor is it some cheap attempt to get people to come in and eat burgers and drink. It's "traditional" grub from the British Isles, based on the "peasant" thing, but prepared by people who actually have taste. Or so I assume, because I just had one thing, and it was good, but maybe not prepared as well as it should've been. A little on the starchy side. But the flavors were nice, especially the pickled onions, which were essential to keep it interesting. Really not a whole lot to talk about. Mostly I'm very impressed, in an odd way, with how unhip this place is once you get past the front door. Commendable. But...
05.15.2011
Pineda Tacos -
South MinneapolisChicken burrito
Last time I ate at Pineda Tacos I woke up the next day with a rash over a quarter of my body. In hindsight it was most likely a reaction to an anti-viral amoxicillin-based medicine I had just finished taking, but at the time it was difficult not to draw a parallel between the magnitude of my ailments and the latitude of the previous day's lunch. Pineda Tacos, I mean to say, is a foreign place. This is not Chipotle. It's previous digs were a former Pizza Hut with only the minimum amount of the charm of being a former Pizza Hut, while its new space, despite being in a strip mall less than 3 years old, is even skeevier. The menu is confusing, and the food looks, honestly, kind of gross. One certainly could expect to get a rash here. The food, however, is every bit as deserving of the accolades it constantly receives. I don't remember what kind of meat I had pre-rash (pork, maybe?), as there are at least 6 options, none of which are really labeled or described in any way, but this time I went with the spicy chicken. Some rice, beans, jalepenos, a bit of cilantro, hot salsa. Nothing fancy at all. But I consumed it all without stopping to breathe, or consider my actions, and for the last 24 hours (rash-free) it's been all I can think about.
01.02.2010
Pizza Joes -
South MinneapolisPizza
Pizza Joes (not related to Hiawatha Joe, I think, I hope) is a new-ish pizza delivery joint down the street, which has always seemed a little too "questionable" to actually order from. Plus, when you're in Fat Lorenzo's delivery zone, why bother with anything else? But for those times when you don't feel like paying for pizza by the pound or having to put on your fly fishing waders to eat it, you need an alternative. That's why we gave it a shot tonight, and it wasn't too bad. There's still something creepy about the place; it seems to be some sort of chain, but not actually a chain, but maybe? And the pizza had a certain frozen pizza vibe to it. But, like, really perfectly cooked frozen pizza. Now I'm just making it sound like it's horrible, but it's not. I think. I hope.
09.12.2010
Pizza Nea -
Northeast MinneapolisSausage and red pepper pizza
Punch Pizza is great. Much respect and fist-to-heart pounds and all that. But count me in as a member of Team Nea. 4 life.
03.04.2013
Pizzeria Lola -
South MinneapolisPizza
I can't say that Lola is markedly better than any of the other wood/coal fired pizza joints around town (Punch, Nea, Black Sheep, Mozza Mia), but I can say that, unlike any of the other wood/coal fired pizza joints around town (Black Sheep, Punch, Mozza Mia, Nea), they offer Korean barbecue pizza. Therefore.
05.30.2010
Pop! -
Northeast MinneapolisSteak sandwich
First time back to Pop in a long, long, time (years?), and I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, I realized that I've never had a bad meal at Pop. Everything has been somewhere on the scale of good-to-great, this steak sandwich approaching the 'great' part. The only minor gripe I have is that they need to consider changing up their menu; it seems to be exactly the same as it was last time I went there, whenever that was.
02.12.2013
Popeye's -
South MinneapolisFried chicken
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
04.30.2012
Guest Post by Libby
Pumphouse Creamery -
South MinneapolisLavender ice cream cone
This is why I can get behind Pumphouse Creamery, the little ice cream shop down Chicago Ave. at 48th Street: The folks there are trying to do it right. Their handmade ice cream is made from natural, organic and local ingredients ("from plows to pints" = clever). They've won several local "Best Ice Cream" awards and named one of the Top 25 Ice Cream Spots in the U.S. by Food and Wine Magazine (well la dee dah). They're a solid member of the neighborhood over there, scooping ice cream for 9 years. And, along with the gold standards, they make an array of flavors that are different: Lavender, Fresh Rhubarb (they get an extra star for rhubarb), Malted Vanilla, Salty Peanut Butter (made locally by The Good Life) with Homemade Chocolate Caramel Nougats. A little red-headed boy even chose the Grapefruit Sorbet and was heartily enjoying his cone (best of luck to that kid). Plus, they have home brewed root beer and seasonal sodas on tap!
I can appreciate all of these things. But. Both Steve and I thought the ice cream was a little frosty. Now, perhaps that's the side effect of the whole organic/homemade/small batches/whatever else factor, but I need my ice cream to be, well, creamy. Like, say, a Sebastian Joe's scoop (my personal Minneapolis favorite) or Izzy's (my personal St. Paul favorite). That said, the Lavender was a really nice, subtle flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. A small gift that kept on giving. (Side note, albeit non-culinary: I think their branding is too juvenile. Yes, yes, ice cream is for kids, but with the aforementioned organic/homemade/small batches/whatever else factor, their brand would benefit from a level of sophistication.)
All in all I'd go back, perhaps after a nice meal across the street at Bagu or a belly full of Mexican food from Pepito's, before a night of fine cinematic viewing at The Parkway Theater down the block. What a nice summer evening that'll be.
05.19.2012
Pupuseria la Palmera -
South MinneapolisPupusa, carne asada
"Pupseria" is a funny word, right? Hilarious. I had no idea what a pupuseria was when Pupuseria la Palmera took over the space formerly home to--wait for it--ready?--Stabby's, but I liked the sound of it anyway. Turns out a pupusa, for which a pupuseria is (obviously) named, is an El Salvadorian stuffed bread sort of dish. So, great, awesome, a new El Salvadorian restaurant in the neighborhood! Exciting. Problem is, at least in these early days of their young establishment, the food is totally unimpressive. I'd even say "dreary." They were out of the guisada, which was what I really wanted, so I settled on a chewy ol' flank steak with rice and a plain lettuce salad with ranch dressing? Just like back home in El Salvador. Homemade tortillas were nice in theory, but were sort of mushy in the middle. And on and on. Their hearts are in the right place I guess, and they were well staffed. And the pupusa itself (served with some pickled coleslaw type dressing) was nice. But we'll see what happens once they start figuring things out.
12.24.2010
Q Fanatic -
ChamplinRibs
And then finally, finally, Libby and Steve find a barbeque joint that actually lives up to the hype. And it's even a direct stop on the way from our house to her mom's house up north! O, M, G! Q Fanatic, off highway 10 in Champlin, practically Anoka, has received a ton of praise this year, and wouldn't you know it actually follows through. Hot damn. Ribs were simultaneously falling off the bone and sporting a crispy/chewy crust. Equally tasty dry and sauced. 6 different sauces that were all definitely of the same family, but all were equal parts, "Hmm, that's interesting." Cheesy au gratin potatoes with bacon and caramelized onions to die for. Cole slaw that was heavy on the vinegar and barely edible as a side dish, and yet perfect when actually mixed with the BBQ. Home made buns. A huge, huge menu where everything looks equally fantastic. I mean, geez! To be honest, I wasn't blown away when I was eating it, but I've been thinking about it ever since. And if it wasn't Christmas tomorrow, I'd try to stop there on the way back.
04.23.2011
Q Fanatic -
ChamplinPulled pork sandwich
Okay. So. Last night Q Fanatic got bumped up from "intriguing" to "astounding." Just perfect, perfect barbeque in every way. I could've cried. I'm not about to declare Ted Cooke's defeated, but ladies and gentlemen: We've got a competition.
12.06.2008
Quang -
Uptown MinneapolisLemongrass chicken
Birthday meal #3. Does anyone else, when reflecting late at night in their music and food blog about a meal they just ate at Quang, think to themselves, "Why isn't every restaurant in the city like this? How come it seems they're the only ones to make good, honest food, for a cheap price in a welcoming environment with a friendly, competent staff?" Because I do. There's really nothing not to like about the place, and it seems that everyone and their cousin (and Nate from Six Feet Under and Mayor Rybek) likes eating there. There's just something nice about being there; the interior doesn't try to convince you that you've magically traveled to the Orient, or that you're in a fancy restaurant with low lights and black napkins. They just pack as many tables and chairs as they can into a big well-lit room and give you a hastily printed menu of simple, cheap dishes, none of which are anything but classic Vietnamese food (i.e., no chow mein or sesame chicken). And in the end, you've had a big, tasty, satisfying meal for less than you'd pay at Khin Do or Lotus, and you actually feel welcome to come back any time.
12.21.2009
R. Burger -
BloomingtonBurger
There's this new place on the 4th floor of the Mall Of America (cited by Lukas as "The Bermuda Triangle of Commerce") called R. Burger. It's connected to the new comedy club, and is now my go-to place at the Mall for a decent meal. Not because it was the best thing ever, or because it's cheap or convenient. But I was there on Saturday (the last Saturday before Christmas, mind you), and while every other restaurant in the mall was swimming in people, lined up out the door and whatnot, the R. Burger was host to myself, two other couples, and one guy at the bar. Totally dead. I loved it. At one point, a family of 6 came and sat down, then mysteriously (and sneakily!) left before ordering. It was very awkward. The waitress said she heard them arguing about something. Anyway, their burger was pretty good (a little greasy), but their big thing is that you can basically build your own burger, with kobe beef and horseradish and jalepenos, or whatever. You could even put tartar sauce on your bacon cheeseburger! Yowza! Basically, let's hope the comedy club can keep this place alive, or else it won't last past March.
02.17.2013
Raku -
St. Louis ParkSushi
I don't know if it's worth even trying to write a review of this Raku place, because I don't know if Raku is the kind of place that expects to be held up to any sort of critique. It's a big loud sushi restaurant in the big loud West End shopping nightmare off 394 that will do plenty enough business on Saturday nights for the next couple years to turn a nice profit for the development corporation that financed it, only to be sold to a new ownership group which will make the same unremarkable sushi under a different four-letter brand name (Muki? Kojo? Kagu?) to the same taste-deprived Golden Valley white colalr professionals and stay-at-home college students who want a taste of big city night life without the risk of actually maybe experiencing something. Pause. We had a good time though.
08.23.2009
Random gyro cart -
ManhattanChicken gyro
Having been in New York for two and a half days now, I have already noticed a major and disappointing fact about the city's famous street food vendors. See, for years, I've been under the impression that the sidewalks of Manhattan are rife with roving street carts selling any and every kind of food--from hot dogs to burgers to tacos and maybe some barbeque ribs and duck confit or something. But in truth, it seems that there are only about four options. We have gyro and kabob carts, hot dog carts, ice cream carts, and hot dog and ice cream carts. And they all seemed to be operated by the same 2 or 3 companies. If you're in Central Park near the Upper West Side, you're stuck with the same exact gyro and ice cream sandwich as down south in Battery Park. I was hoping for some surprises, the occasional fancy/good/cool cart selling, I don't know, elk sausages or tikka masala or something. But all day, up and down Manhattan, are the same carts, the same signs, same prices, and the same processed meats.
(Speaking of processed meats, Ben and Justin mentioned on my first night how it's practically impossible to find bratwurst in New York. While that seemed unbelievable at the time, I really haven't seen it anywhere all weekend, counting all the concession stands at the Mets game. I mean, I'm sure you could find it at a good grocery store or meat market or something, but as far as casual sausage consumption goes, Italian Sausage is really the cased meat of choice in this part of the country).
08.05.2012
Red 88 -
DavisSpicy pork noodles
My last food stop on my Davis trip was takeout from a hip little noodle bar called Red 88. The Yelp reviews (insert mooing cow sounds here) were actually pretty middling, but their menu looked good and the photos looked good, so screw Yelp (one of the reviewers actually complained that the chicken chow mein was bland. Well that's what you get for ordering chicken chow mein!) I got this spicy ground pork noodly dish thing, along with some thai chicken wings, and since I needed to order $20 worth of food in order to use my credit card, an order of steamed dumplings. And it was all fantastic! Best meal of Davis! Aside from an excess of salt in the dumplings, I don't have a single gripe. I'll take a Red 88 in Minneapolis any day.
09.13.2009
Red Lobster -
RosevilleAll you can eat shrimp
All you can eat shrimp. Aaaall you can eat shrimp. All. You can. Eat... shrimp. What can I write about this? What timely anecdotes or hints of wisdom can I extrude plate after plate of shrimp and rice pilaf? Well, some of it was teriyaki shrimp. Some of it was cajun. Deep frying and coconut even got involved. There were biscuits as well. All that we could eat.
03.01.2013
Red Pepper -
EdinaBeef chow fun with XO sauce
Better than a Chinese restaurant in an Edina strip mall deserves to be. And yes, they do have boiled pigs ear.
10.11.2012
Red Rooster -
HarlemSwedish meatballs
So Marcus Sammuelson is a celebrity chef. I know this because we saw him competing on a TV celebrity chef competition. He kicked everyone's butt, and his food looked amazing. Turns out that he's the man behind Red Rooster, which I guess has been a bit of a hot spot, in the sense that I'd heard of it before seeing the guy on TV. So even though our New York trip was done mostly off-the-cuff, I was sure to get a reservation for this place (which proved a little difficult, but 5:30 on a Wednesday night was good enough for us). Turns out that, Sammuelson being an Ethiopean-born Swede, Red Rooster is actually a soul food restaurant with a good amount of Scandanavian twist. Corn bread with tomato jam and honey butter was amazing. Lox were very good. Libby's roasted chicken was okay-ish, but definitely not the thing to order at a place like this. My Swedish meatballs were by far the best Swedish meatballs I've ever eaten, and probably the best single plate I had in New York. Take a look at the photo and imagine the best you can possibly imagine them tasting. That's how they tasted. Totally awesome. To top it off, the service was great, the atmosphere was nice but not too cool or fancy, and the location is close enough to the Apollo that you can walk there after dinner with enough time left to not go to see Cedric the Entertainer.
01.03.2011
The Red Stag -
Northeast MinneapolisBison stroganoff
The Red stag, even when dining alone at the bar on a depressing final night of a week's vacation, is as good as advertised. Sure, $25 might be too much to pay for a plate of stroganoff, but it was pretty much perfect. Big, hearty, tons of flavor, and a nicely roasted hunk of bison (you know, tatanka). It was good enough to spin my head into a miniature moral dilemma when Libby asked me if I liked it better than her mom's, an unfair question which I have not answered yet. Along side that was a plate of brussels sprouts with some nuts, and a white bean butter spread that came with the bread. It was all pretty much flawless.
06.11.2012
The Red Stag -
Northeast MinneapolisShort ribs
There's this thing about how you're not supposed to go to nice restaurants on Sunday, because all the food is getting old, the cooks are the B-squadders trying to learn the ropes, and everything is generally less good than it should be. And last night's short ribs were definitely Sunday night short ribs. Still, it's the Red Stag, and at their worst it's still "good," and I can't imagine this was their worst; maybe like 2 notches up from it.
04.13.2012
Republic -
U of MPulled chicken sandwich.
Republic. Republic. Pub. Get it? Re-pub-lic? See what they did there? So anyway, we stopped there last week before the Van Dyke Parks show, having heard very little about it, other than that it's a "gastropub" that took over the old Sgt. Prestons spot on 7 Corners. The food was all good, but whatever. But what really struck me was the realization that this "gastropub" thing (I will always use quotes around that, refusing to admit it's a real word that someone could use without shame) has officially become the new standard. Busters and whoever else were sort of special when they started, but now if you're opening a bar and you don't make your own ketchup and you don't use 1000 Hills beef, and you don't offer some form of compote (or chutney), good luck. It's gone from trend to norm. I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm happy about it. It's just funny to sit down and look at the menu at a bar that's so diverse and interesting, and think "here we go again."
03.07.2011
Rice -
Washington DCPik khing pork
For years I've been hearing people, mostly those from DC, complain about how lame of a city DC is. "No soul! No style! No culture!" they say. Not to mention the taxation without representation. But from the couple days I spent there, I have a hard time seeing what they're whining about. Sure, there are a lot of sad-looking lawyer types walking around in their Brooks Brothers pea coats, and yes traffic is a mess. But the whole place seems to be riddled with restaurants and bars and mid-century furniture stores. What's the problem? Granted, a majority of the 'nice' restaurants I noticed had a certain air to them. Slick, fussy, trying their damndest to be cool. Still not over "fusion." You get the picture. But this Asian/Thai place we went to with some locals, Rice, despite the fussiness and fusionness, was flawlessly delicious. My pork thing was good, but the winner was Justin's spicy duck, followed by Ben's squid ink spaghetti. It was loud, it was busy, and it was dark, but it was otherwise a perfectly respectable restaurant, and only one of about 1000 others in the vicinity. So stop whining, DC.
06.05.2011
Rice Paper -
EdinaPeanut curry
I thought Rice Paper had closed, but really it just moved. From Linden Hills to 50th & France, which is a move best described as "lateral," as far as I'm concerned. I always heard okay things about the Linden Hills location, but never tried it until now. Four things stand out, and I will do my best to keep it brief. 1.) I've never tasted anything like these dishes before. Not that it was better than anything I've tasted before, just different. Very particular seasonings and aromas; lots of tumeric. Definitely different than your standard Vietnamese/Thai fish sauce and sugar. 2.) All the dishes, to me at least, screamed "1990s". Granted, I wasn't eating anything other than Taco Bell and Chilis in the 90s, but the plate preparation, from the fancy cut carrots to the pile of shredded cabbage, seems like something straight out of 90210. Kind of cheesy. 3.) Amazing dumplings. Some of the best I've ever had. 4.) Bonus points for the server. She accidentally brought us a tofu curry instead of chicken. We didn't complain and where just going to eat it anyway, when suddenly she brought us the chicken curry and said we can just have them both! So we took one home. Totally above and beyond, and very appreciated. So will we go back? Sure, why not.
11.12.2008
Rinata -
uptown minneapolisPasta with braised duck and goat cheese
So this new place opened up where Giorgio's used to be, on Hennepin and 25th. It's owned by the guy who runs Al Vento, which is right across the street from Spunk, so I've had it a good handful of times. I had a pretty darn tasty duck pasta, with a red pepper based red sauce. Libby had a shrimp pasta, which she liked but I thought was a little fishy. It was a pretty nice place overall, and not terribly expensive, so I can see going back, even though they sat us at the dumbest table in the restaurant.
01.18.2009
Roat Osha -
Uptown MinneapolisWhite ginger curry
Roat Osha is a new Thai place where Sawatdee and Other Nameless Thai Restaurant used to be. Supposedly it's owned by the people who own Tum Rup Thai, but don't hold me to that. They've fancied up the interior and jacked up the prices by a few bucks, but at least based on my one entree and appetizer (shrimp basil rolls), I would honestly put it at #2 behind King And I for my favorite Thai places in town. The white ginger curry was comparable to King And I's red curry (the non-coconut milk kind), and just as good, although you get less of it. Combine that with two big HD TVs that play sports in the bar, and I think I could see myself going back there.
10.22.2009
Roat Osha -
Uptown MinneapolisRed Curry Noodles
I think I've finally decided that Roat Osha just isn't very good. Oh, wait, I decided that months ago. Nevermind.
10.13.2012
Roberta's -
BrooklynFennel sausage pizza
There's a restaurant in Brooklyn with no windows and no signs and they have their own radio station and a secret garden on the roof, where the bartender looks like Morrissey and you have to wait two hours to get a table. Well, there's actually probably a handful of those. At least one other one on the same block, I'd bet. But this one is Roberta's, and it's the shit and their fennel sausage pizza is pretty great.
05.05.2013
Roosters BBQ -
St. PaulPulled pork sandwich
It's been a couple years since I'd been to Roosters. I remember liking it, but not thinking it's the best BBQ in town or anything. I stopped back in this afternoon (it's a surprisingly quick bike ride from my house!), and I still feel just about exactly the same about it. Their pork has that wet quality to it that you get a lot of times when you order pulled pork at a restaurant that can't really smoke something. Not greasy or fatty, but almost watery. Not a huge problem, but not one that you run into at the 'better' BBQ joints in town. They're light on the sauce, so I can't really judge that (but I liked the little I was able to really distinguish). Biggest surprise: the baked beans. Great beans! I'm not ashamed to admit that Famous Daves makes my absolute favorite BBQ baked beans on earth, but I'd feel comfortable placing these at a distant second. It's a small little place, but they've got a couple formica booths, a TV playing the hockey game, and a big ol' cooler full of drinking water. Not too shabby. I'm not rating Twin Cities barbecue joints, but I'm going to go ahead and rank it #4 Twin Cities barbecue joint (ahead of Scott Ja Mamas but behind Big Daddy's). Check it out if you're ever jonesing for some sugar meat around Randolph Avenue in St. Paul. I really do like it, as faint as this praise may have sounded.
07.05.2012
Roscoe's Barbeque -
RochesterRibs, root beer
Spending the day in Rochester to see Wilco, I looked briefly into where to eat. The consensus: "Eh, Rochester isn't much of a food town." Well. So, barbeque it is! And the Rochester barbeque scene seems to be locked up by two places: Roscoe's and one other joint who's name I forget right now. But I'll think of it eventually. The general consensus was that there was no general consensus. Some said Roscoe's, some said [other]. Before I could flip a coin though, I noticed not only was it called Roscoe's, it was called Roscoe's Root Beer and Ribs. Root beer and ribs! And even though I'm trying to be "off" of pop at the moment, what kind of self righteous fuddy duddy would turn down root beer a place that specializes in barbeque and root beer? So we braved the 100 degree heat (it's a walk-up place with outdoor seating) and got some ribs, pulled pork, jo-jo's, cole slaw, and beans. The meat was super tender, but didn't have the nice crust I like, the sauce was tangy but a little bit generic, and everything else was just as good as it needed to be. I'd put this down as total middle of the pack barbeque. Same with the root beer. Next time we're in town (most likely whenever Wilco appears again) we'll be sure to try [remember to find the name of the other place and edit this later].
11.01.2009
Rudolphs -
Uptown MinneapolisPulled pork sandwich
"Sweet. I'm going to go to Rudolphs like twice a week now that I live three blocks from it," I said to myself as I moved all my stuff into this apartment on Aldrich. A year and a half later and a month away from moving out, I hadn't once gone there. So I went over there tonight, sat down at the bar and ordered a pulled pork sandwich and read my book. That was nice until the mentally unstable "regular" sat down right next to me and starting hitting on all the waitresses. Then the sandwich came and was fine, if a little greasy. I love their sauce, though, and it has pickles on it, which is a definite plus. But I at least did the late-night Rudulphs thing once, and now I can look forward to being only a few blocks away from Ted Cook's, who's pulled pork is heads and (pork) shoulders above Rudolph's anyway. If only they had a happy hour.
10.28.2012
Rusty Taco -
Northeast MinneapolisTacos
Rusty Taco is a chain. But considering there's no circle-R on their logo, you can tell they're not too big of a chain (or I guess you could just look at their website). Yet. Fingers crossed. And their tacos are pretty good. Not great, but worth trying. I think the ground beef was my favorite (which is sort of sad to think about, considering they also have pretty good carnitas, roasted beef, and fried chicken. THere's something so Taco Bell about ground beef. But they're legit. Don't worry).
06.10.2009
Safeco Field -
SeattleSushi, Hot dog, chowder
It seems the rumors of Safeco Field's supposedly endless supply of sushi stands and other exotic food delights have been much exaggerated. In the couple laps I took around both concourse levels, I only found a single concession stand, hidden back in a little nook behind a hot dog place, that served sushi. The selection was fairly limited, and the prices (obviously) were embarrassingly high. But I wasn't about to go to a Mariners game without eating any of their famous stadium sushi, so I bought some. "Seattle rolls", they were called. Not sure what that entails, but I think there was salmon in it. I found them to be bland and mushy, but Libby, who's sushi palette is far more sophisticated than my own, said they weren't too bad. We also shared a cup of Ivar's chowder (huge local chain, a "Seattle institution", if you will), and a hot dog. I had much better chowder on the trip, although it wasn't bad, but the hot dog was actually quite good. Probably in the top 3 or 4 stadium hot dog's I've had. Maybe there was fish in it.
01.11.2013
Sakana -
St. PaulMalaysian chicken sambal
This new place Sakana secretly opened up in Highland Park, taking over the (thankfully) abandoned Kentucky Fried Chicken building on Cleveland. They claim to be a "Sushi and Asian Bistro", which covers just about every base, which is fine by me, because this corner of Minneapolis/St. Paul is pretty desperate for some decent Asian food. The first Sakana location is in downtown Wayzata, and that's just about the perfect reference point for the food: light and fresh enough to convince wealthy Wayzata retirees to pay big bucks, but tame enough to convince wealthy Wayazata retirees that they won't get some ethnic disease from eating it. Point being: it probably wouldn't fly on Lake Street, but I get the feeling it will suit Highland Park quite well.
11.10.2008
Salut -
EdinaTuna steak sandwich
Had the tuna steak sandwich at Salut last night. It wasn't too bad. Just too small for the bun. Thankfully, I know* the head chef there now, so next time I have a bun that is too large for my tuna steak, I'll know exactly who to complain to. Their French onion soup is still awesome, though.
* read: once met.
02.13.2009
Salut -
EdinaPork chop
Tried the Thursday special at Salut last night--a double cut pork chop with an apple-based sauce and some (pickled? appled?) cabbage. Not only did it taste great, but the whole plate looked like it was straight out of a magazine ad. Oh, it also came with a whole apple stuffed with brie, but I think that was just to show off.
09.24.2010
The Sample Room -
Northeast MinneapolisSamples
Curry apple soup: fantastic. Bread: good enough. Lamb ribs: a little fatty. Pork shank: flawless but not earth-shattering. Mushroom fettuccine: a bit rich. Chicken pot pie: didn't try it. Vegetable pie: not my style. The winner: the soup.
04.20.2013
Sandy's Tavern -
RichfieldCheeseburger
Sandy's Tavern is a little neighborhood bar on Penn Avenue in Richfield, which I've been eyeing for the last year or so, but have always been too chicken to give it a shot, despite the fact that their sign clearly states that they have the Best Burgers! (In Richfield. Oh.) The fact that their parking lot has always been completely empty has also freaked me out a bit. But my fear was unfounded. It's a totally classic little dive of a place, old wooden booths, 1970s stools, felted wallpaper. Not in a 'we're trying to make this place funky and fun' kind of way, but more like 'we haven't bothered to touch this place since 1973, shut up and drink your beer.' But it works Fox News may have been blaring out of their big TV, but it was still charming. Food-wise, we're talking total no frills bar food. Burgers. Fries. Random other fried stuff, maybe wings. The burger was perfectly okay. Frozen, clearly, but cooked on a grill that clearly has some character. Throw enough fried onions and ketchup on it and it's all you need. Crinkle cut fries. Nothing too special, but totally satisfying. And cheap. And the lady running the place was very nice, even if she secretly thought I was some pinko bike riding elitist yuppie. It's not a darkhorse player in the Twin Cities burger game by any means (I'll say it's on par, if a hair below, the Sports Page in Bloomington), but it's a great place to know exists. Because sometimes you find yourself in Richfield wanting a burger. And this is a place you could go to.
10.10.2009
Sauce -
Uptown MinneapolisRigatoni
Good: I got a 50% off coupon to Sauce.
Bad:The place was completely empty except for us.
Good:It's in a "How could anything fail here?" location, replacing the recently-failed La Bodega
Bad: The decor is a sort of lame combination of music club, upscale sports bar, and graffiti-clad teen hangout.
Good:The food was exactly the kind of rich, hearty homey Italian food this city has been lacking.
Bad: It all felt a little bit like leftovers. I'm pretty sure they made the meatballs yesterday, and even the sauce, despite being the kind that is slow cooked over the course of a day, seemed somehow stale.
Good: Despite that, I have to say this is the closest thing I've ever tasted to my grandma's spaghetti sauce and meatballs, which is possibly my favorite food in the world. So they have that going for them.
Bad: Thirteen bucks for a plate of rigatoni. A little steep. If this was like 8 or 9 bucks at a little place like Broders Cucina, my mind would be entirely blown. But for $13 at a sit down restaurant, I feel like I need something else. Meatballs? Fancier plates? A salad?
Good:Someone took some letters off the "Seat Yourself" sign so it read "Eat Our Elf." Very clever.
Bad:Is anyone really going to sit down and eat a big filling plate of rich, spicy red-sauce pasta before going to a rock show?
Conclusion:I think they have some potentially great food here, but have chosen the wrong venue for it. A cozy little hole in the wall would be great for this stuff, and they could knock a couple bucks off it and everyone would win. But once you throw in graffiti'd walls and hipster jukebox choices and a bar and live music that doesn't involve mandolins, it just don't make sense. But, man, if you stick that plate of rigatoni in front of me again, I'll eat every bit of it and then lick the plate.
03.24.2009
Sawatdee -
Downtown MinneapolisMasaman curry
Another Thai restaurant, yes. Sue me. Sawatdee on Saturday was really good. I've had plenty of mediocre Thai food lately, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Sawatdee compared to any of those other places (King And I notwithstanding). My masaman curry was good, although it could've been a little bigger helping, but I was happiest with the chicken satay (which is usually dry and boring, but this time was practically perfect), and their stuffed chicken wings. Stuffed with what? I don't know. I could've been fish bones and eel goo for all I care, because it was tasty.
07.10.2012
Scott Ja Mama's -
South MinneapolisRibs
If this was a customer service blog, this review would be a perfect 10, with flashing text and animated .gifs, and maybe it would rhyme. Because I showed up to Scott Ja Mama's—a tiny little take out barbeque joint that only takes cash—without cash. No problem they said, just run across the street and use the ATM. Okay! Then I realized I had no ATM card. Oops. I apologize, apologize, tell them I can come back in an hour, all of that. "No, no, don't worry," says Scott Ja Mama himself, "take the food and just pay us next time you come in if you feel like it. Want anything to drink? Take your pick!" Wow! No joke! And then after I ate (great, homemade style sauce, but unfortunately they use babyback ribs instead of spare, which is a bummer), I back to where I lost my ATM, got some cash, and came back later in the day to pay. Their response, "Geez, we didn't mean to make you come back today! Thanks! Come again!" I will, Scott Ja Mama.
03.14.2009
Señor Wong -
St. PaulSir fried noodles
So when you add up the flying dragon in the logo and the little squiggle above the 'n,' it's pretty obvious what's going on here. Funky, wild, creative combinations of Mexican and Asian dishes! Well, you'd be wrong. The menu isn't fusion, it's fission; some Mexican dishes and some Asian dishes (Vietnamese, mostly), and never the twain shall meet. So while that lack of creativity was a little disappointing, I'm happy to report that the food itself was all very good. Libby's fish tacos were much better than than the average cruddy Mexican place, and my noodles were much better than the average cruddy Vietnamese place, and I couldn't really ask much more than that (except, jalepeno cream cheese wontons notwithstanding, a little more mixing of Wong and Señor.)
02.20.2010
Sen Yai Sen Lek -
Northeast MinneapolisBeef curryish thing
I finally, finally, finally got to Sen Yai Sen Lek tonight. And I'm happy about it. I had the Khao Soi, which sounded exciting because had pickled mustard greens, and was "curried," instead of "curry" (which I interpret to mean it's more of a dry curry seasoning, not a soupy coconut milk thing). So I was a little bummed at first when it showed up and was basically a yellow coconut curry. However--however--it was extremely flavorful, spicy, and impressive enough that I'm not too bummed that it was essentially a yellow curry. Libby had some cold shrimp salad which I actually thought might've been better than my dish, even. Which is amazing considering, you know, it's a cold shrimp salad. So while I'm not going to say the King And I has a new competitor, I'm definitely excited to go back there again (pretty much everything on the menu looked great). Plus, we had a coupon!
04.10.2010
Sen Yai Sen Lek -
Northeast MinneapolisPad kee mao
Awesome lunch at Sen Yai Sen Lek today. Last time (the first and only time) we ate there, I went away with an opinion that one could describe as "optimistically disappointed," in that it was probably my own fault that I didn't love it; I just didn't order the right dish. This time around, I went with the Pad kee mao, which is essentially stir fried noodles (very wide ones) with lots of basil, peppers, mushrooms, and chicken. A simple dish, I suppose, but it tasted fantastic. Pretty much exactly what I always hope for when I try new Thai places. Really, it's probably ruined Sen Yai for me, because I'm never going to order anything else again.
05.05.2012
Sen Yai Sen Lek -
Northeast MinneapolisPad bai gra pow
I know I already claimed Krung Thep to be my new favorite Thai place in the city, but Sen Yai totally turned the tables on me today. I got this pad bai gra pow dish, which is basically a stir fry with basil and ground pork and green beans and whatever else. Good lord, I couldn't eat it fast enough. So good. Then Libby orders this other noodle stir fry dish with some dry curry seasoning (pad woon sen, I believe), and my head just about explodes from excitement. I hadn't ordered either before, but they were both pretty much everything I want out of Thai food. I'm not sure if Krung Thep can top it.
12.02.2008
Shish -
St. PaulChicken Shawarma
We just got lunch here at work from a Mediterranean place near Macalester called Shish. I ordered a chicken shawarma, which is basically a glorified chicken gyro. But by "glorified," I should really say "glorious," because this thing put every chicken gyro I've ever had to shame. The meat was slow cooked, tender, swimming in spices, and plentiful enough of it to feed a small camel. There might have even been some lettuce or onions on it. I don't remember and I don't care. I just wish I was still eating it.
06.12.2012
Shish -
St. PaulChicken shawarma
I'm eating this cookie right now, from Shish, of all places, that's about an inch thick. Maybe an inch and a quarter. Truly a monster monster cookie. You'd think a cookie so thick would fail somewhere, either too cakey in the middle, or too dry on the edges. But let me tell you, dear reader, that this is one of the best monster cookies I've ever had. Convincing me more and more that Shish can't do wrong.
11.07.2009
Singapore -
South MinneapolisSome sort of curry
I don't even know where to begin with tonight's trip to Singapore. Like. Hmm. It was really one of those experiences that demands not a little blog post, but an entire short story. Perhaps a series of graphic novels. Or a puppet show. If we were in a hurry or had places to be or were generally impatient and humorless people, we probably would've gotten up and left at any of about a dozen different points in the evening. The place was mostly empty when we sat, was practically overflowing when we left, and the entire time there was only one waiter: The charmingly nerdy but cartoonishly bewildered Melvin, the teenage son of the restaurant's owner (who also happened to be the only cook, and could occasionally be heard screaming in her native language from behind the kitchen doors). And did I mention he seemed to be in the midst of a nervous breakdown? Food was burnt, orders were forgotten, to-go boxes were accidentally thrown away, incomprehensible statements were uttered. Frequently. There was running. There was yelling. There was Celine Dion. Lots of Celine Dion. And somehow in the end, we found the whole experience fun, and somehow not at all infuriating, because for as crazy as the night was, and for as out-of-his-element the waiter appeared, he was apologetic and clearly trying his best. And the food was nearly as good as "old" Singapore, back when chef Tee ran the place. There's a certain charm here that makes it feel like you're eating Malaysian home cooking in the dining room of your neighbors–-your crazy ass, dysfunctional, welfare-cheat neighbors. Recommended!
04.17.2011
Singapore -
South MinneapolisCurry
Takeout from Singapore last night, for the first time since our "interesting" experience a year ago. And hot damn it nearly went off without a hitch. They actually answered the phone, they actually took the order correctly, they weren't out of any of the menu items, and they had it ready to go when we went to pick it up. No complaints. Other than the relentless 8 year old assaulting us with questions about video game systems (!?) while we were waiting at the front door. Oh, and the food was great.
06.06.2012
Skydeck -
BloomingtonPhilly cheesesteak
Do you really, really miss Gameworks? Are you planning a complicated crime and need a hideout where you and your accomplices will never, ever be found? Are you contemplating suicide, but need that final little push to get yourself over the hump? Go to the Skydeck, on the fourth floor of the Mall Of America! They have food. From a menu. They'll cook it for you. The bartender will call you "champ."
03.28.2011
Smalleys Caribbean Barbeque -
StillwaterPork sandwich
Smalley's Caribbean Barbeque should not be good. It's barely barbeque. It is not the least bit caribbean. The menu's design has less integrity than Famous Daves'. You are greeted at the door by a mannequin dressed as a pirate, it has its own gift shop, and not least of all, it is in Stillwater (which, despite its charming facade, is not a breeding ground for quality eateries). But here we are. And you know where I'm going with this. Everything I ate, between my Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich, to Libby's jerk shrimp tacos, was dee-licious. I know. There's no accounting for it.
04.15.2012
Smalleys Caribbean Barbeque -
StillwaterRibs, brisket
Although I'm completely repeating myself from the first time we ate there a year ago, it's just as true now as it was then: Smalley's should not be good. It shouldn't. There's no way. A pirate-themed barbeque restaurant and bar in a converted warehouse shopping center in downtown Stillwater? Give me a break! But if last time I went, I left completely satisfied, this time I left downright impressed. This is legitimately good barbeque. If you took away the stupid pirate stuff and bad menus and questionable atmosphere, and stuck what's left (the food) on Chicago or Nicollet or (god forbid) Hennepin, name it, like "Blackjack" or something, people would be going bonkers about it. You'd never hear the end of it. The ribs were honestly some of the best I've had lately. The brisket had Libby raving. The beans were uniquely tasty. The sauces are all robust. The mac'n'cheese, which City Pages recently called some of the best in the cities, was perfectly mac'n'cheesy. Coleslaw, cornbread, beer battered fries, yes yes yes. Curry roasted vegetables! Curry empanadas! At a pirate themed Stillwater barbeque joint! What!? I don't know. It's so good. I just can't think of another place in town that succeeds so wildly with such low expectations.
05.28.2009
Smashburger -
Northeast MinneapolisSmashburger
Since Burger Jones has been too busy for me to make it there yet (despite dreaming about it every night), I had to make Smashburger my first battle in the Great Minneapolis Burger War Of 2009 (TM). While I found my burger to be perfectly enjoyable, I can't think of a lot of reasons to go out of my way to eat there in the future. It wasn't much better than Culver's (or some such place), and is in a depressing little fake-town in St. Anthony Village. However, I could see what gives it a slight edge over other fast food places:
1.) They have beer.
2.) They have garlic/rosemary fries. Which are fine, but at some point it's like "Enough with the goddamn rosemary."
3.) They have beer.
I get the feeling Five Guys Burgers And Fries is going to win out on this duel, but we'll have to see if the Burger Jones A-bomb takes both of them out in one big greasy burger Hiroshima.
04.22.2012
Smashburger -
St. PaulChicken sandwich
In lieu of writing about the wonderful dinner we had with friends at Craftsman on Saturday night, I thought I'd share this amazing discovery I made regarding Smashburger. When we last left Smashburger, it was a new addition to the Twin Cities burger scene, along with Five Guys and the newly opened Burger Jones. Certainly you remember the great Burger Wars Summer of 2009? Anyway, Smashburger came in with a wimper for the bronze, as the burgers are disappointing and far too expensive, and now there's about 100 of them around town and nobody really cares. But, but, get this--they have fantastic chicken sandwiches! Who would've guessed? Especially the fried chicken, and to a lesser extent the grilled. At least as far as fast food chicken sandwiches go. They're juicy and marinated (and probably filled with weird chemicals), and they seem like they're actually battered and fried... not just thrown frozen and pre-fried into heater. It actually tastes like fried chicken! They're a far cry from Chik Fil A, but they're hands down better than the closest competition. And I admit I kind of like their rosemary fries. So yeah. Smashburger. Chicken. I don't actually recommend going there if you don't have to, but if you happen to be in the vicinity with few other options, I say go for it.
03.03.2012
Sonora Grill -
South MinneapolisPork sandwich
So I'm at the Midtown Global Market, getting Libby a torta (because she's at home sick and I'm a really great guy), and I decide that maybe I want to get myself something other than Manny's while I'm waiting. Thinking, oh, maybe a slice of pizza of a plate of spicy caribbean gunk, I walk about ten feet and turn the corner, and bam! Sonora Grill! I hadn't seen or heard of this place before, but it was swarming with people, and the food in front of everyone looked incredible. I peek at their menu and I'm instantly sold. It's sort of South American meets Tex Mex style sandwiches, tacos, and kabobs (skewers, whatever). Chimichurri beef, turkey chorizo, pulled pork. Every last thing on their menu looked incredible. I went ahead and ordered a pulled pork sandwich, went back and picked up LIbby's measly torta, and took it to go. And if this isn't high praise, I don't know what is: I ate it all before I even pulled out of my parking spot to take it home. Delicious! Moist. Tender. Perfectly seasoned. Good fries with a sort of herb mayo. It's like if Brasa opened up a sandwich shop... but more sloppy, less fussy. I'm sure Libby enjoyed her Manny's (it's good! I'm not belittling Manny's!). But I know where I'm going to eat for at least the next four times I go to the Midtown. Maybe I'll go back tonight.
04.07.2012
Sonora Grill -
South MinneapolisTacos
Would City Pages ever name a Midtown Global Market kiosk their Best New Restaurant? Is that within the rules? Can we change the rules to make sure Sonora wins it this year? And then give them a pile of money so they can open a brick and mortar location of their own? Preferably on 34th and 45th? Because I say this without reservation: Brasa quality, Chilis prices. I guess it's a boon for the Midtown, and it's better than having them being stuck in Uptown and becoming obnoxious, but someone needs to start printing up some "Free Sonora" t-shirts. I'll buy two, because I've already got pork grease on my first one.
05.03.2011
Soul Daddy -
BloomingtonPork
If Chipotle was a rock star, Soul Daddy is its ill-advised but satisfactory side project. Like that folk record the dude from Neurosis did. Or The Raconteurs. The place is laid out exactly like a Chipotle, as if they pasted up some new menus over the old ones, made the wood trim a little "earthier," and replaced all the steel with stone. I know the Chipotle CEO had a big hand in the dog and pony show that created this place, but da-umn! But you know that feeling you get after you eat a Chipotle burrito, that feeling that you have once again been birthed onto this earth, accepting in equal parts the enlightenment, defilement, and remorse? Soul Daddy unfortunately offers you none of that. Which, of course, isn't a surprise considering that the place wasn't as much created as it was squeezed through some sort of reality TV processor, inoffensive enough to appeal to most any demographic, yet touched by enough talented people that it's clear that they know exactly what they are doing. So it's better than Arby's. It's better than Popeye's. It may well last a couple years and open a dozen more locations. It may get better (some fried chicken would help). It will never be great or special or anything more than That Restaurant That Won That There TV Show. But I guess if you're at the Mall Of America looking for something to eat, you could definitely do worse.
03.08.2009
Spoonriver -
Downtown MinneapolisLamb burger
Funny story: Libby and I met her coworker Anne and Anne's sister at Spoonriver this morning for a quick brunch before going over to the Guthrie for a matinee of Two Gentlemen Of Verona. But... get this... it turned out that there was no matinee today, so we had to come back for the 7:00 show! Can you believe it!? What a mix up! Anyway, my lamb burger was downright awesome. It was made of lamb and I think there were currants and dill seeds and other stuff like that in it. And it came with some sort of gourmet Arby's sauce, which was just as good as one would imagine a gourmet Arby's sauce to be (which, as far as I'm concerned, is "very good"). So Spoonriver is 2 for 2 in my book so far. To quote Speed, charmingly silly sidekick of our hero Proteus, "I, a lost mutton, gave your letter to her, a laced mutton, and she, a laced mutton, gave me, a lost mutton, nothing for my labour."
12.05.2010
Spoonriver -
Downtown MinneapolisBrunch
Pre-Vikings game brunch at Spoonriver is host to, not surprisingly, very few Vikings fans. Which is a shame for them, because it's proving to be a reliably solid place to have a pleasant bite to eat. I will forgo the details–which involve a chevre quiche and chicken squash quesadillas–but let me throw this one out there: Blueberry pistachio coffee cake. Even Brad Childress couldn't mess up that decision!
05.19.2009
The Sports Page -
BloomingtonBacon Cheeseburger
The Sports Page is one of my favorite places to eat in the cities, not only for the tap root beer and surprisingly-above-average cheeseburgers, but for its goddamn charm. Wood paneled walls. Softball trophies behind the booths. An owner that tends the grill and tells dumb jokes and is named Moose. Moose. Not only is the inside stuck in some sort of late-60s-early-70s time warp, but it's located in the Great Bear Center, a little strip mall off of Lyndale and 80-somethingth that was seemingly untouched by the hands of time since its inception 40 years ago. Like the Golden Valley Center, but far, far cooler. Something out of a Coen Brothers movie, really. But today, when I drove up for the first time in months, to my shock and horror, they're renovating the Great Bear Center! The sweet, lovely Great Bear Center is being torn apart and given a new, generic, lame strip mall facade. This really pisses me off. Really. Say what you will about suburbs or strip malls or this or that, but in my mind the Great Bear Center was a little Brigadoon, a place stuck in time beyond the mists of Bloomington. But now they've paved paradise and put up a parking lot. Okay, yes, there was a parking lot there already, but you get the point. But let me tell you... if they even try to tear down the sign... I'm going to go all Joni Mitchell on their ass.
04.23.2010
The Sports Page -
BloomingtonCheeseburger
Well, the old Sports Page is gone, but not entirely. Turns out they just renovated and expanded it, not move it completely. And while it's a little bit of a bummer to not have the same Sports Page experience with all the newly painted walls and much larger bar and kitchen, the food is still good, and the prices are the same. Still, the same joy I used to experience at the place is gone. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.
12.16.2012
Steve's Favorite Food of 2012 -
South MinneapolisA List
A CAREFULLY CONSIDERED, DEFINITIVELY DEFINED TOP TEN LIST OF THE BEST THINGS I ATE (OR REMEMBER EATING) THIS YEAR:
1. Red Rooster (Manhattan) - Swedish meatballs
2. Victory 44 (North Minneapolis) - "The Perfect Burger"
3. Sen Yai Sen Lek (Northeast) - Pad bai gra pow
4. Clancey's Meat & Fish (Linden Hills) - Roast beef sandwich
5. Travail (Robbinsdale) - Tasting menu
6. Kramarczuk's (Northeast) - Moroccan lamb sausages
7. Aida (Richfield) - Chicken shawarma
8. Krung Thep (Eat Street) - Everything
9. Peel's (Manhattan) - Fried chicken sandwich
10. Smashburger (ugh, I know!) - Fried chicken sandwich
12.30.2010
Steves Favorite Food of 2010 -
South MinneapolisA List
1. Masa - Braised duck enchilada
2. Home cooking - Grilled Brazilian pork chops with chimichurri
3. The Modern - BBQ short ribs
4. Sen Yai Sen Lek - Pad Kee Mao
5. Hot Plate - Bacon Glazed Doughnut
6. Bar La Grassa - Everything
7. Tanpopo Noodle Shop - Beef udon
8. Loring Bar and Grill - Brussel sprouts with bacon and bleu cheese
9. The Modern - Bolognese
10. Lotus of Siam - Spicy lemon beef at a dress rehearsal for my own eventual death.
03.11.2012
Sticks -
Downtown MinneapolisShort ribs, chili
I guess you could eat at Sticks if you really wanted to. Especially if it's 1994 and you're a ball bearing salesman from Mankato on a business trip to the big city. Or if you had no choice but to buy the dinner tickets to see Marc Maron next door at the Acme Comedy Club. You could. Otherwise, you're probably better off choosing just about any other restaurant in the city.
07.01.2010
Subo -
Downtown MinneapolisSome stir fried noodle thing
"Subo" is Filipino, I guess, for "eat". Or "food". Or something like that. I don't really remember. But their logo has a fork and a spoon in it, so that's gotta be close. Anyway, I didn't find it to be nearly as exotic or impressive as the press has made it seem. Which is too bad, because I was hoping for something new and good downtown. It wasn't bad, but it was just nothing to write home about. Mostly small plate offerings; "tapas style," the waiter said. I'd complain about it being some cheesy attempt at fusion, until I remember that the Philippines itself is a bit of a fusion nation, thanks to our old Spanish pal Ferdinand Magellan. Oh wait--he was Portuguese. The point is, I tried three different things: Green curry potato cakes, pork spring rolls, and a dish that was sort of a combination of pad thai and paella. Considering the fire and passion displayed by the Filipino people that brutally killed Magellan with rocks and clubs on the shallow shores of Mactan, you'd think they'd have a little excitement in their cuisine. But mostly it was just salty.
03.14.2012
Sun Street Breads -
South MinneapolisSteak sandwich
The "Latin Cowboy", as it's called (why didn't they call it the "Gaucho"??? Wasted opportunity!), is an impressive looking plate of food. If I was judging a meal on looks alone, we're talking 10 here. Hearty looking slices of perfectly cooked steak, pristinely grilled peppers and onions, a luscious deep green chimichurri sauce, golden brown fries. That sounds like it was swiped directly from the notebook of a professional chain restaurant menu copy writer, but it's true. I could've eaten an inkjet printout of this sandwich. But since I had the real thing, I ate that instead. Low 7.
02.01.2009
Super Bowl Party 2009 -
Uptown MinneapolisChicken wings, etc.
While this side of the blog is for "food" as a general concept, I'm sure you'd agree that the title of "restaurants" would be more apt, given the subject matter of most of the posts. This is because, frankly, I'm just not good at cooking. So while I feel like I can go to a restaurant and feel strongly about one thing or another, I don't feel that any opinion I can give about my own cooking would be worth the effort of typing in this forum. This was proven once again tonight at our Super Bowl "party," when I tried to make some chicken wings for the first time since last year's Super Bowl party (which was attended by myself, two vegetarians, and Libby, who refuses to eat chicken wings. They were a big hit). I made three types: Two with pre-made rubs (and lime), and one with a red curry sauce. They were all bland and under-seasoned and terribly unexciting. Thankfully, Libby made her famous salsa, and some taco rolls, which contain nothing more than cream cheese and taco seasoning, yet are possibly the tastiest Super Bowl party treats in the world. Luckily the chicken wings were too bland, instead of too sticky and spicy like last year's, so I can still go back and douse them in some sort of sauce that was made by someone (anyone) but myself.
09.10.2010
Sven and Ole's -
North shorePizza
I love the fact that, like Wall Drug, Sven and Ole's has become a famous vacation institution thanks to its free bumper stickers; I had heard of Sven and Ole's pizza in Grand Marais before I even knew where Grand Marais was. But unlike Wall Drug, which is a surprisingly interesting and novel place in the middle of nowhere, Sven and Ole's is shockingly normal. Not too big, not too small, isn't trying to be crazy or zany or homey or anything. It's just a decent place to get some decent pizza (which tastes, in my opinion, like really good Godfathers pizza. Not the best in the world, but totally satisfying). If they didn't hand out free bumper stickers with your order, they'd be an anonymous family pizza joint struggling in a quaint vacation town with plenty of other dining options available. And yet here I am writing about it. Go fig.
06.20.2010
Szechuan -
RosevilleBoiled beef in szechuan sauce
City Pages named Szechuan the best Chinese restaurant of 2010. I can't say that it's not. But what I can say is that you shouldn't order the boiled beef in szechuan sauce if you actually plan on enjoying yourself the day after.
02.23.2011
Szechuan Spice -
Uptown MinneapolisThree pepper chicken
Szechuan Spice. Not a misnomer. And also the first restaurant by the old apartment that actually made me jealous of those suckers who still live near LynLake. I will reserve a detailed review until I've tried a few more dishes, but after a single order of some spicy chicken, I'm already pissed that this didn't exist two years ago. It may not be Rainbow, but it's heads and shoulders above any China Panda Dragon Star Garden.
03.21.2013
Szechuan Spice -
Uptown MinneapolisCumin lamb
We've been using that Bite Squad food delivery service for a few work lunches in the last couple weeks. It's actually a great system, if for nothing else than the fact that you order entirely online, none of that awkward back and forth with an overworked waitress-slash-phone-operator who either has only a fragmented sense of English, or is on crystal meth. It's easy. They have pictures. They deliver quickly. Try it. Anyway, It's probably for the best that Szechuan Spice didn't exist when we lived back near Uptown; I would've been completely sick of it by now. I feel comfortable saying it's one of only, like, 4(?) good Chinese restaurants in town. And one of those is in Roseville, so maybe more like 3.
06.18.2011
Taco Taxi -
South MinneapolisTacos al pastor y carne asada
Do this: Go to to the Midtown Farmers Market on a Saturday morning/afternoon (take the train!), find the cruddy little yellow cart marked "Taco Taxi," and give them your money. Classic pork al pastor and carne asada tacos, two bucks a pop, with cilantro and onions and radish and a lime wedge, a dab of hot salsa. Thank me later.
11.25.2008
Tandoor Chef brand -
Grocery storesBiryani chicken
I am a newcomer to the wonderful world of Indian food, so I can't say my judgement is all too valid on the subject. However, I can easily say that the frozen microwave biryani chicken I had for lunch today was by far--by far--the best frozen microwave meal I've ever had. The rice was cooked well, the chicken was juicy, tender, and downright fresh-tasting, and it was legitimately spicy. If you would've put it out at the Bombay Bistro lunch buffet, I would be none the wiser. But best of all, for only four bucks, it actually filled me up and thoroughly satisfied me. Take that, Hungry Man!
06.04.2010
Tanpopo Noodle Shop -
St. PaulBeef udon
Tanpopo noodles
Make moto-i's most feeble
The egret does fly
04.04.2011
Tanpopo Noodle Shop -
St. PaulBeef soba, croquettes
The beef croquette dinner special? Not so much. Not so much. The beef soba? Absolutely. The sesame spinach? Oooooh boy. Look, I don't want to insult Midori's Floating World (and heck, I can't even remember moto-i at this point), but it's safe to say Tanpopo is on a whole other level. Weird waiter, though.
05.16.2012
Taqueria El Ranchito -
RichfieldTacos
Shabby little taco joint. Richfield. In a strip mall on Lyndale and 60-somethingth. You get the picture. I've been riding my bike past this place for the last couple years, always saying "some day" but never quite feeling up to it. Well "some day" was tonight, as you could've guessed if you were the guessing sort. Which you are. And despite the three year buildup, I'm going to go ahead and say "maybe next time" on this one. I got the feeling that the food here could be fantastic, between the nicely flavored homemade chorizo, a decent enough al pastor, and the best carnitas I've had in a while (I've had bad carnitas luck over the last year, I feel). But there was also a distinct sense of microwaved warmth to it; that heat that's just too thoroughly hot. And my al pastor taco shell fell apart. And the beans seemed canned. Maybe when they're not an hour from closing time on a Wednesday everything might be a bit fresher. Or maybe I should stop complaining and just be happy that the fine people of Richfield (hi, Scott and Abby!) have a place to get some tacos. As long as they eat meat (sorry, Scott and Abby.)
04.12.2009
Taqueria La Bamba -
ShakopeePork combo
So I decided to ride my bike to Shakopee today. It was Easter Sunday, Libby's out of town, my family wasn't doing anything, and it was a nice day, so I figured 'why not?' I believe I'm actually the first person in the state to make that ride without wearing spandex pants or a tiny little cap. Anyway, when I got to downtown Shakopee,I found that Wampach's, the place I was hoping to eat at, was closed. This makes sense, of course, because it was Easter. There were a couple of bars, but one had no food and the other only had frozen pizzas (or so I was informed by the dude hanging out outside of it), and another restaurant had a bunch of families eating an Easter brunch buffet which was going to finish in 10 minutes (meaning: lame cold food). But then I spotted Taqueria La Bamba, a seemingly new Mexican restaurant that seemed oddly out of place in this quaint Minnesotan riverfront main street. Plus, it was open! When I went in, the entire staff (and/or family) were all around a long table eating what I assume was their big Easter lunch. I asked if they were still open, and a lady got up to happily take my order. She spoke practically zero English, but her 7-ish year old daughter helped translate. It was very sweet. The food was delicious--and dare I say "authentic". This place was straight off of Lake Street, really. The pork was red and slow cooked, the chips and guacamole were homemade, and the cheese, good crumbly white stuff, and was neither "gooey" nor "melty". All in all, it was everything I could hope for after riding a used bike 20 miles without spandex pants. After I left, I rode around near downtown Shakopee a little, and was surprised to see a lot of other glaringly Mexican places; a church, a supermarket, and even a car dealership. Something tells me there have been more than a few late night discussions at the Shakopee VFW about this phenomenon, and I'd be willing to bet they're not talking about how lucky they are to have La Bamba.
(And then I rode home. Barely.)
03.27.2010
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisMurrays Steak Sandwich
Today was the Target Field 'preview' game, where you could pay $2 to get in to watch the U of M get their asses kicked by Louisiana Tech from any seat you want. It was a great deal, really, because you could go sit in the $77 seats, go up into the off-limits suites, all that stuff. So it was really fun to go see the place without being confined to your seat, and without having to deal with 40,000 other people. It was so exciting I nearly forgot to try the food! But in the 8th inning, I finally discovered where the sell the infamous Murrays steak sandwiches. They're $10, which seems steep, until you remember that an actual Murrays steak sandwich at the actual Murrays is about $12. And while this ballpark version isn't exactly what you'd get for that $12, it's still surprisingly good. Two thin-ish pieces of steak on a grilled, buttered bun, topped with caramelized onions and provolone. Other than a somewhat scant pile of onions, there really wasn't anything to complain about. I ate it all without dipping it in ketchup, if that says anything. So thumbs up to the steak sandwich!
And three more pieces of Target Field food discoveries that I hadn't heard about previously: 1.) They have Vincent burgers! Jucy lucies stuffed with cheese and short ribs, like at Vincent on Nicollet! I don't know if I even want to try it, since I've never had a "real" one at Vincent yet. It's sort of like saying you've seen Psycho, but only the Vince Vaughn version. 2.) They have Loon chili! From the Loon Cafe! The best chili in the city! Didn't try it, but if it's even close to as good as the "real" stuff, then count me in. And 3.) Kramarczuk has a little booth! They sell brats and some other sausage. I'd imagine it's 10 times better than the crap you'd get at the concession stands. Definitely seek it out.
04.20.2010
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisEverything
- Loon Cafe chili
We all know that I love the Loon's chili. Best in the city. So I was pretty excited when I found out they'd be using the Loon recipe for Target Field's chili. With a couple understandable exceptions (ground beef instead of brisket/roast, no sour cream or other garnishes), it actually tasted quite good. Also, for $6, you get a pretty good sized portion. They definitely don't skimp.
- Kramarczuk polish sausage
Paul and I tried finding a Kramarczuk booth before the game, which was no easy task given the insane amount of human traffic in the main concourse. But when we eventually spotted it, the lines on both sides were zonkers. At least 50 people deep. I eventually found another one in the 2nd inning, and got a polish sausage with fried onions. It was clearly a good quality sausage, but unfortunately wasn't as well-done as I'd like. Still, for the price, it's definitely worth finding a Kramarczuk booth instead of going with the lame house dogs.
- Nachos
Totally decent. Far better than Metrodome nachos.
- Cuban sandwich
Ahh. The surprise winner (or leader, at least) in the Target Field food-off. There are only a couple tiny little carts labeled "Tony O's," named for Tony Oliva, an old Cuban Twins superstar who is known for his love of cuban sandwiches (and for Victor's 1959 Cafe). I didn't buy one myself, simply because they were clearly produced by the generic Sportservice food people, and not by someone who, you know, makes Cuban sandwiches. But Katie got one, and was nice enough to let me try it. Well color me shocked at how good this sandwich was. Like, wow. I've had plenty of Cubans at various restaurants around town, and this was actually one of the best. Crazy, right? Obviously it has nothing on Victors, but considering it's being sold at a random cart at Target Field, I could barely believe it tasted that good. Its only competition could be the Vincent burger, which I still haven't tried. Maybe next time?
All in all, I really think that Target Field probably has the best food of any of the 15-16 ballparks I've been to. Some have better hot dogs (Milwaukee, Boston, Los--well, a lot have better hot dogs), and some might have the random great item (Baltimore's barbeque, or San Francisco's garlic fries. And does KC have an Arthur Bryant's now?), but I haven't seen anywhere that comes close to the sheer quantity of quality choices as Target Field. Now if they could only do something about their damn scoreboards...
05.05.2010
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisChili
Target Field Update! The Loon chili totally had steak in it this time! No ground beef! And it was spicier than it was last time, too. So good.
05.06.2010
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisPork Chop
(Yet another) Target Field Update! J.D. Hoyt's Porkchop On A Stick: You're better off eating the stick.
09.04.2010
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisVincent burger
Target Field's Vincent burger is no joke. I'm still sure it's better at Vincent, but the ballpark version is a lot better than it could've been.
04.12.2012
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisMeatball
At the ballgame last night (a depressingly rare Twins win, where we saw Torii Hunter nearly end his career by falling head first into an outfield wall) I set out to find the fried pickles that Target Field is supposedly hawking this year. No luck. I settled instead on their other "big" new food offering, a cheese-stuffed meatball from some place called Valentini's, which has a location in both Duluth and Chisolm. $9 for a single meatball covered in some red sauce, no bread, no nothing else. But I'll be damned, it was great! It could've used a bit more cheese in the middle, and was a little on the luke-warm side, but for being a big meatball from a baseball stadium, it was just about as good as you could get. I would've been proud of making an comparable meatball at home, if that says anything. $9 is a bit steep, but it's big and filling and I don't regret it. So there.
05.08.2012
Target Field -
Downtown MinneapolisBacon sloppy joe, buffalo mac and cheese
It was dollar dog night at the ballpark last night. So since I'm made of money, instead of spending $2 on two reasonably acceptable hot dogs, I decided to spend $20 on a bacon sloppy joe and some buffalo chicken mac and cheese. Then I burned a $50 bill for good measure. There's just one food booth in the park, down on the main concourse near the train side, that serves these two, which won some Food Network contest or something. I don't know. The bacon sloppy joe was actually pretty good, and plenty big. $10 is a stretch, but all things considered, whatever. The buffalo mac, however, was pretty disappointing. It was good enough just as mac and cheese, but there was very little buffalo as far as I could detect. Supposedly there was some bleu cheese in there, as well as hot sauce, but it just tasted mostly like mac and cheese with chicken. Pass.
10.07.2010
Tasty Tacos -
Des MoinesTacos
Here's my take: Tasty Tacos tacos are like Taco Johns tacos for grown ups (and I mean that as a compliment). The flavor profiles are very similar, but one actually looks and feels like food while the other is more of a food-like entity. And Andrew Voss' decision to serve them at his reception is one of the best pieces of wedding planning I've ever experienced. Mazel tov.
12.05.2008
Ted Cook's 19th Hole BBQ -
South MinneapolisBBQ Pork Sandwich
We got Ted Cook's at work this afternoon for my chosen birthday lunch, despite the fact that I just had a BBQ pork sandwich at Hell's Kitchen last night (and not a bad one, either), and that I would be eating a big fancy birthday dinner tonight. But Ted Cook's is just too good to pass up. And today, for some reason, the barbeque gods were smiling down on Ted, because it was somehow even better than usual. The meat was free of fat, the jojos were crisp, and the coleslaw was slawed just right. And to top it all off, they've added gumbo to their menu. As a man who has had very little gumbo in his life and is totally ignorant on the subject, I can honestly say it was the best gumbo in the history of mankind.
07.28.2011
Ted Drewes -
St. LouisFrozen custard
I've decided I like frozen custard better than ice cream. Really. So of course I had to go to this Ted Drewes place in St. Louis, which everyone from the area just looooooves. So I stopped in one of the two locations and got a big ol' pile of custard topped with pecans, chocolate, and caramel. I can't say it was any better than any other frozen custard I've had (Liberty's and Glaciers' in particular), but it was just as good. But I think part of Drewes' appeal is the atmosphere. It's a cruddy old building in parking lot of a cruddy old neighborhood. The sign is hand painted, the menus are photo copied, and all the employees seem to give a damn. Everyone gets their custard at the window, and stands around the parking lot eating it. Cheesy as it sounds, it's truly a neighborhood place, where everyone goes no matter what part of the city their from, how much money they make, what they do, blah blah blah. Later in the week a lady working at the hotel where I returned my rental car saw my Ted Drewe's cup and chided me for not bringing some for everyone. I guess the people of St. Louis truly love Ted Drewes.
07.26.2012
Thai Nakorn -
DavisBasil chicken thing
You know that whole thing about "Minnesota Thai food", the stock response of stuffy online food reviewers complaining about the blandness of Thai food in Minnesota? It's a myth. Bland Thai food can be found anywhere, even in California.
11.13.2012
Tiffany's -
St. PaulAsian chicken sandwich
I still swear that, crazy as it sounds and unlikely as it may be, Tiffany's food is really good! Seriously! But goddammit, in a rush to try to upgrade themselves into a slightly more fancy-pants yup-bar (I just made that up. What do you think?), they just got rid of the one thing I'd always order there, their southwest chicken sandwich. Huge bummer. But I've tried a couple other things there in the last few months, and it's all way better than it has any right to be. Plus they have Pat Lafrieda burgers, and their chili (which is great!) comes in a square bowl. Total fancy-pants. I'm guessing they'll have homemade ketchup by this time next year.
03.07.2011
Tom Pham's Wonderous Azian Kitchen -
Downtown MinneapolisSingapore noodles
This could easily have been the place that "saves" downtown, if every item on the menu was about half the price and the ambiance was actually welcoming. But no, instead it's an $18 plate of stir fry and a wall with dragon tattoo paintings. And there's a picture of Tom Pham on the front of the menu. That says it all, really.
12.13.2009
Town Talk Diner -
South MinneapolisKitchen sink burger
Is 2:30 too late in the afternoon for a restaurant to serve only brunch? Or is that standard? Call me crazy, but I was very disheartened when Libby and Katie and Paul and I went to the Town Talk, after a long morning of moving couches and dressers and trombones and large rocks, only to find their brunch menu was our only option. Not seeing many lunch (the "unch" part, see) options, I submitted to the kitchen sink burger practically by default. But get this: it was easily the best burger I've had at Town Talk. Maybe the best anything I've had at Town Talk. Nothing fancy, just cheese and bacon and a special sauce (like 1000 island, but with umph), but it was just made perfectly. Not swimming in grease, not lacking in sauce, thick bacon, well cooked burger. And garlic fries. I couldn't have asked for anything more. I just won't be going back to Town Talk during "unch" again.
01.08.2010
Town Talk Diner -
South MinneapolisMeatloaf
You'd expect something like meatloaf would be a no brainer at a place like Town Talk. Well you'd be wrong. They could definitely do better.
01.08.2011
Town Talk Diner -
South MinneapolisBrat burger
I hear there's been a lot of chaos happening at the Town Talk Diner in recent months (ownership change, staff walkout, rumors of half-assed menus and cheaper ingredients, closing, reopenings, alien abductions, food poisoning, removal of garlic parsley fries, regicide, explosions, implosions, and that discovery of the hole behind the dishwasher that leads to a world exactly 37 years behind our own). Chaos. And at our brunch there this morning, something indeed seemed askew. The staff has changed from what once seemed like disinterested hipster alcoholic chefs in training, to disinterested 40-something waitstaff lifers. The brunch menu, as far as I could tell, was essentially the same as it was last time, but with a couple more burgers, including the brat burger, which I ordered and was happy enough with. It was certainly better than the awful brat burger I had at Gluek's a year or two ago. It's hard to tell how much the food has changed, since I wasn't necessarily a regular there to begin with. But there were garlic parsley fries on the menu, which people months ago were saying they no longer had, so that's a relief. They seemed tasty enough; they were at least skin-on, so even if they were cheap frozen fries like the rumor mill has claimed, the garlic and parsley at least made up for it. I left, however, with two images weighing the most on me. One, a man I assumed to be the new owner or manager, awkwardly walking around the dining room looking around, and asking how our meals were, though he didn't seem to care about the answer. Two, from my view into their kitchen, the bag of Country Hearth whole wheat bread sitting on a stainless steel prep table. The real Town Talk wouldn't use Country Hearth bread, right? Right?
09.15.2012
Tracy's Saloon -
South MinneapolisBurger
Ten (ten!) years ago, when I lived kind of near Seward, a guy my mom worked with told me how I should go to Tracy's, how they have great burgers and all that. But he was also sort of a skeezy weirdo, so I didn't. Although every time I've gone past it for the last ten years, I've seen it and said to myself, "I'm gonna try Tracy's one of these days." Then, a couple years ago now, I read somewhere that they had some new owners, and were turning it from dive bar to good dive bar. Not really a gastro-whatever, but at least a neighborhood place with a good menu of interesting items and high quality ingredients. And so it is. It's got that great divey atmosphere (but not scary divey), and some interesting stuff like curry and stroganoff and whatever. So yeah. Other than the annoying old drunk who sat right next to me at an otherwise empty bar (and proceeded to name the title and artist of every song that played from the speakers, followed by an apology for taking so long in thinking of the title and artist, the caveat that he's "no Casey Kasem or Dick Clark, but I do know my music), my bbq bacon burger was good, and it seems like a decent place to have a decent meal.
01.31.2011
Travail -
RobbinsdaleCrab, pork, scallops
I will say this right up front: Travail is not the best restaurant I've ever visited, and their food was not the best I've ever tasted. There was some dry pork, some mushy sandwich buns, and some under-seared scallops. The pancetta around the tenderloin could've had a bit more snap, and the sweet potato fries could've had a bit more crunch. The waitress was a little impatient, and the seating situation certainly isn't ideal. However, no matter how many complaints I could try to amass, either manufactured or legitimate, the fact remains that this place is a capital-A anomaly. A progressive (and aggressive) restaurant practicing the dark art of molecular gastronomy in the middle of downtown Robbinsdale, serving frog legs and rabbit ribs and softshell crab banh-mi for prices lower than Chilis? It may or may not deserve the Restaurant Of The Year accolades it's been receiving, but what it definitely doesn't deserve is a single complaint.
02.26.2011
Travail -
RobbinsdaleKielbasa, et cetera
Oh, hi there. I forgot to write about my second trip to Travail. It was better and worse than the first trip, in different ways both. Still waited a long time, still had some good and some less good small plates. Fries: excellent. Kielbasa: good enough. Beet salad: don't remember, sorry. All in all, my take away from Travail has been to set your expectations just a notch below "skyward." Do this and find the bus to Robbinsdale and you should leave happy.
09.07.2012
Travail -
RobbinsdaleTasting menu
Huckleberry compote shot, lemon curd lollipop, melon and yogurt plate, steak tartare with Japanese salad and tamagoyaki, fried grit balls, roasted corn soup, cheese agnolotti with apple, curry rice krispy bars, grilled marlin, caprese salad, pheasant with wild rice, bacon wrapped rabbit, exploding freeze dried cherry gelato thing, ribeye steak with mushrooms and heirloom tomato torte, huckleberry pie bite, peanut butter cookie dough with bacon cream, macaroon with cinnamon butter, caramel pie with maple ice cream dots made in nitroglycerin. I think that's all. Tartare was the winner. Curry rice krispy bars and corn soup tie for second. And as always, friendship and laughter a distant third.
03.07.2009
True Thai -
South MinneapolisRed curry
The original post I wrote here was dumb and pointless. Moreso. Basically, the main points were as follows: 1.) Everyone likes True Thai a lot. 2.) I thought it was okay, but I've had better. 3.) I'm totally over coconut milk curries. 4.) I must have a tattoo on my forehead that says, "Give me the worst table in your restaurant."
07.26.2012
Tucos -
DavisBrazilian stewed beef
And so begins my onslaught of Davis, California food posts! So Davis is this mid-sized town in north-ish California, just a twenty minute drive from Sacramento. It's primarily home to UC Davis (a big ag school), but is also home to lots of rich white liberal Californians. Put those two things together and you've got yourself a quaint downtown loaded with Thai restaurants and organic yogurt shops! It's a nice place. You really should visit. Anyhow, perhaps I shouldn't have been shocked, but I did notice quite a few cafes and bistros serving classic California cuisine, straight out of 1995! It should't have been a shock, considering that it's California, but still interesting to see that type of place still have such a huge foothold. The one I was able to eat at was this little wine bar and cafe called Tucos. For being a tiny place with organic-y, slow food-y tendencies, their menu was huge. Dozens of options, and everything from lamb meatballs to anchovy biscotti to chile rellenos. I had this sort of Brazilian (air quotes) stewed beef and sausage dish, served with black beans, collared greens and some crispy pollenta. I liked it. It was good. And respectably priced. I have nothing funny to say about it.
04.24.2009
Tuggs -
Northeast MinneapolisJuicy lucy
With time to kill and a belly to fill (ugh...) before going to a play at the Guthrie (Caroline, or Change, highly recommended!), I wandered across the Stone Arch Bridge into St. Anthony Main. I've never really eaten at any of the handful of restaurants over there, but the fact that I never hear of any of them makes me think they're not necessarily the best restaurants in the world. But despite that, and based on a half-remembered (possibly imagined) recommendation from a co-worker, I stopped into Tuggs for a burger. All I needed to see were the words "stuffed with cheddar cheese and bacon" and I was sold. While my expectations were low--something about the place weirded me out, possibly the fact that I was surrounded by TV's showing Lou Dobbs--I walked away satisfied. Not blown-away, mind you, but satisfied. The burger seemed fresh, and the fries, while not hand cut, were well done. But it was lacking a few key elements which my usual juicy lucy of choice (it rhymes with "Pat's") has: Fried onions, mouth-searing heat, and yes, juice. Overall, it was pretty tame, but better than I feared. Subtract 4 points for the warm and flat Coke, and Tuggs scores a 17 on my patented scale of 0-to-whatever.
02.18.2011
Tune Inn -
Washington DC Beef sandwich, ham salad
The Tune Inn! Washington, DC! Congressmen eat here! Guy Fieri called it "awesome, mant!" The main attraction was supposed to be the West Virginia Beef sandwich, but the real winner, in a shocking upset, all we could talk about the next day was the ham salad sandwich. Wild, right? Great cheese sticks, too. The point is, it doesn't take a room full of lobbyists to convince me to vote for the Tune Inn!
06.20.2010
Uptown Cafeteria -
Uptown MinneapolisChicken and waffles
Uptown is stupid. So stupid. Urban outfitters is stupid. North Face and Columbia and the Apple store are stupid. Calhoun Square is stupid. Chino Latino and Stella's and Il Gatto are stupid. The Uptown Cafeteria is stupid, and everybody that was there on Thursday was stupid. It's all stupid. The chicken and waffles, however, were fantastic. Dammit.
11.20.2010
Uptown Cafeteria -
Uptown MinneapolisMeatloaf sandwich
With $30 on my Parasole dining card to redeem, and Salut being "so passe!," on we trudged via the 23 towards Lake, Hennepin, and the Uptown Cafeteria. And as much as I am ready and willing to hate the place, I actually think it's pretty good. I had the meatloaf sliders ($8.95, great deal), Libby had a pasta thing ($12.95, she claims it was good), and we shared some wildly overpriced walleye fritters ($10.95! Yikes.) The bar was packed with happy hour d-bags, but the dining area was surprisingly light for 6:30 on a Friday. It filled up by the time we left though. So anyway, I'd definitely go back if I'm ever in Uptown again (which is becoming rarer and rarer), even though I wish their menu was just a little more cool or interesting. The classic diner fare is a great idea and everything, but there needs to be about 15% more "wow." Given that, I've been perfectly happy with everything I've eaten there so far. And Cecil's needs to take a lesson from them on how to make the perfect crinkle cut fries.
03.22.2011
Uptown Cafeteria -
Uptown MinneapolisRibs
I feel comfortable now, after three trips, saying that the Uptown Cafeteria is nothing special. It's not bad, at all. Not at all. And it's fun and quirky and a bit of a lark to go to every now and then. But unless you have a hankering for chicken and waffles, there will rarely be a time when it will be your best option.
05.08.2009
The Vegetarian -
Columbia HeightsAloo gobi
We had a little get together for Dustin's birthday at The Vegetarian, an Indian restaurant on Central Avenue that, true to its name, is 100% vegetarian. And maybe like 50% vegan. Once again, I must admit that I have little knowledge of what makes good Indian food better than not good Indian food, but I can confidently say that, despite its lack of lamb (not to be confused with rack of lamb), my meal was superb. It was basically cauliflower, onions, potatoes, rice, and a bunch of spicy stuff. The garlic naan would've been delicious on its own, but was even better along with my entree. And even though the service was comically slow, you couldn't really complain, because everyone who worked there seemed so nice. The owner even referred to online reviewers as "a bunch of alcoholics." It was very funny at the time, but in hindsight I have no idea what it means.
10.03.2009
VFW -
St. CloudBacon cheeseburger
As I am not myself a veteran of a foreign war, I was not aware that it is possible to simply walk into a random VFW and order a burger and chili. But apparently you can. And we did. And it was okay.
04.14.2012
Victory 44 -
North MinneapolisThe Perfect Burger
They really do call it that. And I'm going to go ahead and let them, because I can't think of anything imperfect about it. Other than that there could've been pickles on it. And the cheese and bacon made up for 75% of its perfectness, which one could argue takes away from the purity of the burger proper. So let's say 95% perfect. And the fries. Good god, the fries. Those actually were perfect, 100%.
05.30.2012
Victory 44 -
North MinneapolisA little bit of everything
I'm totally down with Victory 44. I think I even like it better than Travail (even if it's a bit more expensive), and I get the feeling that everything they could possibly serve you is at the very least interesting. But all the bacon powder, marrow butter, beet foam and haystack mushrooms in the world can't make up for the fact that their cheeseburger is the best thing on their menu. And those fries. Yes.
02.16.2013
Victory 44 -
North MinneapolisCountry fried steak and eggs
I had a sort of gross burnt country fried steak at Victory 44 this morning, which tasted so bitterly overcooked that it ended up making the grits and gravy taste burnt as well. And the eggs... overcooked to the point of dryness. If I was half a man, I would've (for probably the first time in my life) sent it back, but I was with people and didn't want to cause a scene because I'm so polite and meek. I'm going to let this one fly because I know Victory can do better, so I will not sully their Music and Food reputation by allotting today's disappointment with a star rating.
05.22.2010
Wagners Drive-In -
Brooklyn CenterBBQ beef sandwich
Totally worth the drive. It's a real, honest-to-god drive-in, and the service is friendly and the barbeque sauce was actually homemade. It's too perfect.
08.21.2009
West Indies Soul Food -
South MinneapolisJerk chicken
Every time I go to the Midtown Global Market, I see the West Indies Soul Food place after I've already eaten, and tell myself, "Next time, I'm going to eat there." And then the next time comes and I just eat Safari again. But this time...this time...I remembered it right away. And I didn't go away too disappointed. The odd part is that I asked the lady for a sample of the stewed oxtail, and she only would give me a sample of it if I ordered something else, which sort of defeats the point of samples, if you ask me. The oxtail was good, but I was stuck with the chicken. It was very dramatic.
03.07.2012
Which Wich? -
St. PaulBuffalo chicken sandwich
Oh, Highland Park, my suburban getaway in the middle of big dirty smelly urban St. Paul! As if the Smashburger wasn't enough, they've now given us Which Wich? (the question mark is theirs), a sandwich place that is sort of like Potbelly , but with 150% less whimsy. And 100% more white drywall. Other than their funky write-your-order-on-a-bag ordering system and intimidatingly large menu, there's nothing too special to report. The ingredients all seem pretty middling, the flavor profiles aren't shocking. But all in all, both sandwiches I've had satisfied me. Plus they have a TV on the wall, so I can ignore how sad the place really is. On the plus side, I'm sure the Ford plant redevelopment will give Highland Park at least two new Potbelly locations. Next to the CVS, of course.
07.12.2009
Whitey's -
Northeast MinneapolisRoast beef sandwich
After a long, grueling 14.5 holes of golf, Paul and Luke and Scott and I, completely by default, ended up eating a late dinner at Whitey's Saloon in Northeast. Now, I've always been aware of Whitey's existence (in the sense that if you were to say, "Hey Steve, let's go to Whitey's," I wouldn't respond by saying "WHAAA"?), it has never once crossed my mind that it might actually be a place where a human being could sit down and eat food. It's like Woody Allen and his relationship with the state of Maryland. (Think about it). Anyway, it was shockingly non-busy for a Saturday night, and everything I ate was remarkably good and reasonably priced. We got some spicy pork tostadas as an appetizer, which were as good or better than any such thing you could get at a real Mexican place. My roast beef sandwich, which they claim is slow cooked in garlic and wine, was right up there with Mayslack's roast beef. Maybe a little... better? Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised with this place, and their menu is huge, so I feel pretty certain that it's going to quickly become my default Northeast Hennepin/Central eating spot.
EPILOGUE: So I left my hat there last night. Of course. When I stopped in this morning to pick it up, they had a sizable breakfast crowd. And judging by the few plates of breakfast I spied, it looks like it might be a great weekend morning haunt as well.
07.05.2011
Wise Acre -
South MinneapolisVanilla Custard
Oh my god somebody finally did something right. I haven't eaten a meal here yet, only a custard sundae, but I'm feeling warm all over from the simple fact that the people behind Wise Acre have taken an opportunity, and knocked it out of Proverbial Park. I mean, how often does this actually happen? Liberty Custard was sitting on a goldmine, and their hearts were in the right place, but they just didn't quite have there wherewithal (or capital) to turn their amazing building and almost-amazing custard into the institution it should've been. So they close, and I'm frightened. The potential was through the roof. And someone easily could've waltzed in, knocked down the building and built a giant CVS Pharmacy. Or turned it into a yoga studio. Or a real estate office. Or something else that does nobody any good. But as we now know, the nice people (read: yuppies with taste) over at Tangletown Gardens bought the space, bought a farm, and made Wise Acre. And by golly they did it right! I mean, everything: The building is practically untouched, save for a perfectly considered sign. The landscaping is (obviously) pristine. The new outdoor furniture is classy but fun, and they kept Liberty's funky turf seating area. And best of all, along with their local/organic/fresh/grass-fed dinner menu, they have dirt cheap sandwich and hot dog options. And custard! The same machines Liberty used, only with (most likely) better ingredients. And they kept the take out window! You can go right up and get a two dollar cup of delicious frozen custard, fancy toppings and everything. What they've done, which seems so easy and yet leaves me without any other restaurant to compare it to (the closest I can think of is the Town Talk, RIP), is welcome everybody. The neighbors that just want a cheap cup of custard like they used to get at Liberty? Here you go! The neighbors who want a $20 plate of organic, scratch made new American cuisine? Have a seat! The kids who want to be loud and eat hot dogs and be annoying? There's a spot over there with Astroturf! The couple celebrating their anniversary? Have some wine! I'm gushing, without having eaten any actual food there, because I'm just in awe of it on a conceptual level. I can't think of anything like it. And as far as I can tell, they're pulling it off. My only worry is that they seem to have jumped right into it, at full steam. They put a ton of money into this place. The furniture is expensive. The menu is huge. No corners were cut, and no expense was spared. They have their own farm, for cripes sake! This thing, come winter, could easily nosedive, leaving us with a vacant white tile gas station yet again. But then at least the nice people of Tangletown could finally have another yoga studio nearby.
06.09.2012
Wise Acre -
South MinneapolisFrozen custard
Still too frosty. Total bummer. But if we could bottle their hot fudge and salty caramel toppings, drive down to St. Louis and pour it on some Ted Drewe's custard, we'd be on to something.
08.21.2012
Wise Acre -
South MinneapolisSloppy joe
And with this review, I think Wise Acre now holds the record of most Music and Food entries, with the grand total of way too many. But I had to do it, because as of last night I still hadn't tried any of their window food, where you can get hot dogs, egg salad, sloppy joes, and that sort of thing at the same takeout window as the custard. So I had the sloppy joe and Libby had the egg salad sandwich. Verdict: Good, but a buck or two too expensive maybe. Also, they need to do something about their sloppy joe bun strength. (Don't we all?)
01.04.2009
Wishbone -
ChicagoAndouille sausage hash
Wishbone is is what Sunny Side Up would be if it wasn't a total dump. Great breakfast food, based on 'southern-style' cooking. Grits, corn muffins, catfish, all that stuff, and my andouille sausage hash was probably the best thing I ate on this trip. I'd wanted to go there the whole weekend, and we finally found some time to do so. Plus, it's only a block away from where Oprah films her show! OMG!
01.19.2013
Wok in the Park -
St. Louis ParkSingapore noodles
Hey! This place is great! It's the only somewhat well-known restaurant owned by (the infamous) Tom Pham's family (Phamily?), which he of course is currently suing over some dumb thing. It's hidden away in some strip mall in a dark, dull corner of St. Louis Park, well-known to people in that area, and garnering the occasional mention in City Pages (mostly when they are being sued by Tom Pham). Without going into too much detail, I'll have you know that every single thing I tried there was top notch. There's nothing too special about it menu-wise; lots of stir fries and Thai basil dishes and a couple curries and some generic Chinese stuff, but they go the extra mile. Dried cherries in the red curry. Cinnamon in the Singapore noo—oh, I get it now! Wok in the Park! Hah!
12.20.2012
World Street Kitchen -
Uptown MinneapolisMoroccan chicken sandwich
I didn't know this place was a place, or that it has only been a place for a coulpe weeks, but apparently it's a place. The story as far as I've gathered (which could be wrong) is that a guy from Saffron opened up a food truck a year or two ago called World Street Kitchen, which served sort of funky fusion takes on world street food. And now, as the trend seems to dictate, he's opened up this new space, on the street facing ground floor of some big dumb Lyndale Ave. condo complex, acting as a brick-and-mortar version of the truck. They serve funky fusion takes on world street food. Of course. To be honest, the place kinda made me sad; it's big and Urban and Cool and very fussed over, a sum of a collection of far-too-familiar tropes (Cement floor! Blocky wood tables! Antique channel letters on the wall! Korean burritos!). There's a whole other discussion to be had here about the suburbanization of Uptown, or the urbanization of suburbia (topic: Why does an independently-owned world street food restaurant on Lyndale Avenue feel so damn calculated?). But I won't argue with the food, which was satisfying at the very least. I wish the Moroccan chicken would've been more Moroccan, as it was super lemony and acidic, but I got some small chickpea and potato Indian-type side dish which was very nice. All in all, yeah, I can whine all day about what I might see as pandering to some audience or another, but I liked the food, and I'll probably go back.
04.01.2012
Yarusso Brothers -
St. PaulDago sandwich
Libby's mom/Tom recently alerted us to this "hidden" gem St. Paul Italian restaurant called Yarusso Brothers. I use quotes because there's nothing all too hidden about it, and it's been around since 1933, so it's not like some big secret. I had never heard of it before, so shame on me I guess. I would, though, count the neighborhood it's located in as "hidden," up in the "Swede Hollow" area of the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, just east and a bit north of downtown St. Paul. I've never really spent any time around there, and have never had a reason to, until now. But enough geography. This place has been around since 1933, and claims to serve the same hearty red sauce italian as they did back then. The interior has clearly undergone enough renovation in the last 80 years that you'd never guess it was that old; it has the general character of any of 1,000 Italian restaurants you could find anywhere. Black and white Italian family photos on the walls. Sinatra blasting through the speakers. 3 TVs behind the bar playing all three Godfather movies. No joke.. They could tone down all that phony Italian crap, though, because the food is super. It's all big fat red sauce pasta and meat fare, but it's done just about perfectly. Their sauce is just a little less sweet than your generic red sauce, with just a little bit of extra something to make you remember it. (LIbby and I tried to figure out what that something was. Cinnamon? Nutmeg? Anise? No idea). The meatballs and italian sausage and dago were all homemade, and all delicious. Not a single complaint. Really, there's not a ton of analysis to be done here. It's big dumb Italian food and it tastes great and unique, it's priced reasonably, and there's way too much of it. Sign me up.
07.28.2011
Zia's -
St. LouisMeatball Sandwitch
The Hill. An Italian neighborhood in St. Louis that, unlike other Italian neighborhoods I've visited in Providence, Boston and New York, actually feels like a neighborhood, as opposed to some sort of Sicilian theme park. I didn't do my research beforehand, so my choice of eating was random, and I picked Zia's. As long as they had toasted ravioli, a St. Louis specialty, I'd be happy. So I had them along with a meatball sandwich. It was all good. Rich, hearty, a bit sweet, very red saucy and beefy. Not spectacular, but good. I left happy. There are probably better places to go in The Hill (A telling sign: the walls were adorned with newspaper articles and Best Of St. Louis awards... mostly from around 1994), but I'd bet there are also worse. Unfortunately I was unable to try any St. Louis style pizza in my short time there, a thin, crispy crust with a regional processed cheese called provel. But from what I've read, I'm not missing much.