Ginger Hop – A Restaurant Review

Not wanting to let any CSA veggie go to waste, we have hardly had a meal away from home in the last six months. Not only have we not eaten in many restaurants, but unlike me in my past life, I have no idea what is going on in the restaurant world anymore.

Besides being inundated with veggies for many months and enjoying cooking every last morsel, there is really nothing out there in the restaurant world that really inspires me or drives me to visit. I think I have become desensitized to restaurants. That magic combination of variables needed for me to enjoy a restaurant experience has become rather illusive. I wonder if others feel this as well?

This last weekend I finally decided we needed a new restaurant experience. I perused the menus of Om, Bar La Grassa and Ginger Hop. The menu that looks the most appealing to me is Om, a contemporary Indian place downtown across from the Fine Line, but having to find parking, make reservations and possibly dress in anything other than comfy jeans and a sweater scared me away. I had such high hopes for Isaac Becker’s new digs, but alas, I cannot bear to order pasta in a restaurant. The idea just seems absurd. I can cook the stuff at home. It’s so easy, so cheap and so NOT interesting and remember…SO EIGHTIES. Please come up with something more interesting for vegetarians.

Ultimately, we were left with Ginger Hop. This sibling of Chang Mai Thai is located in the beautiful space vacated by the old Times Bar and Cafe. The decor is fabulous: casual, stylish and comfortable. Style wise, it beats most of the Asian ethnic eateries in town.

We arrived without a reservation and were placed on a waiting list. The bar had seats available so we were able to enjoy a cocktail and peruse the menu while we waited. Immediately, I noticed that vegan friendly menu items are marked with a big “V.” Thanks. The beer menu is not as extensive as I had hoped, but the server was knowledgeable and able to direct Jeff to a wheat beer from Stillwater – Lift Bridge Farm Girl to be exact. The service both in the bar and at our table was fantastic.

The food…well…not so fantastic. I will say, however, that the sweet potato fries were some of the best we ever had. I’m not sure why. They were crispy on the outside and tender in the middle and covered in flaky kosher salt. A dish of spicy ketchup which I believe was Sriracha and Ketchup mixed together was served on the side. We also ordered an Eggplant Satay, Caramelized Onion Cream Cheese Puffs and Tofu Spring Rolls. The Spring Rolls really surprised me because they were falling apart and tiny. I made spring rolls this summer and I learned how to soften the skins just the right amount so they don’t rip. If they sit in water too long, they start to turn to mush and fall apart. These were clearly made by a novice.

For our main meal, I had the Potsticker Soup which was satisfying and tasty, but not nearly as good as the Vegetarian Pho at Jasmine 26. Jeff had a Crispy Tofu Salad with rice vermicelli, but the Mock Duck Salad at Pho 79 knocks the socks off this dish. All this mediocre Asian food leaves me to question whether they have anybody in the kitchen who really knows how to prepare these dishes. On the other hand, the prices are similar to some of the very casual ethnic eateries in town.

Sorry, Ginger Hop. You have a beautiful space, you have kindly marked your menu items that are vegan, you have a lovely serving staff, and your prices are very reasonable. Your kitchen, however, needs some tweaking.

Pi – Rochester, MN

Minnesota has new pizza! Pi is Creative Cuisine Company’s latest concept delivered by local restaurant owner, Mike Currie and his daughter, Linda Becher. It is conveniently tucked into a new suburban-like strip mall just off Highway 52 on the north end of Rochester. If you are from the Cities, you’ll get it when I say, “Punch.” Pi’s pizzas offer a different flavor and are not on cracker-thin crust, but they are pretty darn good. Pi’s crust is chewy and flavorful, their mozzarella made in-house and their prices can’t be beat.

When I first walked into the restaurant had it not been for the wonderful distinct smell of wood-fired pizzas, I would have thought for a moment I was in Chipotle. The entrance leads you to a queue where you wait your turn to order. As you wait, you can watch the workers pull fresh mozzarella like taffy or create the signature pizzas. A giant circular oven sits in the back corner of the kitchen and a pizza sentinel stands, pizza board in hand, managing the treasures. You won’t order until you reach the cashier, so grab a menu off the wall as you first walk in. They do have a menu board to read, but it’s located at the cashier, so if it’s busy, you’ll want to be prepared. You’ll order at the counter, be handed a number, and your food will be delivered. Silverware and soft drinks are self-serve and the good news is, Pi serves beer and wine. This is the way fast-food should be!

Pi offers a nice selection of personal 10-inch pizzas and seems to be amenable to making meat deletions. They offer traditional pizzas like Pepperoni and Margherita versions, but also have some adventurous concoctions, like the “Reuben” that sports corned beef, thousand island and sauerkraut! For vegetarians they offer the Margherita, a Three Cheese, and a Veggie with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, fresh basil and their house mozzarella. We ordered the Three Cheese, the Veggie and Jeff tried the Red Barn with corn, roasted red peppers, red onions and mozzarella. The Red Barn is normally served with bacon, but we opted out of that choice.

Ranging from $5.95 to $7.95, the prices make it entirely possible for each diner to order their own pizza, and I loved that. In traditional pizza places, I usually get stuck with just cheese when it comes to sharing with my family, but today I had the pleasure of enjoying both fresh and sun dried tomatoes. It’s too bad Pi doesn’t offer a pizza with olives and mushrooms because those are two food items that have been non-existent in my pizza life since meeting my husband!

In addition to pizzas, we also tried the Caprese and Ceasar Salads. Here’s another Caesar that got a big thumbs up with its freshly made croutons and tangy dressing. The mozzarella on the Caprese got my attention right away as the hand pulling gives it a different texture from other fresh mozzarella. The taffy pulling technique is apparently what takes mozzarella from a smooth creamy texture to the string version.

The 800 degree oven means Pi’s pizzas are served lightening quick, so don’t expect to have to wait long. In fact, our pizzas came out before our salads, but that didn’t bother us one bit. There’s something about the location on the highway, right next to a Caribou Coffee and in a new strip mall that makes it feel right to get the food quickly. It could be a new quick-food concept for highway rest stops. I’d love to see Fazzoli’s and Pizza Hut replaced with Pi.

Overall, I really enjoyed Pi’s new concept and I loved finding a decent meal while traveling. I was very happy to enjoy this more upscale version of pizza with vegetarian options. Since Pi is a locally owned restaurant, it would be fantastic to see their pizzas supporting a local vegetable, meat and cheese theme. This place has the opportunity to go beyond – to interact and connect with the community. If they did this, they could really stand out as a new pizza concept for Rochester and Minnesota.

Cafe Twenty Eight

I’ve mentioned Cafe Twenty Eight before, but have never done a formal review. It’s my favorite Minneapolis restaurant. It’s a quiet little bistro near our home in “downtown” as Max calls the Linden Hills node on 43rd and Upton. We eat here frequently especially when the weather permits a seat on the patio. They have a baeshty beer menu with delicacies from the self-sustaining Trappists in Europe, and our own local Surly Brewery. One of the co-owners in fact of Cafe Twenty Eight, Todd Haug, is the Surly brewer and we love him for that!

Cafe Twenty Eight has a small menu with lots of variety and spice. They seem to think Latin America about as often as I do, because you will find cilantro and hot peppers hiding in many of their dishes. Tonight’s special, for example was grilled Costa Rican wild caught Mahi Mahi on a bed of cilantro cabbage salad with fried sweet plantains and a cilantro cream sauce. The restaurant also supports the use of organic produce and humanely raised animals which gains high marks from patrons like me.

There is not a lot on their menu for vegetarians, but enough variety to make return trips, which we do for the Tofu Tacos. If we’re really hungry we’ll also have the Guacamole with Two Salsas. This guac is freshly made and served alongside  a red and green homemade salsa combo. The tomatillo green is particularly good. With a few samplings of beer, this makes for a filling meal. For those preferring to abstain from meat, Cafe Twenty Eight also serves up a mushroom pate, quiche, salads and a vegetarian pizza offering each week. Tonight I would have loved the special entree if instead of Mahi Mahi, they served a triple of spicy black bean croquettes on that bed of cilantro cabbage. I’ll have to make that at home!

The other fun thing about Cafe Twenty Eight is the fact that it is housed in an old fire station. It’s a history lesson waiting if you walk inside the restaurant and peruse the walls. You’ll learn all about Lake Harriet and Linden Hills as they have framed newspaper articles and photos going back to the turn-of-the-century.

Cafe Twenty Eight is a quaint local eatery with an adventurous spirit and tasty chow. It’s nice to have a place like this so close to home and from the Vegetarian Perspective, it is highly recommended.

Farm Pizza

Have you heard about the A to Z Pizza Farm in Stockholm, Wisconsin? It’s a truly unique experience and an honor to be able to spend an evening on the farm enjoying the art and ambition of a couple of foodies and their family. I’m not going to attempt to recreate the evening for you or describe the experience. Others have done a fabulous job with that already and their links are below, but I am going to leave you with some suggestions because the Pizza Farm experience has some quirks.

Map

Free Republic Piece

Twin Cities Natural Food Coops Piece

Pizza Time: The A to Z only does the pizza thing on Tuesdays.

Drive Time: The farm is open for business at 4:30 and it takes about an hour and a half to get there from Minneapolis. I would recommend leaving no later than 3:30 because all the orders for pizza are taken in the first two hours of business. If you arrive later than 6:30 you run the risk of being greeted by the “Sold Out” sign. I would estimate they prepare approximately 350 pizzas each Tuesday night.

Bathrooms: The farm has a conventional bathroom as well as a composting “Bran Can” so you won’t suffer while you are waiting for your your pizza. However, the lines are very long so I highly recommend unless you want to make lots of new friends, you take a bathroom stop in Red Wing or some other place before you reach the farm.

Arrival Time: If you arrive late, the cars will be lined up for a great distance from the farm. I would recommend you pull up to the driveway, unload your gear and send someone on to park who won’t mind a little work out.

Gear Gathering: The farm provides the pizza, the rest is BYO EVERYTHING. If you have time, it’s great fun to do it up Martha Stewart style with a table, table clothes and candelabra, but you can also keep it simple by bringing only picnic blankets. Remember, whatever you might want, you will need to bring. A light jacket is highly recommended as it gets cool when the sun goes down.

Line Time: When you arrive, you will wait in line to order your pizza. There is a board describing seven or eight pre-designed pizzas to choose from. All the ingredients for the pizzas are grown on the farm, so they have lots of veggie varieties, but also offer meat selections. Our group ordered a Margharita with fresh tomatoes, cheese and basil, a Four Cheese and Tomato, a couple of “Happy Piggies” and a couple of Italian Gardens. The Italian Garden had fresh tomatoes, zucchini, beets, garlic, onions, fennel and swiss chard. You will order and be given a number for each pizza. They will take your name and you can watch the numbers board to check to see how much longer it will be until your pizza is ready. You’ll most likely have a lot of wait time.

Wait Time: While you are waiting for your pizza you can take a little tour of the farm, stroll through the fields, check out the animals and visit with your friends. We didn’t get our pizzas until well after nightfall, so come prepared.

The Farm Pizza experience is worth it, and hopefully this information will help you be well prepared for your trip.

The waiting in line to order line.

The “Sold Out” sign went up around 6:30.

Notice the number is 135. We had numbers 307-312  -  almost two hundred pizzas to wait.

While you wait you can watch the ballet of pizza making,

visit with your FarmBoy friends,

enjoy your surroundings with the real Farm Boys,

or relax in some comfortable chairs.

You’ll want to bring a first course. We brought a Caesar Salad and an Heirloom Tomato Basil Salad. We also ate dessert well before the pizza arrived: Cheesecake, Caramel Apple Pie, Eclairs and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Expect great people watching! It was a beautiful crowd.

The animals were fun to see.

Plan to take a stroll through the fields.

You can see all the veggies that go on the pizzas growing in the fields.

It will start to get dark and a little chilly. Make sure you bring something warm to throw over your shoulders when the sun goes down.

If you take kids make sure they have lots of options. Some folks brought lawn games – not a bad idea. Max practiced cartwheels, hand stands and flips.

He also took funny pictures of the animals.

The wait is almost over – only twenty more pizzas to go!

Yeah! A big cheer goes up when your name is called. Your pizza is ready.

A trip to the A to Z Pizza Farm is a quintessential part of a mid-west summer experience – truly a must do, but  an experience that requires a little planning ahead and the knowledge that it will be a late night if you don’t get there early.

Papa’s Restaurant and Deli

Commercial nodes, restaurants, coffee shops and amenities are necessary components to building strong viable communities. People love where they live if they have a fun and tasty restaurant within walking distance where they can enjoy a decent meal, a little libation and a chat with neighbors or friends. Mick and Kris Brogan, the owners of Papa’s Restaurant and Deli in the Victory Neighborhood of North Minneapolis are committed to this ideal. They opened this family friendly restaurant with not only a passion for food but to help support a community lacking these most basic needs, and their restaurant is a gem.

Papa’s turns out amazing pizza as well as pasta and East Coast sandwiches. “Papa” Mick Brogan, is in fact originally from New Jersey, and has delivered the goods to Minnesotans. In addition to the restaurant they have also opened an adjacent deli with specialty meats, cheeses and Italian gelato. The vanilla bean got a big thumbs up from the nine-year-old in our life! The deli also beautifully houses an art gallery where they host a different Northside artist each month. How’s that for giving back to the community?

Mick’s East Coast Tomato Pie was fabulous. The sauce is made with crushed tomatoes and no tomato puree so it carries a very fresh flavor. Apparently you can have it topped with other ingredients as well, but I wanted to celebrate the tomato theme so opted only for fresh tomatoes. It has a nice amount of cheese – a little less than the average pizza, but on the same fabulous Papa’s crust. This crust is crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, it’s not thick or thin – it’s homemade, hand-tossed perfection.

A Ceasar Salad before the pizza also got a big thumbs up from Max because he was able to pour his own dressing and he loved the black and white croutons.

Papa’s not only serves up a mean pizza, but they also have a decent wine list, Surly and a patio! Take the kids and head out for dinner at Papa’s in Victory – you’ll all be happy!

A couple of clarifications and a little more information from owner, Kris Brogan:

We are calling our place Papa’s Restaurant and Deli (to try and get more folks to try us – not just for the great pizza!).  Mick is from New Jersey – born and raised – but I hail from Minnesota with just a short term stay in NJ – long enough to meet Mick, get married and have a couple of kids – then it was back to Minnesota!  In our deli (Papa’s Deli Gallery) we sponsor a Northside artist each month.  Not only does the artist get to use the wall space but we host a reception for the artist and serve wine and appetizers.

Cafe Maude

After watching the sauces and cremes of French cooking get whipped into submission in the movie Julie and Julia, what better place to take in a little late night nosh and cocktail? Cafe Maude’s menu is replete with Escargot, Croquettes, Duck Confit and lots of rich Frenchy sauces. I have to admit, this type of food is not my favorite, but it was nice pairing for the movie.

Cafe Maude at 10:00 at night feels like a bar with live music playing too loud and single middle-aged Southwest men trolling. (Can you imagine? Yikes!) It’s really a shame that we can’t just have bars in Minnesota without the obligatory food service, because Southwest Minneapolis really needs some fun drinking establishments and a place for these guys to go. As it stands, Cafe Maude seems to be facing an identity crisis.

Patronizing Cafe Maude left me feeling torn. On one hand, the food, while not to my preference, was quite tasty. And on the other, the live bar band was a headache inducing utter frustration. Had I not ordered food and really been in a bar, I would have walked out immediately. It’s not that I don’t like the idea of live music, but this bistro’s space is not conducive to improvised Electronica. A nice quiet guitar and voice or a sultry Jazz band would have supported the environment, but the trio on Friday night had me reeling and wishing I could bee-line for the door. I felt sorry for the staff.

From the vegetarian perspective, there are menu items to enjoy. Cafe Maude, in fact, celebrates the “sides” by offering most of their menu as small plates. It would be easy to order a well balanced meal as they offer fresh vegetables as well as the savory, fried and seasoned. I was in the mood for fried last night so we tried the Surly battered onion rings with rooster mayo, hand-cut fries with truffle salt and truffle fontina fondue, and the Tuscan rice and parmesan croquettes with aparagus and basil cream. It ended up being too much fried, but each dish has it’s signature and is delicious.

I probably won’t go there again, but I can see how folks in the neighborhood are happy to have something nearby.

Amazing Thailand

Amazing Thailand

Last night we were mistaken for royalty at the Amazing Thailand restaurant. The hostess, the server, the water-boy and the cooks must have thought we were a king and queen and a prince because never in my life has a restaurant experience been so perfect. I assumed, as with most restaurants, there would be little positive to comment on, so I neglected to bring the camera. I now have an excuse to return in order to take photos!

The hostess seated us in the “Umbrella Room.” This is a lovely space with beautiful parasols hanging from the ceiling and a plaster relief depicting perhaps Thai royalty riding an elephant traveling in procession?

Our server had the perfect combination of promptness and helpfulness without being intrusive. I really hate chatty waiters and waitresses. I like their help if I need it, but prefer service without an attitude. This man was calm, assured and highly competent. Nothing came too fast, nothing came too slow, and just the perfect amount of time was left between everything. We were given a minute or so to see the menu and get situated before we were greeted, we were given the opportunity to finish a drink and then asked if we would care for another – nothing was rushed, but we never felt that we had to wait either. It was uncannily perfect!

The water-boy was a delight to observe. He takes his job very seriously and performs with a flourish! After filling the glasses, he would walk away with a quick flip of the pitcher and a little, yet subtle dance in his step. It was clear that he enjoyed his job – not something you see much anymore! I anticipate he will work his way into a bartender position one day!

We ordered two appetizers: Vegetable Spring Rolls and Vegetable Egg Rolls. Both were perfect. The spring rolls were firmly packed with a lovely combination of greens, mint, carrots and rice noodles, and the egg rolls were the least greasy I have ever had.

Both of the entrees we ordered are not on the web menu, so I will need to go back to find their names. We ordered a Pumpkin Curry, A noodle curry and a plate of fried tofu. The Pumpkin Curry was beyond spectacular in both flavor and presentation. The dish was served in a very large buttercup squash. The curry was piled high and topped with a large clump of Thai basil. It was a thing of beauty! I ordered it with mock duck as well as “vegetables” and both were in abundance. The vegetables included baby carrots, bamboo shoots, broccoli and squash. The only thing about this dish that could have been better is that the squash bowl was not cooked and is actually served cold. This struck me as odd at first, but as it was a huge cavity, I had more than enough to eat, and the curry was piping hot – the meal was not adversely affected by the temperature of the vessel.

Max and Jeff shared the noodle curry dish, and it was very kid friendly! By that I mean a huge pile of rice noodles in a saucy curry with nothing else. The dish could have come with fried egg, vegetables, mock duck or any of the meat options on the menu, but we asked them to pair it down for the picky-eater boy! He was a happy camper, and it was enough for both he and Jeff to enjoy and bring some home. It was enough food for four people to share with other dishes!

Amazing Thailand has a full bar which apparently draws a crowd for happyhour. They have a wide array of signature cocktails as well as many tasty beers. We enjoyed some of our favorite, Surly Furious, with the meal. They serve $3 drinks and appetizers everyday from 4-6 pm except Tuesday when happyhour goes all day! I think we’ll try that route next time for the economical meal. We will be going back – and soon!

Moosewood – Ithaca, NY

Dinner at the Moosewood

by guest blogger

David Hopkins

The meal was a Father’s Day gift and I failed to bring the certificate. We decided to postpone the dinner after a futile search through the car, pockets and purses. But when we asked the staff to remove our name from the waiting list we were shown that the Moosewood ownership and staff will go out of their way to accommodate their guests. With a phone call to one of the 19 owners of the Moosewood Collective, the staff devised a payment plan and we were seated for our meal. The staff and owners are sweet and happy, the place has been successful, and it’s a local point of pride, so it’s hard to be critical. My challenge is to be helpful with creative and constructive criticism. NPR has featured the Moosewood and its cookbooks. The restaurant sells its ever-growing collection of cookbooks in the restaurant lobby, on its website , online at Amazon and numerous other sites. But we were underwhelmed by the food.

Here’s a play-by-play sketch of our meal.

Lindeman’s Merlot – - $4/glass. This house wine is a typical standard that we like. It was a default choice after discovering that the Ithaca Pale Ale was out of stock and the other wines were too expensive. 4 stars.

Chevron and Crackers appetizer — $6. The hearty multi-grain sweet crackers are served with mild chevron and a sweet red onion jam. As interesting as it sounds, the good flavors were bland and ultra subtle. The serving was too small for two to split, but we shared 4 crackers, 3 cherry tomatoes and a teeny slice of cantaloupe. 3 stars.

House Salad — included with entrée. An extremely plain salad but colorfully layered with purple cabbage on romaine and one olive atop shredded carrots. It seemed skimpy being lightly pre-dressed with no dressing, crackers or bread on the side. I enjoyed the bottom of the bowl where the tasty basil-spinach dressing had settled. 2 stars.

Portebella Lasagna — $16. This dish was the saving grace of the meal. A satisfying comfort food, with rich asagio cheese filling and plenty of ‘shrooms, unfortunately was served simply as a slab o’ lasagna without garnishes or garlic bread on the side. 4 stars.

Alaska Salmon with Dill Pesto — $18. This entree looked better with its mixed brown/wild rice on the side. Unfortunately the wild rice was barely cooked and was inedible. The fish was an attractive pink, set off by the green pesto, but there was too little of it especially since the fish was dry. Lemon or extra pesto served on the side would have made it better. 1 star.

Strawberry Trifle — $6. Very simple, seasonally correct, sweet and pretty in it’s tall glass. 4 stars.

Tip — $8. Service was good, but the server did not check the food for quality and did not offer condiments, bread or garnishes. He was less available than we needed in light of these conditions. Had he attended these things our tip would have probably been $12. 3 stars.

Total bill (after taxes) $67.

Of all our visits to the MooseWood during the last year, the deserts have gotten the highest remarks. The chocolate dishes are especially delicious. The menu of deserts has 2-3 times as many options as the menus of entrees and appetizers. Though we’ve enjoyed some very tasty light soup and sandwich Moosewood lunches, we are impressed with the Moosewood as a fine restaurant for coffee and desert more than for supper.

The Moosewood is kid-friendly and a number of families were present at this Friday supper hour, despite the seemingly high prices. There were also people from a variety of cultures present, and it was enjoyable to be part of a diverse dinner crowd. This was my first Moosewood meal in their outdoor courtyard. The traffic noise was quite loud, and a baby crying dominated the sound environment for a while. We both found conversation difficult, but admit the acoustic environment is also relevant to my hearing problem.

21 stars of 35 possible. Overall rating – 3 stars

Laredo’s Tex-West

http://www.laredostexwest.com/

A couple of weeks ago I was at a friend’s house for dinner and commented on her new dining room chairs. Turns out they are from the new restaurant on France Avenue that took over the old Pizzeria Uno place – you know, Via. Well, Via wasn’t doing so well, so the company that owns it, Hemisphere Restaurant Partners, decided to reinvent the concept and totally renovate the place. They did not just rework the menu and price-points, but have created an entirely new restaurant. In fact, they are not the only restaurant company with a lot of cash to throw around. Turns out that Laredo’s on Excelsior in St. Louis Park is owned by the same company that owned the previous restaurant in that location, Brix. The Collins Restaurant Group is throwing big money towards concepts until they can get it right, too. There must be really big bucks in certain types of restaurants, but to find what the people like is a little more elusive.

I like creative and fresh food. I like lots of vegetarian options and nice wine and beer. Laredo’s didn’t have much of interest. I had a plate of cheese enchiladas with a chipotle mole type sauce – they just called it “red sauce.” Jeff had a black bean veggie burger and Max had grilled cheese with fries. Yikes! They do have very nice chips served with a flavorful habanero sauce, but everything else is pretty blah. Since they have a full bar and lots of specialty drinks, I thought I better try their mojito – terrible. It was bland! How can a mojito be bland?

Ultimately, I find it pretty disgusting that a restaurant company can throw millions of dollars into a concept that will fail, and then turn around and do it all over again in the same location. These guys are totally disassociated with the reality of location and thinking only of dollars, and when those are the parameters, the patron and community loses.

5 8 Club – Minneapolis

Don’t you love the idea of the old speakeasy? Prohibition of alcohol, yet folks took libation underground and partied anyway? Now, the hamburger on the other hand, is a creation that has always disturbed me. I remember as a child the putrid smell of cooking flesh wafting off the frying pan as Grandma made “hockey pucks” as we referred to them. An economical meat for economical times. To avoid the stench, I used to go play outside when hamburgers were cooked, and my cousin was happy to have mine as I opted for sliced tomato on toast.

I should have known better than to agree to go to the 5 8 Club with my veggie burger loving husband. I don’t much like veggie burgers in the first place as they taste too much like meat to me, and I hate dirty restaurants. This place takes the cake in the disgusting factor. I ordered a New Castle on tap that tasted like dumpster juice, you can still smell the cigarette smoke from three years ago, and since everything there is fried, stale grease permeates the place.

I guess some people are attracted to kitsch. They like to be in places that hold a sort of nostalgia. Perhaps people go to the 5 8 Club to imagine the era of speakeasies and prohibition or to imagine the fifties full of cruisers and hamburgers, but I can’t imagine how they think the food at the 5 8 Club today is at all palatable.

On A Stick – Fairfood at Costco

What do hotdogs, pizza slices and delicious treats on a stick conjure for you? The State Fair? Well, if you love the Fair for the food, but hate the steep prices, try the cafeteria at Costco! It truly amazes me how I have changed since having a child! Throw out, “Where do you want to eat?” to the eight-year-old at our house and if it’s not Pizza Luce, Chipotle or Cucumbers, its Costco! I have never been to the State Fair, (don’t try to convert me, I am not going) but lunch or dinner at Costco gives me a little glimpse into the insanity without the dent in the wallet. Costco is crazy-busy on Saturdays and the cafeteria is always bustling with families. It’s a great deal, and they have bad-for-your-health-but-tasty vegetarian options.

Today for lunch we shared two giant slices of cheese pizza, we each had a soda and finished with dessert of a giant hand dipped ice cream bar with toasted almonds. Our bill: $6.50.

If you can’t handle the fact that there is nothing in the fruit or vegetable category in the cafeteria for vegetarians, try buying one of Costco’s premade salads and enjoy that with the pizza. I’ve seen lots of creative moms dishing up broccoli and carrots from a deli tray or strawberries they bought in the store and are dip-washing for their toddler from the water they ordered. Costco is cheap easy food and the people watching tends to be fairly entertaining. You do need a membership to get in, by the way.

Turtle Bread? Tosca?

I live down the street from Turtle Bread, and we’ve been there a few times. For awhile we kept going back in order to figure out the appeal. So many people we know like it, so we thought perhaps we were missing something or not doing it the right way. To me, it’s a very confusing restaurant concept and one that makes me uncomfortable. I hate ordering at the counter, I’m never sure if I’m in the kitchen or the patron dining area and ultimately, the food is mediocre. We tried having lunch at the new restaurant, Tosca last weekend until we arrived and discovered that it is actually Turtle Bread. They only offer table service for dinner, so we walked. You know how I feel about pasta anyway! Yuck!

Today is a wet, cold and dreary Spring day in Minneapolis, and I overheard one of my co-workers mention that it was a good day to go to Turtle Bread for soup. She is right about the soup, but it wouldn’t be coming from Turtle Bread. I know that soup is one of the easiest, least expensive and most satisfying things to make fresh at home. I can’t imagine ever ordering it in a restaurant because I can’t imagine that it could be better than homemade.

Tonight’s soup ended up being a Roasted Yellow Beet & Sweet Potato Soup that I served with chunks of cheddar and corn tortillas locally made by the Whole Grain Milling Company in Welcome Minnesota. Last weekend I roasted two large yellow beets and forgot to use them in a salad so they were waiting in the fridge for inspiration. I also had on hand a large sweet potato. The sweet of the beets and the sweet potato paired well with the tomato base of organic Muir Glen tomatoes. Jeff and I both enjoyed it, and Max devoured two bowls! It’s a winner! The recipe follows.

Roasted Yellow Beet & Sweet Potato Soup

1 medium yellow onion

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbs. olive or canola oil

1 large sweet potato

2 large roasted yellow beets

1 large can Muir Glen diced tomatoes

1 bunch cilantro

1 tsp. dried basil

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground curry powder (I used Penzey’s Vindaloo)

salt & pepper to taste

chunks of cheddar to top soup

tortilla chips or crackers

Directions: In a large soup pot warm the oil on low heat while you dice the onion. Mix the onion into the oil and let it slowly saute. I remove the skins from the garlic and chop them in the food processor. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic. Keep the heat low, so the garlic can cook, but not burn. Max and Jeff don’t like chunks of tomato, so I puree the diced tomatoes. Add the tomato puree to the pot, and dice the sweet potato. Add these to the pot and raise the heat just enough to bring the tomatoes to a slow simmer. Add a little water to thin out. I added about two cups. Add spices and let cook. While the soup is cooking, I chop the bunch of cilantro in the food processor, and cut up chunks of cheese to top the soup. Sweet potatoes don’t take long to cook, so check them after about five minutes. While the soup cooks, I peel and dice the beets. Toss the beets in the pot after the sweet potatoes are soft. Let warm for about a minute and then mix in the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with cheese and chips.

This meal for eight is entirely organic, took me about twenty minutes to prepare, and cost less than $7.00. You can’t beat that at Turtle Bread.

Everest on Grand

What a relief that there are restaurants offering mostly vegetarian options and even have patrons waiting for tables! Everest on Grand was very busy last night, and dinner was fabulous. I am just beginning to learn about Himalayan food and the influences from Northern India, and so far I have been very impressed. I love the flavors of curry, cilantro and ginger and appreciate the culinary difficulties involved in preparing freshly roasted curry spices, momo and samosa.

Last night we enjoyed a full order of Vegetable Momo (little steamed dumplings) and Vegetable Samosa as appetizers. Then we shared three vegetable curries: Jogi-Takari (vegetable curry), Saag (green mustard leaves sauteed with ginger and spices) as well as Palak Paneer (spinach with paneer cheese). There were four of us who dined together and each had their own personal favorite. I enjoyed the mustard greens as they were still a titch crisp having just been sauteed. The other two dishes while flavorful seemed as if the vegetables were a bit overdone. We ate the curries with rice and a garlic naan – all very satisfying!

The owners and staff are very concerned that all guests feel welcome. In fact, we had numerous visits to the table to check on our well-being. Empty plates and dishes were removed, but often empty beverage glasses and beer bottles were left behind. As the table was a bit small for four people, I would have appreciated the attention be directed more to the needs of the table than of our well-being – my only complaint.

I would highly recommend this restaurant from the vegetarian perspective!

http://www.everestongrand.com/

Salut – Edina

Tongue in cheek, here is a restaurant that regards food as fun, menu design as concept driven and meat a must. Salut is a place for lovers of steak and seafood and vegetarians are laughable pathetic fools… or is it the meat eaters? At Salut, diners receive their check in the folds of a biographical pamphlet sporting the photo of a beautiful French woman supposedly named, Jacqueline Demarchelier. Inside the portfolio is a short story of her life. It reads:

Jacqueline Demarchelier

Professor of Agropolitics, University of Paris

October 9, 1978 – July 6, 2006

One of France’s leading Marxist vegans, Prof. Jacqueline Demarchelier contended that eating meat was unnatural and unhealthy, and she decided to raise awareness by going on a 30-day, all-steak diet. “Don’t worry;” she told supporters. “I’ll be medically monitored to prevent me from dying.”

Yet the diet didn’t kill her; in fact, within weeks Jacqueline had dropped 20 kilos, gone up two bra sizes, and had developed such lustrous, full-bodied hair that she was asked to appear in a shampoo commercial.

“#%*@ vegans” was the last thing she said before moving to Barcelona with a bullfighter she had met in a butcher shop. Almost overnight Jacqueline learned Castillian, Basque and Catalan – and, as spokesperson for the Spanish Beef Council, she put her language skills to lucrative use.

Until the morning of July 6, 2006, when Jacqueline Demarchelier was trampled in Pomplona’s Running of the Bulls.

Phil Roberts and his staff at Parasole Restaurant Holdings, Inc. have quite the sense of humor, and they know what they are doing to create a successful restaurant. I wish, however they could take their cash and concept talents and create a meatless, fabulously flavorful and yet fun food emporium.

Having been to Salut once before, we knew it had little to offer the vegetarian diner, but Max won a gift card at the local Linden Hills Winter Festival Medallion Hunt, so we thought we’d give it a second chance. We had very low expectations regarding the food and knew it would be a sides, salads and fries kind of dinner. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful spring evening and we were happy to be able to sit outside to dine.

We were seated on the patio and pleasantly and promptly greeted by our server. He had at his side a chalkboard with the posted specials. I immediately noticed that both included meat. The waiter asked if we would like to hear about them, so I took that as an open door to request that he highlight any vegetarian options. Oh, to have seen the look on this poor man’s face.  Looking at us taking up his table space must have been like watching twenty dollars fly out of his pocket because his demeanor suddenly changed. No longer smiling or pleasant his face dropped and his tone became quite curt. With tightly pursed lips, he responded that the meat could be removed from any of the pasta dishes and of course, there were salads and sides to choose from! My battle with pasta continues!

“Could I bring you something to drink?” he asked tiredly.  Jeff then asked him what they had on tap. Our dear sad waiter laid out the list in a listless low mumble that was unintelligible, so Jeff of course asked if he might please repeat. Well, talk about put out. Before the listless low mumble of the list was uttered a second time, first came a deep sigh! I almost laughed. Fortunately, I never take personally a server’s mood. I like to keep it light and friendly no matter what. I will always live above the line having waited tables myself in the past.

For dinner we enjoyed a smattering of small plates and sides including a couple orders of the “Best Fries in the Twin Cities” according to Minneapolis/St.Paul Magazine, a large ‘Salut Bleu’ salad, a baby field greens salad, some steamed asparagus and a cheese pizza. It was all quite delicious and paired nicely with the beer we successfully ordered and the sidewalk patio ambiance.

I will never visit Salut again. Not because the server was childish and emotionally immature, but they just don’t have anything to entice my return. Herein lies the problem of the vegetarian who can cook. I can make it all at home and most of the time it’s better.

Phil, if you want to develop a fun vegetarian restaurant concept send me a line. I know how we can gain the market of those who eat organic vegetarian and healthful. The market is growing, and the food is incredible!

http://www.salutbaramericain.com/

The Chatterbox Pub – Linden Hills (Minneapolis)

Until three years ago, I lived a short four-block walk away from the original Chatterbox Pub in Midtown, Minneapolis. Now I live a short four-block walk away from the Linden Hills Chatterbox. Ironic, huh?

This new Chatterbox Pub is exactly what Linden Hills needed – a very family friendly fun restaurant with a big menu and drinks. It’s perfect, and it’s timely, but it’s not the Chatterbox, nor should it be. Perhaps it should have been named, “The Nelson’s Basement” or “The Rec Room,” but not “The Chatterbox Pub.”

Allow me to explain. The original Chatterbox Pub is a grungy bar stuck in the depths of a true Minneapolis neighborhood. The only patrons are urban. They have tattoos, they smoke, they don’t mind wreaking from a building containing nearly one hundred years of grease-fried odors and cigarette smoke. The Chatterbox Pub and all the bars in that location before it were a right of passage allowed for only the urban mid-Minneapolis resident.

If you go to the new Chatterbox with a mindset of the original, you will suffer from extreme culture shock. People who go to the new are not looking for the right of passage. They are bringing their kids and families to the fun restaurant that has games to play while you wait briefly for your food. These are not Minneapolis hardcore urbanites with the urge to play Atari and drink beer with their buddies. These people don’t even know if they are in Minneapolis. The lady next to us had to ask the waiter if this was the Edina side or the Minneapolis side (of France Avenue). And if they do know where they are, they don’t play the “When in Rome” game. Although it is technically in Minneapolis, I wanted to tell her, “Lady, just look around. This is definitely Edina.” Would you see a new mom cum gear-head in the original Minneapolis Chatterbox sporting a $2,200.oo Louis Vuitton diaper bag? Not only would she look out of place, but she’d need to leave her gear at the Lake Street Savers as she’d never be able to remove the stench.

Compared to the original, the new Chatterbox food is actually pretty tasty. It’s bar food, but it’s not cooked in a nasty old kitchen, so at least it tastes fresh and edible. They have quite a few vegetarian options including some appetizers, salads, lasagna, two wraps, a grilled cheese, veggie burgers and pizza. Of course, their signature beers are worth the trip in and of themselves.

It’s a great place to bring the kids for a casual meal, but do not expect to hang out for long after dinner playing games. It’s a popular place right now, and the lines are long. The folks from Edina who are waiting for a table, don’t tend to have very good manners, either.  For the last fifteen minutes of our meal, they coveted, discussed, pointed and discussed again, our table. They walked over and hovered as we put our coats on to leave! I feel sorry for the staff at the Chatterbox. Perhaps we need to bring a few of our friends over from Midtown – show them what the Chatterbox is supposed to be – show them how to play the “When in Rome” game!
http://www.chatterboxpub.net/