1st- chez daniel, bloomington
3rd- big 10, hopkins
5th- market bbq, minnetonka
7th- las margaritas, st. paul
12th- italianni's, minnetonka
14th- good earth, roseville
18th- bloomington park tavern, bloomington
25th- yorktown cinema grill, edina
26th- el gordo, st. louis park
28th- brit's pub, minneapolis

1st- chez daniel, bloomington (c)

do leftovers count? i had someone else's half-sandwich from chez daniel. a rachel (rueben with turkey instead of corned beef). decent for one with deli-style turkey (not carved from a real turkey), but a bit oily. it was still fresh-tasting, and the bread was ok. a vast improvement over the last time i ate there and there was plastic in my pasta, which the staff insisted couldn't happen, even after they saw it all sauce-coated.

3rd- big 10, hopkins (c-)

half-turkey sub, a side of fries, and water. the waiter brings a glass of brown stuff to the table, and i say 'i hope that's not water.' not even a half-smile. not the best joke, but still.... anyway, the sub was not their best (a bit cold, a bit light on the mayo), but the fries were nice, hot, and not too greasy, and tasted like potatoes (some places don't really get that last one). one of the better places in the cities for subs (or whatever you prefer to call 'em), though i think u of m minneapolis campus branch of the big 10 on the east bank (not dinkydome) does it best. service can be iffy, it tends to be one of those places who operate a bit better when they're more full.

5th- market bbq, minnetonka (c-)

weird, tasteless french fries. they don't taste like potatoes, they taste like fried nothing... things. some are overdone, some not. avoid them. the steak fries, were pretty good, so it's a good thing someone had those, which were poached by other people at the table. the coleslaw was also a bit odd... the green cabbage was in tiny pieces, while the red cabbage and carrots were in long, thin shreds. the bbq chicken sandwich was pretty good, a bit dry (it tasted better with the addition of extra sauce and a bit of coleslaw), since it didn't come with any vegetable matter with it, like sandwiches usually do (no tomato, lettuce, pickle, nada). Reports were the ribs were excellent, though, proving that ordering what the restaurant specializes in is probably not a bad eating out strategy. and hey, don't wear white here. even after labor day.

7th- las margaritas, st. paul (b)

mmm, mole sauce. over chicken. really, really good mole sauce. not from a jar. fried but not greasy tasty, salty chips with good red and green (tomatillo) salsas. interesting cactus salad. cactus reminds me of green beans. boring rice. a loud band makes it somewhat difficult to hear the waitresses.

12th- italianni's, minnetonka (c)

bland italian dining chain, saved from a worse grade by decent enough warm bread with herbed olive oil served with the meal. the salmon i had with tomatoes and mushrooms in a lemon caper sauce over angel hair pasta never came together. it seemed like random things that just happened to be together on a plate. when you go out with parents, you have to take what you can get, i suppose. buca has better food if you feel the need to go to a place that has more than one branch, and usually more amusing wait staff. plus the music isn't as deafening.

14th- good earth, roseville (b)

the roseville location seems more granola in a good way compared to the edina branch of this place. i had my default breakfast, the huevos rancheros (default- what i order unless i happen to crave something else). the huevos were their usual goodness, but the potatoes could've stood another 5, 10 minutes in the oven or whatever. the toast was par excellence as usual, with some tasty blackberry jelly that wasn't the usual smuckers. the wait service was above average (it usually is here, even in large groups).

by the way, avoid perkins, baker's square, and denny's (for heaven's sake do not go to denny's unless you are on fire and they are the closest water source, or they happen to be the nearest bathroom available in an emergency situation). if you feel virtuous and/or have offspring attached to the family unit, go to the good earth, go to anodyne. if you have a hangover, go to the uptown, go to mickey's diner, go to al's breakfast. if you feel like going to the other places, you'd do just as good with the random frozen breakfast entrees... same rubbery taste, with less wait.

18th- bloomington park tavern (b+)

i really, really like the catfish sandwich at this place, even though they insist on calling it a catfish po' boy and it isn't. i keep meaning to order other things, but i somehow can't.... anyway, the dining room is usually not at all full, so service is quick, there's free food during parts of happy hour, the fries are hot (though have a bit of that 'out of the package taste), and the samwich buns are toasted. if you get the catfish sandwich, ask for lemon wedges to drip on your samwich, if none arrive with it. if you are thinking of other sides, the cole slaw had an interesting dressing, not what you usually find. it was more of a mustardy-hot vinagrette than a mayo-based thing. the salad isn't worth it, really.

25th- yorktown cinema grill, edina (d)

if you have to get the food, get the packaged candy. or potato chips. hopkins has a better cheap theater with better food, or there are better restaurants nearby. however, kids seem to like it. why not an f? the service was decent, and the rachel sandwich wasn't completely awful, though it was strangely served on two kinds of bread. maybe they dim the lights in the kitchen also?

26th- el gordo, st. louis park(d)

bad sign- when the people who entered the restaurant last get served first out of everyone else there. bad sign- when two waiters stop at a table with empty water glasses and don't ask for a refill. bad sign- when a place that offers 'authentic mexican cuisine' has chips that taste primarily of grease, mole that's really chocolately, salsa that's borderline ketchup, and beans that aren't as tasty as many canned offerings. why not an f on this one? the torta, while far from authentic, and needing more filling, wasn't bad. things only get an f when it's completely hopeless, at least in my book.

28th- brit's pub, minneapolis (b)

strangely, the chips (as in fish and, not potato chips) aren't that great for a british-themed pub. even with the malt vinegar. i wonder what it takes to get some good fries around here. i suppose for that i should have gone to vincent. anyway, there's a kickass selection of beers and ciders. and it's very nice out back on the patio on a summer's night.

© The bent sun as risen