Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Harriet Brassiere

We have done our best to get to new restaurants this year - though we're not nearly on track to last year's numbers.  I've struggled a bit with motivation to keep up on this blog.  After awhile it gets hard to post because there has been too much time in between posts and too many new restaurants....where do I start?  Today we tried a new restaurant for lunch/brunch so I will just start here.

We tried a new restaurant in the Linden Hills neighborhood.  The Harriet Brasserie has been open for several weeks and so we added it to our list.  We arrived right around noon and while it was a gorgeous day we opted to not sit on the patio and took a seat indoors.  It's a small dining room but very well done - simple, nice wood decor.

The brunch menu included a few sandwiches, but we both decided to order off of the breakfast side of the menu.  The hubby went with the Ropa Vieja which included shredded beef, egg, queso fresco, fried yucca, rice & soffrito.  It was a large portion of beef topped with a sunny side up egg over rice.  He really enjoyed it and let me even have some of the yucca. 

My dish was much simpler.  Belgian waffle with crème fraîche and "seasonal accompaniment".  The waffle was served with a rhubarb compote...the waitress had me at rhubarb.  The waffle was great though it really seemed more like dessert than a meal.  As my hubby's grandmother says "Life's uncertain, eat dessert first."  Very tasty meal, though I probably could have used a side of bacon to get a little protein in with the meal. 

A great addition to the Linden Hills restaurant scene.

Happy Eating!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Highlights of 2012 So Far

Glad keeping my blog up to date wasn't a New Year's resolution or I would have an epic fail going.  We have tried a few new restaurants over the last couple of months - though we have slowed down a bit.  A couple of highlights so far this year....

The Bachelor Farmer - we enjoyed a great dinner with Reservations for One a few weeks ago. The Bachelor Farmer has a Scandinavian themed menu.  We really enjoyed the toasts, which is exactly as it sounds.  You are brought out toast that you then pile on with various toppings - we did the salmon and the Baked Camembert cheese, winter vegetables.  The cheese and vegetable one was my favorite.  I went with the Meatballs, lingonberries, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumber entree and it was delicious.  For those that need the meat and potatoes type of meal this would definitely fit the bill - with a foodie, Scandinavian twist.  RFO and the hubby went with the Poached eggs, caramelized Brussels sprouts, sunchokes, leeks, Sauce Choron.  This entree was also quite tasty and definitely worth getting.  RFO and I decided to split dessert and went with the Flourless chocolate cake, salted semifreddo, lingonberry pâte de fruit.  We both are normally not a fan of flourless cakes, but this was a nice surprise.  It wasn't dense like many flourless cakes are and it had a nice crispness to the cake which added to the overall appeal for me.  The hubby had the Café miel ice cream, warm chocolate sauce, lemon shortbread - would like to be able to tell you how that was, but if you read this very often you know he doesn't like to share his dessert if it's really good.

We had some other good meals over the last two months but the last one to highlight today is Element Pizza.  We happened across this restaurant today for lunch as we were looking for somewhere new to try.  It's a small building that is nondescript on the outside.  Upon walking in you realize it's just as small inside as it appears to be from the outside.  It's warm, cozy and inviting.  The pizza is wood-fired and you can see the oven from the counter - again adds to the warm, cozy vibe.  It was pretty empty when we went so we took our time in deciding what we wanted to try.  It's an order at the counter and then they bring it to your table type of restaurant.  We decided on a build your own pizza topped with pepperoni, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan.  I also got a house salad that was served with bread (aka pizza crust).  The salad was a purely vegetable salad - lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and then there was a vinaigrette on the side.  Everything was fresh and crunchy and a great way to get some veggies in for the day.  The bread was very good as well but was mainly consumed by the hubby.  The pizza arrived and it was fabulous!  Thin pizza with a crispy crust and just the right amount of toppings.  We both agreed that it was the best pizza we have had in quite some time.  Now the trick is to figure out how we can get back to that area a little more frequently.

Happy Eating!

Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve 2011 - In Season

In keeping with the tradition we started last year, we picked our favorite restaurant of the year for our New Year's Eve dinner.  We just got back from a fabulous meal at In Season restaurant.  We tend to take the early reservations so we can get in and back home before the crazies get on the roads.  This year we were extra glad as it is raining and soon will be switching over to snow.

 
We arrived a few minutes prior to our reservation and were immediately seated.  We went with the 7 course tasting menu but passed on the wine pairings.  Though I did have a nice glass of Pinot Noir with my first few courses.  The menu was as follows:
  • Jorstad Creek Oyster with Preserved Lemon and Sauternes
  • Beet Cured Salmon with Quinoa, Blood Orange and Fennel Pollen 
  • Black Truffle Risotto 
  • Pork Belly “Monte Cristo” with Honeycrisp Apple 
  • Monkfish with Salsify, Sauce Romesco and Black Olive Oil 
  • Braised Veal Cheek with Aligote Potatoes and Sauce Perigord 
  • Vanilla Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Consomme
The oyster was a first for both the hubby and me.  It was actually pretty good.  I'm not sure I would order it on my own, but it was definitely good.

If I were to rank order the food starting with the best, I would go with the Salmon, Veal, Risotto, Pork Belly, Panna Cotta, Monkfish, and the Oyster.  The salmon was a very interesting crisp, fresh dish.  Good news is that we were told it will be on their menu starting in the new year.  Definitely my favorite of the evening.  The veal cheek was awesome.  Braised and very tender - no knife needed.  The rest of the meal was good too - no plates went back with food left on them. 

The hubby would rank the food a bit differently.  His ranking starts with the Panna Cotta and follows with Salmon, Pork Belly, Oyster, Veal, Risotto, and Monkfish.  He would rate the Monkfish higher, but the entire dish was not as good as the rest of the menu. 

This was a great choice for our NYE dinner and solidified in my mind that this was indeed our "restaurant of the year." 

May 2012 bring you new dining experiences!

Happy eating! 

Friday, December 30, 2011

2011 In Review

Last year about this time I did a review of our 2010 restaurants.  For 2011, we actually kept a running list of our restaurants as we went so it is easier to look back at the hits and misses of our restaurant journey. 

With 2 days left in 2011, our tally of new restaurants for 2011 stands at 79 for me and the hubby at 76.  I'm guessing there will be some effort to add another before the calendar turns to 2012. 
There were definite hits and misses out of the list.  Adding a new restaurant doesn't always mean it's a good one!  Below are a few highlights from the year (of note - those in italics are not new this year - still holding on to the "best" title from 2010):

Best overall solo dining experience - 11 Madison Park in New York City

Best overall dining experience - Capital Grille

Best burger - Victory 44

Best donuts - Yo-Yo Donuts

Best breakfast sandwich - Cocoa & Fig's fried egg sandwich

Best hole-in-the-wall surprise hit - The Black Sea (Turkish food)

Best restaurant that I didn't want to try - Midori's Floating World Cafe (still don't like the name)

Best "out of the box thinking" restaurant with the family - Thara Thai in Champaign

Biggest disappointment - BANK - great atmosphere, mediocre food

Our vote for best restaurant of 2011 and where we will dine on New Year's Eve.......

In Season

We enjoyed both of our birthday dinners at In Season and are looking forward to our NYE dinner there as well.  My vote for best chef of 2011 goes to In Season's Don Saunders.
Happy Eating!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Sidetrip: Bayfield, WI

This weekend I took a solo trip up to northern Wisconsin - Bayfield, WI which is situated on Lake Superior.  I stayed in a great B&B that had a wood burning fireplace which I thoroughly enjoyed (I was grateful for the cooler temps so I could do a fire!)

The main attraction are the magnificent Apostle Islands that dot Lake Superior.  I took a chilly, but sunny, boat cruise on Lake Superior around many of the islands.  The fall colors were not exactly at peak, but there were bursts of orange and red dotting the landscape.  I love fall!

I had lunch at a coffee shop in downtown Bayfield.  A nice warm chicken melt sandwich served with potato chips.  The sandwich was good, but nothing remarkable to write about. 

After my day of shopping and boat cruising, I stopped for an early dinner at Ethel's at 250.  Since I was solo, I got seated at a two-top that was unfortunately right by the door.  I understood the rationale of putting me there, but it was a bit chilly when people entered and while people waited to be seated I felt like they were standing right over me. 

I ordered a pizza/salad special.  The salad was much better than I expected.  It was not just iceberg, but rather a spring mix with lots of croutons.  The pizza I ordered was the Bayfield Special.  Basically it was like a Hawaiian pizza but instead of pineapple there were apples.  Plus the pizza sauce had a hint of BBQ in it.  I probably wouldn't get it again if I ever go back there, but I was proud of myself for not just getting a pepperoni pizza.

This area is known for apples, apples, and more apples.  So for dessert I got a piece of homemade apple pie - it was very good.  Definitely worth getting - nice flaky crust and sweet apple filling.  Tomorrow the plan is to explore some of the apple orchards - perhaps another piece of apple pie will be in my future.

Bayfield was well worth the trip!

Happy Eating!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

So Many New Restaurants, So Little Time Blogging

I have been to a number of new restaurants over the summer - though my blog does not show this fact.  Some good ones of note are:

Wise Acre Eatery in Linden Hills.  I've been for both weekend brunch and weekday lunch and enjoyed the fresh ingredients and cute decor.  Worth a visit!

Lowbrow - stopped by for a drink and snack, so can't give a full review.  It was ok, but nothing stood out for me.

Aster Cafe - funky little cafe near the river in downtown Mpls.  Had some good drinks and appetizers before the U2 concert this summer.  Nice find!

Red Rossa - when you can't order off the bar menu because you were seated in the restaurant is ridiculous.  No one was in the restaurant except for us.  One item on the bar menu wasn't on the regular menu but no exceptions were to be made so we couldn't order it.  Really, how hard is it to walk the dish a few extra steps.  No need to rush back here, the food was ok, not great.

Spent a week in Virgina this summer with my parents and had a very good lunch at Clementine in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  A nice, artsy restaurant with great food!  Nice find in such a small town.  We also ate at even smaller town restaurants that week - fairly decent food, but Clementine was probably the best meal.

After a bike ride this summer we stopped in The Old Market Deli in Cannon Falls. Their claim to fame besides a tasty Tom Turkey Sandwich and quiche for the hubby, was that President Obama ate there a few days prior to our visit.  Every framed picture in the place was of him.  I noticed when I went to the website they even have him on their website - I wonder if they had to get clearance for that.  Anyway, a nice restaurant in this small town!

We also ventured out to some small towns near us to try some restaurants.  It was our Friday Night Fish Fry tour of 2011 - without the fish.  Many small town restaurants feature the fish on a regular basis.  We had burgers both times.  Pretty good food - I'm sure the fish was fine too.

Aji - a nice little Japanese restaurant worth a visit.  You might want to hurry as the two times we were there it wasn't very busy.  I hope they can make it.  We went recently for happy hour with RFO and she had us trying various sushi.  We're not sushi people in general, but RFO picked some good ones for us newbies!

Midori's Floating World Cafe - I really pushed this restaurant off for as long as I could as I just don't like the name.  However, the hubby convinced me to go for lunch one Friday afternoon and surprise, surprise...it was very good!  Great miso soup and the dish I got was good, albeit not hugely memorable since I can't think of what it was.  (That's my advancing age showing up, not any issue with the food!)  I also had a very nice hot tea to go with my meal.  Definitely worth trying this place.  Still don't like the name, but I'll deal with it. (I also remembered that I don't care for their "logo" either when I went to their website to grab the link.)

I think that pretty much catches me up for the summer.  Looking forward to lots of new restaurants in the queue.

Happy Eating!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Side Trip: Phoenix

I recently took a quiz on the Internet about what hobby I should consider taking up and guess what the result was?  Writing...surprise!  I took that as a clue that perhaps I should write on my blog.  That coupled with a comment on an earlier post made me decide that perhaps I should get blogging....

Each year 3 of us who have been friends FOREVER get together at one of our locations and make a weekend of eating, shopping, gabbing, etc.  Rockies Gal, Arizona Gal, and myself got together this year in sunny Phoenix.  Part of the fun of these get togethers is trying new restaurants.  This year's highlights are reviewed below:

Cowboy Ciao

We visited Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale for dinner.  According to the website, Cowboy Ciao "presents a Modern American menu with Southwestern and global influences."  We ordered several plates to share for the table. 

First we started with the Stetson Chopped Salad.  It was presented as a deconstructed salad and then the waiter poured the dressing over it and tossed it for us.  It was very good and I had hoped the menu would tell me what all was in it.  Unfortunately I can't remember but I do recall their being raw fish in there - that seemed a bit odd for a chopped salad but perhaps that was the "global influences" at work!

We split the Mushroom Pan Fry (ok, but not nearly as subtle as the mushrooms in my recent post of the Morel Fest).  Too many mushrooms for me to enjoy too much.  The other girls love their fungi though and enjoyed the dish.  The Dungeness Crab Enchiladas were awesome!  Just the right amount of ooey, gooey in a tortilla shell.  My suggestion was the Seared Scallops and Beet Risotto - I found it to be good.  The beet risotto was very red - guess that shouldn't have been a surprise, but it still took a little getting used to.  Not sure the mushroom lovers were too thrilled with my selection.  The nice thing with this meal was that we all tried new things and perhaps expanded our tastes ever so slightly. 

Being a girls weekend definitely requires dessert.  We couldn't decide, so we each got our own and shared.  I got the birthday cake which was a chocolate/cherry layered cake.  Rockies Gal went with the White Chocolate Blondie served with brown butter ice cream, cashew streusel, and a white chocolate sauce.  Arizona Gal went with Housemade Ice Cream and Cookies.  We all agreed that the dessert winner was Rockies Gal.


"Foodies Love Ritz Crackers"

One night we hung out at Arizona Gal's house for dinner and had steaks on the grill.  We also had grilled asparagus and a wonderful potato casserole dish.  I can't remember what it's real name was, but the phrase "funeral casserole" sticks in my mind.  It has everything yummy that a potato casserole could have - cheese whiz or something like that, potatoes and of course crushed up ritz crackers!  While my blog is predominately about eating out at "foodie" restaurants, I'm not above ritz crackers at all.  Quite the opposite, it was great to have a nice meal at home - that was relatively easy to prepare as we chilled in the pool on a hot summer day.

Our last eating occasion together was a sandwich before heading to the airport.  Both Rockies and Arizona gals have eaten at Which Wich Superior Sandwiches.  This was a fun restaurant in which you pick up a brown bag depending on which sandwich you want and then you check off the ingredients you want on your sandwich.  They then toast the sandwich so it's nice and warm and has melted cheese on it.  I went with the Roast Beef and thought it was awesome.  Not long after I got home from the trip did I find out that they are opening one not too terribly far from me.  Well, actually it is too far for me to ever get there, but my hope is that if they have one in the state they may eventually decide to have a couple of more!  If that is the case, surely there will be one near either where I live or work.

A very successful girl's weekend came to a close.  The pressure is on me for next year - they're coming here!  I better get my game on and figure out where to take them for meals!

Happy Eating!