date: 10/9/07
location: st. paul
grade: b+

this is the first meal i've had in a very long time where i didn't have to salt anything.

plus i really have to like a place that has a menu item called 'cheesy goodness.' it's a skillet breakfast, but really, it could also be applied to the beer-cheese fondue we split. it tasted like the best queso ever... and to cut and paste the ingredients, it's "a creamy blend of melted cheddar, smoked onions, spices and our chatterbox lager, served with crispy tortilla chips, celery and bell pepper spears for dipping." it's cheesy, smoky goodness. the chips appear to be house-made (or at least house-salted) and stand up to the dipping, too (chip integrity!). not sure why green onions with their tops still on were on the plate to dip, however. that seemed odd.

i thought about it driving home, and came to the conclusion that i probably would've eaten paper if dipped into the fondue. skip the melting pot, come here for the fondue (they also have a chocolate one for dessert, and you'd probably save about $50 per person). i was ready to give the place an a just for this.

the other person got the 'notamama's lasagna, which makes more sense with caps when you look at it. anyway, it's "spinach, artichokes, mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, basil, layered with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan," with house-made marianara, basil pesto and some focaccia bread with it. it seems healthy-ish, no? quite good, and you get a large slab of it. it's nice on a cold evening such as today.

vetting out a possibility for the upcoming fest, , i went with what's billed as "the perfect grilled cheese," "house made focaccia lightly brushed with olive oil, toasted, and topped with melted swiss and cheddar, fresh tomatoes, and cilantro-pumpkinseed pesto." quel disappointment. the focaccia was too thick, so there wasn't a lot of melted cheese (or ironically, enough of it), the focaccia was barely toasted, and it suffered from sad tomato syndrome.

this is a public service address to the local restaurants, by the way... stop serving tomatoes now. the season is over. stop. now. please. thank you.

so anyway, not perfect, it was just kinda ok. however, the seasoned fries with it, still into those. those are nice. especially in the beer-cheese fondue. and there were more than enough of them, and i also got a few fried dill pickles on the side, a nice treat (not as good as the cheese-stuffed fair ones, but still). there was more than enough of the dinners, too, after the fondue. they go big with the portions. and the prices are way reasonable.

as is mentioned in all official reviews, the place is kinda like hanging out in someone's basement, what with the games, the couches, the noise, the darkness. it is a bit noisy and distracting there. not sure how i like that. service was friendly and water was refilled often... in fact, we chatted about the water refill and they didn't hate me for it and such.

i have a feeling i'd be here monthly or weekly if it were much closer to my house. i think i like this one better than the minneapolis one, maybe it's the more extensive menu. there were other things that looked interesting, like the make your own mac and cheese (you pick the add-ins). hell, i may just come over and get the fondue.