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.
