1st- french meadow bakery and cafe, minneapolis
6th- masa, minneapolis
7th- szechuan star, edina
12th- vincent's, minneapolis
13th- lone spur, minnetonka
22nd- minnesota state fair, st. paul environs
26th- big 10, hopkins
27th- applebee's, shakopee
29th- la luz cafe, apple valley
1st- french meadow bakery and cafe, minneapolis (d+)
at least at lunch, this place now reminds me of some sort of eating factory, where it just to be a kind of funky, organic place you expected to find in uptown (ok, lyn-lake, but still... and yes, i'm old...), before uptown was mostly condos and chain stores. it now has a decidedly more capitalistic vibe.
the line runs to the door or so, even when it's not a weekend brunch, it takes ages to get the food (if it takes 25 minutes to get a freakin' sandwich to a table, you're not staffing right... i would've complained, but really there was no one to complain to during the wait), and the food used to be better. at least the grilled rachel did.
it tasted and looked like factory food. the rye bread was in a few more pieces than it should've been, the smoked turkey had a bit too much of the nasty bits still in it, there wasn't enough swiss or tomato-caper aioli on it, and it was way too spendy at $9.50. with it, i opted for the chips (a whole dozen or so) and salsa, both of which lacked flavor, and salt.
yes, you spend more for organic stuff, but in the case of this sandwich, it wasn't worth it. it wasn't what i remembered it to be, and it's not worth going back for that at all.
at least some food and drink is cheaper during happy hour, and we all know how cheap is important to me. however, that doesn't make the woefully inadquate service any better. or my food better than average. the person i was with had a much better time, and would give it a much higher grade than mine and would be back. but a c+ for my food and an f for service, well, you do the math (even though math is hard).
they have an interesting margarita list here (all made with fresh lime juice) and a selection of those, plus by the glass wines (and beer, i think) are half price (the happy hour menu's not online so i can't check on the beer thing). that'll save you quite a bit right there, as most margarita are in the $8-$10 range. the margartia my dining companion ordered, the very tasty mayan (sauza silver tequila, gran gala orange liqueur and "infused with honey from the xtabentun flower, anise and fresh lime juice," is usually $10 otherwise.
they also chose three of the tacos from their $2 selection (usually 3 fpr $13.50). the pescado (mahi mahi, pico de gallo, lettuce, guac) was the best of the lot, then the tinga de pollo (shredded chicken, chipotle crema ), then the carnitas (roasted pork, cilantro, onion, lime). they double-wrapped them in tortillas, so the sandwich/taco integrity issues have all but disappeared. the side of arroz verde (green rice, jicama, apple and roasted poblano) was a mix of spicy and refreshing. it seems a very summery dish, for rice (usually $4.50, happy hour price $2.50).
the rellenos ("two roasted jalapeno chiles filled with chihuahua cheese and hoja santa- that's an herb, by the way, i went and looked it up- fried in meringue batter with a plate decorated with black bean sauce and more cheese); were very tasty. i think the comment was along the lines of that they were what jalapeno poppers wished to be. the happy hour price was $4, which still seemed a bit spendy for the two smallish peppers you get, but they're normally $7.75, so maybe you get another one or two then. it didn't seem a lot for what you pay, unlike other dishes.
instead of the taco route, i went with the quesadilla de flor, with squash blossoms, black bean puree (mostly on the plate, not on the food) and Chihuahua cheese ($4.50, the quesadilla on the menu is $8.50, but the one on the menu has mushrooms instead of squash blossoms). very bland, even when i heaped the salad on the side (shredded lettuce, romaine, i think, diced tomatoes, onion) on the top, and added guacamole. it was also a shade crispy, like chips. not my favorite style. and there was no real hint of squash blossom in the flavor.
i also had the guacamole picado again. it oddly came with the same veg as last time (menu description- "avocado with white onion, tomato, chile serrano, cilantro, and lime; served with raw vegetables and tortilla chips"). there's so many fresh things right now, why do winter veg? the quality of the veg was better than last time, but i still had to toss aside things that should've never left the kitchen. now there's chips with it, probably as before you had chips and salsa at the table for free, now they're $1 per order. the happy hour price is $4.25. and $8.75 regularly for the dish. for the happy hour price, you do get a heap of guacamole, still. and it's still quite good, but the rest of the plate needs a redo.
though i would've liked it hit it with a bit more salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce.alas, since the server was awol most of the evening, there wasn't a shot of getting some from them, and i was too lazy to hunt that down like i had to hunt down a water refill. no one stopped at the table. yes, the server was overworked and had too many outside tables, but it was 10-15 mintues to get them to the table to order, and that long or longer to get the check. they need more servers during happy hour *still.*
with the best that can be said for my meal was 'good guacamole, at least,' they don't offer me anything i would endure with woefully understaffed service. between that and the large wooden (?) carving that i find ,unpleasant and creepy they added to their decor (it's not something i wish to see ever, let alone while eating) will probably keep me away from here. especially as thoma and mc kee open their upscale mexican place not too far from this one.
apparently time for the yearly trip here. though a bit less of a bargain this time, as our card that used to get us $2 per person off the buffet no longer does so. that makes dinner $12.95 per person. still a decent enough price, at least for me, as this buffet is much better than the average one around these parts.
this time, in additional to the usual things i can eat (sesame chicken, veg lo mein, cream cheese wontons, cashew chicken, etc.) i tried the chicken wings, which weren't stringy like many can get on buffets. i also had quite a bit of the salt and pepper squid. nice to have it there as now i'm not supposed to eat the shrimp dishes. and it was good. they had cocktail sauce for the shrimp out, so i used that as a dip. i wish they had more dishes like it.
there was only one glitch- there was a huge salt crystal in my lo mein. a noticable one. very odd. but it was food. so.
service is still good, even though there seemed to be one server for the place. most people go buffet, so it was plate clearing and a huge table for over a dozen folks.
12th- vincent's, minneapolis (c)
since someone gave me the wrong time (by an hour and a half) to meet up with them downtown, and i therefore had time to kill... plus it was still happy hour. and i thought by now they'd have the sweet corn veloute... i ended up here.
alas, things disappoint now and the (like last time i was here as a whole). the soup was a bit gritty and not very sweet, plus it needed a shot of butter or oil or more cream. better corn? more salt, too. not the best version. not worth the $8. it only vaguely reminded me of the first time i had it.
the fries are still good (happy hour price is $3.50). still good bread and butter. service was competent, as it was the 'real' bartender. who is apparently usually not there on wednesdays.
i saw like 5 people who work at brit's while there. that amuses me.
anyway, if i go back and have some, i may just get the cup versus the bowl. if it tastes like this again, i don't want to drop that sort of cash on one bowl of soup if it's not any better than this. well, i don't want to drop any sort of cash on that soup. seriously. i've been eating it for probably four or five years while in season, and i know they can do much better.
13th- lone spur, minnetonka (a-)
hey, good service, with prompt water refills, fast action food (the whole meal was out within 10 minutes, though they decided to serve the entrees when we were still on the first part of the meal), nice.
i went with the "over three pounds of turkey drumsticks slowly smoked for 4 hours" dinner. off the bone, i probably took two-thirds home with me in a box, i'd say a pound or more of it, even though it was hot and tasty. why? because it also came with a slice of texas toast (which was a bit untoasted, but that's the worst thing that can be said about the meal). and you get side, too. i chose steak fries, which i had a bit of a craving for earlier in the day. they were hot, and fresh. could've used a bit more salt for my taste, but again, what doesn't?
plus you get a choice of slaw or a cup of soup. the first time i had the beer cheese soup here it was a bit floury, it got better, but it was way improved. i would've liked a bowl of that alone. and stuff to dip in it. since, as mentioned, the food came out when we were finishing up the first part of the meal, i dipped my toast and fries in it. yum. that was $12.95.
mrs. brk got the 1/3 rack of ribs, which she enjoyed quite a bit, texas toast, steak fries also, and the slaw (could've used a bit more shredding and a bit less dressing). hers was $9.45, but we had a $5 off dining card. not a bad deal at all, for what i took home.
one thing i always wonder when i see it on menus such as this one... baked potatoes after 4 pm only. why?
22nd- minnesota state fair, st. paul environs (b)
just wasn't quite as good this year. i had my old standbys... the cheese curds were fine, the tom thumb mini donuts fine (i got some to take home for someone, they're not bad if you stick them in the fridge when you get home, then microwave them a bit).
but i think they could've been better. i guess maybe coming in on the second day has disadvantages, as not everyone's in their groove yet. like the dairy building... though the lines were short, the food fetchers weren't quite up to peak efficiency. though the ice cream (vanilla, thank you) was good.
the fried pickles with cheese, alas, weren't as cheesy deliciously as last year's, the cheese was pretty skimpy. so that's off for next year, i think.
the fresh french fries near the mpr booth weren't quite salty enough or something... greasy enough? missing some je ne sais quoi? maybe it was the lack of ketsup choices (they had many more in 06, apparently). the nachos with cheese sauce i got at a booth near the dnr were ok, with cheese sauce that was quite good. and tasted like cheese. i would've liked just the sauce. strange, but true.
maybe my taste buds have mutated or something. it's not like the stuff was bad, just not as good. nostalgia! who knows.
the thing i got that i liked the best was the honey lemonade for $1. that in the honey area of the building that has all the minnesota produce. though it takes the tart edge off the lemonade, it's still very tasty, thirst-quenching, and not at all sugary sweet. i was going to try the honey ice cream there, but forgot and got the dairy building stuff first. oh, well.
note: still no things on sticks. maybe someday.
let's see... fame sightings... dan wilson at the mpr booth (he was doing some on-air stuff), tim pawlenty (mom had to stop at the wcco radio booth), and amy klobuchar at her booth. none of them were enough to make that page.
not the usual. instead of the turkey half-sub with fries, i got the plate of fried crap... er.... 'snack sampler' ($9.99). perhaps a reaction to eating stuff from either farmer's markets and/or other people's gardens pretty much the rest of the time this time of year.
the plate had 4 spiced chicken wings (quite decent), a pile of criss-cut fries, a half-dozen or so onion rings (both were a bit darker than they usually are, which made them better), and some chicken tenders that i ignored. i brought them home for some reason, though. the blue cheese dressing was an ok version, but the barbeque sauce they used- cattleman's, they said, was way good, if you're into the sweet sort.
mrs. brk had the all american burger, with bbq sauce (she left the rest out), ($7.99 i think) and the other people with us both had the gyro. i thought it was an odd choice, but they liked it ($7.99 also, i think... maybe a buck or two more or less for both of those). cole slaw was good, but the fries were underwhelming.
i asked for a pitcher of water, so that part was fine, but since the inside was uncrowded (compared with the patio), service was better than it's been here in a while.
27th- applebee's, shakopee (c)
figuring that since yesterday was fried crap for dinner, today i 180ed when i had no choice but to go to applebee's (it was a work thing). i got the chili lime chicken salad ($8.49). it was a "grilled chicken breast atop a bed of fresh spinach, tossed with red onions, roasted red peppers, sliced fresh mushrooms and reduced-fat cheddar and mozzarella cheeses" in a chili-lime vinaigrette dressing.
my theory was that chances are i wasn't going to really like what i was going to eat, so hey, why not get something that's not so horrible for me. if i'm to be killed by food, i'd rather go via a triple-cream cheese or some mini-donuts than anything they serve here.
well, it was low fat, low calorie, and yes, low taste. it didn't taste like... anything, really. i should've asked for hot sauce. what little chicken was on it didn't taste chicken, and nothing else had strong flavor, there wasn't enough red onion to do much for the taste, and the vinaigrette didn't taste of chili or lime. odd, it was served with a lemon wedge. at least the spinach wasn't gritty and tasted fresh.
i guess the best that can be said for it is that i was full after eating it. not satisfied, but full. there was nothing in the food. so. that's apparently not changed much since the last time i was made to go to an applebee's. the only other thing i had was a fry, which was nice and salty, but didn't taste like it came directly from potato, but there were a few stops at the plant along the way. to be expected.
service was competent, with not the worst water service. though when i was the only person at the table the server asked questions as if there was more than one person there, which i find annoying (how are we? i'm ok, not sure about my invisible friends. and i am not sure what they would like to drink either...).this one seemed to have less crap on the walls, but mostly as it's a small place with a lot of windows.
29th- la luz cafe, apple valley (d+)
the food was so not good enough to overlook their right-wing pigeon from outer space sort of politics. well, it mostly wasn't good at all. i only looked at the menu and directions and front page before i ate here, and that was enough for me and my dining companion to discuss the nature of eating at a place who's politics you disagree with, there's a heavyass religious vibe on the web site i don't think goes well with restaurants. maybe in apple valley. who the hell knows. (ahe.)
i chose the better of the two cuban pressed sandwiches (i think they're all on bolillo rolls), but i did agree to do and half and half swich before i knew that. i once more tried a chili-lime chicken that didn't taste of chili or lime. maybe it's too much for me to expect. anyway, the menu description is "sliced chicken, jack cheese, avocado, tomato, red onion and dreamy creamy." dreamy creamy is a avocado and sour cream mixture. ($5.25 for the sandwich, if you want a plate with chips and the salad of the day, it's $1.49 more). the chicken wasn't sliced, but in chunks. and alas, there was no spice on the sandwich at all. our table grabbed the one bottle of the hot sauce (and a mild version of that it was) to help. it was just ok at best.
the other sandwich was the cuban chicken florentine ($5.50 for just the sandwich). it's "sliced chicken, sweet and savory spinach, jack cheese, and tomato." once more the chicken was in chunks, the spinach wasn't sweet and savory, just kind of icky (slimy texture) and it required more hot sauce.
we also got chips and cheese with a dip ($2.99). well, mostly chips, not a lot of cheese, the guacamole (or, as listed, holy moly guacamole), served a bit too cold, but it was a decent amount. technically, it was mashed avocado, not guacamole. there was nothing else in it that i could discern (though that may be due to the overly cold state). not sure it's worth the cost. you can chose multiple dips for more money if you wish. though it looks like they just give you chips alone if you get the 'plato grande.' no salsa.
it was order at the counter and pick it up yourself, but yet other than the helpful counter person (well, other than the fact the i had to request a receipt, they don't just give them out to people. that seemed odd to me.), the service was very very slow. it took over 10 minutes to get the chips out with no other orders pending at the time and three people on the line. and all that consisted of is tossing some chips on a plate, putting on a meager amout of cheese on top and sticking it under a broiler for a minute.
so average food, very slow cooking, way too cutesy names for dishes (breakfast and kids menu mostly) and a way too religious web site vs. being one of the few places in apple valley that's not a chain. i don't think the pluses outweight the minuses. at least they didn't say anything about my t-shirt featuring a religious figure from an eastern religion, though the patrons gave it some interesting looks. heh.
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