We found ourselves in St. Paul a week or so ago. It was dinnertime and we had no plans. The beauty of the iPhone! I quickly used the Yelp app to locate nearby restaurants. I then flipped over to my OpenTable app and had reservations for 10 minutes later at Luci Ancora.
Luci Ancora is a quaint restaurant across the street from the College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul. The neighborhood is great with lots of old trees and houses - seems like it would be a great area to live. Across the street and down a half block is Luci's sister restaurant, Ristorante Luci. We have had the good fortune to eat at both of these restaurants a couple of times at least.
On this particular night, the restaurant was not real busy. It was a week night, so not too surprising. The positive of this was that we had a great table by the window and could look out at the college. However, this was pre-daylight savings time and it was dark. The ambience in the restaurant was warm and cozy.
The hubby and I decided to order some wine and they had several selections of 1/2 bottles. We went out on a limb and chose a Falanghina to share. The waitress informed us that the wine was their sweetest white - this was not at all what we were looking for, so we changed to a known dry white wine. I always appreciate the honesty of wait staff and the waitress' tip immediately increased due to the fact that she steered us away from a wine that we likely wouldn't have enjoyed.
My meal consisted of the mista salad and Ravioli alla Napoletana. Both the salad and the main entree were very good. The salad was nice and crisp. The ravioli was tasty and creamy. The tomato sauce added a nice acidity to the creaminess of the ricotta cheese.
The hubby had an appetizer and then fettucine for his main entree. Sadly we can't remember exactly what he had and the website just has a sample menu and not the actual one. I do know that he thoroughly enjoyed his meal!
I ended the meal with one of the best desserts that I have had in a long time. The surprising thing - it didn't consist of chocolate or ice cream! What it did consist of was a yummy brandy soaked pear in the center of layers of phyllo dough. It was topped with whipped cream, currants and powder sugar. Oh my....what an awesome dessert. Any liquor soaked food makes me nervous - often it is too strong to actually enjoy, but this pear was incredible. I had to share a few bites with the hubby, but for the most part this dessert was ALL MINE!
Luci Ancora and Ristorante Luci have special deals during the week nights including a nice 4 course tasting menu for a very reasonable price.
I would highly recommend Luci Ancora. The food is fabulous, the atmosphere quiet and romantic, and the service was awesome.
As I mentioned, we've been there a few times now and after this last experience, we'll definitely be back.
Happy Eating!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
D'Amico Kitchen
While I rarely need an excuse to try out a new restaurant, this last week was Restaurant Week in the twin cities and so it was a great excuse to grab some friends and head out to a new place.
The hubby, RFO, and I decided to try out D'Amico Kitchen. The restaurant is a reinvention/ reincarnation of the old D'Amico Cucina that served Minneapolis for a number of years, albeit in a new location at the Chambers Hotel in the former Chamber's Kitchen spot.
RFO and I arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation and so we took a seat at the bar for a pre-dinner drink. Unfortunately the bartender seemed less interested in taking our order and more interested in washing glasses and talking to wait staff. He finally made his way down to us after about 10 minutes and we caught his attention. Uh oh...not off to a good start!
I went with a Malbec, Weinert “Carrascal”, 2004. When RFO asked the bartender his opinion between two different glasses, he of course suggested a totally different one that was higher in price than the other two - precisely the reason I tend to avoid asking for opinions. He also disparaged the Malbec - guess in his attempt to upsell to RFO he neglected to think about the fact that I had just ordered the Malbec. RFO took his suggestion and went with the Prugnolo Gentile, La Braccesca "Sabazio" 2006.
Not long after getting the drinks settled, the hubby arrived and we were seated at our table. We sat in the basement of the restaurant which was a much nicer option than the upstairs tables. The upstairs section was nice, but being close to the bar it would have been a much noisier affair than the dinner downstairs. The only downside is that we had to carry our glasses of red wine down a flight of stairs. Thankfully we both made it safely down without a spill.
The downstairs section of the restaurant is adorned with various white chairs, benches, and sofas. The lighting was primarily candle votives which made for a romantic atmosphere. We were told a 3-piece jazz group would be playing in about an hour. They were underneath the stairs and the music was a nice soft background to our meal. It wasn't until they started playing that I realized that the evening was missing exactly that - music. Before they played it was pretty quiet. They also weren't very full when we first got there, which made us question why we couldn't have gotten an earlier reservation.
During Restaurant Week you can order from the regular menu or the special priced prix-fixe menu. All three of us chose the special 3-course menu. After hearing about the options, we all ordered the same starter, different entrees, and two different types of desserts. While we waited for the first course, the waitress brought us a basket of warm bread that was very good. The crust was crunchy and the bread was chewy.
All three of us ordered the Puree of cauliflower soup, Brussel sprouts, and truffle. We knew the hubby would go for that starter if for no other reason than the truffle. The soup came and was a delicious puree topped off with the truffle oil which gave it a signature smell. The hubby liked the brussel sprout topping which was basically crisp "leaves" of brussel sprouts. RFO and I thought they were a little awkward with the soup. They just didn't seem to blend in well with the soup. Although the hubby always likes crunch with his meal, and the brussel sprouts did provide that for him. I quickly ate the sprouts so I could concentrate on the soup. Definitely a good start to the meal.
Next up were the entrees. I went with what I can only surmise was the best option at the table. Butternut squash cappaletti, pistachio, with pumpkin seed oil. The cappaletti provided a nice pasta wrap for the butternut squash puree. It was both savory and sweet all at once. The pistachios were a great addition for the "crunch." The portion size was just right in my opinion - about 5 cappalettis. RFO went with a different pasta option and had the Orecchietti, spicy lamb sausage, chickpea, olive. She seemed to enjoy her dish and I'm sure will be reviewing it soon over at Reservations for One. The hubby went with Onion braised beef short ribs, buckwheat polenta, roasted carrots, horseradish gremolata. Again, it was a given that he'd order this with polenta in the description. Polenta and truffles - a definite for him. The waitress said the beef short ribs would be taken off the bone before serving, unfortunately the fatty part of the meat was still there. Once he worked around the fat, he enjoyed the meal. He did complain that there wasn't enough of the polenta. One thing that he noted a couple of days after the meal was that not one of us shared our meal with each other. I think that was a sign that we all were happy with what we ordered and didn't find the other options all that interesting.
We finished off the meal with dessert. RFO and I both ordered the Steamed Chocolate Spice Cake, Amarene Cherries, Olive Oil Gelato. It wasn't until writing this that I remembered the gelato was olive oil. The only real thing I remember about it was that it was very hard and difficult to eat with a spoon. The cake was delicious though and was a great ending to a very good meal. The hubby went with the Yogurt Panna Cotta Parfait, citrus almond sponge cake, blood orange gelee, Pomegranate Foam and enjoyed the freshness of the dessert.
The downside of the night was the fact that we had to wait 20 minutes or so to get our bill from the waitress. They had gotten busy by that point, but I always think the end is where waitstaff either make or break their tip. I wasn't too put off by it this time given I was enjoying the conversation with my dinner partners, but she was on the ropes.
The evening was good - even with the odd bartender and the waitress delaying our bill at the end of the evening. The food, drink, and conversation were great. While I doubt I will run back to D'Amico Kitchen anytime soon, it will not be due to the food. There are just so many other options to explore!
Happy Eating!
The hubby, RFO, and I decided to try out D'Amico Kitchen. The restaurant is a reinvention/ reincarnation of the old D'Amico Cucina that served Minneapolis for a number of years, albeit in a new location at the Chambers Hotel in the former Chamber's Kitchen spot.
RFO and I arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation and so we took a seat at the bar for a pre-dinner drink. Unfortunately the bartender seemed less interested in taking our order and more interested in washing glasses and talking to wait staff. He finally made his way down to us after about 10 minutes and we caught his attention. Uh oh...not off to a good start!
I went with a Malbec, Weinert “Carrascal”, 2004. When RFO asked the bartender his opinion between two different glasses, he of course suggested a totally different one that was higher in price than the other two - precisely the reason I tend to avoid asking for opinions. He also disparaged the Malbec - guess in his attempt to upsell to RFO he neglected to think about the fact that I had just ordered the Malbec. RFO took his suggestion and went with the Prugnolo Gentile, La Braccesca "Sabazio" 2006.
Not long after getting the drinks settled, the hubby arrived and we were seated at our table. We sat in the basement of the restaurant which was a much nicer option than the upstairs tables. The upstairs section was nice, but being close to the bar it would have been a much noisier affair than the dinner downstairs. The only downside is that we had to carry our glasses of red wine down a flight of stairs. Thankfully we both made it safely down without a spill.
The downstairs section of the restaurant is adorned with various white chairs, benches, and sofas. The lighting was primarily candle votives which made for a romantic atmosphere. We were told a 3-piece jazz group would be playing in about an hour. They were underneath the stairs and the music was a nice soft background to our meal. It wasn't until they started playing that I realized that the evening was missing exactly that - music. Before they played it was pretty quiet. They also weren't very full when we first got there, which made us question why we couldn't have gotten an earlier reservation.
During Restaurant Week you can order from the regular menu or the special priced prix-fixe menu. All three of us chose the special 3-course menu. After hearing about the options, we all ordered the same starter, different entrees, and two different types of desserts. While we waited for the first course, the waitress brought us a basket of warm bread that was very good. The crust was crunchy and the bread was chewy.
All three of us ordered the Puree of cauliflower soup, Brussel sprouts, and truffle. We knew the hubby would go for that starter if for no other reason than the truffle. The soup came and was a delicious puree topped off with the truffle oil which gave it a signature smell. The hubby liked the brussel sprout topping which was basically crisp "leaves" of brussel sprouts. RFO and I thought they were a little awkward with the soup. They just didn't seem to blend in well with the soup. Although the hubby always likes crunch with his meal, and the brussel sprouts did provide that for him. I quickly ate the sprouts so I could concentrate on the soup. Definitely a good start to the meal.
Next up were the entrees. I went with what I can only surmise was the best option at the table. Butternut squash cappaletti, pistachio, with pumpkin seed oil. The cappaletti provided a nice pasta wrap for the butternut squash puree. It was both savory and sweet all at once. The pistachios were a great addition for the "crunch." The portion size was just right in my opinion - about 5 cappalettis. RFO went with a different pasta option and had the Orecchietti, spicy lamb sausage, chickpea, olive. She seemed to enjoy her dish and I'm sure will be reviewing it soon over at Reservations for One. The hubby went with Onion braised beef short ribs, buckwheat polenta, roasted carrots, horseradish gremolata. Again, it was a given that he'd order this with polenta in the description. Polenta and truffles - a definite for him. The waitress said the beef short ribs would be taken off the bone before serving, unfortunately the fatty part of the meat was still there. Once he worked around the fat, he enjoyed the meal. He did complain that there wasn't enough of the polenta. One thing that he noted a couple of days after the meal was that not one of us shared our meal with each other. I think that was a sign that we all were happy with what we ordered and didn't find the other options all that interesting.
We finished off the meal with dessert. RFO and I both ordered the Steamed Chocolate Spice Cake, Amarene Cherries, Olive Oil Gelato. It wasn't until writing this that I remembered the gelato was olive oil. The only real thing I remember about it was that it was very hard and difficult to eat with a spoon. The cake was delicious though and was a great ending to a very good meal. The hubby went with the Yogurt Panna Cotta Parfait, citrus almond sponge cake, blood orange gelee, Pomegranate Foam and enjoyed the freshness of the dessert.
The downside of the night was the fact that we had to wait 20 minutes or so to get our bill from the waitress. They had gotten busy by that point, but I always think the end is where waitstaff either make or break their tip. I wasn't too put off by it this time given I was enjoying the conversation with my dinner partners, but she was on the ropes.
The evening was good - even with the odd bartender and the waitress delaying our bill at the end of the evening. The food, drink, and conversation were great. While I doubt I will run back to D'Amico Kitchen anytime soon, it will not be due to the food. There are just so many other options to explore!
Happy Eating!
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Lexington
The hubby and I have been on a tour of "old school supper clubs/ insitutions" of the cities. Our latest stop landed us at The Lexington. The Lexington opened in 1935 and while their website touts "more than eighty very good years," they either are missing a few years of history on the website or their math is off. I'm not a math major, but I believe they've been around for 75 years. But why quibble...they've been around a long time!
We walked into the restaurant and enjoyed the warmth and coziness of the atmosphere. It was not a modern looking restaurant, but one that you could picture a number of 3-martini lunches back in the day.
We each ordered our drink of choice, me - red wine, the hubby - a side car. We then reviewed the menu and each decided on a house specialty. I went with the Walleye Almondine and he went with the Chicken Pot Pie.
We started with salads. He went with the classic caesar which he claimed was the best he's had in ages. I went with the Lexington salad which was topped with their signature "lexington dressing." The vegetables were crisp and fresh and were a great start to the meal.
Our entrees came out soon after we finished our salad. My dish was fabulous. The walleye was flaky and soft while the almonds were crisp which created a nice texture balance. The asparagus was heavily sauteed in butter which of course made it taste amazing! My starch was a baked potato. They had a waiter stop by with toppings for my potato which was a nice touch, but in the hurry to cut open the potato to have him add the toppings, I didn't get the butter on until after the topping - made for an awkward potato. The potato was by far the disappointment of the meal, but it was just a potato. I wasn't expecting "wow."
The hubby's entree came out and looked awesome. The pot pie crust was heaping over the dish. The waitress asked if he wanted her to flip it over for him. She then did her thing and the result was a tasty chicken pot pie. Well, I will have to assume it was tasty since when I asked for a bite I was given the "no go." Oh well, my meal was also wonderful.
The wait staff seemed to be on the top of their game. They knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Not too bothersome, but helpful.
The Lexington was a great stop on our "old school" tour. We will definitely go back!
We walked into the restaurant and enjoyed the warmth and coziness of the atmosphere. It was not a modern looking restaurant, but one that you could picture a number of 3-martini lunches back in the day.
We each ordered our drink of choice, me - red wine, the hubby - a side car. We then reviewed the menu and each decided on a house specialty. I went with the Walleye Almondine and he went with the Chicken Pot Pie.
We started with salads. He went with the classic caesar which he claimed was the best he's had in ages. I went with the Lexington salad which was topped with their signature "lexington dressing." The vegetables were crisp and fresh and were a great start to the meal.
Our entrees came out soon after we finished our salad. My dish was fabulous. The walleye was flaky and soft while the almonds were crisp which created a nice texture balance. The asparagus was heavily sauteed in butter which of course made it taste amazing! My starch was a baked potato. They had a waiter stop by with toppings for my potato which was a nice touch, but in the hurry to cut open the potato to have him add the toppings, I didn't get the butter on until after the topping - made for an awkward potato. The potato was by far the disappointment of the meal, but it was just a potato. I wasn't expecting "wow."
The hubby's entree came out and looked awesome. The pot pie crust was heaping over the dish. The waitress asked if he wanted her to flip it over for him. She then did her thing and the result was a tasty chicken pot pie. Well, I will have to assume it was tasty since when I asked for a bite I was given the "no go." Oh well, my meal was also wonderful.
The wait staff seemed to be on the top of their game. They knew exactly what to do and when to do it. Not too bothersome, but helpful.
The Lexington was a great stop on our "old school" tour. We will definitely go back!
Grand Cafe - Simple, Good & Tasty Event
I am the recipient of many an email from the hubby linking me to various foodie blogs. One such email led me to stumble upon an event being held by Simple, Good, and Tasty at the Grand Cafe. From the Simple, Good, and Tasty (SGT) website, SGT "exists to promote local, sustainable, and organic foods and the people who produce them." While I support the idea of "eating local," what really drew me to the event was wanting to check out Grand Cafe for dinner. The event gave Reservations for One (RFO), the hubby, and me an excuse to go out in the middle of the week for dinner. So, we signed up and went.
We had a fabulous time and the food was amazing. I could write about the food, but Reservations for One has a great write-up on her blog. I will add that I did not get the duck cassoulet, but went for the vegetarian option. No huge hang-up on eating duck, but if there are other options I tend to choose them first. I did choose well! Pan-Fried Mandan Bride Polenta Cakes on a bed of Carrot and Golden Raisin Purée, Rapini and Romaine Lettuce Braised with Bleu Cheese. Yes, it was as good as it sounds! I was forced to share some of the polenta with the hubby and RFO. In exchange, I had a few bites of the House-Made Garlic Sausage - excellent!
One of the highlights of the evening was getting a chance to visit with the chef. Jon Randle visited with each table and let us ask questions and learn more about the meal and his background. He just seemed very down to earth and proud of his work. Chefs can have a reputation for being cranky and standoffish, but Jon was very approachable.
The evening was quite a success and we have already signed up for the March event. Look for a post in the not too distant future about Sen Yai Sen Lek.
On a side note, I recently visited Sen Yai Sen Lek for lunch and was amazed at the tasty Taohoo Tod (appetizer of Tofu with a peanut cilantro chili sauce) and the noodle dish I had. I will save my write-up for the next SGT event.
Happy Eating!
We had a fabulous time and the food was amazing. I could write about the food, but Reservations for One has a great write-up on her blog. I will add that I did not get the duck cassoulet, but went for the vegetarian option. No huge hang-up on eating duck, but if there are other options I tend to choose them first. I did choose well! Pan-Fried Mandan Bride Polenta Cakes on a bed of Carrot and Golden Raisin Purée, Rapini and Romaine Lettuce Braised with Bleu Cheese. Yes, it was as good as it sounds! I was forced to share some of the polenta with the hubby and RFO. In exchange, I had a few bites of the House-Made Garlic Sausage - excellent!
One of the highlights of the evening was getting a chance to visit with the chef. Jon Randle visited with each table and let us ask questions and learn more about the meal and his background. He just seemed very down to earth and proud of his work. Chefs can have a reputation for being cranky and standoffish, but Jon was very approachable.
The evening was quite a success and we have already signed up for the March event. Look for a post in the not too distant future about Sen Yai Sen Lek.
On a side note, I recently visited Sen Yai Sen Lek for lunch and was amazed at the tasty Taohoo Tod (appetizer of Tofu with a peanut cilantro chili sauce) and the noodle dish I had. I will save my write-up for the next SGT event.
Happy Eating!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
3rd Anniversary
Today marks the 3rd anniversary of my fall and the broken ankle. What a difference 3 years makes. I'm now very mobile and my ankle is back to normal...albeit 2 scars down the side, 8 screws, and a plate. Anyway...good to be walking with both feet today. :)
Sidetrip: KoFusion
I wanted to provide a separate post for a nice find we discovered while in Champaign, Illinois a few weeks ago.
The KoFusion storefront had interested me for several years now, but something about the name made me pass it by. I also thought it would be a hard sell to get anyone to go to it with me.
This visit to town I went on OpenTable and it had reservations available. So, we gave it a try. There were 4 of us that went that evening. When we got there, the waiting area was full. We walked to the hostess stand and gave our name. We were escorted to our table immediately….love OpenTable!
The restaurant was not at all what I expected - unique lighting, blue walls, aquariums. It seemed like it should have been in a large metropolitan downtown.
The restaurant was packed the night we went and we were told immediately by the waiter that if we wanted sushi they were running a bit behind. We were fine with that as none of us were sushi eaters. I did see a number of tables around us getting sushi and it looked like people were enjoying it.
Two members of my party ordered sake for their beverage of choice and at least one of them really enjoyed it. The other one tolerated it, but I think a margarita would have been more up his alley. I had a glass of the Cote du Rhone which was quite nice. My mom had hot tea which she enjoyed.
We started out with a starter of Edamame. They were nicely salted and proved to be a nice start to the meal. My parents tried two different stir-fry dishes and enjoyed them both. The portions were generous and made for tasty leftovers. I had a steak special that was very well done with awesome mashed potatoes. The hubby tried the Bul Go Gee (Korean-Style Char-Grilled Sliced Strip Steak). He really enjoyed his dish.
For dessert, my parents split the Crème Brulee and the hubby had the trio of gelatos. Note I didn’t say we split the dessert. He thoughtfully let me try the gelato which was very good, but it was not “split.”
The experience was great and we all walked away satisfied. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic dinner, a special occasion or any other reason you want a little fine dining in downtown Champaign.
Happy Eating!
The KoFusion storefront had interested me for several years now, but something about the name made me pass it by. I also thought it would be a hard sell to get anyone to go to it with me.
This visit to town I went on OpenTable and it had reservations available. So, we gave it a try. There were 4 of us that went that evening. When we got there, the waiting area was full. We walked to the hostess stand and gave our name. We were escorted to our table immediately….love OpenTable!
The restaurant was not at all what I expected - unique lighting, blue walls, aquariums. It seemed like it should have been in a large metropolitan downtown.
The restaurant was packed the night we went and we were told immediately by the waiter that if we wanted sushi they were running a bit behind. We were fine with that as none of us were sushi eaters. I did see a number of tables around us getting sushi and it looked like people were enjoying it.
Two members of my party ordered sake for their beverage of choice and at least one of them really enjoyed it. The other one tolerated it, but I think a margarita would have been more up his alley. I had a glass of the Cote du Rhone which was quite nice. My mom had hot tea which she enjoyed.
We started out with a starter of Edamame. They were nicely salted and proved to be a nice start to the meal. My parents tried two different stir-fry dishes and enjoyed them both. The portions were generous and made for tasty leftovers. I had a steak special that was very well done with awesome mashed potatoes. The hubby tried the Bul Go Gee (Korean-Style Char-Grilled Sliced Strip Steak). He really enjoyed his dish.
For dessert, my parents split the Crème Brulee and the hubby had the trio of gelatos. Note I didn’t say we split the dessert. He thoughtfully let me try the gelato which was very good, but it was not “split.”
The experience was great and we all walked away satisfied. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic dinner, a special occasion or any other reason you want a little fine dining in downtown Champaign.
Happy Eating!
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