bob s's Profile
Cooks Ilustrated Shout Out to Minnesota's Jucy Lucy
I have no doubt about anything you say about Phlly cheesesteaks, but your rationale for use of Cheese Whiz is most likely an urban legend. Cheese Whiz has dairy - it's a processed cheese - so it would not be permitted under Kosher rules. But even if Cheese Whiz were dairy-free, it's highly unlikely that Pat's (or anyone else) uses kosher beef. So those who follow Kosher law would be unlikely to eat any cheesesteak.
Minnesota Road Trip
Saffron is great but may be at the higher end of what you want to spend.
I would not make a special trip to Sun Street Breads. I've eaten there a few times and it's a perfectly good neighborhood spot, but it's not worth a detour.
Al's is great for the experience and the food's pretty good as well. You'll want to plan ahead so that you're not hitting the weekend rush there.
Piccolo will be at the high end of your budget unless you choose to eat lightly there. I enjoyed my meal there but it's not a place I would put at the top of my list. For the same money, I'd head to nearby Heidi's (at 29th and Lyndale).
Eden Prairie - Edina Update
Also across the street from Cafe Maude is In Season. Very good and a quick 8 blocks up from the Penn Avenue exit off Highway 62.
Sezchuan Spice
Coincidentally, I had dinner there on Saturday with my wife and son. We ended up with Dan Dan Noodles, Mini Soup Buns, the Orange Chicken, and Szechuan Green Beans. All were very good. The Dan Dan Noodles were a little sweet for my taste and the Green Beans were a bit thick and and a little mealy but that's not the restaurant's fault. I think that the sauce on the beans was also a little sweeter than I like as well but that's personal preference. Having said all that, the bottom line can be found in the result: there were no leftovers!
"Burch"
I tend to agree with foreverhungry. If we're talking about the 11-block stretch of Hennepin from Franklin to Lake - you're right. There's not much there besides Rinata and Namaste. But if you go just a little beyond those narrow confines, you find places like Lucia's and Barbette. And I think that Kinsen, Tum Rup Thai and Sushi Tango can be thrown into the mix of decent restaurants within a block of Hennepin. If you go a little further you can also include Heidi's.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Stuart Woodman is going to do with his new place.
The Lowry seems OK if you know what it is going in. (I've only had breakfast there, but from what I can tell, if you're looking for a decent meal and drink that's a buck or two overpriced it's fine.)
As to your original post, I think that parking will be no worse than the parking for Heidi's. And I don't have the same feelings about a basement room that you do. I wouldn't valet park for it, but I'd walk or ride a bike up.
I don't worry too much about either Issac Becker or Ryan Burnet's ability to scout out locations for restaurants. I'm not saying that they have the Midas touch, but assume that they have the knowhow to make a reasonable determination of how well a space will work for a restaurant.
Since I live in the area I join you in hoping that this venture works out.
Sezchuan Spice
I always want to branch out whenever we eat (take out) from Szechuan Spice, but I always return to the cumin lamb or the Ma Po Tofu. The Ma Po is not quite as good as Little Szechuan in St. Paul, but it's still very good and a lot easier to get to from our Uptown neighborhood. My wife also likes the orange-flavor chicken.
fried green tomatoes
I'm pretty sure that Dixies on Grand has them. I seem to recall them at the old Dixies near Lake Calhoun.
any nice places for a mothers day lunch near the Minneapolis lakes?
I'd see if you can get into Lucia's.
Need a Dinner Rec or Two for a First Time Visitor
Actually, Victory 44 now accepts telephone reservations.
Heartland, Hiedi's, or Ngon's Entrees?
I agree with Kevin. Heartland and Ngon are solid choices, but Heidi's is head and shoulders above both of them. (I'd pick Heidi's over Alma too.)
But if you're already going to Alma, do you want two highest end meals? I'd consider Ngon because it is something a little different (and different from what's in Portland as well).
Genuine Home-Baked Cakes
I'm glad to hear that she's finding success with groceries. I work near the store and park in the ramp in which the shop is located. I stopped in once for a (gigantic) piece of cake, which was good but have not been inspired to return. Unfortunately, the shop itself does not have much "curb appeal" so I suspect that that may have something to do with the lack of business.
Has anyone tried Jacks in South Minneapolis (used to be Java Jacks)
Jack's (in all incarnations) is closing 4/27/12.
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2012/04/26/jacks-restaurant-closing-in-minneapolis.html
A more specific Thai question
Just an FYI for readers, Roat Osha is at 27th and Hennepin, not on Lyndale.
A more specific Thai question
Tum Rup Thai may be the best bet in Uptown. The big 4 Thai places in Uptown (Tum Rup, it's sibling Roat Osha, Amazing Thailand, and Chiang Mai) all have nice atmosphere, and decent service. I like the food at Tum Rup and Amazing Thailand the best, but YMMV. Both have pretty good Pad Thai. I've not had Massamun curry at any of them though - sorry.
Downtown MPLS - mid priced for government travelers
I'd also add the following to the list of moderately priced places downtown that will have Chow-ish choices and items that will appeal to the less adventurous.
Zelo - Italian about 1.5 blocks from your hotel. zelomn.com
The Dakota - restaurant and music club about 2 blocks from the hotel. You may or may not be lucky to find some music that you'd enjoy. Most entrees on the menu are
Masa - "Nuevo" Mexican about 3 blocks from the hotel - as imagined by and for Minnesotans. I think everything is
I think the food at each of these places is solid. Not the top food in the city, but certainly decent places for the business traveler.
Solo dining Minneapolis
I'll make the same suggestion that I made earlier today in another thread. If the day is nice, I'd head down to Lake Calhoun. You can either have fish on the lake at The Tin Fish or walk a few blocks to Lucia's and sit outside. No problem in either place for the solo diner. (Same with Barbette which is also in the neighborhood, but I think that Lucia's is much more of a Minneapolis icon.)
Favorite Restaurant to bring out-of-town guests?
I'd add In Season or Lucia's to the other good suggestions given for higher end places. In the summer, I'd hit The Tin Fish to show off Lake Calhoun.
Restaurant Recommendations in Orlando
We (Minnesota 'hounds) were looking to escape theme park mediocrity and really enjoyed our meal two weeks ago at Cityfish. We were staying at Universal and it's about 15 minutes away toward downtown Orlando. Casual restaurant with great service and good food. Kid friendly too! Straightforward fish and seafood.
Sea Salt opening Friday March 30th at 11:00 a.m.
I was talking with one of the owners of The Tin Fish last weekend and she was saying that their opening is predicated on having water turned on in the building. I bet it's the same for Sea Salt. I don't blame the Park Board for not having the water on in mid-March. I'm sure they were caught out and had to readjust schedules because of the early warm weather.
Dinner with a good friend in highland area
The Highland Grill is always pleasant and has good food.
Mai Village
Mai Village doesn't move me very much one way or the other, but it sounds like they're having financial problems. If you're interested in the history of the restaurant and its owner or in their current situation, here's more info: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/column/lu-lippold/mai-village-river-life-keeps-flowing-toward-foreclosure
*PATIO* season! --pleasant Coffeeshops/Cafes with such?
Had my first ice cream (actually sorbet) of the season last Friday at the Linden Hills Sebastion Joe's. They have both covered and open outdoor spaces that are nice, but very busy.
I also enjoy sitting outside at both Barbette and Lucia's. Neither has a separate patio, but both are enjoyable despite being on the sidewalk. Barbette has planters and colored lights at night. I'll add a caveat about sitting at Lucia's without ordering food or alcohol. I don't know whether or not that would be a problem - I think less so these days if you sat outside of the bakery. Barbette would probably be fine before the evening for non-alcoholic drinks only. They might give you the evil eye if you were taking up a table on a Saturday evening and only ordered a couple of iced teas.
Crema would be perfect as well.
Kings Wine Bar has outdoor sidewalk seating. You might consider it if you were in the neighborhood.
Has anyone tried Jacks in South Minneapolis (used to be Java Jacks)
Just posting an update - Kevin Kathman is no longer at Jack's. More info here: http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Blogs/Twin-Cities-Taste/March-2012/DeRushaEats-Kevin-Kathman-OUT-at-Jacks/
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Java Jack's Coffee Cafe
818 W 46th St, Minneapolis, MN 55419
Moving to Minneapolis
Had walleye at Lucia's this past weekend, but forgot to ask if it was local.... Their menu changes weekly, so it may not be around for a long time.
Best Place for Mussels?
Barbette's mussels have been excellent in the past. I think that they're probably your best bet near the lakes. They serve them in a traditional wine sauce or with a coconut lime preparation.
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Barbette
1600 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Visit to Minneapolis
I'm not up on where Minnesota-caught walleye is served, so I can't answer that. If someone were set on that I guess Fire Lake would be fine.
But I don't know whether or not having Minnesota walleye instead of Canadian walleye makes much difference from the diner's perspective. (Obviously, there are other reasons why one might want to promote economic prosperity for the Red Lake Band.) Can anyone tell the difference in taste between "domestic" and "imported" walleye (or zander for that matter)?
Visit to Minneapolis
Cosmos and Porter & Frye and (and, to some extent, Manny's and D'Amico Kitchen - although each of them has an audience and reputation that they brought with them to the hotels in which their located) are the exceptions that prove the rule. And I give each of them their due. But for each of those great restaurants, I can name you 3 or 4 hotel restaurants that serve unadventurous meals that are competently prepared and served and that I would never recommend to a visiting person interested in exploring the local food scene. I continue to maintain that, by and large, hotel restaurants in the Twin Cities are generally not destinations meriting much attention.
Unfortunately, in my experience (and that of the party that I was with), the end result of Fire Lake falls into this category. I give kudos to the Minneapolis Radisson for trying it. They were at the front edge of the local food movement before it was trendy and that's even more impressive given the size of the organization that surrounds it. It's great that they're trying to feature local foods and regional items that are not generally available. I just wish we were happier with what appeared on our plates.
And the elk was not bad. If I was eating there again, I would certainly consider it. But first, I'd see if I could convince my companions to try someplace else nearby instead.
Visit to Minneapolis
I had a totally uninspiring dinner at FireLake a month or so ago. Had the elk loin, which was perfectly fine and a new protein for me. But I'd never recommend it to a visitor who's anxious to try out local foods. I don't think you'd have a bad meal there, but when all is said and done, it's a hotel restaurant.
