mtullius's Profile
Brunch for Large Group in St Paul
It's certainly nothing too great, and the other options mentioned are probably better food-wise, but I just noticed that Day By Day Cafe, our regular Sunday brunch spot, advertises that they have a private room for large parties.... your basic breakfast stuff, perfectly fine but not anything to write home about. Never had lunch food, though they do have it. It's in St. Paul on W. 7th St.
Minnesota Road Trip
Thanks for the clarification. I've only eaten at the original spot a couple of times, and never since the Grand Ave. location opened (much closer and more convenient). A couple of points: first off, as far as menus go, I'd be willing to bet that you could order anything from the Highland menu at another Punch and get it. That doesn't completely take care of it, since you'd have to know what you want, but... Second, at least at Grand Ave., the servers wear the same jerseys and the walls have the same kind of stuff on them.
But in general, obviously, everyone's entitled to their idiosyncratic opinions on such things! I just didn't want anyone reading the board to think there was something objectively better or worse about the original Punch location vs. other ones.
Where to take some visiting Food Snobs?
I agree-- as opposed to Vincent, which fairly oozes Frenchiness (whether that's a good or bad thing, depends on one's prejudices), Meritage just feels like a nice restaurant. And the burger is fantastic, as are the fries. There's just about something for everyone there, but the person who WANTED the French experience won't likely be disappointed either.
Minnesota Road Trip
foreverhungry, what do you have against other Punch locations? I confess that I've mainly been to the Grand Ave. location (next door to Brasa), but it seems just great to me....
Heartland, Hiedi's, or Ngon's Entrees?
I think bob's point is a good one-- one "posh American" dinner might be enough for the trip. If that's not the case, then sure, Heidi's is probably a good call (I've never been, and never will go, but people certainly agree that the food is good). But otherwise, I think Ngon is a solid choice.
St. Paul Food Trucks - 2012 Season
I've heard the new Ngon Bistro food truck should be rolling out this summer!
A more specific Thai question
Though Bangkok Thai Deli doesn't sound like the kind of atmosphere the OP is looking for. It's rather sterile, deli-like....
I'd recommend Sen Yai Sen Lek-- mixed reviews on the food end of things, but I think it's the kind of atmosphere you're looking for.
Another possibility would be Mango Thai on Selby (near Dale) in St. Paul. Very nice atmosphere. I've generally liked the food....
Where's the beef?
The Happy Gnome is making a helluva burger these days. Also Meritage has a great one. Those are my suggestions...
Ngon Bistro Virgin
Be sure to have some wonderful local beer there. Ask about what's available on cask, and what the beer specials are. There's usually something you won't be able to get most other places....
Minneaplis suggestions for family of 5
I completely agree that Izzy's and Pumphouse are very different, though I'd disagree with your descriptions a bit. Pumphouse's ice cream is certainly "rich" in the sense of containing a lot of butterfat. But what I think you're getting at is that Pumphouse generally uses less sugar. Some of the flavors are subtle, but others are practically bursting with whatever flavor is featured. Especially the sorbets, which to me are like eating a concentrated form of the fruit in question.
Personal taste, as you imply, is the key-- for me, Pumphouse is the only option, and Izzy's doesn't do anything at all, such that I've quit trying it..
Minneaplis suggestions for family of 5
+1 for ice cream. Though I'd put Pumphouse Creamery far above any of the others you mentioned. Izzy's, Sonny's, and Seb Joe's all have some good flavors. Grand Ole Creamery is, in my opinion, thoroughly forgettable.
MSP james beard semifinalists local rundown
Just thrilled for Alma, absolutely our very favorite restaurant, and thrilled for Alex Roberts, who has to be the nicest guy in the TC restaurant business.....
Visit to Minneapolis
I'll respectfully disagree: Fasika is fine for Ethiopian food, though in my experience it's average at best compared to what one can find in most major metro areas. Somali food is not something I have much experience, but there are places along Cedar Ave. in Minneapolis where one can find some... but I'll let others weigh in on that.
Anyway, my point is: if Ethiopian is all we can offer the OP (and not specifically Somali food), I'd just skip it. And if I were determined to have Ethiopian food, I'd go to Flamingo over Fasika in a heartbeat.
Visit to Minneapolis
Well, some would say you should try a Jucy Lucy, a cheese-stuffed burger which is a local specialty. Where to get one is a bit of a sticky wicket... top contenders might be Matt's Bar, the Nook, or the Blue Door Pub.
Also the wild rice porridge at Hell's Kitchen might qualify. MN produces lots of wild rice, and the HK version is rich and delicious.
There are more Somalis living in Minnesota than anywhere else in the US, so maybe some Somali food?
And Vietnamese food is definitely abundant and great here....
But there's not really anything that's equivalent to cheesesteak in terms of local foodstuffs, I'd say.
Bymore Taqueria - Eastside St. Paul
I've never seen it mentioned on CH before, but I've eaten at this place a few times recently. It's very good, very clean, a solid mom-and-pop operation. Excellent tacos, enchiladas..... has a nice fixin's bar where you can put whatever salsa and stuff you want on your taco.....
Give it a try if you're in the area. It's on Payne Ave., just north of Phalen Blvd., on the Eastside of St. Paul.
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By More Taqueria
870 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130
Best Breakfast Ever - Your Favorites
For pancakes, I'd take Al's Breakfast's pancakes over anywhere else's.....
Wifey birthday dinner
Is there some reason you don't want to go to LBV? For what you've described, it seems like the best fit. But if you're looking to branch out a bit, Vincent can be very nice.... and if you mention the occasion, they may do a little something special.
Cong You Bing or Green Onion pancake. Who's got them in the metro?
And it's very very good (not that I really have a frame of reference beyond the fact that I think it's tasty). Though it doesn't do as well in a takeout scenario....
looking for a good birthday cake - St. Paul
+1. We got our daughter's birthday cake there a couple of years ago, and it was superb-- everyone kept talking about how delicious it was. And pretty. If you don't like goopy buttercream, it's a great option, since (at least for the cake we got) they use whipped cream....
2012 Minnesota Burger TDL
I tend to agree-- trying to compare the Mickey's burger to the Meritage burger, to name a couple, is seriously apples to oranges. They're both good, and both aspire to be something quite different from each other, and each succeeds in its aspiration.... That's why these kind of lists (along with things like "best pizza") tend to be fairly useless...
One burger not mentioned here (and it's in the "high end" category) is the one at the Happy Gnome. I think it's changed fairly recently, and the past couple of times I've had it, it has been nothing short of extraordinary. Perfectly cooked (I always order medium rare), with a nice dollup of shortribs on top, super juicy, nicely seasoned... with some of their excellent homemade (or doctored at least) ketchup, it's a real winner in my book.
I've previously been a big booster of Meritage's burger, but this one might just be better (in my book) (though Meritage's fries, especially with the bearnaise, are much better).
What's missing from MSP's culinary landscape?
Wow, decent coffee is a tall order for a middle of the night kind of thing... Seems to me the one that would be the best is the one that made the coffee most recently. If you sweet talked the waitress at Mickey's, they might make you a fresh pot.... But the coffee there is certainly not anything special (to say the least).
Seeking recommendations for girlfriend lunch get together
Right, SK-- I forgot about the Monday thing. At least Ngon and Brasa are open on Mondays.
Seeking recommendations for girlfriend lunch get together
Moderate price is a bit of a relative term.... it would help you get better recs if you were more specific.
But off the top, some great places for lunch in St. Paul:
-Ngon Bistro (10 bucks or so for most lunch entrees)
-Brasa (ditto)
-Meritage (the burger is fantastic, the fries are pretty great too; just a bit pricier, maybe 12-15)
Open on Christmas Day
Mickey's has been open continuously (24 hrs a day, every day of the year) since, I believe, 1939. And it's tasty diner food! I love Mickey's....
Any old fashioned ice cream parlors out there??
Well, if Izzy's can be considered in line with the OP's request, then I'll also throw in a plug for Pumphouse Creamery, which does have sundaes and the like (not sure about banana splits)-- and in line with Pumphouse's hard core commitment to local sourcing and such, all their sundae stuff tends to be homemade and often local. Homemade caramel sauce, etc... I've only had one or two of these, but they were very good (Pumphouse's ice cream being, in our family's opinion, the best in the TCs).
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Pumphouse Creamery
4754 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Ruam Mit Thai
It's acceptable Thai food. Nothing great, but passable in my experience. And sadly, it's the closest to our house, so it's the Thai food we eat most often....
Meritage vs Heartland
There's no contest here-- the Gnome has the best beer selection in the area, and the food, while not great, is OK. This is a late-night-snack kind of thing, from what I gather, so the beer trumps the not-great food. Go to the Gnome. Drink some local beer. Life is good.
Surdyk's Liquor infuriates Surly Nation!!!
One question is: when did Surdyk's sell out? My understanding is that they didn't have it for much longer than anywhere else.
As for Axel's-- you're saying that they were serving a 24 oz portion of Darkness on tap for 8 bucks? I find that hard to believe... for one thing, it's borderline irresponsible for a bar to serve that large of a portion of such a high alcohol beer.
Surdyk's Liquor infuriates Surly Nation!!!
I think criticizing Surly or its fans for their community service is really beyond the pale. How many other local businesses create community service projects and invite their fans to pitch in for a good cause? Geez.....
