date: 12/29/09
location: minneapolis
grades: (see below for individual locations)

after meeting up in the lobby area, we cased the joint and picked what we wanted for dinner. since, per usual, i had gotten in early, i did some reconnaissance before we all met up. some of the places have been here since they opened, but there seems to be always something new in the mix that i hadn't seen.

previously, i've gone to the holy land here and the manny's tortas, both of which were ok. (though i will say some after dinner shopping at holy land had some misleading signage that had me leave my intended purchases there... two for $5 on the front of a case that has about a dozen varieties of things on it does not mean you have to get two of the same ones if it's not on the sign. if you do, put it on the freaking sign, so no points for you).

i was kind of in the mood for pizza, and there was some at jakeeno's, but it only looked to have one kind by the slice i could eat- cheese. i was in the mood for something a bit more than that. the sandwiches at kitchen in the market looked good, but the kind i wanted wasn't in (chicken salad with cranberry and a few other things). there were also a few things at west indies soul food that looked interesting, but they closed early today, apparently. bummer.

the sandwiches at the salty tart also looked good, but the kind they had in seemed like it would be better warm. i did grab a few pastries from there, and the ones i ate (later at home, after a brief stint in the microwave), a+ on those. 'omfg...' was my brainwave as soon as i took the first bit. both the savory and sweet are buttery delicious goodness.

since they have won mad props from city pages and others, i decided to go with la sirena gorda's tacos, the octopus variation ($8.95 for the plate). i can't be sure it wasn't squid as those things were tiny... but whatever it was, it was nicely spicy in a creamy hot pepper sauce with avocado cream, cabbage and corn, plus warm tortillas (i went with the soft option). you also get black beans and saffron rice- both flavorful and atypical, and you get a just-right for dinner sized portion of everything. tiny drawback- i found a stringy thing in the beans, though we all thought it was food, so i let it go. it was balanced out by the huge cup of water that i got (no need for refills, even) vs. the usual tiny one you get here. nice.

someone else was pulled in by la sirena, and went with an atypical, nonfloury, very spicy clam chowder (sopa de almejas, which is an acapulco style version of the dish) and the noted for good reason ceviche that was served on toastadas (it was around $17 total with a beverage, not sure how the breakdown was), and they also got a few samples of dishes before figuring out what to buy, so excellent service there also. let's just say a for them and note that i managed to obtain some of the better food of the lot. i always feel a need to point it out, it seems to me it doesn't happen often.

two others opted for a different mexican locale, one of the branches of taqueria los ocampo (they need to get a web site, by the way). the chicken enchaladas ($10 or so with beverage in there someplace) were huge- four enchaladas with a pile of salad, cheese, and avocado on it, plus another plate that was half stacked with rice and half beans, two (or maybe three for lunch) people could've split it. the people who got it felt that should've been pointed out somewhere along the way, instead of each person ordering the dish. it came with standard beans and rice (sirena's looked a lot better visually). they ballparked the food as a b.

the other thing that someone ended up with was a bahn mi (pork with pork pate, cilantro, peppers, and... probably other things i forgot) from pham's deli ($4.95). it was a good sized sandwich, but was a bit bready. b also, i think it was. (tell me if it wasn't, please).

we ended up sitting in what i think was the manny's tortas area, it seemed to be a bit brighter and more modern and comfortable and such than many of the other eating areas there. they also had a tv with the game on. there's enough space there that you can find your own corner to occupy with no problem.

it was nice to see the place not completely dead (though far from busy), as it seemed to be the past times i have visited here. it seems to be more of a neigborhood thing now in the evenings. i wonder if that is due in part to the more restaurants, fewer places to shop it seems to have evolved into at the moment (i.e. more of a dinner thing than an errand thing). they must still do a much bigger lunch crowd. and if you haven't been in a while, go. to la sirena gorda. pick up stuff at the satly tart, too. try not to mass consume it all in one go, though you may be tempted.