5th- arby's, st. louis park
7th- panzanella bread company, shakopee
10th- pizza luce, minneapolis
11th- fugaise, minneapolis
17th- dangerfield's, shakopee
22nd- cafe ena, minneapolis
24th- lai wah, apple valley
28th- mariscos el korita, shakopee

5th- arby's, st. louis park (b-)

because if it's deep fried mac and cheese, yes, i have to try it. even if it is fast food. this was a snack stop, btw. not so fond of their food in general (though i still mourn the passing of their chicken panini... maybe it's been what, 5, 10 years? i'm old.)

they're better than you think they might be, but not as good at tuttle's. since they were freshly made (i had to wait for them, even), they were hot and crisp on the outside. alas, the mac and cheese was not quite as good as the rest of it... it needed more cheese with an s flavor, it was a bit on the cheeze with a z side. on the good side of that, but alas...

they also needed to be served with some sort of dipping sauce, even ketsup would be nice (why don't they serve ketsup in dipping containers when you go through the drive in? so logical, that....). they're wedge-shaped, dipping would work.

anyway, decent enough, but not cravable.

7th- panzanella bread company, shakopee (b)

not sure why i went here for the new-style dinner buffet of pizza and pasta ($6.99, i had a beverage, too, that's $1.49) so soon after eating at cici's. but anyway.

here, the pizzas were fewer in number- they only had maybe half a dozen at a time. they had two i could eat, both veg. one was more of a traditional veggie one with tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and onions. the other was greek style, with olives, onion, red peppers, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. the first was ok, but the artichoke hearts one was quite tasty, and had a good amount of cheese on it (maybe feta- these pizzas don't seem to directly correspond with anything on their posted pizza menu, so more specifics are out). there were also some pepperoni, pineapple and ham, and other standards out there.

the pasta was more plentiful. you could choose from lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, or mac and cheese already made up, or go for penne, fettucini (two sizes) or spaghetti, and top them with one of the sauces (red, spicy cream, or plain cream) and one of the meats on offer (shrimp, clams, or chicken).

of the premade, i had the nothing to write home about mac and cheese, but the fettucini noodles with the regular cream sauce was very good. of the meats, as chicken was the only one i'm not allergic to, i went for that. it was ok, but needed to but cut smaller to make it work with the rest of the scale of the food, and it needed a bit more seasoning. they also had some veg, like onions and such, to add, but those didn't thrill me that day. the garlic bread served was disappointing, and i skipped the salad bar. it had sad looking veg in it. (no dessert, alas...)

it's a bare-bones operation- one person does the cash register and some cleaning, they maybe have one or two other people there doing the food. you bus your own dishes, too.

i would recommend that they label the pizzas, pastas, and sauces. it would be very helpful. as would having some medium size plates- they have small ones for the salad bar, then really huge ones near the pasta. there's none by the pizza, nor are there napkins or silverware there either. it's not so well laid-out.

it's a about a buck more than cici's, and they can't compete on variety in the pizza (though they have the pastas beat by miles). but here you do feel like you're eating in a restaurant (and it is a local one), versus a bit of a soulless cafeteria/corporate chain.

10th- pizza luce, minneapolis (b)

pizza luce used to be my default pre-show dinner destination downtown. (say that three times in a row, fast-like.)

but since the restaurant scene kept improving downtown, my tastes changed, i go to way fewer shows than i used to (at one time i was going to at least one concert per month, if not more, before i broke myself). and i have some oddly distinct (and distinctly odd) memories of the place.

i've not been in years. though it doesn't seem like that long.

i had a two for one deal (well, get a free 10" when you buy another pizza, including another 10", at the regular price) via the mrp card. since i've been doing more than a bit of pizza lately, i opted for something a bit different, the baked potato pizza ($12.59 for the 10"), "pizza crust smothered in buttery-garlic baby red mashed potatoes and topped with broccoli, fresh diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of smoked apple hickory bacon. served with a side of sour cream." (i had the bacon on the side.)

but missing an element... maybe the bacon makes the pizza, as this one was just kind of ok. it needed salt, or sauce, or something. and quite a bit more cheese, it was rather skimpy. it was good, the sour cream, and some heat (pepper flakes) and a shot of parmesan helped.

my dining companion opted for the pizza athena ($13.49 for a 10") with olives on the side (i put those on the baked potato one, which was interesting in a good way... and they used my bacon on theirs, which they liked). it's "fresh spinach, fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, calamata olives, artichoke hearts, red onions, greek oregano and toasted garlic with mozzarella cheese on bianca sauce." it also needed more cheese, and the onions needed a smaller slice, but was a bit better than mine. both had a very nice, thinnish, crispy crust, though.

service was generally good, minus a period of disappearing near the end of dinner. water was filled at a decent rate, they did the checking in thing fine. nothing bad happened (always a possibility for me, you know).

what seemed odd is that the people there (staff included) seem more... normal? than they used to. something like that. it's a different vibe than it used to be... though maybe it was just because we were there during happy hour time... versus pre-show or post-show...

11th- fugaise, minneapolis (a)

no pizza here, alas. i'm changing it up a bit... though i would wager that if you really wanted something pizza-like, the kitchen would indulge you. it's that kind of place.

i think this was the first meal in ages that i've not had to add salt or anything to. they had all the food seasoned perfectly (well, at least for me). that's quite rare.

i opted for no appetizers, and a main course of duck breast with chickpea fries, tomato jam, and smoked paprika froth and some white and green asparagus spears ($28). whereas other places put things like froth and foam on a plate because they can, seemingly (ahem... heidi's), the froth here added flavor to all parts of the dish. i even used the very good bread to mop the leftovers up. the duck was perfectly done and warm, the panisse fries crisp on the outside and nutty and creamy on the inside, the asparagus crisp-tender. the tomato jam was equally tasty on the fries and the duck.

my dining companion went for three appetizers for dinner. they stared with a glass of the domaine des baumard cremant brut ($11) with scallops with serrano pepper and we think asparagus and red pepper slaw in a tarragon aioli and salmon roe ($14). i tasted the slaw (the part of the dish i'm not allergic to... sigh), which was interestingly spicy but not overwhelming like some serrano pepper-laden dishes can be. they had just enough of the pepper. and the aioli cools it down just enough, with the tarragon making it interestingly different.

next up was the butternut squash soup with pecorino and pumpkinseed oil ($9). the soup was quite like a veloute- all velvet cream. the pecorino added a nutty sort of note. since i tend to make large batches of butternut squash soup at home (and tend to have quite a bit in the freezer) throughout fall and winter, i rarely order it in restaurants. i'd make an exception for this.

the main course appetizer (contradiction time!) was the gnocchi with onions, mushroom, and raddichio (originally came with veal sweatbreads for $14, without sweetbreads it's $10). perfect gnocchi, with more carmelizaiton than you usually see (in a very good way). the topping would've been even better sans the radicchio, which was a tad bitter in some of the bites. not overhwmlingly so, just a bit. that was paired with a domaine de cassan, beaumes de venise $8, which had intersting fruit notes that paired with the dish, though apparently it's not something that springs to mind when you think about getting a wine with that dish (i think i'm paraphrasing the server correctly there).

for dessert, i didn't get the cheese plate. (sorry, i should've warned you so you wouldn't faint...). instead, we split the 'fer cute' option (not the official moniker), a pumpkin creme brulee served in a tiny pumpkin ($10). the pumpkin is cooked a bit too, so there's a nice texture thing with the fiberous sides of the pumpkin and the creamy brulee. i would've liked a tad more cinnamon or clove or ginger in there there, but that's personal preference. it was a much lighter dessert than you think it might be. i was contemplating carving the tiny pumpkin post-dessert, the server came to clear just as i was wondering if i could use my spoon for such a thing. (apparently i wasn't the first one to contemplate, someone actually had used the spoon.)

we had an mpr discount for 'buy one entree get one free,' and they took off of the spendiest appetizer. which they didn't have to do (as we only got the one entree, technically). but that's the sort of service they offer- discreet and welcoming. the server offered details of not only this menu, but we asked about a dish on a previous one (hey, who wouldn't be curious when they saw kangaroo on a menu?), kept water glasses filled, and was helpful and friendly without being overly so. i wish i could get that sort of service everywhere. or hell, for me, anywhere.

they have changed some of the abstract paintings on the wall from the last time i was there (maybe those were sold) to a series i will call... 'your dinner looks at you.' (sheep, duck, etc., in what looks like indoor settings.) the sheep picture's eyes followed me... (j/k). you still have to go to outside to the shared bathroom, which seems odd no matter where that happens.

but hey, still excellent food and excellent service. why the don't i come here more often? (maybe price... maybe location? je ne sais pas... )

17th- dangerfield's, shakopee (d+)

i was here for a work-related function. there was a large group. i knew this would not be the best of evenings when the management decided to put one person on our table (over 20 people) plus they had to do other tables, too. not good planning on their part. and yes, they knew we were coming.

so yes, we had no bread until we asked for in about an hour into the meal (after the people who got soup or salad got their food). we didn't get bread plates, or a breadbasked on every segment of the table, but at least some bread. though we didn't get their famous popovers, alas. they also gave the checks out to everyone (a few points for doing separate checks, though... see: math is hard) before everyone had finished ordering (didn't ask if anyone wanted dessert or coffee). and there were long stretches of time during which we never saw our server. and some things that people requested never got to the table or took way too long. i'm not blaming the server, though. they would've been fine if we had been their only table (they were good when they were there), but still.

during one of those stretches of time, i had to consider if i wanted to send back the pile of ick that was supposed to be the mediterranean turkey flatbread ($9.98, $.99 being an upgrade for fries). about half of the ingredients listed on the were missing (olives and cheese come to mind). what it ending up being was a not so much not very good deli turkey cut into bits in way too much watery, creamy dressing (perhaps it was supposed to be greek) with some diced very sad flavorless tomatoes thrown in on a pita (which is not flatbread). just... yuck.

one of my very nice coworkers offered to trade me half of her cashew chicken wrap ($8.99, with chips or cole slaw), which was marginally better. they used real chicken in it (not deli slices). i hope it wasn't leftover chicken... it also has cheddar cheese (trace amounts), toasted cashews (ditto), tomato (i recall none), spinach, olives (a few) and a 'special sauce' (that you couldn't taste) in a tortilla. so i didn't send it back. good thing i wasn't that hungry.

the fries were the only thing i ordered that didn't kind of suck (some of the bread was burnt). they were ok. they were done steak fry style, and seasoned. off other plates, the popover was overdone, as was the jack daniels salmon. it came with garlic mashed, which were a bit scary.

brk report (besides the food)- one of the other serves ran into my chair (literally) *twice* during the meal. no apologies. plus i had a shower of ice cubes from the water pitcher hit the side of me. but our server did apologize for it.

weird decor notes- we were in the back of the room, where there's windows between the bar and restaurant. odd. and all the pictures we could see were crooked. is that a decorating concept?

22nd- cafe ena, minneapolis (b)

i enjoyed my food here, and the service was quite good for most of the meal. and even with the lure of a 1000 point open table booking and a restaurant.com gift certificate ($25 off two entrees), i'm not sure if i can come back, even with all the extreme value added.

i had major allergic reactions to the host because they were wearing way too much scent. and since they were also doing the serving and some of the wine duties, and were the table a lot, this was not at all pleasant. and they were all over the restaurant, so there was no place i could move to out of range. plus it was the kind of scent that lingers. so i did a lot of coughing, and other such things. dinner out was a lot less enjoyable that way.

i guess i'll remove that from the equation, mostly... except for the part where they should've been wearing no scent at all. people who work in restaurants shouldn't wear any sort of scent. i want to smell my food, not your forward vanilla and floral notes.

mrs. brk liked her "fusilli pasta with artichokes, asparagus, and roasted red peppers in a tomato sauce topped with seared scallops and a smokey tomato relish." ($16.95) the artichokes could've used a bit of chopping, as they were larger by far than any other element in the dish. the tomato sauce was a bit sweet, but the tomato relish was quite tasty.

i had the "pan seared chicken breast served in a homemade mole sauce, served with parsley rice, frijoles borrachos and garnished with a pickled red onions" ($16.95). the mole was complex and dark and spicy and not at all sweet, like they run sometimes. nice. would've been even better on some good turkey. the beans were ok, the rice quite boring and a bit crunchy- only good with sauce.

portions were generous, and perhaps seemed overly so as both mrs. brk and i snarfed down vast quantities of the bread and maybe have been a bit fuller than usual (well, her... i usually snarf down vast quantities of bread). it was fresh, warm, and tasty (rustica? in-house? they said in-house, but other reviews say rustica... but they're old, so maybe in-house). it's served with garlic/chipotle/honey butter. yum. the butter was good on the otherwise boring rice.

by the way, the dinner menu descriptions were on the pdf menu on their site, which is different than the html version. why, i know not.

the sort of team-effort service (one main server, the others helped when they saw help was needed) was quite good when we started as it wasn't so busy then... we got there after 6 but before our reservation time of 6:30 pm (they had no 6:15 pm option, i know not why) and there were a few tables filled, but when we left at around 7, it was very packe and service understandably dropped off a bit. not much, though. with it being so packed, we did wonder why it was a 1000 point reservation at 6:30... that's when it started to fill up.

most of the crowd was older women. perhaps they can still afford to go to dinner at spendier restaurants. most of the entrees here are a bit pricier ($15-25) than you see in many neighborhood places. but they did have a very nice-looking four-course menu for $35. if i hadn't been allergic to two courses, i would've gone for it. the sweet-corn flan dessert there looked tasty. the dessert on the menu with cornbread ice cream also looked interesting, though i can't recall more detail and it's not online (pdf of html).

the room was not at all like mexican restaurants you usually see- large paintings (incan or aztec or some such in style) with gold-embossed frames on the wall, orange tied-back draperies, dark wood, a mixture of chairs and table-top styles from wood to leather, fresh flowers on the table, some mexican music playing on the soft side in the background. it's relaxing, and a tiny bit dark in a good way.

24th- lai wah, apple valley (c-)

this extremely low-profile place has been in apple valley since 1982. that's a long time for a restaurant in those parts. they tend to come and go very quickly in apple valley. (lai wah may or may not mean 'meeting place,' i forgot to ask when i was there.)

both my dining companion and i were both surprised that they didn't have a lunch buffet, as there's some sort of unwritten law that all chinese places must have one. they did have lunch specials, where you could get three things on your plate for $5.95 plus tax. most of the are standard... an egg roll or cream cheese puffs, a classic dish (sweet and sour, for instance) and rice.

some of the plates made less sense, like the one my dining companion ordered, like the good egg roll with lo mein and ok fried rice. noodles and rice dishes don't go together so well in my book. mine made more sense- three not so great cheese puffs, sesame chicken (without a lot of sesame flavor and a bit too much gristle) and white rice.

we ended up swapping rice, as after i said i only wanted fried rice sans pork in it, they gave my friend chicken fried rice and me white rice. so that was confusing. anyway, most of the food was average, and despite the menu confusion the service was about average. which makes it better than most apple valley locales (satay 2 go still being the gold standard in that part of the world).

28th- mariscos el korita, shakopee (c)

just... odd.

i walked in thinking... 'fish tacos, maybe' (mariscos=seafood en espanol), but ended up ordering the obscure buffet ($7.50). obscure, as it's not mentioned in any of their ads that i've seen, nor in any outside signage or anything... when you walk in, it's just there. surprise!

and why i got it when it had no fish (though there was some shellfish on the cold part, i think...), i don't know.

especially as stuff wasn't labelled, and the server was hired mostly as they were bi-lingual (versus having a background as a server) as far as i can see. they explained the buffet (i was the only gringo/a in the joint) not by the actual names of the food but by calling the chicken tinga 'shredded chicken' and the empanadas were termed 'dumplings.' they filled water only when i was done with lunch. they asked three times (twice after i was done) if everything was ok.

so besides the weird, the service was pretty awful in spots (especially as i was the only one there about halfway throught my lunch when the server seemed to disappear), but kind of ok in others. so my general impression of the service here is 'wtf???'

the food, however, was generally quite good (well, not the nachos, which shouldn't be on a buffet in complete form). on the buffet were chicken empanadas, chicken tinga, chicken fajitas, some sort of pork, some sort of beef, chicken enchaladas, pork burritos, beans, rice, mussels (i think), salad, melon, two salsas on the buffet. i think.

nothing was labelled (i so very much hate that), and no one ever told me what was on the cold bit of the buffet, and as mentioned, the server was sucked into a black hole at some point so i couldn't ask them. and for some reason, there were no tortillas or chips on the buffet. when i inquired about the availability of one or the other, i was brought both (this was the earlier part of lunch, before i almost started drinking the tomatillo salsa out of thirst) and not charged extra (i think... for all i know the buffet o'obscurity was cheaper and the stuff was extra, i never saw a menu or anything either, some to think.... but i think not). perhaps no tortillas as they make them fresh (the corn ones i got, at least, those were kick-ass), but chips would've been a natural.

the already prepared stuff i tasted that was pre-wrapped in something wasn't as good as the other items. the chicken tinga was in a sauce that was spicy but not overly so, and very tender and juicy (unlike a lot of other string-laden tinga you can get sometimes). the 'fajita' chicken in the dish was also tender and juicy. impressive at any restaurant, more so in a buffet. and after a few shots of hot sauce and some salt, they were just right. these stood out not just from the rest of the buffet, but from most mexican places.

and for the first time ever, i didn't hate the spanish or mexican or whatever you call it rice, as it wasn't that weird tomato-soupish dish that pops up. this was real rice. the rest of it was edible enough, but not something i'd rush back for. but hey, why did i get the nonseafood buffet? my own fault, that.

if i can suck it up to get past the freakyodd service (i'd say it's in the d range for the weird, the food about a b-ish or so, so a c on the average grade it is), i'd go for some seafood dishes. like... duh... fish tacos. heh. or something else on the menu i never saw.

 

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