Davydd's Profile
Iowa - Regional Food ideas anyone???
The sour cream raisin pie speaks Iowan to me and you can get the best at the Farmer's Kitchen in Atlantic, Iowa. They also serve an outstanding breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
http://www.farmerskitchen.net/
Beer Tasting
If they know something about beer and ale. My general observation is most women tend to avoid dark beers. I'm not sure why. Could it be a perceived feminine thing like many women feel they need to drink a white wine instead of a red wine?
georgian food/restaurants
Here are some plates at Baku. Assorted appetizers, beef strogonoff, Cornish hen, and lamb kabobs.
georgian food/restaurants
Baku Restaurant in Plymouth might meet your criteria.
http://www.restaurantbaku.us/
Indianapolis (east) - casual, inexpensive, perhaps a brewpub? pizza?
From what you are asking, the Indianapolis Broad Ripple neighborhood is probably the kind of place you are looking for to hang out. In addition to the brewpub already mentioned there is also the Broad Ripple Brewpub to try.
http://www.broadripplebrewpub.com/
Where to get the best beef jerky in the Twin Cities?
When it comes to brats, sausages, smoked meats and jerky I always recommend my favorite place, Mackenthun's Meats & Deli in St. Bonifacius just west of Lake Minnetonka near State Highway 7 on County Road 92.
They list five jerkies on their website, String Jerky (teriyaki), BBQ Jerky, Campfire Jerky, Free Range Turkey Jerky and Jamaican Pork Jerky on this web page.
http://www.mackenthunsmeats.com/products.html
You'll see they also sell "Slim John" sticks in 6 varieties. I don't think you'll find a more complete jerky selection in the Twin Cities and they handcraft it there.
Beer Tasting
I think you should include a good dark stout. Guinness is the obvious standard but there several good ones like something from Bells, Rush River or North Coat. Stouts are not for everyone. I find women seem to shy away from them but they should at least be tried.
The idea I think would be to present a lager, a pilsner, an ale, a porter, a stout and a wheat.
Favorite National Beer
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a good go to beer when all else choices fail. It is not great but it is not bad either. It is just plain dependable and above quality. You could say the same with Sam Adams and Anchor. Usually one of those and Guinness might be around or on tap when a bar or restaurant is usually pushing the national brand bland American lagers and lights. I'm not a fan of Blue Moon or Yuengling.
Blood Sausage - Served or For Sale.
Mackenthun's Meats & Deli in St. Bonafacius sells blood sausage. You can check it out on this web page.
http://www.mackenthunsmeats.com/products.html
South Bend -- Recommendable Pork Tenderloin Sandwich?
Indiana is a hot bed of tenderloins. I am just not all that familiar with the South Bend area but suspect you could find them at a decent bar/grill/diner/cafe type place if you look. The pork tenderloin sandwich at least as documented originated at Nick's Kitchen in Huntington and the rest of the whole northeast part of Indiana such as North Manchester (Mr. Dave's), Wabash, Auburn, Warsaw, Decatur, etc. have good ones. If you drive west on I-80 into Illinois starting at Rockville to Ottawa and going west they are everywhere. Then when you continue on I-80 into Iowa you'll find some of the best in the Midwest. The I-80 axis probably has the most. Then every restaurant in Indianapolis seems to have one just to compete for business. Southern Indiana not so much. Drive north into Michigan and forget it. Tenderloin availability dies off rather rapidly outside of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.
best hotdog
Deli by the Bay in Excelsior has a wide variety of hot dogs. Here is a Chicago style make your own .
Best Reuben you've had in the Twin Cities?
The original Lincoln Del was on Lake Street (where it forks off from Highway 7) just a block east of Bernie's. They had a good Reuben as well but Bernie's Reuben and their onion rings were better. Bernie's was an absolute old Jewish delicatessen classic. Lincoln Del was more hip and modern. They built another Lincoln Del on the southwest quadrant of Highway 12 (now I-394) and Highway 100 and a third in Bloomington. All are gone sad to say. Having both Lincoln Del and Bernie's just a few blocks of my home was Heaven especially for the pastries. Everything today in the Twin Cities is a shadow of those two. Any young restaurateur would not know how to recreate them as they would have no way of measuring and comparing. BTW, I have New York friends who feel much the same about Jewish delicatessens in NYC as well.
What's with the salt & pepper shakers and Sriracha at every table in MSP?
Salt and pepper shakers are universal around the country at any restaurant that leaves a setting on the table that might also include ketchup and mustard. That would mean almost all bar pubs, grills, cafes and diners, and an absolute must at breakfast. It is not unique to the Twin Cities and it is just as common to like restaurants in SF from what I can remember. A step up you might find grinders for peppers and sea salt. Then at the top of the restaurant totem pole they like to grind the pepper for you like dispensing gold flakes and most food is too salty anyway (for my taste).
I can't explain sriracha but it is fairly new. There is one sriracha company that is rather aggressive. Maybe they did a campaign effort in the Twin Cities to get it in restaurants.
Best Reuben you've had in the Twin Cities?
I can second McGarry's Pub for a lot of reasons.
Best Reuben you've had in the Twin Cities?
I suspect most of you are not old enough to have experienced the Reuben at the long closed Bernie's Deli in St. Louis Park. That one was the best in the Twin Cities by far.
single best pizza in MSP/ No Time To Research Chow Archives
Joey Nova's doesn't do square cut. :)
Joey Nova's in Tonka Bay (Excelsior) is the closest pizzeria to my house. I order there frequently when I am too lazy to make my own entirely from scratch.
single best pizza in MSP/ No Time To Research Chow Archives
60 nominations and 200 votes. Detello's evidently staged a campaign and won by overwhelming default. Everyone else was evidently asleep at the switch. It was an interesting segment and Detello's seems like a decent place.
Our State Fair 2011: it's the Best State Fair in our State!
Mackenthun's Meat & Deli in St. Bonifacius has wild rice brats if you desire a year round fix. :)
We too got caught up in the no sweet corn ice cream until 11 AM deal. We paid in advance got a receipt and then went about looking at other stuff until after 11. When we got back there was a long line waiting to order and pay. We were able to bypass that and walk up and get our ice cream without waiting. I really didn't want ice cream that early in the morning anyway so it worked out fine for me. Still, it is a mystery to me why they had an 11 AM restriction. Their wood-fired pizza oven wasn't fired up in the morning either so I assume that option was out as well.
Our State Fair 2011: it's the Best State Fair in our State!
We started off with Giggles Walleye Fries. Always something from Giggles and this was our choice this year.
We had the Sweet Corn Ice Cream with the Honey Butter Bacon sauce. It was a treat but I think just the name of the ingredients made it unique.
The best brew I had was the Lift Bridge Chestnut Hill brown ale at the Ball Park Craft Brew stand. Lift Bridge is a Stillwater craft brewer.
We finished the day with the Gizmo. I like the sandwich. The ground beef and pork have a strong Italian seasoning. I'd say it is a cross between a pizza (ingredients) and a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in style in that it is served on a soft hogie bun.
Wine tasting
I took my own advice today and went out to the Sovereign Estates Vineyard. They were serving wood-fired pizza with a bottle of their Tenuta di Sovrano Red Wine which is Chianti like. We spent a lazy afternoon on their outdoor patio. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It is about the closest winery to our house.
Wine tasting
Alexis Bailey Vineyard was one of the earliest if not the earliest winery producing quality grape wines in Minnesota other than the typical Midwest sweet fruit wines. Wines have come a long way since I moved here 40+ years ago.
Wine tasting
The Sovereign Estates Vineyard & Winery just opened in July in Waconia. They have some very nice wines and might be a good fit for your group.
http://www.sovereignestatewine.com/
Road trip from St. Paul to Madison, WI on 94- would love foodie sidetrack suggestions! [Moved from Minneapolis-St. Paul Board]
If you are just looking for a good burger, Monk's in Wisconsin Dells downtown should meet your requirements. Any trip between St. Paul and Madison by a first timer should take in the experience of the Dells if nothing more than a walk around the downtown area.
Our State Fair 2011: it's the Best State Fair in our State!
Some of the worst onion rings I ever had came from Porky's on University. There was a reason it closed other than anticipated light rail construction. That was a convenient excuse, IMO They had been living on the fumes of their past reputation for way too many years. The food had gone way down hill. I could show you a photo of the godawful stuff.
Our State Fair 2011: it's the Best State Fair in our State!
You lost me immediately with Porky's onion rings. But the point is the fair is a once a year event, a tradition, and food on a stick is, well, a just plain fun schtick.
Best outdoor patios in Twin Cities
In addition to the $4 half-pound hamburger served on Manic Mondays, Lord Fletchers also has a Wednesday special starting at 4 PM on the outdoor dock called Lobster Night. They serve whole lobsters with roll, cole slaw and ears of corn for $15. We tried it for the first time yesterday.
Like the Manic Monday burger you go up and pay cash and get served in line. If you want anything else like other sides and drinks, the wait staff takes care of you. This is a sample of what you get on Lobster Night.
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Lord Fletcher's
3746 Sunset Dr, Spring Park, MN 55384
Plymouth hangouts-Good Day Cafe, McGarry's Irish Pub?
Update on McGarry's Irish Pub. We enjoyed this "Drunken Lucy", a stuffed ground lamb with goat cheese burger and Shepard's pie this week.
Grand Marais, MN
The Pie Place that was located about a mile west of downtown on Highway 61 has closed down and moved into town at the location that was formerly the Wild Onion in the Harbor View Inn. It is now called The Pie Place Cafe with pretty much the same menu. I'll miss the Wild Onion's Venison Scramble but this Pie Place Kayaker's Scramble with the creamy potato side was not bad either.
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Harbor View Cafe
314 1st St, Pepin, WI 54759
Wild Onion
9069 Helena Rd, Alden, MI 49612
Pie Place
2017 W Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN 55604
Grand Marais, MN
For pizza now you have a few choices other than Sven & Ole's. :)
Sydney's Frozen Custard built a semi-enclosed wood fire-baked pizza oven open this year. All pizzas are about 12" personal size but ample enough to be shared. Here is the Pizza Margherita I ordered.
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Sven & Ole's
7 W Wisconsin St, Grand Marais, MN 55604
Frozen Custard
6240 Pearl Rd, Cleveland, OH 44130
