Since moving in with PiC and OSO in August, my old beloved Eat Street haunts are a little far for me to be eating at on anything regarding a frequent basis. This would be the main reason for radio silence for some time. Out to eat is frequently only on date nights, and otherwise we’re eating at home. And I got out of the habit of writing when we did.
However, we do have an entire new neighborhood of restaurants that are relatively nearby that we have been able to check out. In almost 6 months, we’ve hit almost all of them multiple times; it leaves me a little bit wanting to branch out and experience a new neighborhood, but really we have a good enough variety that we don’t have to go far to get most types of food that we want if we’re feeling lazy.
Ba-gu
Here we have our local sushi restaurant. OSO and I decided this last Friday that we just didn’t want to bother with the last minute grocery run, so when PiC walked in the door post we swooped him up and walked over to Ba-gu, a fairly small sushi and Thai restaurant nearby. Now granted, I haven’t had a chance to try any of the thai offerings at this restaurant. But we have had the sushi. And let me say, having sushi within walking distance is a delight.
They don’t have the flair of a place like Fuji-ya. But they do have really good quality fresh sushi, and some of the best unagi I’ve had in town. The service is quick and efficient, and on a Friday night in January, it was actually rather quiet in there at 5:30. I hope this place stays open, but apparently they’re used to business being slow in January.
We split the Pirate Platter, which would be one of the illustrious sushi boats. Plenty of sushi for three that left us just a little hungry for one of the specialty rolls: the Three Wise Guys maki, made of salmon, tuna and yellowtail and topped with tempura flakes. And an unagi dessert sushi.
Bottles of wine are $15 on Friday and Saturday, happy hour till 5:30 on Sunday through Wednesday.
Pumphouse Creamery
This is a small ice cream shop dedicated to making ice cream using local and organic ingredients, preferably both. Their offerings vary a bit through the course of a year. We highly enjoyed their pumpkin ice cream this fall, as well as a brandy soaked cherry and chocolate ice cream. They aren’t Izzy’s, which will always be my favorite, but it’s walking distance from my house, really really good, and did I mention tasty?
Turtle Bread
I know that some people like this place, but I don’t get it. Their food has been sub-par in my opinion, with the breads and pastries tasting extra yeasty and the cakes being extra cold/frozen. I was sadly disappointed with their red velvet cupcake. The one thing that I’ve enjoyed that I got here was the slice of quiche I got when running late for dinner for myself, but even then I prefer my own quiches.
L’Ecosse
That would be the French word for Scotland. It’s Scottish food. With a French twist. It really is as odd as it sounds. It’s not bad for a brunch place if you have nothing else to do that day. I have not liked anything there that was meat based, from the little sausages to the patties. But it may be that I’m not a fan of Scottish food. However, their French toast is fantastic, and a reason that I will continue to go there on occasion. I hear they also serve beignets, but you have to get there while they still have them because they sometimes run out and there’s only so many platters of them they make in a day. The décor is sparse; and they use the Papyrus font for their wording which honestly I don’t want to forgive (being a font geek as well; it makes me a little sad). I will say that while I’ll still go there though, it is not one I would return to once I leave this neighborhood.
Adrian’s Tavern
This is exactly the little hole in a wall sort of tavern that it looks like from the outside. However, their food is *cheap* and it’s relatively tasty. I had a perfect grilled cheese sandwich here the day that PiC and OSO went with me to it. They have Delerium beers on tap sometimes and according to PiC this is a good thing. Burgers, fries, your standard pub fare. But a great little deal when you’re running through.
Sovereign Grounds
Standard independent coffee house, but with an apparently right-leaning bent from what I could tell when I went in the one time. I got my chai, and it was a standard Oregon chai, and my blueberry muffin tasted stale. It was a big disappointment, and I have not been back, for all that the chair was comfy. It’s a shame, I like going to indie coffee houses.
Pepitos
Perhaps this is the place that I have frequented most since moving to this neighborhood. I remember when the three of us first went here together, OSO was enquiring about what kind of glass the 64 oz margarita they had on the menu. The waitress said “Usually people share those, as it’s a pitcher.” OSO quipped back, “I just see it as a challenge.” Very clearly not serious, but amusing nonetheless.
Really good queso dip and for a little more you can have it served with fried wheat tortillas that are a little less crunchy than your standard corn chips. Highly recommend that. Also you are offered a choice on salsa – mild or hot. That is a nice change from the Minnesota mild that often gets served around here.
Good standard Tex-Mex, the reason to come here has more to do with the variety (and relative cheapness) of their varieties of tequila and happy hour. Really good house margaritas, for instance. And I can get a really good grilled vegetable burrito at a good price too with huge portions. And sometimes I prefer the Americanized version of Mexican food anyway.
It’s a very comfortable restaurant. And as far as I can tell, it has a great deal with the second run movie theatre right next to it, with discounts on dinner or drinks if you go to the movie. And you can bring your margarita with you if you want. That does not suck.
Bonus post: Fat Lorenzo’s
This would be the pizza/pasta shop that delivers to us that is not one of the major chains. Not really within walking distance, though we may start biking there when the weather gets better. And OMG is this food good. Mind you, it is called Fat Lorenzo’s for a reason. The portions are huge, and I think OSO and I will take to splitting one of their entrees in order to cut down on leftovers in the house. I love it, I don’t eat it too often because loving it that much might be bad for my waistline. At least until I get to biking there for dinner.
Showing posts with label sushi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sushi. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Eat Street Round Up
Eat Street in Minneapolis has a lot of restaurants. Generally, it's Nicollet Street from about 13th or so down to behind the Lake Street KMart. There's a wide variety of cuisines, though by far the most popular is Vietnamese from what I can tell. Which is a little frustrating, because of all the various cuisines out there, I just haven't gotten behind Vietnamese as much as the others.
The offshoot is that many of the options here are pretty darned good and not too expensive. Unless it's one of the expensive restaurants. This means that I eat out a fair bit. I *love* living near Eat Street, but honestly it does not do fabulously for my wallet.
I've already covered a couple of the restaurants on this stretch, but I want to have a quick run down of the others, including ones that I eat at a fair bit, or have in the past. So in order of approximately cross street....
Ichiban - Japanese steak house that is essentially right across from the Hyatt and what I see as the beginning of Eat Street and the end of downtown. I used to eat all the time here with X, because not only is it teppanyaki and all the yumminess that is there, but you also have the option of Sushi Buffet.
When I first started eating meat, sushi was my second attempt for integration. I fell in love, though like a lover you spend too much time with I got very tired of it. And this was the place I was taken to try it for the first time.
I got very sick of this place.
Though I would go back for the teppanyaki, the sushi is passable, but just one step above supermarket sushi I have found. The pluses are that the sushi comes around on little boats on a water track, and everyone picks and chooses. I find this highly entertaining.
It's actually a great idea for someone to try all sorts of different kinds of sushi without paying a crazy amount for all the different nigiri and maki. It's also a fabulous idea if you're with someone who would otherwise eat $75 worth of sushi.
I stopped going there mostly because for as regular as X and I were, we weren't treated very well. In fact it seemed like they got tired of seeing us there, which doesn't make sense if you ask me. Maybe they thought he ate too much.
I did go with CK and a bunch of people for the teppanyaki experience though and that was a blast. Tasty food, artfully prepared right in front of you with flair.
New India/India House - Indeed, I tried this place originally because it is kitty corner to Ichiban and I just desperately didn't want sushi that night, but X insisted that's what he wanted. So we ate separately. It was an odd relationship. I'm not even sure what the place is called now, it was one name and the other but I can't remember the order.
The main benefits of this place are in order: 1) Location near me, 2) Space within, and uh.... No really, that's it. It's a standard enough Indian restaurant, but I cannot think of a single thing that makes this place stand out. The food is ok enough and when I got that curry craving, it means I don't have to go way the heck out there.
But they don't deliver 10 blocks away. I would order takeout from this place way more often if they had delivery that came to my house. And it would be good enough for that. I miss Indian delivery in this town. It is very sad; Indian is one of my favoritest cuisines ever.
Bali - In the space that was formerly held by Safari. Now it's a cute little Indonesian restaurant.
Indonesian seems to be on the spicy side of life. Their drinks have very cutesy names but are tasty (I had a Karma Sutra), and the wait staff seem to be a bit slow (Actually, I remember the bartender/waiter being from Fuji-Ya once upon a time, that might explain it).
The food however, YUM!! I had the Ayam Bakar, which is chicken in this sweetish yet spicy sauce, and I think PiC had Daging Rendang, a slow cooked beef in coconut milk an spices. We were both all Oh Wow about not only our meals, but each other's meals too. And I know it's on our list to go back; hopefully it will last longer than Safari did.
Pings - I know that some people really like Pings when it comes to Chinese food. They do deliver, and when it's a cold Minnesota night, that can be a plus. But my impression of this place was that it was a standard tun of the mill Chinese restaurant that has been Americanized in its flavors. I just wasn't impressed.
Gangchen - This is sort of a Pan-Asian restaurant it seems. At least I got Thai when PiC got Chinese, and I know that there's Tibetan and Vietnamese on there as well. It has a little bit of a retro look to it, I'm surprised it only opened in 2007.
I like to think of this place as good place to go when we can't make up our minds. The food is reasonably priced and all done fairly decently. And they have *momo*. Ok, it might not be yak momo, but it does make me happy.
Las Ranas - I'm not even sure what to say here. They got my order wrong; I wanted an enchilada and got a quesadilla. Which shouldn't be a big deal because, hello, both tortilla with cheese inside, but... I know that PiC likes it here for a cheap Mexican breakfast, and it certainly does have price going for it. The one time I've eaten here though I got a little ill. I'm not thrilled about going back.
Evergreen - Comfort food right across the alley. It's situated in the basement of a building, and serves up tasty Taiwanese cuisine. Which is like mainland China, but with more seafood options.
The thing is, this is *the* place in the Twin Cities that I've found for the fake meats as well. Not just Mock Duck, but Mock Chicken, Mock Pork, Mock Beef, and I think even Mock Shrimp. And they do it *well*. On top of that, they are very respectful for the vegan crowd and their vegan food is cooked on separate surfaces than the omnivore food. When you're vegan, this is a heaven sent because meat contamination can make you *ill* after not eating it for a while.
I love this place. And if I'm going for Chinese, this is the place I will most likely go on Eat Street.
Spyhouse Coffee - My neighborhood coffee shop. This place was here before they went and opened Bad Waitress. I really love this as a coffee shop, and it coddles my eclectic tastes in... most things. Including music. And I love their chai. I am much more likely to go here than the Bad Waitress, frankly.
Pho Hoa - Living in the space that used to hold Relax, and before that, Yummy. This is actually a Vietnamese chain restaurant from California and the Phillipines. I will admit - I don't like soup, so the allure of pho is lost on me. Their broken rice dishes aren't bad, and I like their hot tea, and they are cheap, so I eat here on a semi-regular basis, being between me and other restaurants in that direction.
Seafood Palace - See the review for Ping's and Jade, though without the delivery of Ping's. Not impressed. It's just passable and I can eat here if someone else wants to.
Pho 79 - I will admit this is one of the better Vietnamese places I've gone, though I was only there with PiC, and OSO once. I remember being more distracted by conversation than noticing the food however. I know people who have been going here for years though because they love it so.
It's possible that it's just the Vietnamese flavor palatte being lost on me.
Pancho Villa - If I'm wanting walking distance Mexican, this is the place that I tend to go. It has fun art all over the walls, two for one house margaritas that are *tasty* in the early evening, and large platters of authentic food for cheap. They also have the best flan I've ever had.
Not to mention if I'm wanting a higher shelf tequila, they do not charge an arm and a leg for it, like barrio downtown does. I eat here probably once every couple weeks or so. It looks a little... cheesy from the outside, but seriously, this is my favorite of the three Mexican restaurants that are right there. It is the only one that serves alcohol, so if you're wanting a cantina sort of feel, this would be the place for it.
Taco Morelos - This used to be my favorite of the three Mexican restaurants. The decor is certainly the cutest. And they have an awesome veggie quesadilla with many many veggies. Thing is, they stopped serving alcohol. Not really sure why. Still, it's really good food, I just don't make it there quiet so often anymore.
Little Tijuana's - Often called Little T's. Open super late, and good if what you want is a GINORMOUS plate of nachos for not expensive. Actually, most of their plates are large for the price. And the food is okay. Definitely a youth vibe to the place later in the evening.
Usually punk rock playing, and they give tootsie rolls instead of mints at the end of the meal. They also have the chocolate chimichanga. So while it's not exactly what I would call authentic Mexican, it has its place for the cravings.
Black Forest - It has been a very long time since I've eaten here, but I remember the spaetzle was over cooked. I really didn't have a desire to come back here again after that. I'm told that I need to be brought to some place with better German food, that it does exist. .
Rainbow - Chinese that I came to Eat Street for when I lived elsewhere in South Minneapolis. I have a definite fondness for this place. And as far as Chinese goes for Eat Street, probably the best I've had on here save for Evergreen. They also have a pomegranate martini and some very soothing decor that I love returning here. It's like an old friend when I come back.
Java - Middle-eastern; all I remember of the food here is that it's very oily. It's been around forever, and I know that PiC loves the hibiscus drink that he can get here. I'm wondering if my experience was colored by the fact that the first time I ate here, I was with X, and the second time I had food from here I was incredibly ill before the food got there and I found it unappetizing.
The thing I remember most though is that PiC and I have VERY different wants when we're sick: he wants to cook the sick out with spicy. I want starch and bland and nothing that will rock the boat of my delicate system. So his bringing this to me while I'm ill... Sweet for sure, but just not the right answer for me. I should poke him to go here again.
Pho Tau Bay - Hidden behind the Kmart on Lake Street, this was the first Vietnamese I ever went to. The prices are incredible, the menu extensive, and it's been voted the best Vietnamese in the Twin Cities at least once. You should listen to them. It's good, and the fact that it doesn't stir me is really what makes me think that I just am not a big fan of the Vietnamese food and that the flaw is with me and not with the restaurant.
The offshoot is that many of the options here are pretty darned good and not too expensive. Unless it's one of the expensive restaurants. This means that I eat out a fair bit. I *love* living near Eat Street, but honestly it does not do fabulously for my wallet.
I've already covered a couple of the restaurants on this stretch, but I want to have a quick run down of the others, including ones that I eat at a fair bit, or have in the past. So in order of approximately cross street....
Ichiban - Japanese steak house that is essentially right across from the Hyatt and what I see as the beginning of Eat Street and the end of downtown. I used to eat all the time here with X, because not only is it teppanyaki and all the yumminess that is there, but you also have the option of Sushi Buffet.
When I first started eating meat, sushi was my second attempt for integration. I fell in love, though like a lover you spend too much time with I got very tired of it. And this was the place I was taken to try it for the first time.
I got very sick of this place.
Though I would go back for the teppanyaki, the sushi is passable, but just one step above supermarket sushi I have found. The pluses are that the sushi comes around on little boats on a water track, and everyone picks and chooses. I find this highly entertaining.
It's actually a great idea for someone to try all sorts of different kinds of sushi without paying a crazy amount for all the different nigiri and maki. It's also a fabulous idea if you're with someone who would otherwise eat $75 worth of sushi.
I stopped going there mostly because for as regular as X and I were, we weren't treated very well. In fact it seemed like they got tired of seeing us there, which doesn't make sense if you ask me. Maybe they thought he ate too much.
I did go with CK and a bunch of people for the teppanyaki experience though and that was a blast. Tasty food, artfully prepared right in front of you with flair.
New India/India House - Indeed, I tried this place originally because it is kitty corner to Ichiban and I just desperately didn't want sushi that night, but X insisted that's what he wanted. So we ate separately. It was an odd relationship. I'm not even sure what the place is called now, it was one name and the other but I can't remember the order.
The main benefits of this place are in order: 1) Location near me, 2) Space within, and uh.... No really, that's it. It's a standard enough Indian restaurant, but I cannot think of a single thing that makes this place stand out. The food is ok enough and when I got that curry craving, it means I don't have to go way the heck out there.
But they don't deliver 10 blocks away. I would order takeout from this place way more often if they had delivery that came to my house. And it would be good enough for that. I miss Indian delivery in this town. It is very sad; Indian is one of my favoritest cuisines ever.
Bali - In the space that was formerly held by Safari. Now it's a cute little Indonesian restaurant.
Indonesian seems to be on the spicy side of life. Their drinks have very cutesy names but are tasty (I had a Karma Sutra), and the wait staff seem to be a bit slow (Actually, I remember the bartender/waiter being from Fuji-Ya once upon a time, that might explain it).
The food however, YUM!! I had the Ayam Bakar, which is chicken in this sweetish yet spicy sauce, and I think PiC had Daging Rendang, a slow cooked beef in coconut milk an spices. We were both all Oh Wow about not only our meals, but each other's meals too. And I know it's on our list to go back; hopefully it will last longer than Safari did.
Pings - I know that some people really like Pings when it comes to Chinese food. They do deliver, and when it's a cold Minnesota night, that can be a plus. But my impression of this place was that it was a standard tun of the mill Chinese restaurant that has been Americanized in its flavors. I just wasn't impressed.
Gangchen - This is sort of a Pan-Asian restaurant it seems. At least I got Thai when PiC got Chinese, and I know that there's Tibetan and Vietnamese on there as well. It has a little bit of a retro look to it, I'm surprised it only opened in 2007.
I like to think of this place as good place to go when we can't make up our minds. The food is reasonably priced and all done fairly decently. And they have *momo*. Ok, it might not be yak momo, but it does make me happy.
Las Ranas - I'm not even sure what to say here. They got my order wrong; I wanted an enchilada and got a quesadilla. Which shouldn't be a big deal because, hello, both tortilla with cheese inside, but... I know that PiC likes it here for a cheap Mexican breakfast, and it certainly does have price going for it. The one time I've eaten here though I got a little ill. I'm not thrilled about going back.
Evergreen - Comfort food right across the alley. It's situated in the basement of a building, and serves up tasty Taiwanese cuisine. Which is like mainland China, but with more seafood options.
The thing is, this is *the* place in the Twin Cities that I've found for the fake meats as well. Not just Mock Duck, but Mock Chicken, Mock Pork, Mock Beef, and I think even Mock Shrimp. And they do it *well*. On top of that, they are very respectful for the vegan crowd and their vegan food is cooked on separate surfaces than the omnivore food. When you're vegan, this is a heaven sent because meat contamination can make you *ill* after not eating it for a while.
I love this place. And if I'm going for Chinese, this is the place I will most likely go on Eat Street.
Spyhouse Coffee - My neighborhood coffee shop. This place was here before they went and opened Bad Waitress. I really love this as a coffee shop, and it coddles my eclectic tastes in... most things. Including music. And I love their chai. I am much more likely to go here than the Bad Waitress, frankly.
Pho Hoa - Living in the space that used to hold Relax, and before that, Yummy. This is actually a Vietnamese chain restaurant from California and the Phillipines. I will admit - I don't like soup, so the allure of pho is lost on me. Their broken rice dishes aren't bad, and I like their hot tea, and they are cheap, so I eat here on a semi-regular basis, being between me and other restaurants in that direction.
Seafood Palace - See the review for Ping's and Jade, though without the delivery of Ping's. Not impressed. It's just passable and I can eat here if someone else wants to.
Pho 79 - I will admit this is one of the better Vietnamese places I've gone, though I was only there with PiC, and OSO once. I remember being more distracted by conversation than noticing the food however. I know people who have been going here for years though because they love it so.
It's possible that it's just the Vietnamese flavor palatte being lost on me.
Pancho Villa - If I'm wanting walking distance Mexican, this is the place that I tend to go. It has fun art all over the walls, two for one house margaritas that are *tasty* in the early evening, and large platters of authentic food for cheap. They also have the best flan I've ever had.
Not to mention if I'm wanting a higher shelf tequila, they do not charge an arm and a leg for it, like barrio downtown does. I eat here probably once every couple weeks or so. It looks a little... cheesy from the outside, but seriously, this is my favorite of the three Mexican restaurants that are right there. It is the only one that serves alcohol, so if you're wanting a cantina sort of feel, this would be the place for it.
Taco Morelos - This used to be my favorite of the three Mexican restaurants. The decor is certainly the cutest. And they have an awesome veggie quesadilla with many many veggies. Thing is, they stopped serving alcohol. Not really sure why. Still, it's really good food, I just don't make it there quiet so often anymore.
Little Tijuana's - Often called Little T's. Open super late, and good if what you want is a GINORMOUS plate of nachos for not expensive. Actually, most of their plates are large for the price. And the food is okay. Definitely a youth vibe to the place later in the evening.
Usually punk rock playing, and they give tootsie rolls instead of mints at the end of the meal. They also have the chocolate chimichanga. So while it's not exactly what I would call authentic Mexican, it has its place for the cravings.
Black Forest - It has been a very long time since I've eaten here, but I remember the spaetzle was over cooked. I really didn't have a desire to come back here again after that. I'm told that I need to be brought to some place with better German food, that it does exist. .
Rainbow - Chinese that I came to Eat Street for when I lived elsewhere in South Minneapolis. I have a definite fondness for this place. And as far as Chinese goes for Eat Street, probably the best I've had on here save for Evergreen. They also have a pomegranate martini and some very soothing decor that I love returning here. It's like an old friend when I come back.
Java - Middle-eastern; all I remember of the food here is that it's very oily. It's been around forever, and I know that PiC loves the hibiscus drink that he can get here. I'm wondering if my experience was colored by the fact that the first time I ate here, I was with X, and the second time I had food from here I was incredibly ill before the food got there and I found it unappetizing.
The thing I remember most though is that PiC and I have VERY different wants when we're sick: he wants to cook the sick out with spicy. I want starch and bland and nothing that will rock the boat of my delicate system. So his bringing this to me while I'm ill... Sweet for sure, but just not the right answer for me. I should poke him to go here again.
Pho Tau Bay - Hidden behind the Kmart on Lake Street, this was the first Vietnamese I ever went to. The prices are incredible, the menu extensive, and it's been voted the best Vietnamese in the Twin Cities at least once. You should listen to them. It's good, and the fact that it doesn't stir me is really what makes me think that I just am not a big fan of the Vietnamese food and that the flaw is with me and not with the restaurant.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Kikugawa - Christmas Edition
Okay, I've been doing the Christmas sushi for a number of years now. But this year completely topped any sushi of years past. Seriously, I have *never* had sushi as good as the sushi I had at Kikugawa tonight.
Salmon just like butter. Tuna as perfect as perfect can be. And then tuna that was more perfect, as the "super white tuna" had this undertone of *vanilla* to it that was just divine.
And then, unagi that *melted* in my mouth.
I'm serious. Best. Sushi. Ever. And warm sweet sake. And just yum...
Now I go to roll over and watch the new Dr Who.
Salmon just like butter. Tuna as perfect as perfect can be. And then tuna that was more perfect, as the "super white tuna" had this undertone of *vanilla* to it that was just divine.
And then, unagi that *melted* in my mouth.
I'm serious. Best. Sushi. Ever. And warm sweet sake. And just yum...
Now I go to roll over and watch the new Dr Who.
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