KCMPLS's Profile
Filfilah in Columbia Heights
Ate there last weekend. Turkish food. Everything was good.
We wanted to sample a variety of things, so we ordered the meze plate and the combo platter. The portions are generous, we had enough food to feed 5 adults.
From the meze plate:
Hummus -- delicate, not too sour, mild tahini taste, creamy, really liked this one
Baba ghanoush -- delicate, mostly smokey flavor, good
Dolmeh -- mild, not too sour, olive oil taste, I usually do not like these but actually ate one, they are the best I've tried, still don't like them in general
Tzatziki -- delicate but good
Feta and kalamata olives -- salty and typical
Combo platter:
Lamb and beef shawarma: actual chunks of beef and lamb, mild flavor, very good
Lamb kebab: juicy, tender, mild flavor, excellent, highly recommend
Chicke Kebab: juicy, tender, mild flavor, excellent, highly recommend
Chicken shawarma: chuncks of chicken, mild flavor, not as good as chicken kebab
Falafel: the best I've ever had, they put sesame seeds in it, good texture and flavor. Hubby generally will not eat falafel but he ate 2 or 3 of them and said they were good.
The chef has a delicate touch when it comes to spices, but they are well balanced and nothing is over powering. You can probably tell that I do not like things that are too sour -- too often there is just too much lemon juice and/or garlic in these type of dishes and it tends to overpower all other flavors.
Will be going back there again soon.
Filfilah
4301 Central Ave NE
Columbia Heights, MN 55421
(763) 781-2222
New Dim Sum places
I see a couple of new places cropping up since earlier this year. Anyone been to any of these places and feed backs please?
Peony China Bistro in Plymouth
Red Ginger China Bistro in Shoreview
Jalsa -- Indian fast food
This is my new favorite Indian place. Ate there 2 times in a week. There is a grocery store next to it and also bought some snacks from the bulk bins afterwards. The chaats are wonderful, also tried the Panner Tikka Masala and that was good too. They do not mess around with their spices, and mild was plenty hot for me so if you have any doubt as to the "hotness" level stick with mild or medium for the first time.
http://jalsamn.com/
Best Chinese fried/steamed dumplings?
Grand Shanghai in St Paul, they have the steamed bao (Shanghai Xiaolongbao), or pan fried bao with yeast dough ( Shengjianbao), or steamed or fried dumplings. All made from scratch and good. Highly recommend the Shengjianbao--only available for weendend lunch. My favorite.
Teahouse in St Paul on White Bear, they have the steamed Xiaolongbao which they call juicy buns, also very good and made from scratch.
3 days in Chicago, where to stay for best chow
Thanks nsxtasy. We'll probably be staying in the Comfort Suites at
320 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601
More on narrowing down choices:
1. Easy access via subway/trains or walking. We want to avoid buses or taxis if possible. We also have a very young child and need to keep the traveling simple
2. Cheap to moderately priced, $50 tops for 2 lunches, $75 tops for 2 dinners. We love neighborhood type of joints. Given the fact that the child comes with us we will probably avoid formal high-end places.
3. No spicy hot foods. Spicy is good, peppery hot is not
4. Things we'd love to try: Greek, Northern Italian, French, Mexican, Polish, German, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese. We are looking for foods that people from other parts of the world would recognize as authentic.
This is what I have so far from reading the links you provided, and reading postings on this board:
1. One of Rick Bayless's restaurants (Topolobampo, Frontera Grill, XOCO)
2. Portillo's ( www.portillos.com ), or Al's Beef ( www.alsbeef.com )
3. Pizzeria Uno, or Pizzeria Due, or Gino's East. I need help picking one.
4. Lao Beijing in Chinatown. Is there a good Shanghai style restaurant there? We are going to spend most of 1 day there and can do 2 meals.
Thanks so much.
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Pizzeria Due
619 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Pizzeria Uno
29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611
Frontera Grill
445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Lao Beijing
2138 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
Al's Beef
7132 183rd St, Tinley Park, IL 60477
Gino's East
2801 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
3 days in Chicago, where to stay for best chow
We are planning a trip to Chicago and are trying to make this a chow trip. Here's what we have in mind and we need some suggestions:
1. We will not have a car so we'll be walking or taking the trains/subway.
2. No chain restaurants.
3. We love places with great food and relaxed settings.
4. Open to all cuisines.
5. Would love to try typical Chicago foods like hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, deep dish pizza.
I'm looking at hotels in River North, Magnificent Mile, or Loop. Any location better than others for chow?
We'll be making a stop in Chinatown for lunch during one of the days. People on this board seem to like Lao Beijing. I love northern Chinese food so we will probably have lunch there. Also like Shanghai style. Sichuan is a little too much for my taste. I am not a fan of midwest Cantonese cuisine -- it's tough to do it right without the fresh ingredients ( got to go to California for those). Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
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Lao Beijing
2138 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
Osseo Meat Market & Deli -- best old fashioned skin on hot dogs, and other stuff
This is the second time I've gone back for those. Tossed a few on the grill for July 4th and they are good. They are also good cold or microwaved. The taste is robust, more like a sausage than a hotdog, and when you bite into them, the skin just bust open and you can feel you are chewing on chunks of real meat. A 5 pound bag lasted about 3 days in my house. Will be back for more.
Their bacon is also good, thick, does not shrink down to nothing when cooked, not too salty, and not sickeningly sweet as the supermarket products.
Their lefse is authentic according to my part Norwegian relatives. Really good with some butter and sugar.
Original beef jerky is also good.
The best part, if you ask, they'll let you try just about anything they sell ( fully cooked, of course).
Weekend eating recommendations
The child is 1 year old, and loves trying table food. We don't have any restrictions as to location.
Weekend eating recommendations
Since the birth of our child we have been stuck in a rut. We want to start trying one new restaurant per weekend just to add some fun back into life. We will be taking the kid with us. We've been to many Chinese/Korean, Indian, and Middle Eastern places and need to expand our culinary horizons and try something different.
Criteria:
Good food. Not fancy, but quality ingredients and prepared right.
Hole in the wall places are great.
Don't care what style of cuisine or type of food it is, as long as it is good.
Reasonably priced.
Thanks.
Wonton Soup Suggestions?
Grand Shanghai in St. Paul has a Shanghai style wonton soup, very close to the real thing.
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Grand Shanghai Restaurant
1328 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105
Looking for a Good Indian Buffet
India House in Fridley. I have eaten there twice, the spices are well balanced, not too overwhelming and mild to medium in terms of heat. The price is good, like $7 to $8 bucks per person depending on if it is a weekday or weekend. Haven't had anything bad there. Great desserts. There are usually a lot of Indians eating there, which is a good sign.
765 53rd Avenue Northeast
Fridley, MN 55421-1240
(763) 586-9800
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India House Restaurant
765 53rd Ave NE, Fridley, MN 55421
Chinese New Year suggestions
I know some restaurants advertise in local Chinese language newspapers around holidays for special deals so if you or someone you know can read Chinese I'd check those. You can get theses newspapers at Asian grocery stores. Otherwise you can always put together your own "banquet." I like the Teahouse in St. Paul and Grand Shanghai.
Birthday meal: simple but quality ingredients, under $30 per person, not spicy
We have a birthday coming up and I'm looking for a decent place to eat. While normally we love spicy ethnic foods this time around we are interested in something more basic like good steak, grilled fish, etc, a really good meat and potatoes type of place. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
MSP - Holy Land Samosas
I'm taking some family members to this place. I'm planning on getting the Sheik's dinner and then some appetizers. Never had their samosas before. They have chicken, beef, lamb, and veggie fillings. I've had some bad samosas at other places--greasy, bad seasoning, etc. Are these any good at Holy Land? Which kind do you like the best? Thanks.
MSP-craving breaded fried pork tenderloin sandwich
It maybe a dryer meat, but the ones I used to have were probably pounded flat prior to breading and frying, and they were as big as a frisbee. Maybe the fact that they were thin ( little over 1/4 inch) make them taste not dry at all. Being deep fried also takes care of the lack of fat part. I've seen thicker and smaller cuts of fried tenderloins in MN but yet to find the "frisbee loin" here in the Twin Cities.
MSP - Looking for Pork Back Fat
I was at Sun Foods on University in St Paul today and they have it at a pretty cheap price, I think somewhere like 79 cents a pound. They had a lot of it too. Also pork belly meat.
MSP-craving breaded fried pork tenderloin sandwich
Last time I had this was more than 10 years ago. Any place in the Twin Cities area that have a good one? Crispy, but not greasy, tender moist meat. Sigh.
MSP- Your top three must haves at mercado central
Going there for the first time this coming weekend. We want to sample a few places and dishes. What are your top 3 favorite dishes ( and the corresponding restaurants)? We are omnivores and will eat just about anything that taste good. Thanks.
MSP New Szechuan restaurant where China Jen (Roseville) was - anyone tried it?
I just saw it the other day, too. This place just opened recently. A friend of mine who is actually from Sichuan province in China ate there a few days ago and said the food is very authentic, and plenty spicy hot.
MSP- Best local farms for bulk organic meats
We are looking for places to buy hormone free, organic beef, pork, chicken, lamb, etc. We have 2 chest freezers to fill. I've done some research and found a few places around MSP. I have no previous experience with any of the farms so if anyone can recommend some good ones I'd really appreciate it. The animals do not have to be grass fed or free range, but no added hormones or unnecessary antibiotics, and reasonably priced. Thanks.
Korean in MSP?
I second Dong Yang. Get their short rib grill. You will not be disappointed.
MSP-Where to buy cheap lamb/goat meat with bones in
My Indian friends in Chicago always make their curries with lamb/goat meat that are cut up into cubes with the bones still attached. I personally think this type of meat taste much better than solid meat chunks. I've been to one middle eastern store and they have some frozen stuff. But $4 a pound is a little steep for my budget.
So I'm wondering if anyone knows of a cheaper source of this type of meat. Does not have to be Halal.
Thanks in advance.
MSP-What to order @ Teahouse Plymouth
I went to the one in St. Paul and I don't know if they have the same menu items, but these are my favorites: ( some of the names may not be exactly right since I'm going off memory)
Crispy fried fish: whole fish fried and presented with a slightly tangy, garlic, ginger sauce. Very very good.
mini juicy buns(Steamed bao zi Shanghai style): pork filling with a little sesame oil. I ordered two of those and they were gone in less than 5 minutes.
Egg plant in garlic sauce: moist, tender, wonderful, flavorful.
MSP-Wedding ceremony and reception venue
Thanks for all the suggestions. Still undecided. Right now the number of guests have grown to 75. I've checked with a lot of places, some are over priced, some can't handle that many people. Right now I have narrowed down to these as potential places and their pros and cons:
Forepaughs, mainly for the location, slightly stuffy, OK food, not good for kids
Mai Village, decor is very nice, food is acceptable but not great
Jun Bo, dim sum will be interesting for our American guests, but it will probably end up looking like a Chinese McWedding.
This week and next week we are going to check out the new Tea House in St. Paul, and Ngon Bistro (thanks to TDQ).
Will report back on the final decision.
Best Dim Sum restaurant in Mpls/St. Paul, MN
Grand Shanghai is open. I was just there last weekend and the waitress told me they were remodeling the doors and windows. Inside it was business as usual. Maybe the best thing to do is to call ahead before you go there.
Best Dim Sum restaurant in Mpls/St. Paul, MN
Grand Shanghai in St Paul has dim sum on Saturdays and Sundays. They have the best Bao in the TC area IMO, get them pan fried. Also good are smoked fish, mock goose, vegetable and pork wonton soup. Ask for the dim sum menu. I've been going there on a regular basis for a while and I have never had anything bad. For an authentic experience, although not everyone likes these, try an order of "You Tiao" ( fried dough that's about 12 inches long), and wash it down with a bowl of sweet soy milk.
They are currently remodeling their storefront so it's easy to miss. They are located one block east of Green Mill.
1328 Grand Ave
St Paul, MN 55105
(651) 698-1901
MSP-Wedding ceremony and reception venue
I'm looking for a place with nice/interesting decor, private room/rooms, reasonably decent food, for 50 people. The place also has to be set up nice enough for a non-religious wedding ceremony. I'm planning on spending up to $20 per person on food, not including alcohol. A large number of the guests are Asian so some sort of Asian or fusion food would be ideal. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
