1st- yum!, st. louis park
2nd- sausalito mexican cocina grill, shakopee
6th- brit's pub, minneapolis
7th- scoreboard, minnetonka
9th- vincent a restaurant, minneapolis
18th- sawatdee, minneapolis
20th- perkins, edina
22nd- big 10, hopkins
27th- broders pasta bar, minneapolis
29th- spice thai cuisine, savage
30th- french meadow bakery and cafe, minneapolis
1st- yum!, st. louis park (a-)
yeah, the name is pretty accurate. i told mrs. brk i wanted to go someplace that we hadn't been before (well, where i hadn't been before). sometimes you get in the mood to try something new, and she had wanted to go here for a while, so voila.
she thought it would be crowded when we got there at around 6:45 pm. though the lot was full, and when we ordered most of the tables were full in and out and the bar half-crowded, there were a few open tables by the time we finished ordering and it was pretty much cleared out by the time we were done.
it's a nice space, pale walls, lots of wood, space between tables to navigate and some of the baked goods on wheeled carts. though the ordering is a bit confusing if you've not been. i wonder if they use numbers when it's packed. you enter, have to go across the space to the counter to order, you get a receipt and a tag with your name (so they bring the food to the right person), and pay at the bakery counter, drinks somewhere in between.
mrs. brk loved her cobb sandwich, chicken, lettuce, bacon, avocado, and more on some tasty whole-grain toast with a pomegranate aioli. it came with house-made potato chips, which were good though i thought need a bit more salt and a tad more cooking (the stuck together clumps were a bit undercooked), and a dill pickle spear, which i would guess was made in-house. good, though i prefer mine stronger. (most don't.) i tried a bacon-less bite of the sandwich, and it was indeed one of the better sandwiches i've had in a while.
i had the trio of mini tuna burgers with micro greens and wasabi cream on challah buns. they really were mini indeed. one bite each. and needed a touch more wasabi cream for my taste, but i also prefer this stronger than most minnesotans too. i would've liked to try them warm, as i thought they would be served. not bad cold, though.
on the side i went with a medium bowl of mac and cheese. not as good as abundant bistro's, but up there. though i thought my food was overpriced for what you end up with. sandwiches seem to be better priced than some of the other things on the menu, but then again i'm cheap (and we even went here... gasp... without any sort of coupon or discount... we're wild!). the tiny tiny tuna burgers were about $5 for three, and the mac and cheese i want to say was $6 for a medium, which seemed smaller than a soup bowl at most restaurants, but bigger than a cup of soup.
we split a caramel roll for dessert. again, would've been better warm. and with butter, for that matter. not sure if i'd do a roll here again, though the cupcakes looked good, as did the other non-roll baked goods. i did get a baguette to take home to try.
there are other things we'd like to try on the menu. mrs. brk would like the salad trio (including the fancy schmancy tuna salad), i would go for the grilled cheese and another sandwich or two.
2nd- sausalito mexican cocina grill, shakopee (b+)
not your typical fajita, but still quite good. the chicken was cubed and the dish had queso blaco melted into it, which was a bit odd. but the dish was nicely spiced, and i did like the red and green salsas with it (also nicely spiced, and served hot... as in temperature-wise for some reason). i got them with corn tortillas and beans, and it came with chips.
it's a tiny place, with very casual service. i'd go back, but probably for lunch (cheaper, dinner was kind of spendy for not getting any sour cream or guacamole with it). it was good, and they don't tone down the spice like a lot of mexican places (the less authentic ones). service was a bit casual, too.
6th- brit's pub, minneapolis (b-)
way upgrade for the service. the fries (chips) are still crap- they required malt vinegar *and* ketsup *and* extra salt. well, salt, as they had close to none. apparently all the salt went into the cream of tomato soup. i tried them again as i thought they would be better. i was wrong. i shall try to remember that.
the tandoori chicken sandwich on a pita with raita and lettuce was ok, but needed onion. and flavor. the sandwiches and other main dishes here are generally average to a bit above. the cheese toastie (grilled cheese) had some nice cheese action, but was underdone. the cod pieces (ha, ha.) were... coddish. decent enough. the mushy peas were good. and mushy.
oddly, the steak salad had cold baked potato wedges in it. not as bad as my cold potato sandwich that i was served once at a meeting, but still odd.
this place is more about beverages and atmosphere than food, really. and the service was really quite good in a crowded spot. much better than the food.
7th- scoreboard, minnetonka (b+)
9th- vincent a restaurant, minneapolis (a)
way trippy, the same waiter we had at solera who magically disappeared resurfaced today at lunch, working for vincents. completely odd, as vincents service is all about wonderfulness (i.e. the opposite of what happened at solera that night). i was with the same person i went to solera with, they recognized the server, and we did ask, too. weird.
there are some things that you can count on at vincents. as mentioned service will kick ass (i was offered a black napkin in case i didn't want to get the lint from the white napkin on my black pants), food will be pretty great, i will most likely get the same table i typically get no matter what time of day i eat there if i end up in the dining room if i go with just one other person (near the back in the little nook area).
some things are less polished during the day. more light really made the hole in the curtains (best guess- a tea light from dinner one evening got out of hand) stand out a bit. the room is a bit emptier. there's people in jeans and t-shirts at the tables (tends not to happen at dinner). you know, i thought i had been here more recently than last time i have down here, but i think that about a lot of places. i can't remember things.
but hey, they more than make up for it.
we split the fries to start. i think there's maybe one time i've been here and didn't get them... how could i not get them? they go well with the warm baguette and fresh butter. we each had a salad. beets with chevre for my companion, a different presentation that before, but still nice. i went with a chinoise, white and dark turkey, greens, and crunchy bits (a la chinese noodles) in a very very verdant (that's green, kids) dressing. it was supposed to be a small version, but was pretty huge. and tastier than the really green dressing would imply. quite worth a $5 lunch downtown, with the bread.
main courses were pasta with smoked chicken, peas, and more in a creamy preserved lemon sauce. i didn't think that a warm pasta could be summery, but this one was, mostly because of the lemon sauce. i had the cheese plate, and it was actually a real bargin for what i got- a selection of six cheeses, including a standout brie de meaux and the lovely as every robiola (hard to find except in lilydale). i even got specially sliced bread (half the size of the regular) to go with the plate. it had the usual balsamic vinegar, the sweetest i've run into in a while, and nuts and dried fruits in honey. i did expect fresh fruit, but hey, i'll live. they were good sized portions, i managed about half of each.
this place is so good that even the take-home box for the cheese was composed nicely. and they sliced the leftover bread at the table thinner for the leftover cheese. yes, water was filled so very well, and when the person i was with got up to plug the meter, the napkin left behind was folded up nicely and the chair pushed in. love that french service.
a bit amusing- the person i was with had made a reservation. i got there first, inquired with the name the reservations were under, and was seated. i had mentioned maybe sitting in the more casual bar before, and when they got there, the other party asked for me, and was being led into the bar by the host. the place is big enough that i didn't want to vault over, so i phoned, and we coordinated.
18th- sawatdee, minneapolis (b)
it was probably because of this week's events, but something was a bit off here. maybe it was because they did the adding on of the tip for 6 people, though two of the people were kids who split a meal. (bad policy.) the pad thai was pretty ok, but not great. and why have lemon with it? why not lime?
the fresh spring rolls were quite good and the fried wonton was enjoyed by those of us who like our cheese products deep fried. mrs, brk had the combo vegetable dish with chicken, pretty much a stir fry. she liked the mildness of it and the veggie range.
i had many of the same veg in my dish, the shrimp and scallops in garlic sauce, so that meant i had to pick out all the cooked carrots. why some were round and some matchstick i know not, but they were all scalloped. ha. ha. true, though. the other veg was broccoli and cauliflower. it came with rice. the scallops and the shrimp were tender and plentiful, but for a garlic sauce it pretty much wasn't at all garlic intensive. and for a medium, it was kind of mellow for heat.
i also orderd the girly drink with the stupidest name... the monkey lover. it had rum, pineapple, coconut, and oddly no taste of banana. nice, sweet, girly, and fruit and it doesn't come upside your head with the alcohol.
the rama thai delight was probably the best dish- chicken in a peanut curry coconut milk sauce over spinach. odd that most dishes have a meat or two of some sort in the title, and most you can swap for other meat(s). this one had chicken or shrimp, but then you could get it with tofu or scallops too.
service was odd... the server pushed chairs out of the way for one of our party on crutches, but i had to ask for my water to be filled.
'xanadu, xanadu, now were are here in xanadu... xanadu your neon light will shine...'
the only 24 hour place we could think of vaguely not out of the way, as we had to get up early to go to the port of air and i demanded breakfast as a price. it's bland, warm, and strangely without taste, still. i had much coffee, the raspberry sour cream muffin with fake butter, and the country omelet sans ham. it had cheez sauce on top (didn't taste real). the breakfast tatoes with it are better than the hash browns. i forgot that omelet had hashbrowns in it, besides veggies. i had five cups of coffee and i still need to nap. mrs. brk had two eggs, toast, and breakfast tatoes. she thought much the same.
as to why the music randomly came on halfway through breakfast with the above tune, i know not. but the 70s and 80s pop songs offered at that time (b52s, eurhythmics, madonna) seems really weird for that location and the clientele.
the usual, with the usual fries. alas, the half-turkey sub needed more toasting and the fries more seasoning, but a bit of comfort food, continuing the trend. mrs. brk ordered the plain hot dog, and boy, was it perfectly plain. oddly they had no relish there, so they chopped up some pickles after she requested relish. a bit spaced out on the service tip, too.
27th- broders pasta bar, minneapolis (b+)
food was a bit better this time around, though i am still befuddled at why people are slavishly devoted to this place. it's pretty good, but not knock-out great. maybe because it's a neighborhood joint that's local, uses local ingredients where it can, etc. with good price points and in a neighborhood where that kind of thing sells?
it was so packed we had to park a block and a half away and wait 5, 10 minutes for our called ahead table. the place itself was so packed that when the table next to us was seated, someone practically sat on my lap. sorry, i like personal space.
apparently i've not been here in about three years, so... it's pretty good for what it does, prices are reasonable, etc... maybe i'm just not that into italian?
anyway, mrs. brk and i split the funghi e finocchio to start- marinated crimini mushrooms with thyme and fennel (cut and paste!). not bad, but a bit on the bitter side for my palate.
i really wanted a dish that was sold out- some sort of caprese themed thing with buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil, and pasta. of course they'll have it tomorrow, just not today. instead i went with a dish that's newer to the menu, the lasagna al forno- homemade lasagna with asparagus, peas, pesto, besciamella and pine nuts. nice tasting, but there was almost too much texture, as besides the ingredients listed there was breadcrumbs. i think if they left the peas out it would help, or maybe just grind them up with the pesto if they really want that sweetness. it was served with a hard-boiled quail egg. not sure why, but that sucker sure is cute. and tasty.
mrs. brk chose the tagliatelle alla bolognese, a homemade pasta with a meat sauce. since she is not fond of al dente pasta, she would've liked hers cooked more (i recall she said the same the last time she was here ages ago), but quite liked the sauce.
service. well, the waiter was good with the multiple table juggling, but the runner took a bit long to get water refilled once, and they never came around again near the end of the meal. the bread i had on my plate was taken away without asking. i grabbed it back. 'cause hey, i wasn't done.
the restroom had possibly the worst toilet paper placement i've seen in a really long time in a restroom for the public- i mean it's noticably bad. it's behind you on the same wall as the toilet, that's the best way i can describe it. they also have rails for the handicapped, but no one in a wheelchair could possibly reach the paper towels to dry their hands without standing up, natch, if they could even reach the high sink to wash their hands to begin with.
29th- spice thai cuisine, savage (b+)
i'll have to have the curry of the day again here. it was nice and spicy and flavorful, plus you get enough sauce to make something else with. alas, since it was takeout and the person picking it up forgot to ask, i am not sure what kind of curry it was. though if you order medium and they stick in tons of jalapeno slices with seeds in it, it's a bit of an overkill thing. it was much better than the pad thai i had last time.
30th- french meadow bakery and cafe, minneapolis (b)
sometimes the grilled cheese is not quite as good as others. this time the bread was a bit greasy. the rest was quite good, roasted red pepper, quite decent tomato, good homemade salsa with the organic tortilla chips. but alas, one of us had ordered the salad, and still ended up with the chips and salsa... and for a change, it wasn't me who had the brk.
then again, last time we were here together we had weird service, too, so maybe this place is their brk place?. maybe i was projecting? who knows. the creamy tomato basil soup was reportedly quite tasty, by the way. just thought i'd add that.
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