3rd- volnay bistro, wayzata
9th- scoreboard, minnetonka
16th- taco loco #2, shakopee
23rd- stacy's grille, minnetonka
26th- sea change, minneapolis
28th- dancing ganesha, minneapolis
31st- satay 2 go, apple valley

3rd- volnay bistro, wayzata (b)

though a french bistro, it's not quite french at lunch (or breakfast, for that matter). there's some classic french dishes durind that time of day (quiche, salad nicoise, mussels mariniere for instance), but it's way americanized. i almost want to go back for dinner, when it gets a lot more french (escargot, duck a l'orange, etc.).

for instance, mrs. brk had a chicken ranch wrap with lettuce and tomato in ranch dressing, with a side salad ($8.95). the sandwich, not french at all. the side salad and vinagrette, sure. what was kind of odd about the sandwich is that the lettuce in it was the same as the side salad. it was a very salady lunch. and this time of year, the tomato wasn't happy.

the tomato also should've been 86ed from my lunch. though i almost got the curry chicken panini (italy by way of india?), i went with the turkey burger ($12.95) on fresh-baked brioche. because it had brie on it. and came with french fries (not salad). and when i asked for mayo for the fries, it was garlic aioli (and i used the dripping brie, too...). 'nuff said there, no?

oh, um... the burger. the tomato should've not been there, as mentioned, and it would've worked better if they had ground the apple with the burger to make it more moist- both it and the chicken breast suffered from overcooking dryness a shade, and maybe there wouldn't have been the few sandwich integrity issues i had. but with all that, the tomato, besides being sad, didn't fit in. not so strangely, both sandwiches also improved in flavor at the end of the meal.

the fries were decent enough, but not as good as i expected them to be. they were also slightly underseasoned (for not just me, la reine de sel).

service was okay- i wonder if more people showed up today as it was mentioned in one of the papers as having a lovely patio and they had a larger crowd than expected. but points on the runners for the water refills. volnay used to be patricks (home of really bad brunch). they seemed to have replaced them with more or less the same concept and the same set up (down to the tables and chairs and such). though today the restrooms were darker due to a blown fuse or something.

9th- scoreboard, minnetonka (c-)

salad bar, per the usual. the order was weirder than usual- i'd think veg needs to be all together, i think, then the random things like beets and then toppings/dressings, or something like that. so that was odd. i asked for a cup of the mexi-cheese soup, which was tons better last time i had it, lo those years ago. this time i had to stir it up to get it even, and it was a bit oddly textured. the mac and cheese for the entree on there was entirely skippable. no weird hard breadsticks this time, though ($8.75).

mom went with the happy hour crab cakes ($4.75)- two medium-small ones in an orange marmalade-ish sauce. the sauce was an odd concept, and there was too much of it. though i'd not order crab cakes in a sports bar. she got the bowl of fries with it ($1.95) that came with a spicy ranch dressing sort of sauce. also underwhelming.

service was good, though, and we both enjoy the soft serve ice cream and topping desserts.

16th- taco loco #2, shakopee (d+)

this place used to be the mexican fast food arm of the dangerfields/panzanella people (which, even though i passed by it about 5 times a week for about 4 years plus, had to look up the name, it was that memorable), but they sold it to taco loco some months back (the first one is a bit farther down the same street, a former dq, i think, with a drive in). there's not been so many physical changes (down to the REALLY LOUD music and the IT boys that crowd it up). even though #1 is technically closer to where i work, i've not been.

but today i wanted something different for lunch. so i ended up here. at the counter i ordered off the non-platter menu, two chicken tacos and fries ($5.25) because i am not a big fan of the rice served in most mexican restaurants so i didn't want a platter.

i sat, ate my small helping of (free) very tasty chips with a thin, yet good, salsa. a few minutes later, the plate appears. with two chicken tacos, rice, beans, and a side of fries. um. ok. i did ask the runner about it, we agreed to 'whatever' it.

the tacos were the non-cripsy shell kind (double wrapped) with cubes of chicken, a bit of lettuce, a smaller bit of tomatoes, some queso fresco. the chicken was a bit dry, but overall they were... ok. they needed something to give them a bit of flavor- salt, pepper, cilantro, onion, something. i was too lazy to ask for more salsa (which didn't come on the plate), but i used what was left with the chips.

turned out to be a good thing that they brought the rice and beans, as the first round of fries were not cooked in the middle. the second round was cooked just through, but not seasoned and not at all good. when do you know me not to finish even an average-tasting helping of fries? i didn't finish most of my serving. they were really quite bad. they also smelled a bit odd, so of course there were rather a lot of them. though hey, pretty good rice, so i went for that.

the person who brought basket #2 of fries mentioned that if these were also not cooked, they would refund my money for the meal. nice and proactive of them to bring it up.

i was kind of disappointed in the menu here- i thought maybe they'd have a wider array of... well, tacos. al pastor, fish, that sort of thing, and maybe some interestingly, well, crazy options. i didn't see anything like that listed anywhere. it seems the usual mexican fast food fare- tacos, burritos, quesadilla, etc. most of the food seemed decent to average. the whole fry thing dragged the grade down quite far.

23rd- stacy's grille, minnetonka (a-)

place has been around for a while, and is not so very far from where i live, but i hadn't been... probably because hotel restaurants don't usually top my list of places to go. but since it became a 1,000 point open table restaurant choice and mom had a two for one card for the place, i figured, why not try? and i was surprised...

the restaurant overlooks a pond area, which is nice if you get a window table. we had one, until we had to move (just as entrees were being served) due to the proximity of mr. heavy cologne guy causing me to break out in one of my allergy death-sounding cough spasms. the staff coped with the move well. in fact, service went very well all around. there were no water refill issues because we were multi-beveraging (they actually had the very rare diet caffeine-free pop, $2 per pop order).

the food was also generally quite good, starting with the bread basket of a seeded flatbread, a white mini-baguette sort of thing, and a grainy, substantial wheat bread served with quite good butter. and they were warm, and there was a really large amount in that basket... mmm, fresh warm bread....

mom opted for ribs with coleslaw and french fries ($19). there was a fair lot of ribs (she ended up taking half home), and they were fork-tender as advertised on the menu (not seen online, so no cutting and pasting here, alas). the slaw a bit plain (all green cabbage) but complimented the ribs well. and it was not oversauced, as many restaurant slaws are. the fries were no great shakes, though. average, perhaps. and there was quite a lot of food on that plate for the money

i ordered the fish tacos with pico de gallo and cabbage ($18). they also came with sour cream and, completely unadvertised, some sort of small side dish with spicy corn and crab (i asked before digging in, as i thought it was crab, and frankly two allergic reactions in one meal would be very, very bad).

since i am not a big corn tortilla fan (and aren't these usually in flour ones?), i untacoed? detacoed? removed the filling... there we go... and just ate that (because it's not like i didn't have bread products galore there already) they weren't holding up well, anyway, as tacos- they were served with two sets of two tacos skewered together with a wooden stake through their hearts. that was odd and the sticks didn't really work. but the flavor in the dish was there (i liked it better without the corn tortilla taste, actually) and i liked the bit of heat the pico de gallo had. and the fish was cooked perfectly.

i'd say lime instead of lemon, flour tortillas instead of corn (or maybe none), and perhaps the traditional squirt of mayo instead of sour cream on the side, and it would be totally there.

the minidesserts on the menu looked fun, but there was more than plently on the plates. and i was impressed that a hotel restaurant was doing local sourcing (not sysco). i have a feeling we'll be back.

26th- sea change, minneapolis (b+)

since i am pretty sure that most everyone i know will ask me if i have been here (if they have not already), i figured i'd head on in during a less rushed time than their opening day and the packed to the rafters saturday (350+ seats). so sunday lunch (not brunch, i gave that up due to even worse restaurant karma long ago) it was.

on matinee sundays, they open at 11 am. well, they were supposed to. the five minute or so delay in opening lost them a few potential brunchers that went elsewhere (spoonriver's right across the way, for instance). bad show, that. apparently the slam yesterday kept them up until 1 am or so and the chaos wasn't entirely contained last night, maybe. but still, we saw people in there. kind of odd.

we get shown a table, and then i asked for one with a river view (we were the first people to the desk, why not), so we did get the good view. as you've probably read elsewhere the decor is pretty much cue's, only with a few more shades of blue and green, some dividers and lights, plus more chalkboard paint.

the staff is also pretty much cue's, as it turns out. and very much informal (almost to the point of oversharing some info about coworkers). it wasn't bad service, but it wasn't very coordinated... we'd get a rush of people to the table doing various things (water, coffee, bread) then everyone would disappear for a stretch.s

fish restaurant, so on the first go we skipped the burgers and chicken and such and went for fish. the person i was with had the fish and chips ($12)- two 4-5" pieces of halibut and maybe 3-4 wedges of potato with tartar foam. the halibut was above average, but maybe something with vinegar wouldn't be amiss, and again... why foam?

and should i cut them a break because they did just open, but is that enough of an excuse to serve chips that were almost raw in the middle? they did bring out an order of fully cooked ones. we had asked or something to dip them in and a lovely lemon aioli was brought out. can't beat (cooked) fries with mayo. the charge remained on the menu, which is fair enough.

notice it was not me with the bad restaurant karma, as it wasn't brunch. my artic char with artichoke (i think it was in the puree), giardiniera (which may have had the artichoke, but seemed the usual array of carrot, cauliflower, etc) and white beans ($13) which was all in all pretty pefect the fish was cooked exactly right down to the crispy skin. the flavors went together perfectly. it needed nothing- no lemon, i didn't even salt it. and the server pointed out to me it hadn't even been near any shellfish (i mentioned my allergy). it was a perfect portion for lunch, though i had already gone through some of the sesame-studded hard crust white bread from the new french.

dessert was also impressive- opening reviews were generally good all around, but had mad raves for the pastry chef (who's name i will add later if i can find it... and remember). the cherry soup with honey pannacotta ($9) adorned with cookies and honeycomb (and happy birthday sign, as i brought an early birthday gift... though no free dessert). lovely, not too sweet, made from all real cherries, and a nice, light lunch dessert. it seemed a bit spendy for a lunch dessert- i understand sustainable seafood is a bit spendier than farm-raised... maybe desserts, too, as they do the things like pit hundreds of cherries for the soup instead of grenadine and such- no shortcuts, quality ingredients. it was oddly plated in a very huge bowl, but most of the serveware was all good.

all in all, way less disappointing than most of my mckee and/or thoma experiences, but maybe because it was mckee (the chef) and not thoma (the restauranteur) that's behind it? it is opening week, so a few bumps have to be smoothed out. my food was an a+, but service was a bit sleepy and the other meal was kind of average and had the inedible fries (epidemic?). i would go back again (pre-show dinner maybe). the raw bar was suggested, but since i can't do most of it, alas, not sure if it's the place for me. i'd like to take a look at their dinner menu... they should really get their web site going.

weird thing- most of the other people in the place ordered the burger.

28th- dancing ganesha, minneapolis (b)

if i would've followed my dad's restaurant advice, i wouldn't have walked in.. there was no one in the place (two people came in after we started, that was all) except the person i was dining with. his rule is that if no one's there, they're not there for a reason, so skip it.

but i hope they get more people in here for the lunch buffet, or during the school year (they're across from downtown's st. thomas branch), or something... as some aspects are worth keeping alive. like the pappdums they brought out soon after we ordered, served with tamarind and mint chutneys. crisp and hot and tasty.

the menu, well, maybe not that. it needs to be more specific in spots. for instance, the cheese masala uthapam (usually $6, we got it for $3, as appetizers are half-price from 4:30-6:30 pm i think) reads for the menu description, "fermented ground rice and lentil batter bread, embedded with tomatoes, onions, ginger, jalapenos, mild cheese and spices." it was more or less pizza on puffy dough (not crisp or toasted). somehow i didn't suspect that. not that it was bad, but not that great either. liked the sauce, though. it reminded me of hummus, only different. but it was not what i was expected. i don't think i'd get it again.

and they may want to drop the line on the menu that says "world class service" here... and where it was good with the water and such, having to wait 20+ minutes for an appetizer is not world class. and they did bring the pappadums. but then again, the cooking was from scratch. it does explain some of the wait, but maybe not all. though the slowness factor may explain the lack of pre-show dining... that and it's a whole, what, two blocks off hennepin.

but i would say part of the wait is the fresh factor, which should stay. i had the freshest-tasting palak paneer ($12, i think, having a bad memory and no receipt) i have ever had. they make their own paneer, and the spinach tastes like garden-fresh baby spinach. not frozen, not canned, not even from a bag. loved it. among the best i've had, and i am not just saying that because they had tons of the paneer in it and i am a sucker for cheese. i said medium i would've liked it hotter.

and perhaps my friend will tell me differently if i remember wrong, but i think they had the chicken lajawab ($13, i think), "boneless chicken in a tomato onion sauce flavored with coriander seeds." the chicken is top quality goods- not stringy, tough, or chewy, and all white meat. the onions were cut just large enough to make a difference. they thought it was great. i thought it needed a bit more complexity in the sauce and a bit more heat but was otherwise fine.

the entrees come with every grain separated and tender jasmine rice. alas, breads (naan, roti and the like) and condiments like chutneys or pickles are extra, so lose that, please. at least they're only $2-3 for most, but still. the chicken dish would've been greatly improve with some sort of chutney. we both tried the extra from the app on it, and it made the dish come together better.

the room itself retains quite a bit of the wine bar it used to be (and the music selections reflect that... techno-india. i liked it), but adds some indian touches in decor (and serveware). it's the nicest looking indian restaurant i've been in... i'm used to ones that are slightly converted burger places and such. i'd go back to try their lunch buffet ($10). i think it would have some standout dishes if they use the same fresh quality ingredients at lunch as the do at dinner (i assume they do because of the price). and you'd lose the waiting factor.

31st- satay 2 go, apple valley (b-)

the mee goreng ($7.95) (once more... 'egg noodle stir fry with chicken, tofu cube, egg, and vegetables') was slightly overdone, so while still quite good, it wasn't as great as it usually is. the tofu was a bit overdone for me. also, it was busier than i have ever seen it here, too, so it did take quite a while to get our food.

but the less than usual grade was mostly due to the bubble tea ($3.50), which was kind of disappointing. i didn't like the big chunks of ice in it. the ones i've had before- they don't appear on the site as they're not part of meals- were more blended. and the tapioca seemed half-frozen and somehow off. so i won't get that again, that much is for sure. that was so not worth the money.

but i have my store of red bean paste buns now. so i'll cope.

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