Thank you for following this blog over the last 6 years. I will still keep blogging, but I'm moving to wordpress in the hopes I have less technical issues with the blog.
Please continue to follow me at the new site: Debbie's Discourse.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Szechuan Spice - A Hidden Gem
Szechuan Spice - the restaurant that has me blogging again!
The hubby and I had tried this restaurant in Minneapolis a couple of months ago for lunch and thought it was really good. We decided to give it another try the other day (for lunch again) and found it to be equally as good the second time! Always nice to go back to a restaurant and find it doesn't disappoint, so many repeats do.
We have been there for lunch and it's usually not very busy. The staff is great and very attentive with the water refills, getting the food out, and bringing the bill. All areas where restaurants can fall down on the job.
For our most recent visit, the hubby got the Kung Pao Tofu and I ordered the Chicken with Black Bean Sauce. We each had white rice to go with the dish. I'm not sure if they have brown rice or not, but I will ask the next time I go there. The food came out very hot (temperature) but not overly hot (spicy). That was fine for both of us. My chicken was tender and appeared to be grilled, not fried. The veggies in both our dishes were very fresh with just the right amount of crunch.
The fortune cookies at the end of the meal were tasty - though the fortunes were a bit odd. Hey - it's nice to get one that makes sense, even if you don't believe it.
The portion sizes were perfect. If we were a bit hungrier, we could have eaten all of it, but given we weren't...great leftovers!
Speaking of that...it's getting close to dinner time and Chicken with Black Bean Sauce is calling my name.
Happy eating!
PS - I will be attempting to update this more frequently going forward. I feel that the writer's block has lifted.
The hubby and I had tried this restaurant in Minneapolis a couple of months ago for lunch and thought it was really good. We decided to give it another try the other day (for lunch again) and found it to be equally as good the second time! Always nice to go back to a restaurant and find it doesn't disappoint, so many repeats do.
We have been there for lunch and it's usually not very busy. The staff is great and very attentive with the water refills, getting the food out, and bringing the bill. All areas where restaurants can fall down on the job.
For our most recent visit, the hubby got the Kung Pao Tofu and I ordered the Chicken with Black Bean Sauce. We each had white rice to go with the dish. I'm not sure if they have brown rice or not, but I will ask the next time I go there. The food came out very hot (temperature) but not overly hot (spicy). That was fine for both of us. My chicken was tender and appeared to be grilled, not fried. The veggies in both our dishes were very fresh with just the right amount of crunch.
The fortune cookies at the end of the meal were tasty - though the fortunes were a bit odd. Hey - it's nice to get one that makes sense, even if you don't believe it.
The portion sizes were perfect. If we were a bit hungrier, we could have eaten all of it, but given we weren't...great leftovers!
Speaking of that...it's getting close to dinner time and Chicken with Black Bean Sauce is calling my name.
Happy eating!
PS - I will be attempting to update this more frequently going forward. I feel that the writer's block has lifted.
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!
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!
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:
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!
- 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
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!
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!
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!
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