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  • Post #151 - May 29th, 2019, 7:44 am
    Post #151 - May 29th, 2019, 7:44 am Post #151 - May 29th, 2019, 7:44 am
    {images should be working now, please PM me if they're not}

    Just returned from a long weekend in Minneapolis (with a smidge of St. Paul) -- better weather there than Chicago: until the Monday rains hit, we had cloudless skies and mid 70's, just perfect.

    I'd already talked about our Friday evening Jucy Lucy -- enjoyable experience, worth doing, not earth-shattering.
    Image

    Saturday morning we went to the Mill City Farmer's Market, which was a nice way to browse through some local vendors: A ham-and-cheese croissant from Salty Tart was perfectly balanced on salt, grease, crisp and creamy; turkey and veggie momo from Gorkha Palace were fun steamed dumplings -- like big potsticker size, good texture, nice tomato chutney; and pancakes with local maple syrup from Black Cat.

    Mill City Farmers Market
    704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55415
    (between the Mill City Museum and Guthrie Theater)
    Saturdays May-October

    (more vendors under the roofs in the back there)
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    Saturday evening we scored a table at Eater-recommended Hai Hai, labeled vietnamese but definitely skewing Thai. Spring rolls (not pictured) had great flavors and texture, with crisp egg roll wrapper inside the chewy rice paper. Tapioca gnocci (think big bubble-tea pieces) with pork belly, shrimp and chile jam were fantastic. The crispy rice salad I think was better than Rainbow Thai's (I know, sacrilege), with lots of heat, sour and herb, and Hanoi Sticky Rice was sort of a Vietnamese bibim bap with ground pork and pork floss. Dessert was a Racines cake (flourless chocolate) with a quenelle of creme fraiche.

    Tapioca Gnocchi
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    Crispy Rice Salad
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    Hanoi Sticky Rice
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    Racines Cake
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    Bar, lots of fresh herbs
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    Sign outside
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    Hai Hai
    2121 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418
    Phone: (612) 223-8640
    www.haihaimpls.com

    More later
    Last edited by JoelF on May 29th, 2019, 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #152 - May 29th, 2019, 12:47 pm
    Post #152 - May 29th, 2019, 12:47 pm Post #152 - May 29th, 2019, 12:47 pm
    Were you there May 11-12th? If so, we missed each other at Mill City by minutes apparently.

    I was very impressed with MSP. My son is living and working there and I am happy for him.
  • Post #153 - May 29th, 2019, 3:49 pm
    Post #153 - May 29th, 2019, 3:49 pm Post #153 - May 29th, 2019, 3:49 pm
    Octarine wrote:Were you there May 11-12th? If so, we missed each other at Mill City by minutes apparently.

    I was very impressed with MSP. My son is living and working there and I am happy for him.

    No, we were there Memorial Day weekend -- we left Thursday evening and stopped in Madison, then onward to mpls after a stop at the Mall of America.

    Continuing onward - Sunday Morning we stopped at Butter Bakery, highly recommended for their biscuits. Goal was a light breakfast, since we had reservations for lunch. We split a sausage-egg-cheddar biscuit, which was outstanding. Also very good coffee, but no pix.

    Butter Bakery Cafe
    3700 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409
    Phone: (612) 521-7401

    Lunch was at Handsome Hog, a tough place to get into for dinner, so we decided on lunch, not realizing it would be an egg-centric brunch menu. Oh well, no more eggs, right? (hah, see below). Food here was stellar. If it hadn't been so early, I'd have had a cocktail, their selections looked very good, with several smoked bourbon items.

    I had the Cajun Benedict, with house-cured Canadian bacon, collard greens (which should really make it Cajun Eggs Florentine), Cajun hollandaise, and pickled green tomatoes, which added a nice sweet-sour bite to the dish. Only criticism is I'd have liked the english muffin a little toasty-crisp, otherwise perfect. The green salad helped foil the rich dish.

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    Sue had the Hot Brown with house-cured ham and bacon, mornay sauce and an egg, with home fries and marinated tomato. Really, really nice, and I normally am not much of a ham fan (it's a texture thing -- Canadian bacon is fine).

    Image

    Handsome Hog
    203 6th St E, St Paul, MN 55101
    Phone: (651) 340-7710
    http://www.handsomehog.com

    At dinner time the weather was just perfect, we walked over to Nicollet Mall (a street, not a shopping center), and ate at The Brit's Pub, which has rooftop bocce (but a smaller menu on the rooftop) in a beautiful building from the 20's. We ate at a table out front, a caesar salad and the Royal Sampler, which, as you could guess, had more eggs -- Scotch, to be exact. In addition there were chicken fingers, cod nuggets, and fried mac and cheese, with ketchup, chipotle aioli, barbecue sauce and tartar for dipping. A cold lemonade (for me) and red wine (for her). Nothing really special, but a gorgeous night.

    The Brit's Pub
    1110 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403
    Phone: (612) 332-3908
    http://www.britspub.com

    Last meal was, of course, more eggs, as the storms started to come in.
    Our Kitchen is a classic old diner. Their motto is "14 stools, one counter, no bathroom." Just breakfast and lunch (close by 3PM, 2 on weekends). The guy at the griddle is a machine, cranking out pancakes, hash browns, eggs, and breakfast meats. The cakes are plate-sized, you can (and should) sub your toast for one at no upcharge -- in fact, they let me sub OJ for coffee on the Special: two eggs, hash browns, a hunk of sausage bigger than a typical griddled burger, pancake or toast and coffee. The hash browns are perfect: crispy shreds surrounding a creamy middle. Eggs were just as I liked them (over medium). They keep a selection of national and local hot sauces -- the Crybaby Craig's was very tasty, not very hot.

    Sue had a short stack (2 pancakes) and bacon. Sorry, no pix, but definitely a place worth going back to.

    Our Kitchen
    813 W 36th St, Minneapolis, MN 55408
    Phone: (612) 825-3718
    www.ourkitchenmn.com
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #154 - August 28th, 2019, 12:42 pm
    Post #154 - August 28th, 2019, 12:42 pm Post #154 - August 28th, 2019, 12:42 pm
    Was in Minneapolis briefly this summer and visited an old fried: The South Jersey Hoagie from Broder's in SW Minneapolis. Broder's is a long standing family run deli/cafe/pizzaria who have expanded to multiple posts on the corner (a fancy pasta bar and more formal restaurant). I'm sure the two restaurants are great but I can't attest to anything but the original. The South Jersey Hoagie is among my favorite things to eat in this life. I won't tell you its better than Bari or JPG's or Tempesta but its the classic italian sub I grew up on and its worth a hit if you're in the area. Their pizza rules too. I'm partial to the sausage (ground and crumbly with lots of fennel) but everything is great. I don't think I've ever sat down to eat at Broder's. Get a pizza or subs to go and take them to Lake Harriet in good company.

    BRODERS' CUCINA ITALIANA
    2308 West 50th Street
    Minneapolis, MN 55410
  • Post #155 - April 30th, 2020, 2:42 pm
    Post #155 - April 30th, 2020, 2:42 pm Post #155 - April 30th, 2020, 2:42 pm
    Sad news--made about a 1/2 dozen trips to Minneapolis over the past 18 months and tried to get to Bachelor Farmer several times, but for various reasons, didn't get to eat there.

    "Dear Friends,

    Six weeks ago, we closed the doors to The Bachelor Farmer, Marvel Bar, and our cafe to protect the health of our team, and the community. And today, I have reached the very difficult decision that we will not reopen.

    As you know, the future of hospitality is incredibly uncertain and over the past month, we have tried our best to navigate this uncharted territory. We have explored the option of takeout, most likely evolving into a hybrid model of takeout and reduced-capacity dining room service in the months ahead, but there’s just no way for that level of business to support the financial weight of our company and the building we call home. We were already walking a fine line before COVID-19, and given that no one knows how long the impacts of this pandemic will last, or what the new normal will be, I do not see a viable path forward.

    The loss fills me with sadness, but I am also overwhelmed with gratitude. We had the privilege of serving you for almost nine years. We celebrated important milestones right alongside you, hosting countless birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. We welcomed a president, a vice president, and a first lady. And we were fortunate to be able to go out on a high note, having recently received another four stars from the Star Tribune and reimagining a bar as a space where everyone feels comfortable. We helped to create a vibrant neighborhood and I hope we contributed something of lasting value to the fabric of our community. I’m proud of that legacy and can’t thank you enough for making it possible.

    We have tried to provide support for our team through this incredibly difficult time, and this decision doesn’t change that. Every employee received six weeks of pay while furloughed and we will continue to provide full health benefits through May 31. And for our guests, if you have an unused gift card we will transfer the balance into a credit at Askov Finlayson. Any outstanding event deposits will be refunded in full. There is no easy way to do this, but we’re committed to doing it right.

    I want to thank Mayor Frey and Governor Walz for their steady leadership through this crisis. I strongly support the decisive steps they’ve taken to protect our collective wellbeing and this decision is not a result of their actions, which have been commensurate with the crisis we face.

    Lastly, to our friends in the Minneapolis restaurant community: It has been an honor to be in your company and I believe in your ability to overcome these unprecedented challenges. Hospitality will be more important than ever as we heal from the shared trauma of this experience and I know you will continue to raise the bar for many years to come.

    Thank you again, everyone, for your incredible support. We will miss welcoming you through our doors, but hope to see you again soon.

    Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and each other.

    My best,
    Eric Dayton
    "
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #156 - January 7th, 2022, 11:25 am
    Post #156 - January 7th, 2022, 11:25 am Post #156 - January 7th, 2022, 11:25 am
    Hat tip to newish food hall The Market at Malcolm Yards, in a great parkable locale. As seems to be too often the case, offerings were stronger and more creative than Chicago hall comparables, with curry leaf dosa (served with two dipping curries and whole-spice chai) from Nepali-Indian Momo Dosa and togarashi fries with kimchi slaw from Abang Yoli (also doing brisk Malaysian fried chicken business) being two of the best things I ate in 2021. Self-dispensed draft beers, wines, and draft cocktails were also beautifully curated.

    The Market at Malcolm Yards
    501 30th Ave SE
    Minneapolis, MN
  • Post #157 - August 18th, 2022, 9:44 pm
    Post #157 - August 18th, 2022, 9:44 pm Post #157 - August 18th, 2022, 9:44 pm
    My husband and I took a short vacation to the Twin Cities area with my MIL who is visiting from Chennai for the first time in 3 years. MIL is a mostly pescatarian diabetic who has particular tastes and requires a very timely schedule of breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea/coffee, and dinner each day, but we still managed to eat pretty well.

    Our main goal was to visit the Mall of America, as MIL is a big fan of shopping, so we picked a hotel not far from the mall with Fiddlehead Coffee, a well-reviewed coffee shop, right across the street. They did not disappoint – we visited at least once a day and loved everything we had from the perfectly crafted cortados, the flaky and flavorful pastries, the interestingly composed breakfast sandwiches, and the light and fluffy quiches. I’d wholeheartedly recommend it for coffee or breakfast when visiting the mall, where both of those are pretty limited in the mall itself.

    Another big hit not far from the mall was Dosa South Indian Grill. My Tamilian husband said it was the best South Indian street food he’s had in his 22 years in the US. We had dosa, idly, and kari dosa chicken with coconut and tomato chutneys and sambar, the kal dosa with salna, and the sambar idly, and they all really hit the spot. We nearly adjusted our plans to come back again the next day but ultimately decided that it was not worth it as we have a pretty stellar South Indian cook in my MIL already. I’m terrible at remembering to take pictures, so here is just our empty plates from round 2 of eating.

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    We did also venture into the cities to enjoy the Mississippi River and other sites as well. St. Paul has a strong South Asian contingent, especially along University Ave, and we chose to check out Cambodian at Cheng Heng. The #3A chive cakes were flavorful and lightly fried with an overly sweet sauce, but the chili crisp and other hot sauces on the table made up for that. The soups were the real star – we had the #44 Tam Yam and #46 Machu Angkor with fish and loved their funky blend of vegetables and savory/sour/sweet broth.

    The other place I remembered to take pictures was Lake and Bryant Café for breakfast. We tried the garam masala tofu scramble, chicken tikka sandwich, and shakshuka, and enjoyed all three, although all were too acidic for MIL.

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    We also enjoyed Meseret Ethiopian Restaurant (the veggie combo was good; doro wot fine; they were short staffed so service was slow but very friendly and efficient), Gorkha Palace (advertised as Nepalese, Tibetan, and Indian but the menu seems to skew mostly towards the latter - we liked our veggie pakora, machha curry, and Goan shrimp curry), and Vendella Euro Boutique and Coffee Haus (good coffee, cute shop). We found the Twin Cities area a bit boring overall, but I do think there is some good food there.

    Fiddlehead Coffee
    8061 33rd Ave S
    Bloomington, MN 55425

    Dosa South Indian Grill
    8654 Lyndale Ave S
    Bloomington, MN 55420

    Cheng Heng
    448 University Ave W
    St Paul, MN 55103

    Lake and Bryant Café
    821 W Lake St
    Minneapolis, MN 55408

    Meseret Ethiopian Restaurant
    3867 Minnehaha Ave S
    Minneapolis, MN 55406

    Gorkha Palace
    23 4th St NE
    Minneapolis, MN 55414

    VENDELLA euro boutique & coffee haus
    1440 Duckwood Dr Suite 600
    Eagan, MN 55122
  • Post #158 - August 19th, 2022, 9:35 am
    Post #158 - August 19th, 2022, 9:35 am Post #158 - August 19th, 2022, 9:35 am
    eieileen wrote:My husband and I took a short vacation to the Twin Cities area with my MIL who is visiting from Chennai for the first time in 3 years. MIL is a mostly pescatarian diabetic who has particular tastes and requires a very timely schedule of breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea/coffee, and dinner each day, but we still managed to eat pretty well . . .

    Food looks good. Sounds like you did right by your MIL and made the best of things, given the situation. A shopping-focused trip would be about as selfless as it gets for us! :D

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #159 - August 19th, 2022, 1:56 pm
    Post #159 - August 19th, 2022, 1:56 pm Post #159 - August 19th, 2022, 1:56 pm
    Back in the 90's when I lived in Bloomington, people in Des Moines paid $35 each for a round trip bus ride to the Mall of America.

    I would have paid $35 to not go.

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