Quince's Profile
Se Salt
I wasn't trying to express a desire for a local-only fish restaurant, only that I love to eat lake fish and have no fishing skills or equipment. It's hard to find restaurants that serve lake trout and herring in the Twin Cities, so I make sure to try to get my fill anytime I am along Hwy 61.
I like Sea Salt, for what it's worth.
Se Salt
I want a restaurant in the Twin Cities that serves all of the fish dishes you described! Sounds great.
How Do MSP restaurants compare to Chicago, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco Rests??
I think that in terms of value, MSP is fantastic for fine dining. Food of comparable quality is so much more expensive in larger cities, probably because the markets there tolerate a higher price point. At the lower end of the market we don't measure up so well, with the possible exception of the Vietnamese and Hmong restaurant scene.
We are, however, unusually blessed with co-op markets, CSA subscriptions and farmer's markets with reasonable prices. It's a good place for the avid home cook.
Bar La Grassa--First time
I recommend the pasta negra with sea urchin, mussels and tomato and the red wine spaghetti, along with the lobster and egg bruschetta.
As a more general recommendation, I would say stick with the pastas and the bruschettas and skip the secondi. The half portions of pastas are great for variety, and for two people three half portions and one bruschetta was plenty of food. I know many people love the gnocchi, but if you don't like a strong orange flavor in your pasta you may not care for it.
Lynden's Soda Fountain in St. Paul
I went to St Paul Corner Drug recently. It may be an old soda fountain from 1920, but the place generally lacked charm and worst of all, the phosphates were not good at all.
birthday cake for 2?
Rustica sells cakes in four and six inch sizes, but they have a pretty limited selection of cakes at any given time. Still, it may be worth a look as the quality there is pretty high.
Bakeries and restaurants in/near St. Paul
I live in an area bordering the east side of the Como neighborhood (a part that used to be listed as Como on the MLS, but now is not). There really isn't much to walk to in terms of bakeries and restaurants, if that is important to you, but there are several good places in close driving distance.
For baked goods I go down to Selby to Bars Bakery and A Piece of Cake. Bread and Chocolate and Cafe Latte isn't far from there either. The Mississippi Market on Selby carries Rustica Bread, and the St Paul Farmer's Market is a short drive as well, with some good bread vendors.
It is also easy to get to good restaurants on University Ave (Big Daddy's, Ngon, Bangkok Thai Deli), Selby (W.A. Frost, Cheeky Monkey, Mango Thai, etc.), Grand Ave (Tavern on Grand, Brasa, Punch), and downtown (Meritage, Heartland). The Strip Club is also not too far. Plus, it's pretty close to both Hmong markets.
I'm guessing parts of Mac/Groveland would be just as close or closer to most of the places I am talking about, and would probably be the neighborhood I would choose just based on culinary appeal. The nicest thing about the Como neighborhood is Como Park and Lake Como, really.
All Things Croissant
My favorite croissant is made by Bars Bakery in St Paul on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. They have a delicious ham and cheese version. You need to go well before noon for the best chance to get one. They taste deceptively light, even though you know they are packed full of butter.
Patisserie 46 is my second choice for a ham and cheese croissant. It's a close second, mind you. To be honest, when I go to Patisserie 46 I prefer getting one of their ornate sweets, like a Mont Blanc, or their quiche for lunch, so it could be the ham and cheese croissant pales in comparison to their other offerings, as opposed to other croissants in the Twin Cities.
I'm pretty sure both bakeries make their croissants on site.
What's missing from MSP's culinary landscape?
A place called Soul Food Heaven opened recently on Maryland Ave in St. Paul, near the Marydale Park. I haven't been yet, so I don't know if it is any good.
MSP james beard semifinalists local rundown
Nope. I thought Bachelor Farmer was overrated as well. The food wasn't bad, but at that price point (higher than suggested by the statement on the online menu quoted above, btw), it should be much more exciting.
I vote for Saffron! I don't think I will ever have a more delicious dish of green beans.
Visit to Minneapolis
The smoked lake trout at Cub Foods, of all places, is good and inexpensive. Cub foods in Roseville has it, I'm not sure about other store locations.
Great steak for a decent price
This may sound strange, but I would consider Ngon Bistro. They have a Steak au Poivre on the menu as well as veggie options, and their food is consistently good. I have not ordered the steak myself, but I have dined with people who were very pleased by it.
What's the big deal with Red Stag?
I went for their fish fry a couple of months ago, and my experience was very hit and miss. I liked the mussels and truffle kettle corn at the start of our meal, and was therefore hopeful that the fish fry would be good. No such luck...my walleye tasted old and fishy. The tilapia was actually much much better. I would be more inclined to go to the Strip Club for a similar sort of restaurant with much better food.
Great produce that won't break the budget?
I also stock a bunch of fruit and veggies in my house. I found Eisenburg Fruit mostly appropriate for those with a good plan to salvage over-the-hill produce, although I did get some organic apples at a good price. I would look into a CSA and the St Paul Farmer's Market in the spring for the best produce at the best prices. Otherwise, I think the best quality is at the co-ops, but the prices can be pretty painful. Trader Joe's has good seasonal fruit selections. At Cub and Rainbow whatever is in season and on sale tends to be pretty decent.
Dinner Friday night near Aloft MSP
On second thought, I agree with you. I have never loved the food at Town Hall, although if you are in the mood for wings or a burger it can hit the spot. Given the requirements listed, I agree with soupkitten and would go with Saffron, 112 Eatery or Bar La Grassa. I especially enjoy sitting at the bar looking into the kitchen at Bar La Grassa.
Dinner Friday night near Aloft MSP
I would go to Spoonriver for brunch, Sea Change or the Town Hall if you don't want to take a cab, Bar La Grassa, Saffron or 112 Eatery if you don't mind a cab.
Best Old School Spaghetti and Meatballs?
I just tried the spaghetti and meatball at Rinata for the first time, and it really was delicious, with a very tender meatball. The restaurant was pretty empty though, which is a shame.
Where to buy King Oyster Mushrooms?
Many Asian markets have them. I have bought them from United Noodle and Dragon Star.
Best Old School Spaghetti and Meatballs?
They are not open for the season until Feb., but I really like the spaghetti and meatballs at the Dari-ette Drive-in. You may find their pasta overcooked...it's definitely on the soft side. The sauce is really wonderful though, and their (deep fried) meatball is a treat.
What's missing from MSP's culinary landscape?
Any good Hawaiian restaurants? Uh, no. No Hawaiian restaurants at all here, I'm pretty sure. United Noodles does carry frozen poi and a small selection of Hawaiian items, and I have seen taro leaves for sale at Dragon Star along with Okinawan sweet potatoes and breadfruit. It's easier to make Hawaiian food here than many other mainland areas, with the exception of the west coast. I don't eat spam musubi anymore, so I can't comment on the United Noodles version.
St. Paul trip...Sole Cafe or Ngon Bistro?
Ngon has a better ambiance and a nice beer list. Both have excellent food, but Korean and Vietnamese food is quite different. Ngon also has other options like steak and pasta, although I usually stick with the Vietnamese food when I go. I think you can't really go wrong with either of them.
Duck in the Metro
There were whole ducks at Mississippi Market in the freezer case when I was there last week. Seward co-op has had them around the holidays in the past as well.
Best Croissant?
Try the croissants at Patisserie 46. I don't know if they are better than Rustica's...I think Patisserie 46 and Rustica are the two best bakeries in the Twin Cities. I can definitely vouch for the goodness of the P. 46 croissant.
Top 5 Restaurants for B'day Dinner
1. Piccolo
2.Restaurant Alma
3. Heartland
4. Heidi's
5. Bar La Grassa
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Bar La Grassa
800 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Best Bakery -- not refined, not French, just good donuts
I think they are only available on the weekends. We went on a Sunday. They are made to order. We waited for maybe 10 minutes to get ours.
Best Bakery -- not refined, not French, just good donuts
I agree with MSPD...while the beingets were good at Mojo Monkey, the cake donuts were nothing special and not worth the long wait. We may try calling in an order for some raised donuts to give them one more shot. The Donut Cooperative donuts were very good. I hope they start making raised donuts in the future.
Minneapolis: 1 Bfast, 1 lunch, 1 Late lunch/early dinner this weekend!
Tilia is open with a limited menu at 4 pm on Sunday. I think Pizzeria Lola and Sea Salt are options for 3 pm...I ate at Sea Salt recently at 3:45 pm.
Pumpkin...
I had some very tasty pumpkin pancakes at Bon Vie this past weekend.
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Bon Vie
518 Selby Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55102
Our State Fair 2011: it's the Best State Fair in our State!
I had the Bull Bites last year and they were quite good...this year I went during a quiet period and they were old, overcooked, and chewy. I am done with Axel's. Thanks for reporting back about the breakfast lollipop. It was on my list, but I am now sure I did the right thing skipping it.
