maureen73's Profile
Heidi's Fire Today: Total Loss
I am so sad about this. This was our favorite place in th cities. I feel for the staff.
Looking for lobster bisque (MSP)
Heidi's currently has a delicious Lobster Bisque on their menu. It isn't super traditional - it has sweet potato and lobster dumplings but the broth itself is pretty traditional. Either way it is delicious! However, they are changing their menu next week so I am not sure if the bisque will still be on it. You could always call ahead and ask!
Osteria I Nonni - MSP
I'm sorry you had a bad experience food wise but I have to disagree about the timing of a 4 course meal. If a restaurant tried to serve me 4 courses in an hour I would be pretty upset and probably request that they slow it down.
Did you let the server know that you had time constraints and would like the courses sped up? I think the expectation is that when enjoying a tasting menu it is a slower affair and maybe they would have been open to speeding things up if they knew you were getting anxious.
Regarding the food, I've only been to I Nonni once and didn't love it either.
[MSP] Going to Cafe Levain Sunday--Recommendations?
There is a veg and non-veg option for Sunday Suppers. The veg version obv. won't have shellfish in it so that would be a good option!
looking for New Years Eve dining in MSP
Last NYE we had dinner at Bayport Cookery. They had a special tasting menu and the space is small and lovely and very romantic. They have 2 seatings on NYE and we chose the latter. We made a night out of it and stayed at a B&B in Stillwater. It was a great night and not crowded and crazy like some places in the city can be.
Levain (msp)
Sorry! I am typing too fast and naming things wrong. I had the Ramp soup with pickled ramps. It was excellent. I loved the pickled ramps on top and ate all those first and then didn't have any left to stir into my soup. Sigh. But they were too yummy!
Thank you for the clarification Adam!
Levain (msp)
We went there for dinner a few weeks ago and they had a pickled Ramp soup that was AMAZING. I love ramps so when I saw it on the menu I had to have it. I ordered a cup and like CGG I thought it was a huge dish to be served as a cup but I didn't mind because it was that good. I also love the gnocchi there. Each time I have had it it as served with different seasonal vegetables and was full of flavor and completely fresh and rich tasting.
I love this place.
MSP - Yum! on Excelsior Blvd
We go there for take out almost once a week and almost always like it. I do love their fries and their fish and chips are yummy too. But I almost always get the tuna burger which I like a lot. And I love their mac and cheese - but I am a big velvetta shells and cheese person. :) And I almost always get a nut goody bar. My mom used to make those so I am a sucker for them.
I must admit that the place isn't as good as it was even 6 months ago. The menu use to change almost weekly so it was always fun to see what was new. I haven't seen a change in the menu now for almost a month and half.
So, i do like their food but the main draw is the proxemity to where we live. When we move in a month and it is further away I doubt we will drive across town for it.
(MSP) New places since the summer?
We tried Indio on Friday night and I was not impressed. The service was weak and the food was not that great. We were sad about it since I LOVE Cafe Ena and Indio is just a walk away for us. I will give it another chance to see if they can work out the kinks but the first impression was not good. The waiter forgot our appetizer. When we got our entrees we asked about it and he said he didn't hear us order one. huh? It was loud in there but I saw him writing something down.
Ok - no biggie - he did offer to pay for half our dessert. I had chile rellenos which were just ok. Nothing special at all especially for the price. For dessert I had vanilla carmel cake that was really dry and again, not great.
Just my thoughts after one visit!
Sunday night prix fixe at Levain (MSP)
We stumbled into Levain unaware on Sunday night and were so surprised and excited about the prix fixe menu! We don't eat red meat so we were even more excited that they had a vegetarian version! 20 bucks for 3 courses! Awesome! And they were all very good. We had the same potato soup that fendel mentioned but without the chicken. So silky and tasty.
The second veggie course was gnocchi with roasted grapes and white asparagus. I loved this course. It was so earthy. Probably the best gnocchi I have had and I am a gnocchi fan.
The last course was the polenta fendel mentioned without the short ribs. Again - earthy yummy and probably the best brussel sprouts I have had and again - brussel sprout fan here!
I prefer savory courses as well because I feel you can always add on dessert if you want. I was too stuffed and didn't and I wish I had know about pumphouse creamery - for sure next Sunday. We are making this a tradition! We also had the wine pairing which was 12 bucks! Seriously, I feel like this is the best deal around.
[MSP] Dieting (gasp!) deliciously in the Twin Cities?
Not to highjack the thread but we got the coffee share last year from Harmony Valley and we LOVE it. It was hard buying regular coffee once the season was over.
Meritage (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
We went to Meritage on Saturday night. I was so excited and wanted to love this place so much but we weren't that impressed which makes me sad. First off, they were packed but the service was not great. It was 25 minutes before our order was taken. We had the tuna tartar taco and the mushroom ganache - which were very yummy! I would go back for those. We also split some pomme frites which were right up there with Barbettes in my opinion. Then more service issues - after the appetizers we ordered another glass of wine to have with our entree. We got the wine but the entrees took so long that the wine was gone. I didn't really want another glass - but I didn't want dinner without the wine.
I know - it is probably my own fault and I should have let my glass sit there until the entree's showed up but I didn't think it would be that long.
Entrees were disappointing. I had the bass and it was a little fishy and not great. I have had a lot of striped bass and this was not up to the usual quality I have had. My SO had the scallop entree. I liked it more then he did - he thought the scallops were a little over-seared but I liked them. Either way - neither of us was super happy with the entrees. That made me sad.
Then - the kicker - the freezer had broken the night before and all the ice cream had melted! I was so looking forward to dessert with the salted carmel ice cream - but alas. I had the apple tart without the ice cream. It wasn't as apple-y as I wanted. Wow, I am picky. SO had the hazelnut dessert which he loved.
Overall - underwhelming but I had giant sized expectations. I would go back for the atmosphere and a bunch of amusements and pomme frites and maybe really get the ice cream this time.
Morel Season: Who has the goods? (MSP)
We did the Morel fest last year at Bayport. We did the 5 course morel tasting menu! Awesome. I highly reccomend it. It is May I believe and they always post the menu on their website.
MSP - Sanctuary
When we went they didn't have a tasting menu. I am sure a lot has changed since my initial review. We go to the Guthrie a lot so I would be willing to go back and try again!
Best Sushi/Sashimi in Minneapolis/St. Paul?
I went to Seven - it was fine but nothing great. To be fair, we went within the first week open so I won't give a definite opinion. I would give it another chance but the room had a little too much of a hipster vibe for me. I'm not that hip.
MSP-Food by the Ordway?
We are going to the Ordway this weekend as well and we are having dinner at Meritage. I haven't been yet but cannot wait to try it!
MSP- Splurgy celebration!
I would also throw in the tasting menu at Fugaise. We went there for valentine's day and it was super yummy as well.
MSP- Splurgy celebration!
For me it is always La Belle Vie. I choose it every year for my birthday. I love the 3 hour dining experience where every course looks beautiful and tastes better. I looks forward to it every year and always try to find a celebration excuse to go more often. My favorite place in the city!
MSP: anyone been to Osaka restaurant?
We didn't have hibachi, like I said and the sushi was really good. We actually had a birthday while we were there and we thought it was very cool that they brought our birthday girl dessert and sang to her. But we are silly like that.
They also brought out these masks for the table which was a huge hit with the 3 year old at the table. Anyway, we had a good time and no - we were not drunk.
MSP: Meritage or Fugaise?
So funny you posted this about fugaise. I was just about to get on here and post about it and urge people to go more often!! We went there for Valentines day and had an amazing meal. They had a prix fix menu actually a couple I think since ours was all fish since we don't eat red meat. It was five courses and everything was outstanding. We started with the scallop appetizer with lemon custard. Incredible. One of the best dishes I have ever had. Salmon was next with lentils. Very earthy any tasty. We had the monkfish next but I think it was a different presentation then you had. Ours was with brussel sprouts (one of my favorite food inteh world) and a root veggie tart. Again, super yummy and perfect for the freezing cold night. Tee wild mushroom tart was the next course. Our eggs were perfectly poached. This was really good - I just wish it wasn't so late in the meal. There were a ton of textures going on here with the chewy mushrooms, the crispy tart and the soft egg and when I get full I have a weird thing with textures. My own issue, I know but I think I would have enjoyed it more earlier in the meal.
For desset we had a lovely rich chocolate cake. All in all a great meal that left us wondering why we don't go to Fugaise more. It is consistently excellent.
MSP: anyone been to Osaka restaurant?
I just went to the location in Apple Valley. I was a little worried since it was in a strip mall but was pleasantly surprised. All we had was sushi ( no hibachi) but the fish was fresh and the rolls were very creative. They also had this spicy miso soup that was AWESOME. I wish Osaka was closer to me because it was one of the best sushi experiences I have had in the cities!
Seven Restaurant/Lounge in Downtown Mpls?
We went on Saturday and it was a little disappointing which was sad because I was really excited about it! The atmosphere was kind of cool but they had plasma tvs everywhere playing ESPN which didn't seem to fit with the hipster too cool for school vibe they were going for - seemed odd. I do like that it is up a level though. MSP doesn't have a ton of places that aren't ground level and it is just fun to have a little bit of a view.
The food was a mixed bag. The appetizers we had were very good but the sushi wasn't great. We started with Salmon wrapped scallops which were excellent and very unique and the tofu appetizer which was also very good. We had three rolls. A number 9 roll, the white ninja roll (which when a read this on the menu I was ecstatic about because white tuna is my favorite!) and the special red dragon roll. The rolls were ok but I have had much better. The fish seemed fresh but the flavor was a little off. I can't put my finger on it. Service was good. We went early and even with the freezing temps it was getting packed by the time we left!
Overall - it was ok. I don't think I would go back since there are better sushi places downtown.
MSP-La Belle Vie or Chambers Kitchen?
I have to agree with Jordan on this one. I have been to La Belle Vie 3 times (all in the dining room) and the experience and the food and the service was 10 times better then anything I had at Michael Mina which was one of the most disappointing tasting menus we have ever had. At La Belle Via not every course was WOW but some where and all were very good. I had a tuna course at Michael Mina that was inedible. The tuna seemed to be a low quality and i could barely cut through the fatty tissue in it!
But the question - choosing between Chambers and La Belle Vie. I like Chambers a lot but for the whole experience I gotta go with La Belle Vie!
MSP - Valentine's Day $$
I love Bayport Cookery! In fact we are going there for New Years. Their tasting menus are yummy and the fact that it is tiny and in a small town that is a little bit of a hike add to the romance for me! I would love to be taken there for Valentines! I believe they do have an ala carte menu but if you are there you should do the tasting menu. It looks like they will have a special 5 course menu on Valentines. Their regular five course is $55 and $20 for wine pairing. I would think for Valentines it may be a bit more. The other places are great too but this is a real destination and you can make it more of an event.
Downtown Mpls - celebatory dinner
My choice for a celebration is ALWAYS La Belle Vie? It is a true dining experience if you do the tasting menu and wine pairing.
Fun place to take young niece in Twin Cities, MN
What about Dim Sum at Jun Bo in Bloomington? I think that is fun and different and yummy.
Restaurants near Edina (MN) Cinema
We actually go that Italian place on 50th and France a lot and really like it. It is called Arezzo and it is really yummy. It is one of our favorite Italian places in a city with few good Italian places (granted we haven’t tried them all but we are in the process of trying to find the best!) I would recommend Arezzo over Salut, which has always been underwhelming and overpriced. I probably order the wrong things and should keep it simpler but dang – if it is on their menu it should be tasty!
Try the polenta appetizer at Arezzo - it is heaven - in fact my SO tried to make a version of it last night at home because it is so yummy. The gnocchi is also very tasty. We often don't "frequent" places because we like to try new places but we do go back to Arezzo.
MSP - Sanctuary
I haven't seen a post on here yet about Sanctuary - the new place on Washington. We went there early on Friday night before a show at the Guthrie. The space is below Wasabi and is very cool. Nice and cozy and a little gothic which I guess goes with the sanctuary theme. All very Hunchback of Notre Dame. The dining room was empty when we arrived - which surprised me only because it is right across from the Guthrie and I thought others might take advantage for a pre-theatre meal. However, they have a small bar which remained busy the entire dinner. We sat right across from the bar and it seemed great. A chatty staff - creating new cocktails for those seated at the bar. Just looked like fun!
For dinner - we started with the stuffed calamari. This sounds great in theory but the big pieces of calamari were way too tough. The rock shrimp stuffing was ok - not the most flavorful - but the texture of the calamari turned me off. Don't get me wrong - I love good calamari but this piece was just too tough.
We both had the corm chowder with Lobster next. I love me some corn chowder and this was very good. It really didn't need the lobster which didn't add anything to the dish. But it was good corn chowder.
For dinner I had the pink grouper in miso which was really good. It was over cabbage and mushrooms and topped with apples. I liked it a lot but it was very rich. My SO had the tuna which he said was good quality tuna (we have had issues lately in town with tuna being not great) and tasted fine. I don't think there was anything unique or new in the tuna dish but it seemed fine.
Dessert was fun! We had the Snap, Crackle, Pop with is a peanut buttery rice krispy bar shaped in a ball and set in a waffle cone filled with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Totally yummy and fun and HUGE. It is served with a shooter of milk which was fun too.
Overall, the experience was good and I hope they succeed. When we left the Guthrie the place looked much busier which made me happy.
I am not sure if we would return since there are so many yummy places yet to try and this wasn't an "I must go back" meal but I am still glad we tried it!
Anyone else been to Sanctuary yet??
MSP - broke - craves Sushi - suggestions?
That's really odd - I always sit at the sushi bar at Koyi and the sushi chefs are some of the friendliest and have always told me about their specials that day and chatted. And they are the only place I found that has consistently fresh white tuna - so yummy. I haven't noticed the rolls being larger then other sushi places.
I actually stopped going to Origami because after three visits I found their service to be beyond horrible. Twice at the sushi bar where I was almost ignored and once at a table where the waitress snottily corrected my pronounciation. That was the last straw.
Completely different experiences :)
dining in downtown Minneapolis
I would recommend Solera downtown. It is a tapas place and I think it is super yummy and can be reasonable depending on what you order.
I also like Masa downtown with is more upscale Mexican. I know it gets mixed reviews here but I had a great meal there!
The 112 eatery would be a short cab ride away and worth it - most say it is the best restaurant in Minneapolis.
Koyi sushi is my favorite sushi place downtown. I think it is a bit cheaper then others and the fish is always fresh. Plus the sushi chefs are friendly and it is pretty intimate and a good place to dine alone.
Those are my first thoughts but there are many other good places that I am sure others will suggest!
