date: 5/17/11
location: minneapolis
grade: b

well, dinner went mostly better than lunch. then again, i didn't many expectations for the food, per se. i know i wouldn't go for the sandwiches (though the walleye po'boy i had in their version 1.0 was really quite good) as i had been there, done that. i wanted something new.

while tempted by the fish special ($20 for deboned whole trout and mashed potatoes with fennel gastrique), i decided to stick with my original plan. i had seen the celery-brie soup ($6 bowl, $4.50 cup) on the menu when i was here for lunch, and it sounded like it had potential, but i wasn't in a 'soup' place then. but i thought... why not when i'm here for dinner? i should try it then.

and it was a very nice 'spring' soup- there was only a bit of richness from the brie, it was mostly light and almost delicate- it both looked and tasted light green. the bowl seems worth $6, though not sure how big the cup is it seems like a lot to pay for a cup of soup. even a tasty one.

alas, i did find something that looked like a bit of green plastic in the soup, near the bottom of the bowl. when i asked what they thought it was, they immediately said they'd take the price off the bill and would bring me another if i wished. since i was pretty much done with it, i didn't get a replacement. perhaps i jinxed myself, as i was recently thinking it's been quite a long time (for me) since i've spotted non-food items in my food.

the soup came with a slice of a bit too crusty but tasty bread and butter than was a bit too melty (let's just said an earlier food poisoning incident makes me avoid butter that isn't solidish in restaurants). all in all, i would order the soup again (but probably check through it first).

though you can get protein with it (tofu, chicken, or flank steak, various upcharges for those), i decided to leave my spicy peanut noodles ($10) as they came, with sauteed veg and a fried egg. i liked what there was of sauce- there was enough, but it wasn't heavy enough to stick to the top of the dish so it tasted like peanut near the end of the meal.

they did have some chopped peanuts, but they got lost in the mix of the other ingredients, as the dish was put together in an oddly flintstonian way. they use udon noodles (which are large diameter) and the veg wasn't cut to bite size. add the egg on top, and it was hard to cut in the bowl and awkward to eat. it tasted more like broccoli than anything. not quite what i expected, i guess.

the stuffed ancho chile with smoked chicken, almonds, golden raisins, walnut cream ($7) seemed to meet with (high) expectations, and the walleye and crawfish potstickers ($10) was apparently solid dish also.

i still like the non-shea-ness of the place, though if you don't find the whole antler thing charming, they can be creepy. the antique mirrors and fake deer (which all look left, what's up with that?) are more visually interesting. service was good with the water refills and the handling of the non-food in food issue, plus the server was candid about the menu.

i've only been there twice, i'd say that in the new location, it's still a solid neighborhood place. though someone else thought the menu was limited, they do switch it up now and then. and i am also guessing it's one of those places that if you find a favorite, you keep ordering it, plus there's enough variation that you can bring people who like different kinds of food and they'd all find something they're ok with. plus prices are very reasonable.