date: 8/2/05
location: minneapolis
grade: b+

where's the pole? (it's a former fire station, i expected to see one someplace).

(update- it's in the hallway... who knew? apparently i wasn't paying attention.)

anyway, this is one of those places that's often referred to as a neighborhood gem. it was really, really packed for a tuesday. including the patio, where we didn't sit as it was another one of those steamy, tropical, minnesota days. instead, we were in the very loud inside. let's put it this way- when the server was at one end of the table telling us the soup of the day, people halfway down the table couldn't hear him a few feet away. that's pretty much the only drawback. at times it was hard to hear the person sitting across from you, let alone two people away.

i wouldn't go there again with more than three other people, but maybe just one would be better. we had eight, and besides the aural problems, they seemed a bit understaffed to handle that many people at the table. but we've had a lot worse (yes, the bad restaurant karma jr. blues...).

after tasting the lovely and talented wild mushroom pate with bread and apples, i kind of regretted my half of a champagne pear salad. the salad was one of those dishes that sound better on the menu than the reality of it. it wasn't bad, just not living up to expectations, it had fresh pear slices, with the seeds and core still in it for some reason, toasted pistachios and gorgonzola on mixed greens with a champagne vinaigrette. sounds wonderful, but it the balance wasn't quite there. and because of said brk, everyone else's starter was literally twice as large, even the other half salads. the beet salad with green beans, goat cheese, and mixed greens (or the 'childhood nightmare' salad... get it?) was reportedly tasty, as was the soup of the day, featuring chorizo and lentils. the bread and butter on the table were pretty fab.

the menu had larry schultz organic chicken products written all over it. literally. i decided to fall for the hype and go for a the pizza with larry's chicken breast, apple, gruyere, and apple slices. a very nice combo, but larry's chicken breast was slightly disappointing. it tasted like a lot of grocery store chicken, only slightly better. not quite the true chicken flavor you get in a lot of other organic chicken, it was agreed. not that it was bad, just not great. above average. and i wish i had some red pepper flakes to put on the pizza.

the portabella mushroom and gorgonzola burger was very good (love the topping), but the bun was a bit ordinary. the fries were above average. i was going to get the gruyere and caramelized onion quiche (with some of the champagne pear salad on the side) but someone else did, and i was glad i went with the pizza. again, not bad, but... (theme?). the pork in adobo, chicken taco (hi larry!), and the pasta dish (cherry tomatoes, cured black olives, edamame, brussel sprouts, garlic and spinach in a vegetable broth) was very tasty, and they get points for mentioning it's a veggie broth. the chicken breast was also a bit underwhelming, but it came with a lovely goat-cheese filled crepe and had a nice sauce going for it. many glasses of wine were consumed and enjoyed, but i couldn't hear which ones.

someone ordered dessert beer. i tasted it, and have declared it the beer i hate the least, deposing a honey-orange one i had at pyramid in seattle. it was a framboise by lindemans. very girly. a huge portion of berry cobbler with ice cream was also delivered to the table and consumed, but the pile of dessert was too big for all of us to finish, as good as it was. you get a lot for what you pay here.

as implied earlier, i suspect had i gone here with fewer people i would've enjoyed it more. a lot of the food was really good, the prices extremely reasonable (especially for the area), it's locally owned, and they do business with a lot of local people. one of the good guys. besides the noise, the rooms flow well, and are decorated nicely, though i was not able to play spot the ikea (partially due to where i was sitting, partially as i didn't see any from my covert glances around). then again, if i did, i would've not been able to taste as many things, and that would've been a shame.