We ventured back to In Season a couple of months ago. You may recall, our first time at the restaurant was in January/February - see my review here. As I mentioned back then, In Season is a restaurant that uses foods that are "in season" to design their menu. The idea is that you are eating what is seasonally fresh.
Those of you who know me very well know that mushrooms and Debbie do not go together. I have always been the one that says "we can order the pizza with mushrooms...I'll just pick them off." So, what was I doing going to a mushroom themed dinner at In Season?
First, the guest chef was Jim Kyndberg. He was formerly at Bayport Cookery which has gone out of business, but when it was open the hubby and I had several spectacular meals there. It was exciting to see Jim pop up at In Season with his themed menu - Morel Fest. Second, it was around the hubby's birthday and this was the pick he had for his dinner.
We arrived for the last seating of the evening. They immediately brought us out a glass of champagne to start the meal. (Nice touch!) The first course consisted of Morels with Ramp Soubise, Lorette Potatoes and Caraway. Ramps are a great find over the last few years. If you see them on a menu, don't shy away from them. They are a green scallion/ wild onion/ leek type of vegetable and have been highly used among chefs over the last couple of years.
The second course was a Crispy Pig's Head with Morels, Arugula and Sweet Soy Mustard. As odd as pig's head might sound, this was actually quite tasty. During the last year I've literally tasted pig head to feet.
We then moved on to the Wild King Salmon with Speck, Creamy Polenta, and Morels Ragout. Speck is an Italian type ham - similar to prosciutto. This dish was amazing.
The fourth course was Duo of Wild Acres Pekin Duck with Morels, Nettles and Pinot Noir. I am a bit disheartened to say that not only was I enjoying the morels all evening, but I really liked the duck! Another food that I didn't think I liked.
Finally we finished with the Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake with Rhubarb, Strawberries, and yes - Morel Ice Cream. Awesome finish to a great meal!
This dinner just goes to show that what you don't like as a child can change over time...just let yourself be open to the experience!
We are hopeful that In Season might have Jim back for a garlic fest dinner.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Mill Valley Kitchen
Thanks to the generosity of my employer, I was lucky to have today off of work to extend my 4th of July weekend to 4 days. We decided that we would make use of the day off to try a new restaurant for lunch.
We decided on Mill Valley Kitchen. This is a relatively new restaurant in the area that promotes itself as a choice for fresh, local, and sustainably sourced ingredients. Based on the menu that does appear to be the case.
We arrived for a late lunch and found the place to be relatively busy with lots of "ladies lunching." The hubby and I both thought the interior of the restaurant was very attractive. You can tell some thought...and expense went into the furniture and table linens.
There was a variety of options on the menu - main entrees, starters, sandwiches and flatbreads. I ordered the mixed greens salad which consisted of organic greens, pumpkin seeds, craisins, goat cheese and a red wine vinaigrette. For my main course I had the Grass Fed Beef Burger. The hubby got the Roasted Duroc Pork Bahn Mi. He didn't get a starter because his sandwich came with a small green salad.
We waited for a bit and then our food came out - unfortunately the salad came at the same time as the sandwich. I had said I wanted to "start with" the salad. Guess that didn't translate to "bring the salad BEFORE the sandwich" like I thought it would. To top it off, my sandwich also came with a small green salad. The menu stated that for the hubby's sandwich, but not mine. Now I looked somewhat foolish as I sat there with the large mixed green salad on one plate and a burger and more salad on another plate. I do believe I would have had my recommended 5 servings of vegetables had I actually eaten all of that lettuce. I managed to eat from both plates and did enjoy both the salad and the burger. The hubby thought his sandwich was OK, not great. I tried to get him to eat some of my salad but alas, it was all mine.
The thing about the restaurant that threw me off a bit is that it is decorated simply but elegant and then they were rocking Led Zeppelin overhead. The clientele skewed to the older crowd and I have trouble believing they were enjoying the music. Just very odd.
So final review was the atmosphere was pretty good, odd musical choices, food was decent, execution of service was lacking. Might go back some time, but given the number of restaurant choices available to us, it will not be for awhile.
Happy Eating!
We decided on Mill Valley Kitchen. This is a relatively new restaurant in the area that promotes itself as a choice for fresh, local, and sustainably sourced ingredients. Based on the menu that does appear to be the case.
We arrived for a late lunch and found the place to be relatively busy with lots of "ladies lunching." The hubby and I both thought the interior of the restaurant was very attractive. You can tell some thought...and expense went into the furniture and table linens.
There was a variety of options on the menu - main entrees, starters, sandwiches and flatbreads. I ordered the mixed greens salad which consisted of organic greens, pumpkin seeds, craisins, goat cheese and a red wine vinaigrette. For my main course I had the Grass Fed Beef Burger. The hubby got the Roasted Duroc Pork Bahn Mi. He didn't get a starter because his sandwich came with a small green salad.
We waited for a bit and then our food came out - unfortunately the salad came at the same time as the sandwich. I had said I wanted to "start with" the salad. Guess that didn't translate to "bring the salad BEFORE the sandwich" like I thought it would. To top it off, my sandwich also came with a small green salad. The menu stated that for the hubby's sandwich, but not mine. Now I looked somewhat foolish as I sat there with the large mixed green salad on one plate and a burger and more salad on another plate. I do believe I would have had my recommended 5 servings of vegetables had I actually eaten all of that lettuce. I managed to eat from both plates and did enjoy both the salad and the burger. The hubby thought his sandwich was OK, not great. I tried to get him to eat some of my salad but alas, it was all mine.
The thing about the restaurant that threw me off a bit is that it is decorated simply but elegant and then they were rocking Led Zeppelin overhead. The clientele skewed to the older crowd and I have trouble believing they were enjoying the music. Just very odd.
So final review was the atmosphere was pretty good, odd musical choices, food was decent, execution of service was lacking. Might go back some time, but given the number of restaurant choices available to us, it will not be for awhile.
Happy Eating!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Back to it....
I have been on hiatus after having a fabulous meal in New York City in March. I had every intention of blogging about my experience at 11 Madison Park, but I could not figure out how to start writing about that experience. I arrived for lunch on a Friday afternoon and was dining solo. I decided since I was going all out with the 3 course lunch, I decided to go with the wine pairings as well. I quickly found out that this dining experience would be like no other I have had. First the menu was simply a selection of ingredients. You pick which ones you want and let them know of any allergies and they create your course around that ingredient. I went with carrot, chicken, and chocolate. In addition they had various amuses to start with which were delectable! I really can't do justice to the food so I will simply post some pictures of the items that arrived at my table.
After dessert, the manager came over to my table and asked me if she could show me the kitchen! Of course!! I was taken back to the kitchen and saw the huge number of people they had back there preparing the wonderful meal. Then someone came over and made me a final cocktail to send me off. Not sure what all it had in it, but it was frozen with dry ice. At one point I said "well, this probably isn't very foodie of me, but this reminds me of pop rocks." Turned out it WAS pop rocks. Wild!
So ended a fabulous meal at a fabulous restaurant. I found out that Eleven Madison Park was named Outstanding Restaurant USA 2011 by the James Beard Foundation. This is similar to the Oscars for the foodie world. Well deserved!
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| Beet Lollipop - Mmmm!!! |
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| Carrot Course |
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| Chicken |
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| Chocolate |
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| 2nd Dessert |
After dessert, the manager came over to my table and asked me if she could show me the kitchen! Of course!! I was taken back to the kitchen and saw the huge number of people they had back there preparing the wonderful meal. Then someone came over and made me a final cocktail to send me off. Not sure what all it had in it, but it was frozen with dry ice. At one point I said "well, this probably isn't very foodie of me, but this reminds me of pop rocks." Turned out it WAS pop rocks. Wild!
So ended a fabulous meal at a fabulous restaurant. I found out that Eleven Madison Park was named Outstanding Restaurant USA 2011 by the James Beard Foundation. This is similar to the Oscars for the foodie world. Well deserved!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Black Sea Restaurant
We went to a Turkish restaurant today and it turns out they bill themselves as the "First Turkish Restaurant in Minnesota." Black Sea Restaurant is a small, hole in the wall restaurant located near Hamline University. We walked in between 1:30 - 2:00 and it was packed. We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. Of course it only holds 23 people and that may have included staff. It was well worth the short wait.
We started with a hummus plate served with very warm pita chips. The hummus was very good and tasted very fresh. We each ordered a pita sandwich or gyro. I chose chicken and the hubby picked a combination gyro that had lamb, chicken, and beef. They came out fairly quickly. The sandwiches were good - the meat was nicely seasoned, the lettuce was crisp, and the onions were powerful. There may have been a light dressing on the sandwiches but nothing real strong. Just a good, solid gyro.
The restaurant itself was decorated with pictures from Turkey and various cultural items. They also sold some small souvenirs like rings, cups and saucers, and beads. The restaurant was clean and well kept. I think they do great business from what it seemed like when we were there.
Happy Eating!
We started with a hummus plate served with very warm pita chips. The hummus was very good and tasted very fresh. We each ordered a pita sandwich or gyro. I chose chicken and the hubby picked a combination gyro that had lamb, chicken, and beef. They came out fairly quickly. The sandwiches were good - the meat was nicely seasoned, the lettuce was crisp, and the onions were powerful. There may have been a light dressing on the sandwiches but nothing real strong. Just a good, solid gyro.
The restaurant itself was decorated with pictures from Turkey and various cultural items. They also sold some small souvenirs like rings, cups and saucers, and beads. The restaurant was clean and well kept. I think they do great business from what it seemed like when we were there.
Happy Eating!
Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market
Reservations for One (RFO) and I had dinner at Heartland Restaurant and Farm Direct Market last night. It was a great dinner and evening. The chef, Lenny Russo, has done great things with his new space and direction he has taken with the restaurant and adjoining market. We arrived a few minutes early which gave us the opportunity to walk around the space. The restaurant is in an old building with lots of brick and an open atrium up through the middle of the building. We were seated in the dining room, but the bar is very inviting and would be a great place to go back for a drink or dinner in the bar. The kitchen is visible to one side of the establishment and there are a few tables right by the kitchen. I would assume this is where they would do a chef's table.
We were seated promptly and greeted by a server who was well-knowledgeable and very helpful. I started out with a glass of Malbec while RFO enjoyed a cup of hot tea - Evening in Missoula herbal blend. We then perused the menu which was full of many options for us. Heartland features two prix-fixe menus each night. One is vegetarian and one is not. The value for the three course meal is too good to pass up with the regular priced plates. Though the regular plates sounded delicious!
We both chose the "Flora" (vegetarian) prix-fixe menu. We had a choice of bread to start with - I chose the wheat roll with green peppercorns. The green peppercorns gave just a hint of spice occasionally. The bread was very chewy and dense. We were served an amuse bouche that was a small puff pastry with a creamy, yummy goodness inside topped with a beet green.
The appetizer was a wonderful caramelized onion galette, goat cheese mousse, upland cress with a pear vinaigrette. The crust of the tart was flaky and paired well with the onions. I think we both would have been happy to have another serving of the galette.
The second course was a mushroom themed ravioli entree. The dish arrived with three large but thin raviolis filled with hedgehog mushrooms in a hazelnut cream. The three raviolis were then in a mushroom broth served with fried chantrelle mushrooms. Historically I am not a mushroom person, but I've determined that it's all in the preparation. Mushrooms on pizza...I can pass on those. Mushrooms fixed by Lenny Russo...sign me up! The only downside was the relatively small portion of ravioli we received. Though after eating our next course we both were satiated.
The dessert was a presentation of various forms of chocolate. There was what appeared to be a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but instead it was white chocolate. There was also a chocolate truffle torte along with other chocolate tastings. Excellent!
After dinner we went into the market that Heartland runs to see what they had over there. It was filled with a number of local products, soups/sauces made on the premises, and a full counter of cheeses and meats to purchase for home. They also have a deli style menu for eating on the premises. The prices were a bit steep but given the local flavor of the items, the cost did not surprise me too much.
Definitely worth a visit to Heartland!
Happy Eating!
We were seated promptly and greeted by a server who was well-knowledgeable and very helpful. I started out with a glass of Malbec while RFO enjoyed a cup of hot tea - Evening in Missoula herbal blend. We then perused the menu which was full of many options for us. Heartland features two prix-fixe menus each night. One is vegetarian and one is not. The value for the three course meal is too good to pass up with the regular priced plates. Though the regular plates sounded delicious!
We both chose the "Flora" (vegetarian) prix-fixe menu. We had a choice of bread to start with - I chose the wheat roll with green peppercorns. The green peppercorns gave just a hint of spice occasionally. The bread was very chewy and dense. We were served an amuse bouche that was a small puff pastry with a creamy, yummy goodness inside topped with a beet green.
The appetizer was a wonderful caramelized onion galette, goat cheese mousse, upland cress with a pear vinaigrette. The crust of the tart was flaky and paired well with the onions. I think we both would have been happy to have another serving of the galette.
The second course was a mushroom themed ravioli entree. The dish arrived with three large but thin raviolis filled with hedgehog mushrooms in a hazelnut cream. The three raviolis were then in a mushroom broth served with fried chantrelle mushrooms. Historically I am not a mushroom person, but I've determined that it's all in the preparation. Mushrooms on pizza...I can pass on those. Mushrooms fixed by Lenny Russo...sign me up! The only downside was the relatively small portion of ravioli we received. Though after eating our next course we both were satiated.
The dessert was a presentation of various forms of chocolate. There was what appeared to be a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but instead it was white chocolate. There was also a chocolate truffle torte along with other chocolate tastings. Excellent!
After dinner we went into the market that Heartland runs to see what they had over there. It was filled with a number of local products, soups/sauces made on the premises, and a full counter of cheeses and meats to purchase for home. They also have a deli style menu for eating on the premises. The prices were a bit steep but given the local flavor of the items, the cost did not surprise me too much.
Definitely worth a visit to Heartland!
Happy Eating!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Kona Grill
Always looking for new restaurants, we tried Kona Grill this weekend. The restaurant has been described as Asian Fusion...though really, what restaurant isn't labeled that these days. Seems to be an overused name. Anyway, this restaurant actually did seem to be a good fusion of Asian dishes as well as American fare.
The restaurant is very large and upon entering you either go to the right into the bar area or to the left where the dining area is located. Many restaurants have trended toward an "open kitchen." I liked the look that Kona Grill went with which was a semi-open kitchen. There was a wall with high windows that allowed us to see into the kitchen, but not hear and smell all that was happening. The far left wall had the sushi bar and some pretty cool modern looking lighting. The overall feel of the restaurant was similar to one that you'd find in Las Vegas.
We were seated in a booth and quickly perused the menu. We went with starters of miso soup and edamame. Edamame is a new found treat that we enjoy sharing. They usually are served with a nice coating of salt, sometimes a sauce/glaze and always hot. Kona's version was nicely salted. The miso soup was a tasty treat of tofu, seaweed, scallions, and broth. Yes...I used "tasty treat" in a sentence containing tofu and seaweed. Again, another new found treat.
For the main entree, we shared a Truffled Steak Flatbread. In reality it was a pizza because they had run out of their flatbread and wouldn't have it until Monday. The pizza was fine. The description on the menu was grilled steak, mozzarella and danish bleu cheese, baby arugula, gourmet mushrooms, caramelized red onion, and white truffle oil. The hubby who recognizes all things truffle did not taste any of the truffle oil. The bleu cheese was recognizable though and not overpowering. The steak was listed first in the description, but I would say it was limited in use. There were a lot of "gourmet mushrooms" though - that perhaps were used in place of the steak. The caramelized red onions were very good and added a nice sweet taste to the flatbread/pizza. Overall the pizza was good, though not quite what I expected.
Kona Grill was good, though a bit on the pricey side. $2.55 for a glass of Diet Coke is unreasonable. All in all it was a good experience. Though with so many other restaurants to try, I doubt we'll make it back to Kona Grill anytime soon.
Happy Eating!
The restaurant is very large and upon entering you either go to the right into the bar area or to the left where the dining area is located. Many restaurants have trended toward an "open kitchen." I liked the look that Kona Grill went with which was a semi-open kitchen. There was a wall with high windows that allowed us to see into the kitchen, but not hear and smell all that was happening. The far left wall had the sushi bar and some pretty cool modern looking lighting. The overall feel of the restaurant was similar to one that you'd find in Las Vegas.
We were seated in a booth and quickly perused the menu. We went with starters of miso soup and edamame. Edamame is a new found treat that we enjoy sharing. They usually are served with a nice coating of salt, sometimes a sauce/glaze and always hot. Kona's version was nicely salted. The miso soup was a tasty treat of tofu, seaweed, scallions, and broth. Yes...I used "tasty treat" in a sentence containing tofu and seaweed. Again, another new found treat.
For the main entree, we shared a Truffled Steak Flatbread. In reality it was a pizza because they had run out of their flatbread and wouldn't have it until Monday. The pizza was fine. The description on the menu was grilled steak, mozzarella and danish bleu cheese, baby arugula, gourmet mushrooms, caramelized red onion, and white truffle oil. The hubby who recognizes all things truffle did not taste any of the truffle oil. The bleu cheese was recognizable though and not overpowering. The steak was listed first in the description, but I would say it was limited in use. There were a lot of "gourmet mushrooms" though - that perhaps were used in place of the steak. The caramelized red onions were very good and added a nice sweet taste to the flatbread/pizza. Overall the pizza was good, though not quite what I expected.
Kona Grill was good, though a bit on the pricey side. $2.55 for a glass of Diet Coke is unreasonable. All in all it was a good experience. Though with so many other restaurants to try, I doubt we'll make it back to Kona Grill anytime soon.
Happy Eating!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Asian Bowl
Imagine my surprise when the hubby suggested a new asian restaurant for dinner and it was a two table, mainly carry out restaurant. I gave it a try even though there was no restroom for public use and I was counting on it after a long commute.
Asian Bowl was a very pleasant surprise. It's a small store front that specializes mainly in carryout or delivery. It is a family run restaurant and we had multiple people ask us how we were doing and if we were enjoying our meal. The service was impeccable!
I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken dinner entree which was served with brown rice, one egg roll, and two cream cheese puffs. The hubby went with a similar order except with tofu instead of chicken. Both of our entrees were delivered very hot and fresh. My Kung Pao was on the mild spice side which was exactly what I wanted. The chicken pieces were very good, tender and well seasoned. The rice was fresh and the egg roll was steaming hot. The cream cheese puffs were fine - I don't normally get them so I didn't have a point of comparison.
This is a nice addition in the area and we will be trying them again! I wish them the best of luck as they try to make a go of this operation.
Happy Eating!
Asian Bowl was a very pleasant surprise. It's a small store front that specializes mainly in carryout or delivery. It is a family run restaurant and we had multiple people ask us how we were doing and if we were enjoying our meal. The service was impeccable!
I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken dinner entree which was served with brown rice, one egg roll, and two cream cheese puffs. The hubby went with a similar order except with tofu instead of chicken. Both of our entrees were delivered very hot and fresh. My Kung Pao was on the mild spice side which was exactly what I wanted. The chicken pieces were very good, tender and well seasoned. The rice was fresh and the egg roll was steaming hot. The cream cheese puffs were fine - I don't normally get them so I didn't have a point of comparison.
This is a nice addition in the area and we will be trying them again! I wish them the best of luck as they try to make a go of this operation.
Happy Eating!
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