I've been out of town for a week and I'm sorry for the suspense. Enjoy the following I hope its entertaining.

I'm part of a group that is not angered easily. We enjoy our company, conversation and we all have a great sense of humor. No matter what the setting, we find that in the end of our evening we’ve had a wonderful time. What you are about to read is a true account of the evening. We left the restaurant knowing we would never return. Yet, we managed to come away with good laughs and bizarre memories. Hope you enjoy the post. 


It’s the month of April 2009. I had been invited to join the Diner’s Club. I’ve been told to meet at the restaurant for the 6:15 seating. Arriving 15 minutes early I decided to head for the back of the main floor where the “L” shaped bar was located.

The décor was dark black wood and the shades on the huge front windows were closed but allowed just enough light in to give the restaurant that good old boys club feeling. I ordered a scotch on the rocks with a drop of water. What I received was a thimble jammed with ice and what must have been a one ounce pour. I placed a $20 on the bar and without asking, the bartender smoothly removed the twenty and tendered my tab. I must assume that I’m allowed just the one cocktail. I wasn’t offered to start a tab or asked to transfer to a dinner tab.
After a few sips of my libation I remorsefully looked at a glass filled mostly with ice. The bartender having notice my rapidly consumed cocktail asked of I’d like another drink or a glass of water? I kiddingly responded “What, do I look like a plant? How about topping off the scotch so it would look like a real cocktail? “He chuckled and poured me a glass of water. I took the opportunity to mix it with the remaining Chevis.

My name is Michael and my Diner’s Club Friends are Frank, Suzy and Julia. Frank and Suzy arrive at 6:14 and we headed up to our table on the second floor. The second floor was just as dark as downstairs and had huge windows with shades that allowed the perfect amount of light in to crate the perfect dining experience. The stairs going up were a lot easier to manage than going down.

Our drink order was placed with whoever seated us. The next person to arrive was a female who informed us that our drinks would be arriving soon and asked if there anything else she could get us in the meantime. We said “No, we’re waiting for Julia to arrive.”
I immediately turned to Frank and Suzy and said “I have a feeling that our server wants to be anywhere but here, let’s not pull a “Dave”. Frank asked, “What’s a Dave?” ….so I explained: Remember every time we would eat out with Dave he would ask the server in a belittling way, ‘And your name is?’ (Insert server’s response) ‘Well hi , So and So, I’m Dave. Have you worked here long?’ Yata yata yata… I was convinced that every time I eat out with Dave the cook or server was licking my food. So having determined that our server for the evening was in need of a quick drug hit, a drag off a smoke or simply didn’t want to be there we decided to not pull a “Dave”. 


 

Our server who shall be named “Woto” handed us menus. Given the darkness of the room Frank and I found it impossible to read. I located a small lamp on the table and hit the switch. It provided just enough light to tease me into thinking I could read the menu. Frank excused himself and walked to the corner of the room where a large lamp provided him with plenty of light.
Frank and I were content with the lighting. We didn’t ask for more lighting. Woto using her keen sense of what the customer needs, stood behind me and within 1/100 of a second we had enough light that equaled that of a solar flare exploding in your face. What had Woto done? With the evening sun setting so that it was parallel to the window of our table, Woto, with the twist of her wrist opened the shade of a window that was larger then a Buick, blinding every patron in the restaurant. The looks we received by fellow diners convinced us that we were going to be stabbed once we left the restaurant. To this day I can’t imagine what the diners thought had occurred on the first floor. I quickly closed the shade and tried to convey to the other guests that I hadn’t asked for the light. Going for pitch darkness to blinding light to pitch darkness within 15 seconds whirled my visual senses into total chaos. I believe it is worse then being water boarded.

Julia, having arrived late, ordered vodka water with a twist of lime. We asked Woto if we could place an appetizer order now. “No, I have another table to take an order for; I’ll take it when I bring her cocktail.” I suggested to Julia that she order a double because of what happened at the bar. Before we could catch Woto she was gone.
We like to share our food orders which allow us to get a taste of a lot of different menu items. This was made perfectly clear to Woto because we said “We like to share what we order.” Julia got her thimble of vodka and we ordered Baby Artichokes, Tenderloin Tartar
and bread and butter. Three of us ordered the strip, and asked for the sauces on the side because as we told Woto “We like to share what we order.”

Unwinding from a long productive day at the office Julia welcomed the first and only swallow of her cocktail. She shows me her glass and I motion to her to get Woto’s attention. Not wanting to seem too eager to order another so quickly, she observed Woto pass by our table three or four times. Had Woto cared about her job she would had noticed Julia sucking each cube dry of vodka. After the fourth pass we were to never see Woto again. Not until twenty minutes had passed by and we tactfully flagged her downed by the showing of four hands in the air waving wildly. Successful. Woto told us that our food will be here shortly and will bring the drinks after she brings the food.

The Baby Artichokes arrived first. It was10 to 15 chunks of asparagus sitting a small bowl with what tasted like wine, parsley and garlic.
Second to arrive was the bread and butter. The bread honestly looked like a small hoagie bun cut diagonally into six pieces. Suzy loves her bread and began to divide it up. Six piece four diners each of us gets one piece and two remained. As Suzy stares at the bread we all took a bite of the artichokes. Hard as a rock. Most artichokes I’ve consumed have been soft. Maybe it was intended to be raw and hard. I look up and discover the bread is gone.
Suzy no trying to look guilty as sin waves down Woto and asked for some additional bread. Suzy asked is there an additional charge for the bread? Woto very clearly state “Yes, you will be charged for the second order of bread.” Suzy, flabbergasted shared with Woto that most restaurants serve much bigger portions of bread and that she is used to having as much as she wants. Woto’s response was “If you want more bread cook up double the amount of bread when you are at home, but here, this is what you get and if you want more it will cost you.” After that warm and fuzzy exchange of pleasantries Woto placed the Tenderloin Tartar on the table.

All four of us stared in amassment, first at the plate then at each other. THREE pieces of meat, four diners. All we wanted to do was share our food. Clueless, Woto would have had to of been brain dead not to tell the “cook” to put 4 pieces on the plate instead of three. Make them small but make it 4, all we wanted to do was share our food; I passed on the Tartar and waited for the main entrée.

This next segment needs some background. Everyone knows or knows of a “grill master”. This person is a master of the grill. Gas, propane, charcoal or open fire. This individual is capable of cooking any meat, vegetable, fruit or seafood to perfection. Not just once in a while, every time, whether the guest asks for rare, med rare, medium or hockey puck (well done). The grill master is asked to cook whenever a grill is started, doesn’t matter if the gathering is at another guys house who can grill the host just doesn’t want the pressure of grilling when the grill master is there. We have such an individual at our table for 4.
For those that may not know, a rare steak is very red and has a cool touch to the center when cut opened. Very few will order their steaks rare. Next, is medium rare; It’s red throughout, not as bright and has a warm touch in the center. Next is medium. This is mostly brown with a slight pink color in the center. Last is medium well or hockey puck. This is brown throughout and all evidence of flavor has been cooked out and is at the bottom of the grill. Our grill master refuses to cook any steak hockey puck. Grill master=GM

Back to the story. Our steaks arrives and believe it or not the sauces for the strips are on the side so we can share. All three that ordered the strips ordered them medium rare. Two of the three were red throughout with a warm center, very enjoyable.
However the GM received a very rare strip, cool to the touch and very red. Being in a great mood and rarely if ever getting upset our GM ask to have his steak cooked for two minutes. Woto blew our minds. Instead of saying “Fine, I’ll be right back with your steak, sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.” Woto said the following “I didn’t think you ordered medium” GM said I ordered medium rare. Woto replied “Well then you have a perfectly cooked medium rare steak” The other three at the table went silent, how dare anyone question the GM. GM lost it. The balls on this chick were amassing.
GM informed her how to properly cook a steak and she still argued with the GM. Woto takes the plate and heads to the kitchen after saying “I should have order medium if that is what I wanted.”

The group is now having an animated conversations regarding the do and don’t of customer service.

Returning with the steak is the “cook”. The “cook” attempted to explain the ins an outs of corn fed or grass fed cow and how it can be cooked differently depending on how the cow is fed. The “cook” said “Since the cows are grass fed we’re able to cook our steaks rare, that the taste and texture is as if it were cooked medium rare. Really?!

Our only mission was to find out who this server was. We explained everything to the cook, from the bread, opening the shade, telling us when we would get our food and drinks, and then telling GM his steak was perfect and if he wanted to order medium he should of just ordered that way, not medium rare like it was. The cook dropped the bomb of a lifetime on us. He said she is the “Wife of the Owner” (Woto) and she just got back from a 12 day vacation and the last place she wanted to be was working here. WOW!!

Woto returned with deserts on the house. How did she say it, “Here are some free deserts because you got so anger about the steak?” Thanks dear, sounds like it was from the heart.

Now you know who Woto is, The Wife Of The Owner.

Hope you enjoyed,

Michael

Has anyone encountered Woto Yet? If so was it great or poor?

The food is secondary. My dad took us to the fair when we were young and when we were tired we would sit on a bench and watch the different types of fair goers. My dad had a great sense of humor. He would tell us what and where each individual had come from whether it was from under a rock or from outer space. I kept the trait and handed it onto my kids. My wife hates it and thing it's totally wrong. So every year I take my kids, without my wife to enjoy the rides, animals, and the people. The kids love it and can't wait till next year to see what kinds of twisted, strange people have decided to venture out into the public eye for all of us to enjoy. As for the food Danielson's onion rings are the beat.

The Carnitas burrito was huge, filled with rice, beans, fresh pico de gallo, sour cream, and tender, tasty pulled pork. The chicken fajitas were very good and the fish tacos were the best . The tortillas are some of the best I have ever had.

I took my kids to Ruth's Chris when they were to young to enjoy steak and my kids said they didn't want steak. I know that hard to believe. The kids asked for burgers and were told no. Wrong answer. So they asked if they could have mac & cheese and the server said yes!!
To this day my kids tell me of the day they had Mac & Cheese at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and loved it. Not that they will do that for you, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

I stumbled upon a mexican joint the has rotten decor, fair service and the greatest authentic mexican food this side of Edina. Priced great, lots of food and bring your zantax. Located at 6009 Nicollet Ave named LaPerla Del Pacisico. I've been eating there once or twice a year for the last 7 years. Love the food hate everything else.

I was at the Tavern last night. Enjoyed a Monticristo #2 and a few Johnny's on the rocks. Haven't had the burger yet, but did consume the crab artichoke cheese think. It was great. If only I had remembered to take a Zantac that night I wouldn't of had it for breakfast as well. Ran into someone from high school, who I hadn't seen for 30 years. It was a fun time.

I'd like to find the owner of the former Mario's Pizza that was on 5200 Chicago Ave in MPLS.

I understand there was a fire at the location around 2005. The internet provides very little information. The building is owned by a couple that live in St. Paul.

Is there another Mario's or better yet does anyone have their pizza recipe? I used to have a personal size pizza three times a week back in the 80's and I need one now, please.

Thanks

Walleye, broiled or lightly pan fried with butter, onions and garlic added in at the end. Pose the question to anyone not from MN as a multiple choice questions. What is MN's signature dish pizza, burger, walleye or hot dogs? Walleye wins every time.

If they are open for lunch, go to Brit's, head to the roof, hand your hubby a cigar and order a brew with scottish eggs.

Champps waffle fries with mayo hot red sause. the best taste and you get a mountain full for a few bucks.

I'm game, I'll give it a shot, Thanks No cheese huh? I'm sure if I ask for it I'll get it or is it like the soup nazis and they will throw me out the door?

I'm looking for a hot roast beef sandwich that's juicy and full of flavor. The bread need to by rye or pumpernickle and the cheese need to be swiss. That is all I ask. I've googled the sandwich and came up with Mavericks is it any good if not where do I go?

Thank you, you guys are great

RP

The only pizza burger I had was in grade school lunch room. Creek Valley in the bubble 1969. It was great crusty bread on the out side and soft and saucy in the middle. loved it.

what's the story behind the two bullet holes in the picture by the bar?

I've decided to go to Sandy's tavern in Richfield. burgers fro $2 and tap beer for $2
pool for only $1.00.

Fine. I'll only drink and smoke, what's a tavern for anyways.

Why would a german restaurant attempt to pull off a cheeseburger. It's like a Japanese restaurant trying to pull off a beerbrat.

I'm headed the the Tavern on Friday to enjoy a fine cigar and scotch, of course. Any recommendations on the food? Thanks

Our meal was great and yes they had rabbit on the menu. I"m writing a longer version of the wonderful evening and will post when finished. Something was up with the liver pate, it came highly recommended and yet, I don't know. Thanks for the feedback.

We ate there on a Thursday night at the 6:15 p.m. seating. It wasn't packed. Woto was just in a mood that set the tone for the entire evening. Desert was fantastic the highlight of the evening was watching the door close behind us as we left the establishment.

15 years ago they had rabbit stew. The liver pate and the Ham and sauerkrut balls look good. didn't think to check the online menu, thanks

I ate there in April 09' and had the wildest experience ever at a restaurant. We called our server Woto and she blew our socks off with her poor service.

The food was fair and the cocktails were tiny.

I haven't eaten at the Black Forest Inn in over 15 years. I'll be there tonight. Any recommendations in the duck or rabbit department.