This was supposed to be “vacationing on a budget.” The family and I were in Minnesota for a week and allowed ourselves one night of fine, exceptional dining. After doing a little research and talking to friends who live in the Minneapolis area, I decided on Piccolo. There was plenty of praise for this little… Continue reading Piccolo
Category: Minnesota
Dixies On Grand
It’s sad when the best thing you can say about a restaurant is that the waitress had a good personality. The second best thing was the nachos. That’s never a good sign for a barbecue place. Our group of eight dined at Dixie’s on Grand, located in St. Paul, MN on a Thursday night and… Continue reading Dixies On Grand
Fat Nats Eggs
Over-rated breakfast place, but still decent eats. It wasn’t that busy on the Friday morning we stopped by during our trip to Minnesota. It’s located in an old strip mall in New Hope. It’s spacious inside and I’m sure it’s packed on weekends. But, in my opinion, the food wasn’t much better than what you… Continue reading Fat Nats Eggs
Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique
We were planning a small party for my wife’s grandmother and were looking for a place that had mini-cupcakes. Our search first led us to Coca & Fig, but then we learned that we had to order a minimum of two dozen per flavor. Since we only wanted three dozen total C&F wasn’t an option.… Continue reading Sweet Retreat Cupcake Boutique
Bar La Grassa
Here’s a restaurant that lives up to it’s hype. No wonder why it’s a tough reservation… just ask Bob Harper (http://www.startribune…). It’s a good thing we wanted to eat there on a Monday night. I called in the afternoon and was able to get a reservation for two with no problem for that night. Parking… Continue reading Bar La Grassa
Origami
Another lesson learned. When people rave about the sushi items at a restaurant, stick to said sushi items. We made the mistake of wandering away from the sushi menu and tried some appetizers that disappointed. Crab croquettes ($9.95) – Deep fried snow crab served with creamy lemon white sauce. 3 to an order. The meat… Continue reading Origami
Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies
Another day, another Davanni’s. We were only in town for a week, but my wife wanted to eat at Davanni’s for a third time. This time we tried the Plymouth location. It’s got a pretty large dining area and a couple large flat screen TVs. If you like the food at other Davanni’s, you’ll like… Continue reading Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies
Red Lobster
I’ll admit that one of my guilty pleasures is eating the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster. It’s something that i loved growing up and every once in a while I still get the urge to eat a few. Unfortunately, that also means I have to order something else at Red Lobster. And, let’s face it,… Continue reading Red Lobster
Five Guys Burger and Fries
I’m a fan of this chain. I’ve been to a few of them on the east coast, so I was thrilled to see one in Maple Grove. If you don’t like burgers that are big, greasy and made to order, you my not like there. Make no mistake, this isn’t health food. Everything is so… Continue reading Five Guys Burger and Fries
Erbert & Gerbert’s Sandwich Shop
Located in the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, this little sandwich shop is on the main drag, a few doors down from Chipotle. I went with the Tullius, which is a double roast beef sammie. The bread was a soft hoagie roll and it was filled with thick slices or roast beef, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and… Continue reading Erbert & Gerbert’s Sandwich Shop
Papa Murphy’s Take’n’bake Pizza
We got take out from here the other night. I had never heard of this chain, but apparently it’s a “take and bake” place. Meaning, you call in the order, they put it together, you pick it up and bake it at home. Seems like a hassle to me. Considering the pizzas we got tasted… Continue reading Papa Murphy’s Take’n’bake Pizza
Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies
My wife grew up on Davanni’s. So every time we’re in town we have to stop by one of their locations. This past week we stopped by twice — both times for lunch. The first time I got a pizza hoagie. It’s essentially a pepperoni pizza in a hoagie roll. Pepperoni, sauce, and mozzarella on… Continue reading Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies
Pot Belly Sandwich Works
It may be a chain, but it’s one of the better chain sandwich shops around. I’ve eaten at many Potbellys in the DC area and this one at the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes is no different. Good, simple sammies that are toasted and delicious. Plus their chocolate chip cookies and milkshakes are excellent. 4 Stars… Continue reading Pot Belly Sandwich Works
Cafe Latté
— Originally posted on Yelp on 8/5/09 — I only came here for the cheesecake. It’s been a couple years since I’ve had lunch here. But, the cheesecakes are always great. We got the cookies and cream cheesecake and the chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Both were sweet, smooth and creamy — some of the best you’ll… Continue reading Cafe Latté
112 Eatery
— Originally posted on 8/5/09 — Absolutely amazing! Everything we tried was unbelievable. They have the best mussels we’ve ever had and for an appetizer they gave us over a dozen mussels. The sweet and sour crab salad was also a hefty sized portion. Lots of large chunks of crab and the taste of the… Continue reading 112 Eatery
3 Squares Restaurant
— Originally posted on Yelp on 8/5/09 — Went here for happy hour. All the appetizers are half price. The food was decent but nothing was spectacular. We tried the walleye & shrimp cakes, pierogies, gorgonzola fritters (probably the best thing we tried), and tempura green beans (the plum sauce was really good). Definitely not… Continue reading 3 Squares Restaurant
Solera
— Originally posted on Yelp on 8/5/09 — I love their late night happy hour specials. The sangria is cheap and the tapas are anywhere from $3-10. Both the shrimp and mushroom croquetas were fabulous and the stuffed peppers with goat cheese were equally as good and had a little bit of a kick to… Continue reading Solera
Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies
— Originally posted on Yelp on 8/5/09 — If my wife was reviewing this place she would give it 5 stars. She grew up on this stuff and swears it’s some of the best food she’s had. We went to Davanni’s 3 or 4 times in one week. The pizzas are great. The crusts are… Continue reading Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies
Pittsburgh Blue
— Originally posted on Yelp on 8/5/09 — Good food and good service but a bit overpriced for Maple Grove. Our steaks were cooked perfectly, the crab legs were huge, and the crab cakes were very good. Sides are huge and definitely meant for sharing. My 18 month old loved the chicken fingers. I’ve never… Continue reading Pittsburgh Blue