Restaurants In Minneapolis

I visited a newly opened restaurant the other night. Something I rarely do so soon after the paint has dried. I’ll often wait at least two weeks before trying a new place. In this case, I should have stuck to my habit. Now this isn’t a hard and fast rule of mine. Lord knows I have very few hard and fast rules. But the lead time a restaurant needs before I walk through the door is one that is worth sticking to.
Two weeks is usually enough time for most of the embarrassing bugs a new restaurant can have to be worked out of the system. You know its usually things like under trained cooks turning out poorly prepared food or overwhelmed servers forgetting the bare essentials like silverware and napkins. A fortnight is also enough time for managers to stop feeling the need to train by reprimand within earshot of the guests.
But my bad…It seems I should have given Harry’s Food and Cocktails a little more time. Because with the exception of having to experience the horrendous food under trained cooks will force upon a guest, everything else was pretty much on schedule. The moment I walked into Harry’s Food and Cocktails, I felt like I had been there before. It wasn’t exactly the restaurant nightmare every service worker has had at one time or another. But it was pretty close.
Friday night was also the night another Harry was making his seventh and final appearance in a highly awaited book being released at midnight. The kid in me had already made plans to wait by the door for my pre-ordered copy of “The Deathly Hallows” to be delivered by mail the next morning. (Not by owl as it really should be) So I was relaxed and open to let the jaded restaurateur in me become awash in a similar level delicious anxiety while sitting at the bar of Harry’s Food and Cocktails.
You know what it can be like when your seated in a bar or dining room that gives you a certain feeling that you made the right decision. And then when the food and drinks arrive your intuitions are confirmed by a confident friendly staff delivering deliciousness on every plate and in every glass. Well It never fully happened. There were some great things coming out of the kitchen…but it was all upstaged by inept service, too visible, and audible, management and a room that was too simple in design and lacking a level of warmth.
David Shea was hired by owners Dwight Bonewell and Adam Smith to design a room that was to reflect the roots of American dining. In fact, Harry’s is named to honor Bonewell’s late grandfather, Harry Snyder, who was a chef at several legendary St. Paul spots. And with only a little whimsy, a Grain Belt beer bottle chandelier, the room lacks style. Granted it is airier and brighter than the previous occupant Nochee. The fire pit on the patio was replaced by a cozy fireplace in the dining room instead and there were some very nice hanging lamps scattered around. But it very much feels like an unfinished piece of art. I hope more will be added in time to complete the feel of an inviting American restaurant. The David Shea design was all too expected.
The most unsettling aspect of the evening was the disconnect between the menu and the venue. Harry’s was billed in the pre-opening hype as an homage to the American bar and supper club. First of all, when did that style or genre of restaurant leave our planet that it now needs an interpreted homage? And secondly why not just fill the menu with straightforward, well prepared American classics. Sure its ok to update a few to modern ingredients and use stylistic modern presentations. After all why hire one of the best cooks in the Twin Cities to command your kitchen and not let him go where his humor leads him. Steven Brown is talented, adventurous and has the right amount of P.T. Barnum in him to mostly pull off what he has printed on the simple Kraft paper menu. But the disconnect comes in the owners/managers ability to train the staff to serve the food with same sense of irreverence it was created. There’s also a problem with how complex some of the dishes feel against such an unfinished decor. The menu has all the right words and names…but not all lived to the promise and few even seemed downright out of place.
French Breakfast Radishes and Sauteed Arugula holding court next to Cole Slaw and Creamed Sweet Corn are just a few examples of that disconnect. The menu has a great selection of burgers served with crunchy ultra thin fries in little fast food style fry bags. Other simple fare like Roast Chicken basted with garlic and herbs and the requisite Fish Fry on Friday night occupy a proper place on the bill. But the Fried Artichokes came too few and swimming in too much “Parmesan Dip” and the House Cured Salmon Salad was bland and seemed better suited to a classier home.
I guess what really got to me was the use of brown Kraft paper for all the menus. It was just too hip. Hipper than a place called Harry’s needs to be.
In his 1954 black comedy, “The Trouble With Harry”, Alfred Hitchcock had a lot of fun trying to keep a dead body buried. It seemed that everyone in that small New England town not only had a reason to kill Harry, but at the same time kept digging him up for a host of hilarious reasons. Harry’s Food and Cocktails won’t be buried anytime soon, I hope. But it still has time to make a few course corrections without having to dig it up first.
Tobie began his career as part of a restaurant and tavern family in Chicago. As a student of liberal arts at Kendall College he discovered his calling in the restaurant industry. Leaving school before graduation, he accepted an apprenticeship under Chef John Snowden at Dumas Pere L’Ecole de la Cuisine Francais. The classic French apprenticeship prepared him for a career as Chef and consultant. Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ re-opening of the legendary Pump Room in 1977 was his first project. Since then, he has used his creative talents working with restaurants all over the country. He currently resides in Minneapolis working with an active list of consulting projects including, The Sample Room, a renovation of an old bar to a modern eatery Ike’s Bar and Grill, classic dining in downtown Minneapolis, Monkey Dish Bar and Grill ; an outrageous fun concept in suburban Chicago among others. His articles have appeared in various local publications and he makes regular appearances on radio and TV. He is working on a book called “IMPROV COOKING”. http://foodguy.typepad.com
Harry’s Food and Cocktails
500 Washington Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-344-7000
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Admin Note: More recent reviews on line indicate a more favorable experience. 3/21/12

I’m not 100% sure how we settled on this place for dinner, but I think it had something to do with the fact that it has won a lot of awards and critical acclaim from various places, and we were looking for something interesting to do with our time in Minnie so we figured, why not?
First impression walking into this place is that it’s a little sketchy. You walk in the front door and find yourself in what appears to be the hallway of a little old apartment building, which may be accurate. If you aren’t really sure where you are going you will find yourself wandering down a narrow corridor until you reach an elevator, at which point you may question if you are in fact in the right place. Me and my buddy headed back to the entrance and discovered that there was another door leading off the hallway immediately when we came in, which seemed to lead to the restaurant. We wandered in and found ourselves in a fairly classy, but very loud area with a few tables (all full) and a bar. The hostess greeted us, went to check on our reservations, and returned to inform us that we would be dining upstairs, so we should go down the hall and take the elevator up to the second floor. So, we headed back down the sketchy little corridor and hopped onto the elevator.
The elevator was slow and creaky and a little bit unnerving, but we arrived safely at the second floor where we were greeted by a second hostess. Once again we discussed our reservations and were then seated in the quieter, slightly less crowded second floor dining area. I’m not entirely sure if we went about things in the correct fashion. I’m not sure if the first floor is strictly a lounge and the second floor is the normal dining area, or if the second floor is simply the overflow space, but I’m wondering if it is typical to go directly up to the second floor.
As you may have gathered from my description so far, the restaurant is located in an older building downtown, I’m thinking maybe 100 years old or so, which I think gives the restaurant a nice atmosphere. The walls are exposed brick and the floors are very old hardwood, which has become slightly warped with time, resulting in some spots where your chairs may rock a little. It’s part of the ambiance!
The menu contained a wide variety of delicious and fancy sounding foods at fairly reasonable prices, at least for a higher end restaurant, and me and my friend had already resolved to split a few dishes so that we could sample a variety of what 112 had to offer. It became evident fairly quickly that neither of us was adequately prepared for the decisions that awaited us, as there were many things that sounded appetizing and others that were simply mysterious and beyond our abilities to comprehend. We decided to enlist the aid of our waiter who recommended a handful of dishes, and after a bit of deliberation we decided on four that we were going to give a try. I’m going to list them in order of preference (from least delicious to most delicious):
1) Blue Prawns w/ Rooster Mayo
This was the most ho-hum of all the foods we sampled that evening. The prawns were enormous and deep-fried, which is a good combination, but there was nothing particularly remarkable about the seasoning. The “Rooster Mayo” was good, but it had an oddly familiar taste which I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Not at first, but after a few tastes of the sauce I developed a theory which I think makes a lot of sense. At home when I want to make a simple spicy mayo to throw on wraps or whatever, I will mix a little bit of Sriracha sauce with some Miracle Whip and it’s pretty delicious. If you’ve never used Sriracha sauce before I advise you to seek it out now and try it because it’s an extremely versatile cooking ingredient, and if you are already familiar with it then you will recognize the little rooster on the bottle. Rooster sauce + mayo = Rooster mayo? I think so. I don’t know if the fact that this concoction is being used in a fancy-ish restaurant with a professional chef says more about my incredible cooking abilities, or the awesomeness of Sriracha sauce, but either way the fact that this sauce is something I was already quite familiar with detracted a little from what was supposed to be something semi-exotic. To summarize, the prawns were big, the sauce had a little kick, but neither was anything to write home about.
2) Lamb Scottadito w/ Goat’s Milk Yogurt
I don’t know what scottadito means, but the first time I ever had lamb I thought it was one of the most vile things I’d ever put in my mouth, right up there with tofu and that milky-white stuff that comes out of the stem of a dandelion when you squeeze it. The second-time I ever had lamb, it was SO GOOD, and I decided that it was not nearly as evil as tofu, as long as it’s prepared in a delicious fashion. This lamb experience was also a positive one. The meat itself was not anything really super-special, other than that it was cooked sufficiently so as not to be gross, and slimy, and poisonous like tofu, but not overcooked to the point of being dry and tough. I’ve never cooked lamb myself before so I don’t know, maybe this is a really hard thing to accomplish, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that it’s the kind of thing that’s well within the abilities of a professional chef. What really made this meal was the “yogurt”.
I say “yogurt” because I’m not entirely convinced it was actually yogurt, so much as some kind of yogurt-based sauce. I kind of thought it looked/tasted like tzatziki sauce except, as my friend pointed out, it was really runny. I’m going to claim that it was some kind of bastard cousin of tzatziki sauce, aside from the consistency it definitely had that kind of appearance to it and I think lamb is the kind of thing that you are supposed to eat with tzatziki sauce, right? Regardless of what the sauce/yogurt actually was, one thing I know is that it was damn good lathered all over the lamb. Definitely more of a winning combination than the prawns.
3) Stuffed Chicken Wings, Spicy Sausage, Prawns, White Beans and Favas
The first question that came to mind when ordering this was “how the hell do you stuff a chicken wing?” Even after having eaten one I’m still not entirely sure. There isn’t a whole lot of meat on a chicken wing to begin with so I guess it’s a pretty delicate process to extract the meat from the bone and then wrap it all around something more substantial without making a huge mess of everything. This dish definitely gets some points for that alone, because I know if I tried to stuff a chicken wing, it would be a total disaster. Heck, I pretty much destroyed it just trying to stuff it into my face. I’m not entirely sure what all was inside these wings, I think there was some kind of cheese and something else. I’m sure the waiter probably told us, but I wasn’t really paying attention. The seasoning on the wings themselves was pretty damn good and the little burst of flavours from within when you take a bite just makes it that much more incredible; definitely the highlight of this dish. The spicy sausage was a close second. I’m a sucker for sausage and this stuff was no exception, nice and juicy with just the right amount of kick. The prawns were not the same “blue prawns” as above, these ones were smaller, not breaded and still in possession of their ugly little heads and all their creepy-crawly limbs, however once again they were pretty meh. I’ve had better elsewhere. The beans were there for presentation as much as anything, nothing exciting going on there, unless you’re some octogenarian excited about getting your fiber.
4) Steak Tartare
I’ve never had steak tartare before. I didn’t really know what it was. I’m a big fan of steak though, so there’s really no reason I shouldn’t like steak tartare right? When we were deciding on what to order my friend described it to me as “raw steak” which, while accurate, makes it sound considerably less appetizing than it was. When they brought out the plate there was a little sandcastle of meat in the center and perched atop it was a single egg-yolk and surrounding the meat castle were slices of a baguette or something along those lines. My friend immediately expressed his distaste for egg yolks and proceeded to very carefully and methodically slide it off the castle onto the plate without breaking it. I scooped up a chunk of the meat with a knife and smeared it onto one of the slices of bread and proceeded to jam it into my mouth. The meat was indeed raw. It was cold and had a consistency something like ground-beef, and despite the warning my gut reaction was still one of surprise/dismay at having stuffed this raw meat in my mouth. My concern was quickly alleviated as my taste-buds were assaulted by the delicious flavours being exuded from the meat. Once again, I have no idea what was in this stuff, but I do know that it was delicious. Whatever kind of magical seasonings they used on this stuff, it was incredible.
I slathered meat onto a couple more slices of bread and downed them before deciding that my friend was being stupid and that the egg-yolk must have been included for a reason. I tried to pick it up and slip it onto my next piece, but I broke it all over the place. My friend went into a panic trying to save his portion of the meat from the rapidly encroaching yellow tide, while I scooped up as much as I could and doused it all over my pile of meat. Just as I suspected, the egg was not merely there to add a little color to the plate, but served a real purpose. With the addition of the egg, the steak tartare had gone from being incredible, to phenomenal. The yolk adds a nice smooth consistency that helps to counter the strange raw-meat texture that had initially shaken me. My reaction was so positive that my friend decided he would brave his arch-nemesis, the egg-yolk, in the name of Nirvana. After he had tried it he conceded that it was delicious and it was agreed that the thing to do was probably to break the egg yolk and let it coat the meat castle in its deliciousness. Next time.
5) Blueberry Upside-Down Cake w/ Cinnamon Ice Cream
This isn’t really a fair comparison as I have a major sweet-tooth and they probably could have tossed down a McDonald’s sundae in front of me and it would have been topping the list, so don’t take this as a direct comparison between the other meals, the steak tartare was incredible, it just wasn’t dessert.
The cake itself was pretty good, light and moist, but the blueberries/sauce made it incredible. The blueberries were really fresh and delicious. I’m thinking they were wild blueberries, the likes of which I do not have access to in California and pine for frequently. The nice, fluffy, white cake paired with the thick sweet blueberry sauce was definitely a winning combination. The cinnamon ice cream was also very delicious, but the unfortunate thing was that it did not jive well with the blueberries. Taken individually each part was very good, but as a whole the cake-ice cream combo left something to be desired. They need to work in a new flavour of ice cream with this dish and maybe try pairing the cinnamon with something else.
5.5) Vanilla Pana Cotta w/ Berry Sangria
Just some quick comments about this as I only tried a bite of it. Not really super-impressive, I’m not a big sangria person so I’m admittedly a little biased, but even so, it was just alright. Not nearly as good as the blueberry thing, even my friend could agree to that.
6) Crazy Caramel/Cinnamon Popcorn stuff
This stuff came with the bill and despite the stiff competition it was probably the highlight of the night. We couldn’t quite place exactly what all was in it, but it was caramel covered popcorn and almonds with a little bit of cinnamon and possibly also a hint of chili powder. It was super-awesome and definitely a welcome bonus.
In summary, 112 Eatery is pretty damn good. We got an assortment of dishes that ranged from mediocre to incredible, and we barely scratched the surface of the selection this place has to offer. What’s more, for a reasonably classy restaurant it’s fairly cheap. We ended up throwing down a Benjamin for our meal, which was really, technically 4 meals, plus 2 desserts. Now I’m not going to lie, we are both eating machines and I still could have gone to McDick’s and chowed down on a quarter-pounder afterwards, but if you are going to a restaurant like this expecting enormous stomach-stretching portions in the first place, you’ve missed the point entirely. If I just wanted to stuff my face I’d go to Golden Corral, or something. This is supposed to be a gastronomic experience! Definitely the kind of place you could bring a sexy lady to impress her with a classy dinner and an apparent knowledge of various fancy-sounding foods (thanks to me and my incredible descriptions, you’re welcome).
Details:
112 Eatery
112 3rd St. N
Minneapolis, MN
Isaac Becker / Executive Chef
Dennis Leaf-Smith / Chef de Cuisine
612.343.7696

http://www.112eatery.com

Kyle W. O’Brien
Blogger http://www.wordsontheinterwebs.com
Freelance Writer http://www.elance.com/s/kyleob/
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If that special day is right around the corner, like tomorrow for instance, and you haven’t put a lot of thought into it, then your just like me. It’s the night before your anniversary and your wife is expecting something special so you turn to the internet for a hopefully “quick and easy” solution to your dilemma. I’ve been there before, that’s what made me decide to put this thing together. I’ll go over three different date scenarios that have worked out for me in the past. I hope this guide will give you a couple of good Minneapolis date ideas so the old lady thinks you at least put a little bit of thought into the day.
The first scenario I would like to go over is a seasonal one, so if you are looking in the fall, winter or early spring, you just might want to call ahead and do a little investigating to make sure everything is up and running. Also, it’s a date idea that is not good for the rain, or abnormally cold weather. A great place to start out would be Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. It is a 24 acre park with very well kept walking trail, ponds and lawn bowling. A perfect start to a date would be taking a stroll through the park, around the ponds and up to the paddleboats. A nice relaxing paddle through the park will give you and your wife a wonderful time to talk and just enjoy each others company. After you’re all paddled out you can head to Cucumbers Restaurant which borders the park and offers some very tasty food your date is sure to enjoy. Afterwards is up to you, but one of the nicest theaters in the Minneapolis Metro area, The Edina Cinema, is right down the road on W 50th.
Option number two would be to take you date for a stroll through the Minneapolis Sculpture garden, and depending on how much time you have, or if the weather is not permitting, you can just take you stroll through the Walker Art Center next door. Both are always a fun and interesting time, and they usually end up sparking great conversations. Once you’ve seen enough art for the evening you can head further down Hennepin Ave to one of the many, many restaurants that Uptown has to offer, if you are not familiar be sure to check out Amazing Thailand, Chino Latino or if you’re all vegetarians try out Delights Of India offering fine Vegetarian Indian Cuisine. Your options for eating in Uptown are endless. After eating, you guys should have no trouble finding a place to go have a drink or see a comedy show in Uptown.
Last but not least we have an extravagant idea that will work most any time of the year. Let’s start with dinner at one of the world renowned restaurants that Downtown Minneapolis has to offer such as Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or Ichiban if Sushi is your thing, there are many great restaurants downtown so take a minute and figure out what one will be best for you both. After a dinner that will definitely be remembered we can visit the Hennepin Theatre Trust, and see a great live performance. The Hennepin Theatre Trust consists of The State, Orpheum, Pantages and Hennepin Stages Theatres, which are host to many shows every year, take a look at their schedule to see what works the best for you. A great dinner and a live performance in one of the busiest live theatre districts in the country never fails.
Well, after giving you these Minneapolis date ideas I hope you give one a shot or maybe it inspired your imagination and you thought of something way better and more meaningful. Either way, you learned about a few new places and ideas to take your bride, or at least got a refresher if you already had my idea. Whatever you end up doing make sure you get her some nice flowers and card and just take a moment to let her know how much you appreciate her. Happy anniversary to you, and I hope you enjoy the evening out with your trophy wife!
J. Sully is a native of the Minneapolis area and if you would like to learn about new and different Minneapolis Date Ideas then visit his website at http://www.gominneapolis.net/.
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Minneapolis, Minnesota is known for its many lakes, cold, snowy winters and an unusual place for a rock star like Prince to call home. People who live there love the urban setting of the city surrounded by some of the gorgeous city lakes and the friendly Midwestern feel it has. They are prepared for the cold by using a system of above the ground tunnels to navigate their way throughout the city without having to go outside. Minneapolis was once considered to be a sort of cow town but has become a lot more sophisticated the past couple of decades and it shows in the kind of restaurants that are available now. Jobs in the fields of food delivery Minneapolis or restaurant delivery Minneapolis remain popular especially in the winter but locals will brave any elements to go out to eat at the best restaurants in the city.
One of the biggest things you will notice about restaurants in Minneapolis is how connected they are to providing locally grown and organic items on their menu. They fully support the local farmers and use as many locally grown goods as possible. This has been something people here have been doing long before it became trendy to do so.
112 Eatery is a great restaurant located in the warehouse district and is a two story structure complete with tin ceilings, exposed brick and great wooden furniture. Some of the favorite dishes to try at this place are chive risotto with crab, nori encrusted sirloin with ponzu and veal tongue with soba noodles. Another great restaurant located in the warehouse district is called Origami which is a great place to go on a date or head there after work with your friends to catch their amazing specials during happy hour. It is considered to be the best sushi place in the Twin Cities using fresh and high quality ingredients and offers different sushi rolls that have never been seen before made by their sushi chefs.
Another top rated Minneapolis restaurant is called Corner Table and is located in South Minneapolis. They use only fresh locally grown ingredients which result in great seasonal dishes. Most of the menu is served in tapas style which gives diners the chance to try a variety of different things. They also have larger entrees too served in the small, cozy and somewhat romantic setting inside that many people choose to go to Corner table for a special occasion.
Another great restaurant is 20.21 and is located at the famous Walker Art Center that offers great views of its sculpture garden and the skyline. It is one of the Wolfgang Puck restaurant group and has a great ambiance as well as delicious food. Some entrees are green Thai curry with seafood and grilled Mongolian lamb chops with cilantro mint and ginger vinaigrette. Do not forget to try one of the in house pastry chef’s desserts here too. Go to the Walker Art Center early to walk around and see the art and then head in to the restaurant for a great meal.
Connor R. Sullivan is impressed with the many choices available when he searches the term food delivery Minneapolis. There are many delicious options when searching the term restaurant delivery Minneapolis.
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While many Americans are keeping an extra eye on their finances during these uncertain times, they can at least find the time and money to treat themselves once in a while. And, of the many options open to most US citizens, dining out ranks highly among our treasured pastimes. Be it grabbing a leisurely burger with friends at a favorite diner, savoring a sumptuous 5-course meal in a fine restaurant with family, or enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner for two, there are few things that we love to do more than go out for a bite to eat.

In cities throughout the country, despite the nation’s economic woes, eateries of all kinds are reporting a bustling trade. In fact, in some areas business is positively booming, and new ventures are opening their doors to a seemingly endless stream of enthusiastic customers, hungry for great food and new dining experiences.

In downtown Minneapolis, where residents take their food very seriously, the popular regional restaurant chain Crave is about to unveil its latest outlet, following a massive $5 million investment. This new location, in the heart of the city, will include all the established Crave favorites such as the Grand Sushi Bar, VIP chef tables and Wine Tower. Adding a distinct urban-chic twist, this latest venue will also incorporate a stunning rooftop patio and grill, encompassing some 6,500 square feet. With another new restaurant due to open in Coral Gables, Florida this summer, the Crave brand is spreading far and wide, making it one of Minnesota’s youngest and most exciting success stories.

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But it’s not only downtown diners who are getting the chance to try out exciting new gastronomic opportunities. Business travelers and visitors alike will soon be met with an astonishing array of dining facilities, thanks to Delta’s commitment to customer services at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport. As part of the the airline’s staggering $2 billion investment at its hub in the airport, Delta is introducing several new chef-driven restaurants. With an emphasis on local, fresh and sustainable produce, these eateries will provide a unique dining experience for air travelers. Along with full-service restaurants, the concourse will also house an area modeled on local farmers’ markets where fresh produce, gourmet teas and coffees, snacks and baked goods will be on offer.

The Twin Cities have long been regarded as something of a foodie paradise, with an amazing range of eateries to be found throughout the area, representing every conceivable dining experience. If you are a lover of Italian, French, Mexican, vegetarian, classic American, Asian, Middle Eastern or African cuisine, you are never far from a great restaurant in Minneapolis.

So, whether you’re a long-time resident or flying visitor to the Minneapolis area, you’re sure to find a wealth of creative culinary outlets to tempt your taste buds. Let the munching begin!

Surprisingly, the Twin Cities has a great variety of great sushi restaurants that could compare with some of the best in Chicago or New York. If you are looking for a great sushi restaurant check these three places out first and you’ll thank me later.

Origami

Origami has won numerous Best Sushi in the city awards from various magazines and critics thanks to their fresh selection of sushi, affordable prices and great location in downtown Minneapolis. They have recently gone through an extensive remodel of their dining room, bar and sushi bar to provide an even better atmosphere and experience for their customers. Besides having some of the best sushi in the Twin Cities, Origami has one of the most popular happy hours in the downtown area that brings in a variety of customers, from business men to couples to baby boomers.

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Obento Ya Japanese Bistro

This relatively new sushi restaurant in the University/Como area is a small but cozy place to huddle up to the sushi bar and grab some great sushi, a signature bento box and a beer. You won’t find a more friendly and accommodating sushi restaurant in the Twin Cities. Not only do they have amazing prices but their sushi is just as good as you’d find anywhere else in the country. For a great sushi experience, especially for a first date you can’t go wrong with Obento Ya.

Fuji Ya

With two locations, one in Minneapolis’ uptown neighborhood and the other in downtown St. Paul, Fuji Ya is one of the hipper sushi restaurant chains in the Twin Cities. They attract a younger crowd at their Minneapolis location with their hip decor and large fish tanks around the restaurant and a nice mix of families and business men at their St. Paul location. Both locations offer the same great sushi but a different atmosphere, that’s for sure. Check them out for a consistently great sushi experience.

Finding to the Twin Cities on Amtrak is easy because it much less than nine hours away from Chicago. The station is technically located in St. Paul however it is about equidistant from either downtown. Here are five tips/hints for experiencing the uniqueness of Minneapolis:

1: The Minneapolis Institute of Art is one of the highest ranking art museums within the country. It truly is a comprehensive museum that showcases African, Oceanic, Native American, Asian and Ancient art. It has crucial collections of paintings, modern sculpture, photographs, prints, drawings and decorative arts. You can find daily public tours of the galleries to give your check out greater depth

Two: Since you arrived by railroad, you may find the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis fascinating. Though the exhibits inside the museum itself chronicles the history of flour milling (think General Mills, Pillsbury and other local food firms), you could be interested in the Railroad History Tour. This tour, which runs only on Saturday and Sunday, describes the impact that railroading has had on Minneapolis and its industrial growth (including flour milling, naturally.) It walks by historical railroad landmarks and begins and ends at the museum. Finally, it discusses the present renaissance of commuter rail activity that’s taking place in Minneapolis.

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3: Should you be seeking an unusual romantic expertise, why not get married or renew your vows inside the largest shopping mall within the country. Inside the Mall of America in Bloomington, amongst its 500+ shops, you will locate the Chapel of Enjoy. Over 5,500 couples have been married there! Having a small preparing (mainly deciding on wedding and photo packages), you are able to utilize their tasteful facilities and licensed officiants and even get your wedding dress at their Bridal Boutique next door. Think it or not, the Chapel of Love has been selected as among the best ten places in America to get married by CitySearch!

4: In case you take pleasure in consuming, Minneapolis has a number of fascinating restaurants. For an upscale and romantic meal, you might wish to pick La Belle Vie, which specializes in French-Mediterranean cuisine. Its nationally recognized chef, Tim McKee, also has a fun and a lot more moderately-priced tequila bar called Barrio. For a entirely diverse experience, go to Nyes Polonaise Room that serves prime rib, lobsters and Polish specialties, but attributes the Worlds Most Harmful Polka Band on Friday and Saturday nights.

5: Since you are on a railroad trip, you might decide to stay within the historical Milwaukee Road depot in Minneapolis. Built in 1899, it was one of the two key railroad depots in Minneapolis (the other was built by the Wonderful Northern Railroad upon whose tracks the Empire Builder still runs today.) Even though the last passenger train left in 1971, it stands these days as a host of two hotels: a Renaissance as well as a Residence Inn. Among the Depots amenities are an indoor water park as well as a seasonal ice rink.

Charles Self is the editor of the Amtrak Train Stations Across America site. At http://www.passengertraininfo.com/minneapolis.aspx you will discover further data on traveling to Minneapolis/St. Paul along with other Amtrak train stations.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are the two biggest cities in the state of Minnesota, and as a result they have become a major draw for the best Minnesota chefs looking to build their reputations in the restaurant industry. In terms of Minnesota food service, the residents of the Twin Cities have some spectacular places to choose from when it is time to head out for a night on the town. Here are the top five restaurants you’ll find here.

The St. Paul Grill

This mainstay of the Minnesota food service scene has been serving up fare for generations. The restaurant’s menu is a traditional mix of steaks and chops, fish, chicken, and pasta, along with all of the grill standards like salads and sides that include creamed spinach, asparagus spears, and a variety of potato dishes. The St. Paul Grill is also open for lunch and occasionally brunch, and sports a full bar for those who are just looking to relax after a hard day at work.

Kincaid’s

The Minnesota chefs at Kincaid’s offer up a similar menu to that found at The St. Paul Grill. Less traditional and more modern than some of its competitors, Kincaid’s is actually part of a national chain of restaurants that operate in select United States cities. The spot is renowned for its bar menu and happy hour, and is also listed as a great place to grab a business lunch with colleagues or potential clients.

112 Eatery

Fans of MN baking or late night dining don’t need to be told twice about the 112 Eatery. This high-end yet reasonably priced spot consistently garners nominations and awards from culinary publications across the state and even the country. The Minnesota chefs at the 112 Eatery have been nominated each of the last two years for the James Beard Foundation awards for best chefs in America, which says a lot about this fantastic local spot.

Jax Café

To say that Jax Café has been a part of the Twin Cities dining landscape for a long time would be an understatement. Owners of the second liquor license given out in the Twin Cities after the end of prohibition, the staff at the Jax Café has been serving up delicious meals in a classy setting since 1910. With a menu designed by Minnesota chef Bob Foster, the restaurant is available for special events and banquets and is one of the most treasured eateries in the history of Minnesota food service.

Pazzaluna Urban Italian

Switching gears from the meat and potatoes scene is the Pazzaluna Urban Italian restaurant. Long considered the best Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities, this restaurant offers up everything from spaghetti to pizza, insalata to antipasto, and it does so with a flair and focus on quality that keeps visitors to and residents of St. Paul coming back for more. Before you leave this fabulous eatery, don’t forget to savor a piece of MN baking at its best. Choose from one of many dessert menu items for a complete Italian meal.

This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul offers Le Cordon Bleu culinary education classes and culinary training programs in Minneapolis, Minnesota. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Minneapolis-St-Paul for more information.

For the second time in as many years, our very own D’Amico restaurant group
has played David to an international cheflebrity’s Goliath, and bumped another
imported toque out of a Twin Cities kitchen. First, D’Amico Kitchen ousted
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Chambers Kitchen from downtown Minneapolis.
Then, this spring, the Walker Art Center decided not to renew its food service
contract with Wolfgang Puck and awarded the business to D’Amico, which replaced
the former 20.21 with a new concept called Gather.
The new restaurant’s offerings are lunch-focused, like this tomato soup and
grilled cheese

Gather by D’Amico
Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis
612.253.3410; info.walkerart.org/visit/dining.wac
appetizers $7-11; entrées $12-$18

When the Walker brought in Puck, back in 2005, it reached for a star chef who
would add even more luster to the museum’s brand-new, aluminum-clad building
and offer food as artful as its world-class collection. Some local foodies
viewed the move as a coup: Modest Minneapolis had attracted a chef of certain
stature to our wind-swept prairie. One local magazine went so far as to plaster
Puck’s ruddy mug on its cover.

But other followers of the local food scene felt that the choice rang hollow.
Puck was a largely absentee, international megabrand, and at a stage in his
career less associated with his cutting-edge cooking at Spago than his frozen
pizza line. To advocates of our homegrown talent—those of us who believed the
Twin Cities were cultivating a cadre of chefs whose cooking was truly top caliber,
even if it hadn’t yet been duly recognized by the James Beard Foundation—the
choice was disappointing.

Regardless, Puck appointed respected chefs to run 20.21′s day-to-day operations,
and the restaurant’s French-Asian fusion cuisine certainly had its legions of fans.
But even after a successful six-year run, an eatery famous for its Shanghai Maine
lobster with Chinese risotto felt a little out of step with the post-recession
reality. So out went that far-flung concept, and in came something more vernacular.

The new restaurant’s name seems a little folksy for its space-age dining room,
which still focuses on the building’s dramatic Hennepin Avenue overlook and
underwent only a few subtle changes in furnishings and color palette. Gather
is a lunch-focused operation and serves dinner only on Thursday nights, when the
museum offers free admission from 5 to 9 p.m. On the first Thursday of each month,
D’Amico has arranged to bring in a local guest chef—the Walker likens it to an
“artist in residence”—to prepare two unique small plates that showcase his or her
style and offer free samples of each to the restaurant’s diners. The special dishes
then stay on the Thursday-night menu for the rest of the month. It’s a symbiotic
relationship: Gather helps top Twin Cities chefs introduce their cuisine to a new
audience, and the guest chefs lead their fans to Gather.

D’Amico has proven success in providing museum food service (it holds contracts at
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Russian Art, and the Mill City
Museum) and is also one of the Twin Cities’ dominant caterers, which makes the
group an attractive partner for one of our most stunning event venues. Six nights
a week, and Mondays during lunch, private parties can book the Gather space.
The setup could, in fact, potentially offer more reliable revenue than fickle
day-to-day diners, particularly when the restaurant is wholly contained within
the museum, without any signage or street presence to attract passersby.
To differentiate its offerings at the Walker from its other catering destinations,
D’Amico created an exclusive service package just for the museum, with new menu
items and tableware, among other things.

Last year, the Walker opened an outdoor patio adjacent to the second-floor
restaurant, and when the air is humid and the heat is sweltering, the space feels
a little like Bangkok, with umbrella-topped tables next to small tropical palms
and views of both the skyline panorama and freeway traffic. On Thursday nights,
after the sun has slid to the west side of the building and cool breezes pick up,
the Gather patio becomes one of the Twin Cities’ chicest happy hour spots.
From 5 to 7 p.m. all the small plates are just five bucks and the drinks are
discounted. Choosing from those items, two people can assemble a full, lovely
meal for less than $50.

Gather’s chef is Josh Brown, a longtime veteran of D’Amico’s catering operations
who also cooked at the group’s Campiello and Masa restaurants, and he works many
locally grown and seasonal foods into an American contemporary, globally inspired
menu. Although most diners might need to Google the names of some menu ingredients,
the offerings still feel accessible—and nothing costs more than $20.

The summer list leans light and raw. Proteins are simply adorned, without rich,
heavy sauces. The lovely seared halibut with morel mushrooms and fresh fava beans
has just come off the menu, but you can still enjoy the exacting preparation of tuna
crudo with green papaya and fennel matchsticks, supremed oranges, and a splash of
grassy-tasting olive oil. You could choose the sirloin strip steak with a peppery
raisin chutney, or ricotta gnocchi with fat, curled shrimp—both are delicious—but
why not take advantage of the season with a bowl of sweet pea agnolotti? D’Amico
has its roots in Italian fare, so the pasta pats are perfectly delicate and come
served in a bright, intense tomato puree, which makes a great dunking mate for a
plate of mini grilled cheese sandwiches (one filled with Iowa’s Prairie Breeze
cheddar, another with wild mushrooms and Taleggio, and another with Camembert,
thin-sliced ham, and Dijon mustard when I had them).

mong the menu’s other finger foods, the beef short-rib bahn mi pairs the succulent
cut with house-pickled vegetables as a smart alternative to the more typical pork paté.
The open-faced fried egg sandwich doesn’t sound like much, but the grilled baguette
is also topped with ham, mushrooms, roasted pobalano pepper, and cotija cheese.
Each bite is crisp and creamy, rich with umami, and sparked with just the barest
heat. For a sandwich in its sparest but still alluring form, simply slather an order
of the smoked whitefish spread onto a slice of bread.

Gather also offers a strong selection of salads. Hard-cooked egg and ricotta salata
(the cheese is salted and dried to more closely resemble feta) add protein to a
garden-fresh haystack of bias-cut green beans and asparagus spears, razor-thin radishes,
and fennel. In another option, salad greens are tossed with bits of organic chicken,
fava beans, dried apricots, pine nuts, and candied lemon. But the winning combination
is the simplest: feisty arugula topped with thick watermelon wedges and crumbled
feta cheese, laced together by Serrano vinaigrette. It’s even more stimulating than
the other salads: sweet and juicy, peppery and fresh, salty, tart, and just a little
spicy. I’m assuming I wasn’t the only person who was inspired to pick up the ingredients
on her next shopping trip and try to reverse engineer it.
The new restaurant’s offerings are lunch-focused, like this tomato soup and grilled cheese
Sasha Landskov

In July, guest chef Alex Roberts, owner of Restaurant Alma and the Brasa eateries,
added two more spot-on small plates to the list. (Chef Isaac Becker, of the 112 Eatery
and Bar La Grassa, will be the guest chef in August.) Beef carpaccio came with a twist:
The meat had been smoked in order to stand up to the bold flavors of fried shiitake
mushrooms, black garlic, and saba (a pressed grape juice that’s boiled down to a more
intense version of balsamic vinegar). A summery bibb lettuce cup contained shrimp that
had been poached in butter and fish stock, then spiked with pickled vegetables and
crunchy bits of kataifi, a shredded phyllo dough. As with the cuisine at Alma, each dish
was carefully composed but not overwrought, simultaneously familiar and surprising.

Brown says he sees the guest chef program as a chance to share the stage with a dozen
of the best chefs in the Twin Cities. Certainly the cross-pollinations will only
inspire more creativity in both kitchens.

D’Amico’s full-service restaurants have a reputation for offering a classy, consistent
dining experience, and Gather meets that standard. All the details, right down to the
breadbasket selection, are thoughtfully curated: A slather of Nordic Creamery’s
luscious gold on New French Bakery’s seed-studded or raisin rye breads signals the
beginning of a civilized meal. The only real misfire I encountered at Gather involved
espresso drinks ordered on two separate visits that had a strong enough burnt taste
to render them undrinkable.

Some diners will look wistfully at Gather’s dessert list and miss 20.21′s whimsical
chocolate Spoonbridge and Cherry. True, Gather’s goat cheese panna cotta with
amarena cherries doesn’t have the same sculptural ambitions, but its spare look
belies spectacular flavors. The cheese’s whisper of savory funk adds complexity
to the sweet cream, and the custard’s richness is balanced by the accompanying
garnishes. A sesame crisp adds nutty sweetness, and Italian cherries preserved
in syrup add an off-the-charts sweet-sour flavor that’s a whole lot tastier than
the former dessert’s cute but ersatz marzipan fruit.

Here is a list of downtown restaurants that have a lot of favorable reviews,

#1- Hell’s Kitchen

2340 reviews

#2- 112 Eatery

478 reviews

#3- Gluek’s Restaurant

135 reviews

#4- Fogo de Chao

847 reviews

#5- Zelo

436 reviews

#6- Murray’s Restaurant & Cocktail

231 reviews

#7- The Old Spaghetti Factory

262 reviews