Looking for place to purchase 6 foot Sub Roll Twin Cities

I agree with soupkitten that you can get higher quality bread by going with a few loaves spliced together. But it is correct that Rustica's baguette is relatively small and may not be the best choice for a huge sub, if novelty is what you're going for.

I would recommend 3 loaves of striato from Turtle Bread, with the ends sliced off. Nice and big for the effect, and that striato makes a killer sandwich. You might want to tear out some of the "inside" dough of the bread, but that is based on personal preference.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Is there really GOOD pizza in MSP???

If you are referring to La Famiglia in Newark Airport, that is not a good representation of NJ pizza. Crust too thick and bready, way too oily.

vinman will probably not like MN-style (crispy square-cut) if he is looking for NJ style. I'm not judging that style, just saying he will probably be unhappy with the result.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Is there really GOOD pizza in MSP???

Hi vinman,

I am also from NJ, and I have tried to seek out NJ-style pizza wherever I've lived. Here in the Twin Cities, there aren't too many places which could pass for NJ pizza, but there are a few. The closest that I have found is at Broders deli in SW Minneapolis. I believe the family is originally from NJ, and they produce NJ/NY-style thin crust similar to what you would find over there.

Another good option is Mesa Pizza in Dinkytown. Their plain (cheese) pie is good, and also could easily pass for NJ pizza if you ignore all of their novelty pizzas. They are known for their novelty flavors -- which incidentally, I love -- but their cheese pie is often overlooked as a good approximation of NJ pizza.

Finally, you should try Black Sheep Pizza in the warehouse district. It is not exactly like most NJ places, but actually is more similar to places like Lombardi's in Little Italy; they are the only coal-fired oven in the Twin Cities.

Other folks might suggest Cossetta's, Hiawatha Pizza Halal, Soho Cafe, Pizza Nea, etc. -- but those are not quite right for the style you seek.

You might also find this blog useful -- pictures of most of the pizzas in the Twin Cities: http://s4xton.com/

For reference -- my gold standard in NJ is probably Pizza Town USA on Rt. 46.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

MSP - Where to buy goat meat?

Yes, actually, just last week. Clancey's had goat meat (and they even Twittered about getting it in!) -- I got some and made a braised goat curry from it -- it was extremely fresh and tender.

I don't know if they have it every week, but definitely give them a call.

In the past I've also gotten it from Holy Land, although I liked the Clancey's goat meat better.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

MSP-Kings Wine Bar 46th and Grand

They have a good by-the-glass selection. I was there last week and seem to remember at least 15 or so -- reds, whites, roses -- with a nice price span ranging from $6-$13 (?). And I also seem to remember that there wasn't the "token $6 with everything else being $12" that you might see elsewhere, too -- the selections were well distributed through the price spectrum.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Surly Darkness on tap? - MSP

BeWiched has Surly Darkness on tap. I saw it there today, and, remembering this thread, asked at the counter to confirm that they actually have it. (They do.)

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

No Mas - Jfood gives up on Chinese in MSP

jfood -- I also grew up with northern NJ Americanized Chinese food, and agree that I have not yet found that flavor profile here in MN.

However, I also lived in SF for a number of years -- arguably the mecca of Chinese food in the US -- and could not find the NJ flavor profile *there*, either. (Although out there, there were a lot more authentic Chinese restaurants that more than compensated for the lack of NJ-style Chinese.)

I have mostly given up on Chinese food here, other than LS/GS. But I would re-open that search if it meant finding a good Chinese place that would have delivery/takeout to SW Minneapolis.

Has anyone ever tried Xin Wong at 48th and Nicollet? Curious -- I drove by it the other day and noticed it for the first time.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

MSP- Ice Cream Cake anywhere?? - not DQ!

FYI, the crema flavor at Sonny's is actually espresso flavored, not straight vanilla.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

MSP - Lyndale Tap House

I went there last night.

I agree with Foureyes' assessment of their beers. Generally disappointing on-tap beers, given that they have so many of them, and that they have "Tap House" in the name. There were a few standouts -- Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest, for example. But yeah, no Surly, no Flat Earth, etc. The majority of the taps were the usual Bud Light / Miller / etc.

If you like smoked meats, the place smells amazing. All of us were excited to try the food as soon as we walked through the door. My pit beef sandwich mostly failed to deliver, though. The beef was smoked well, and had a hint of an interesting Indian spice in it (cumin?), but overall was just way too stringy. For example, you would take a bite of the sandwich, it would pull all the beef out of it, and then you'd have to use your fingers to pull apart the gristle holding it together. Not a very pleasant mouth experience. One of my dining companions felt the same way. The sandwich tasted good, not great; but it was not fun to eat.

Another companion got the Philly (basically a pit beef with cheese and peppers) and really liked it. It did not resemble a Philly cheesesteak, though, for those of you who might be curious.

The turkey sloppy joe looked to be the best of the dishes we got, although I did not try it. Next time, that's what I'll be going for.

I was previously a big fan of JP American Bistro, with caveats. I thought JP consistently produced some of the best food I've eaten in the Twin Cities; however, I never liked the dining space (other than the bar area) -- too much of a bland, suburban feel, given its Lyn/Lake location. I think the Lyndale Tap House did a pretty good job with the space. Some things weren't my favorite (the games in the back by the kitchen totally took the class of the place down a notch) but overall it fits in better with the neighborhood. But there's no point in comparing it to JP, since the only thing they share was the same geographic location. The real place for comparison would be Herkimer, because I'm guessing they will now be competing head-to-head for the same clientele.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Om MSP

The naan was fine, it was the paratha that wasn't great -- but YEAH, that's exactly what I thought! :)

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Om MSP

Last weekend, we went to OM with the fam (three of whom are Indian). We were extremely impressed with the quality of the food. We all thought that it was our new favorite Indian place in the Twin Cities.

Now, let me clarify "Indian food." There was a bit of a fusion twist to most of the dishes. None of them were completely traditional, but rather, a modern take on Indian food from a variety of regions. So comparing OM to most other Indian places is, yes, like comparing apples and oranges. This is a different kind of place -- you won't get a long Indian buffet, lots of gravy-drenched curries, or the requisite gulab jaman for dessert.

The entrees we ordered were the Kashmiri lamb chops, the wild salmon, eggplant stuffed with peanuts, the sweet peas, and the East Indian shrimp. Also tried a variety of nans. My favorite was probably the salmon -- it was poached in the most sublime coconut sauce that had heat without being too hot. With all of our dishes, the thing we noticed was the very complex layering of flavors. The sauces, the spices, everything -- had such a richness and depth to it, that it was clearly cooked by someone who knew what they were doing.

Regarding the comment about "better and fresher." The server explicitly indicated where they source their seafood (some sustainable provider that I can't remember the name), they use locally grown produce whenever possible, and yes, you can tell that the vegetables were not overcooked and retained the actual taste of the veggies rather than being drenched in sauce. Finally, *nothing* that we ordered was oily -- which we often find to be a problem at many Indian restaurants.

The price is certainly higher than other Indian restaurants around town. Again, apples to oranges. But it is very comparable to other restaurants in its class -- very high quality food, cool ambience, well-trained service. This is a restaurant to be compared against places like 112, Alma, etc., which just happens to be serving Indian food.

Two negatives that we noticed. First, the drinks. I really did not like the mango lassi, of all things. It was way too watery / icey. I would have liked it to be more yogurt-based and less like a frosty. The two cocktails we tried were OK. The Kashmiri Margarita smelled great, but tasted too sour -- not a big fan of the grapefruit juice in it. Second, we did not like the paratha (fried bread) -- it seemed too thin/hard compared to what I've eaten in India or at other places.

Overall, though, we were very impressed, especially after only being open one week. Definitely going back, but not an everyday thing due to the pricepoint.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

Pierres bistro mpls mn

Faith -- in this case I think you should trust your gut instinct. For the same price, there is much better food to be eaten.

My wife and I have traveled pretty extensively around France, and the one time we tried Pierre's, we left disappointed that none of what we ordered seemed authentic. Even the bread was sadly disappointing. Not only did it not taste authentic (which we are not total sticklers on), it just wasn't very memorable -- at least, in our experience. For that pricepoint, it should really stand out.

Vincent's is a much better representation of French. Same goes for Meritage. If you're looking to stay in the neighborhood, Heidi's, just a few blocks up 50th from Pierre's -- while not exclusively French -- is representative of French technique, and you will come away with a better meal for lower cost.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

MSP: Apple Orchard that MAKES pies

Hi all,

Apple season is almost here, and I love love love a good apple pie. Last year around this time I was on the lookout for an apple orchard within driving distance of the Twin Cities. We wound up going to one (which I will not name) which left me *very* disappointed with their apple pie. Rather than being freshly made on the orchard, it was pre-made and frozen at some other locale in Minnesota, and had many artificial ingredients. But the worst part is that it actually was not even very good! I threw it out after one slice. :(

So this year I have a very specific request. I'm looking for an apple orchard that makes their own pies. Bonus points if it is NOT over-spiced. I tend to prefer pies where you can taste the apple flavor, and are *not* overloaded with cinnamon or, gasp, nutmeg. Should be simple, right?

Frankly the best apple pie I've had since moving to MN 5 years ago has been the Lunds haralson pie. Not that I'm complaining -- it's a great pie. But it seems that with all the orchards around, there should be an uber-pie out there.

Anyone?

(btw, yes, I've tried Betty's pies.)

chrismpls in General Midwest Archive

MSP - Meritage, St. Paul

I've been impressed with Meritage every time I've been there; both food and service have been constantly great for us over the past few years. Their pork rillette is probably one of my favorite dishes I've had since moving to MN.

I know that if they were on my side of the river I'd be there much more regularly.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul

MSP: New Restaurant(?) - Grand Szechuan in Bloomington

We went to Grand Szechuan today for lunch. For reference, we're very familiar with eating at Little Szechuan, and lived in SF for a bunch of years, so have a pretty decent basis for comparison. Tried some of the usuals:

- Chung King Chili Chicken. I felt that this was very close to Little Szechuan. Spicy, maybe a little saltier than LS, but still good.
- Milky Crispy Shrimp. This is generally my wife's favorite from Little Szechuan. She did not like this version as much as LS, although I still liked it. The sauce was a little darker / milkier than LS. The LS sauce seemed a bit more vibrant. Shrimp were really well cooked, however. Broccoli seemed a little more of an afterthought (slightly over-steamed) but still good.
- Szechuan Green Beans -- These were good, but again we felt they were not *quite* as good as LS. LS seems to let their beans "blacken" a bit more than our dish at GS. The GS beans were fresh, though, and you could taste the bean flavor. Good dish, just not as much "wow" as previous experiences with this dish at LS.
- (weekend Szechuan "snack" special) Sweet and Spicy Noodles. *Really* spicy, not sweet at all. Noodles looked homemade, chewy. Good as a small bite but way too spicy to eat by itself. I probably won't try this one again. Actually I ordered it because I did not see Dan Dan noodles on the menu until later, when I realized that I had just missed them.

Don't read too much into my nitpicking... Grand Szechuan is far above almost all other Chinese restaurants in the cities; the slight negative comparison to Little Szechuan is simply because that seems to be the bar that has been set. In general I liked G.S. a lot better than Tea House West, both in food and decor.

Our service was very good. Friendly waiters who seemed to help each other out. (Multiple people took our dishes, bill, filled our water, etc.) We were one of only two non-Asian tables in the place.

Anyway, if it truly has only been a week or two that they've been open, then they're doing great so far. I will definitely be trying them again.

chrismpls in Minneapolis-St. Paul