So, I kind of like this blogging thing, but I wonder how many people actually read it? Is there any feedback, things you would like to see more of, or even criticisms? Please comment if so!
-Ruby James
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Azia - Minneapolis
My everlasting sushi quest resumed, when Mr. H decided to take me on a surprise sushi date! It had been a month or more since I had any and frankly...I needed my fix. We narrowed it down to 3 places - Midori's Floating World Cafe, Fuji-Ya, or Azia. Mr. H surprised me with Azia, and off we went to our 9 PM reservations!
Walking past Azia on the street, you first see the sushi bar area. I instinctually wanted to go in. But we instead went to the main dining area, 10 minutes early for our reservations.
Azia is a beautiful space, if quite trendy. Beautiful people, beautiful windows, and large, dark space. Really dark. Admittedly, I have bad night vision. But it was REALLY dark in there. Low lighting is always good. but I guess I prefer extreme darkness in bars. Personal preference. We were seated at a booth, which I also didn't like. The table almost came up to my boobs. I contemplated using it as a shelf in a momentary fit of silliness. I didn't. Anyways, We sat and perused the menu.
The drink menu has a good selection of wines (starting at $9 a glass), beers ($6 and up) sakes ($12 and up), signature cocktails/martini's ($9 and up) and scotches. I ordered a $10 mojito, which was fantastic, but I was chewing half of it (looots of basil and mint.) Mr. H got his usual brandy coke. We were starving, so we ordered some Fresh Herb Rolls (Oceanside spring roll with dynamic herbs, halved shrimp, and shredded chicken) for our appetizer. Reviewing the menu further, we were decidedly confused. It seemed to be mostly entree's and sushi. We thought they had small plates, and that their sushi was a bit less expensive according to their website. Instead, they had appetizers, and entree's ranging from curry to noodles, all $15 and up. In hindsight, I kind of wish we would have sat in the sushi bar, which I'm sure is where all those good things were located.
I'm still a sushi beginner, and wanted to try something different. Our waiter was very helpful and informative. He also suggested the most expensive things on the menu (omakase, specialty roll with lobster.) A tip for servers; I know you want to make money, and many people don't mind getting the expensive things on the menu. But some people would like to hear a variety of options, and not feel like they are buying a car.
Usually, we like to get some nigiri and a specialty roll. I was interested in trying the mackarel or sea urchin nigiri, but the waiter advised they were both texturally challenging. We decided take small steps into the world of sushi things. For my nigiri, I chose the Anago ($6 -it is a saltwater eel, as opposed to Unagi, which is freshwater) and the Big White Tuna (also $6) Mr. H ordered the Sea Bass. For our specialty roll, we ordered the Shockamoto roll (tuna, salmon, whitefish, cucumber, asparagus & radish with masago aioli and masago garnish....I HEART masago by the way.)
Our Herb Rolls came, and were pretty mediocore. I am a tough spring roll crowd. The wrapping was too gummy (i know that spring roll wrapping IS gummy - but when it becomes chewy and tough - it's wrong) and the ratio of lettuce/veggie fillings to meat was around 80/20. The peanut sauce was standard.
Our sushi came out very fast. It was too dark to get any good pics, unfortuantely. These are some of the largest pieces of nigiri I've ever seen. I didn't care for the tuna nigiri, but I can't articulate why yet. I don't think I care for tuna sushi, it usually seems too bland, or even slightly sour. But the Anago was divine! Imagine Unagi supreme. Similar in appearance, except the Anago was kind of "rolled" on top of the rice. A little more salty than Unagi, and double-y lush and sweet and velvet. Eel in general has a distinct, slight "fresh" taste to it, and this was no exception. I loved it. I wish I could report on the sea bass, but since I burned my tongue with too much wasabi, I couldn't taste it! Good one, Vita.
The Shockamoto came out, and was a lovely roll. Mr. H got his first try of masago, and liked it. The roll pieces were much larger than anywhere I've been. Azia definitely gives you your money's worth. This roll was a big bang of FISH. Nice chunks of salmon, and surrounding whitefish and tuna and providing a total fish meltdown in your mouth. Not to say it tasted "fishy" - it actually tasted nice and fresh. But man there was a lot of fish! The cucumber came through well, but I wasn't getting much asparagus flavor. The masago aioli was a bit spicy, and overall it was a good roll, if a bit too fish heavy for me. In the future, 1 or 2 fish in my specialty roll will suffice.
After dinner, we decided to explore Azia more (I was so full I could barely move - funny how little innocent pieces of sushi creep up on you like that!) and went into the party room area. It holds a party room, and has a booth designed as a BOAT. It was dark and red, and had a lovely fountain. There was a lot more ambience, and I especially like the bathrooms (in the same room, but divided between mens and womens by doors.) The Caterpillar Lounge was nice, but I could have been at any trendy bar downtown. The happy hour is nothing big - $7 on signature cocktails, half price bottles of wine, and $3 taps. After $8 kamikaze's, we split.
Looking over my last few reviews, I've learned a few things about myself. A) my palette is either becoming more refined, or less refined. B) I really have a hard time spending more than $12 on an entree unless I am fairly certain it will be kickass. Likewise with cocktails. I like to have a few, and cant drop $50 on like 3 drinks. C) I'm a cheapskate. D) I'm not convinced I'm giving fair reviews, since I can seldom afford to visit places more than once, to try a variety of things. Next time - Midori's.
Greats
-Anago nigiri
-Very informative waiter
-Sushi bar (must go!)
-Mojito was the best one I've had
Walking past Azia on the street, you first see the sushi bar area. I instinctually wanted to go in. But we instead went to the main dining area, 10 minutes early for our reservations.
Azia is a beautiful space, if quite trendy. Beautiful people, beautiful windows, and large, dark space. Really dark. Admittedly, I have bad night vision. But it was REALLY dark in there. Low lighting is always good. but I guess I prefer extreme darkness in bars. Personal preference. We were seated at a booth, which I also didn't like. The table almost came up to my boobs. I contemplated using it as a shelf in a momentary fit of silliness. I didn't. Anyways, We sat and perused the menu.
The drink menu has a good selection of wines (starting at $9 a glass), beers ($6 and up) sakes ($12 and up), signature cocktails/martini's ($9 and up) and scotches. I ordered a $10 mojito, which was fantastic, but I was chewing half of it (looots of basil and mint.) Mr. H got his usual brandy coke. We were starving, so we ordered some Fresh Herb Rolls (Oceanside spring roll with dynamic herbs, halved shrimp, and shredded chicken) for our appetizer. Reviewing the menu further, we were decidedly confused. It seemed to be mostly entree's and sushi. We thought they had small plates, and that their sushi was a bit less expensive according to their website. Instead, they had appetizers, and entree's ranging from curry to noodles, all $15 and up. In hindsight, I kind of wish we would have sat in the sushi bar, which I'm sure is where all those good things were located.
I'm still a sushi beginner, and wanted to try something different. Our waiter was very helpful and informative. He also suggested the most expensive things on the menu (omakase, specialty roll with lobster.) A tip for servers; I know you want to make money, and many people don't mind getting the expensive things on the menu. But some people would like to hear a variety of options, and not feel like they are buying a car.
Usually, we like to get some nigiri and a specialty roll. I was interested in trying the mackarel or sea urchin nigiri, but the waiter advised they were both texturally challenging. We decided take small steps into the world of sushi things. For my nigiri, I chose the Anago ($6 -it is a saltwater eel, as opposed to Unagi, which is freshwater) and the Big White Tuna (also $6) Mr. H ordered the Sea Bass. For our specialty roll, we ordered the Shockamoto roll (tuna, salmon, whitefish, cucumber, asparagus & radish with masago aioli and masago garnish....I HEART masago by the way.)
Our Herb Rolls came, and were pretty mediocore. I am a tough spring roll crowd. The wrapping was too gummy (i know that spring roll wrapping IS gummy - but when it becomes chewy and tough - it's wrong) and the ratio of lettuce/veggie fillings to meat was around 80/20. The peanut sauce was standard.
Our sushi came out very fast. It was too dark to get any good pics, unfortuantely. These are some of the largest pieces of nigiri I've ever seen. I didn't care for the tuna nigiri, but I can't articulate why yet. I don't think I care for tuna sushi, it usually seems too bland, or even slightly sour. But the Anago was divine! Imagine Unagi supreme. Similar in appearance, except the Anago was kind of "rolled" on top of the rice. A little more salty than Unagi, and double-y lush and sweet and velvet. Eel in general has a distinct, slight "fresh" taste to it, and this was no exception. I loved it. I wish I could report on the sea bass, but since I burned my tongue with too much wasabi, I couldn't taste it! Good one, Vita.
The Shockamoto came out, and was a lovely roll. Mr. H got his first try of masago, and liked it. The roll pieces were much larger than anywhere I've been. Azia definitely gives you your money's worth. This roll was a big bang of FISH. Nice chunks of salmon, and surrounding whitefish and tuna and providing a total fish meltdown in your mouth. Not to say it tasted "fishy" - it actually tasted nice and fresh. But man there was a lot of fish! The cucumber came through well, but I wasn't getting much asparagus flavor. The masago aioli was a bit spicy, and overall it was a good roll, if a bit too fish heavy for me. In the future, 1 or 2 fish in my specialty roll will suffice.
After dinner, we decided to explore Azia more (I was so full I could barely move - funny how little innocent pieces of sushi creep up on you like that!) and went into the party room area. It holds a party room, and has a booth designed as a BOAT. It was dark and red, and had a lovely fountain. There was a lot more ambience, and I especially like the bathrooms (in the same room, but divided between mens and womens by doors.) The Caterpillar Lounge was nice, but I could have been at any trendy bar downtown. The happy hour is nothing big - $7 on signature cocktails, half price bottles of wine, and $3 taps. After $8 kamikaze's, we split.
Looking over my last few reviews, I've learned a few things about myself. A) my palette is either becoming more refined, or less refined. B) I really have a hard time spending more than $12 on an entree unless I am fairly certain it will be kickass. Likewise with cocktails. I like to have a few, and cant drop $50 on like 3 drinks. C) I'm a cheapskate. D) I'm not convinced I'm giving fair reviews, since I can seldom afford to visit places more than once, to try a variety of things. Next time - Midori's.
Greats
-Anago nigiri
-Very informative waiter
-Sushi bar (must go!)
-Mojito was the best one I've had
Not so greats
-Shockamoto fish overload (not Azia's fault. personal preference only.)
-Herb Rolls
-the booth
-The fact we probably went to the wrong place for cheap small plates
-Happy Hour kind of sucks
Monday, February 15, 2010
Rinata - Uptown Minneapolis
Mr. H decided to surprise me with a dinner on a holiday. This being Valentines Day, and the place being Rinata. Rinata has been tops on my list to visit for months now, so I was glad to check it out.
Our reservations were for 4:30, and we were running a bit late, so we called and asked if we could bump them to 5 PM. We knew we were risking losing our reservation, since this is a busy time. They said they could get us in, but couldn't sit us at the table they wanted to. Fine with us. So off we went to the ghost of Giorgio's past in good old Uptown Minneapolis.
We arrived around 5 PM to an almost completely empty restaurant. Rinata is a nice space, if a bit tight. The bar area is in the middle as you walk in, and is nice and modern with tall tables. There are two opposing rooms with somewhat standard table seating. We checked in, and hostess guided us to a table/ bench combo (a personal dislike of mine) about 3 feet away from one of the 3 couples in the entire place. We immediately asked for different seating. I understand that they have a structure to seating and reservations, but there were at least 2 dozen other places to sit, so I'm not sure why she sat us there. Anyhow, we were seated elsewhere and it was fine. Our waitress was stellar. She made the food sound irresistable, and was very charming and professional - not at all stuffy, arrogant, or too "soft." She gave us 2 wine samples and explained the specials and half price wine deal until 6. Mr. H opted for a vodka and lemoncello martini, and (surprising myself) I ordered a bottle of the 2007 Ali Sangiovese, which clocked in at $15. The drinks came, and were lovely. His martini a hint of sweet and sour, not curling or coating your tongue with either. The wine was rustic, slightly dry, and berry spiced. It was perfect with our meal, which made me extremely happy since I have trouble finding a satisfactory wine lately.
Bruschetta:
The portion size was perfect. the presentation simple. I took a bite and immediately thought two things: gosh this bread is perfectly crispy and then...KABOOM. Garlic punch to the FACE. Hey I love heavy garlic, but my tongue burned if I put it directly on the bread. It wasn't terrible, but I couldn't continue (rare rare rare for me.) Mr. H happily gobbled them up. The other components were fine, but the garlic put my tail between my legs.
We finally decided on our entree's, Mr. H ordered the Ziti (Ziti with tomato white wine braised pork shoulder and swiss chard - $14.75) and I the Bucatini (Bucatinni alla Amatriciana with pancetta chili flake and tomato $13.50), with no hesitation. I have never had bucatini and was eagar to experience it.
Bucatini:
The plates were brought out by who I assume to be the owner. Nice steaming hot plates of appropriately portioned pasta. I was pretty excited just looking at the stuff. It looked wonderful. I let it cool a few minutes, and dug in. First lesson: you really CAN'T slurp bucatini! These udon-resembling noodles were very al dente and toothsome. I wouldn't say they were tough, but they were chewy. I think I prefer my pasta a touch more soft, but maybe my palette isn't refined enough. But I do know that my palette is refined enough to taste a saltosphere. I'm not nay-saying this though, because it seems the perfect thing to eat when you WANT something salty. I'm sure the pancetta aided and abetted in this partial aus-salt (!!) as it was abundant. The tomato sauce was tangy, garlicky and spicy, which rounded out the entire palette of bold flavors and sturdy pasta.
Ziti
We decided to splurge and order molten chocolate cake for dessert (literally, $7.75.) I've never had molten chocolate cake before, and maybe I expected too much (ooey chocolatey goodness oozing out of a rich cake??) and got the reality (dark chocolate brownie with a soft kinda gooey middle.) The vanilla gelato was surprisingly good - sweet and creamy with little flecks of vanilla.
Not so greats
-Tight seating
-Bucatini wasn't a "not great" thing, it was just VERY flavorful (salty, spicy, tangy, garlic)
-Molten cake
Our reservations were for 4:30, and we were running a bit late, so we called and asked if we could bump them to 5 PM. We knew we were risking losing our reservation, since this is a busy time. They said they could get us in, but couldn't sit us at the table they wanted to. Fine with us. So off we went to the ghost of Giorgio's past in good old Uptown Minneapolis.
We arrived around 5 PM to an almost completely empty restaurant. Rinata is a nice space, if a bit tight. The bar area is in the middle as you walk in, and is nice and modern with tall tables. There are two opposing rooms with somewhat standard table seating. We checked in, and hostess guided us to a table/ bench combo (a personal dislike of mine) about 3 feet away from one of the 3 couples in the entire place. We immediately asked for different seating. I understand that they have a structure to seating and reservations, but there were at least 2 dozen other places to sit, so I'm not sure why she sat us there. Anyhow, we were seated elsewhere and it was fine. Our waitress was stellar. She made the food sound irresistable, and was very charming and professional - not at all stuffy, arrogant, or too "soft." She gave us 2 wine samples and explained the specials and half price wine deal until 6. Mr. H opted for a vodka and lemoncello martini, and (surprising myself) I ordered a bottle of the 2007 Ali Sangiovese, which clocked in at $15. The drinks came, and were lovely. His martini a hint of sweet and sour, not curling or coating your tongue with either. The wine was rustic, slightly dry, and berry spiced. It was perfect with our meal, which made me extremely happy since I have trouble finding a satisfactory wine lately.
We opted for the appetizer special (the bruschetta with salmon,goat cheese and fresh dill) to start off. Shortly after ordering, we received bread paired with olive tapenade on top of a nice pool of olive oil. The bread was nice and soft, but also substantial and honest in foccacia roots. The crust was a tad salty; a minor offense that the tapenade and olive oil made up for. After about 10 minutes, our appetizer came:
Bruschetta:
The portion size was perfect. the presentation simple. I took a bite and immediately thought two things: gosh this bread is perfectly crispy and then...KABOOM. Garlic punch to the FACE. Hey I love heavy garlic, but my tongue burned if I put it directly on the bread. It wasn't terrible, but I couldn't continue (rare rare rare for me.) Mr. H happily gobbled them up. The other components were fine, but the garlic put my tail between my legs.
We finally decided on our entree's, Mr. H ordered the Ziti (Ziti with tomato white wine braised pork shoulder and swiss chard - $14.75) and I the Bucatini (Bucatinni alla Amatriciana with pancetta chili flake and tomato $13.50), with no hesitation. I have never had bucatini and was eagar to experience it.
Bucatini:
The plates were brought out by who I assume to be the owner. Nice steaming hot plates of appropriately portioned pasta. I was pretty excited just looking at the stuff. It looked wonderful. I let it cool a few minutes, and dug in. First lesson: you really CAN'T slurp bucatini! These udon-resembling noodles were very al dente and toothsome. I wouldn't say they were tough, but they were chewy. I think I prefer my pasta a touch more soft, but maybe my palette isn't refined enough. But I do know that my palette is refined enough to taste a saltosphere. I'm not nay-saying this though, because it seems the perfect thing to eat when you WANT something salty. I'm sure the pancetta aided and abetted in this partial aus-salt (!!) as it was abundant. The tomato sauce was tangy, garlicky and spicy, which rounded out the entire palette of bold flavors and sturdy pasta.
Ziti
I tasted a few bites of Mr. H's ziti, and I experienced the occasional food envy. *sigh*. It was a direct flavor contrast to mine; savory (pork), rich (sauce made from braised pork, garlic, tomatoes) and earthy (swiss chard)
We decided to splurge and order molten chocolate cake for dessert (literally, $7.75.) I've never had molten chocolate cake before, and maybe I expected too much (ooey chocolatey goodness oozing out of a rich cake??) and got the reality (dark chocolate brownie with a soft kinda gooey middle.) The vanilla gelato was surprisingly good - sweet and creamy with little flecks of vanilla.
Rinata wasn't a complete success, but it intrigued me enough to go back. They have a great looking gnocch,. and a super deal for course meals every Sunday (Sunday date night 4 course meal $20 per person!.) When we left, the place was about halfway full, steadily filling up as we ate.
Greats:
-Wine specials (half price bottles until 6 PM)
-Bread and tapenade
-Stellar waitstaff
-Ziti
-Wine glasses (i know this sounds weird, but I am all about proper drinkware - these glasses made even a schlub like me feel a bit elegant.)
-Wine specials (half price bottles until 6 PM)
-Bread and tapenade
-Stellar waitstaff
-Ziti
-Wine glasses (i know this sounds weird, but I am all about proper drinkware - these glasses made even a schlub like me feel a bit elegant.)
Not so greats
-Tight seating
-Bucatini wasn't a "not great" thing, it was just VERY flavorful (salty, spicy, tangy, garlic)
-Molten cake
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Lemongrass Thai - Brooklyn Park, MN
I finally made it to Lemongrass Thai! Mr. C and I met Tuesday evening in the small eatery. The interior is pretty standard, but they have a lot of beautiful, framed pictures and asian decorations.
Upon arrival, I waited for my company while watching some live performances of Bird on the large flat screen TV on the wall. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thongchai_McIntyre). If you don't know who he is, I suggest you immediately You Tube him. Kooky asian entertainment galore! They don't serve booze, so I ordered some tea. Fitting for our gloomy weather.
Mr. C arrived and we immediately decided on some appetizers. We ordered the Sai- Oua E-sane, which I have heard raves about, (Fresh homemade - style sausage filled with ground pork, chopped lemon grass and other flavorful spices.$5.95 ) and Golden Triangle (4)
(Cream cheese, diced onions, and crab - wrapped in wonton skin and lightly fried.
$3.95.)
Lemongrass Thai has about 32 things on the menu that I need to try, so it took awhile for us to decide. They have some pretty unique stuff, this is definitely not your Chef Boyardee sweet and sour chicken joint. For example, my intial interest was in the Lemongrass Spaghetti (A Thai twist on an Italian dish - ground beef, shrimp, sliced mushrooms, and basil - in a spicy garlicky marinara sauce. $9.95.) However, I've only had a red curry once before, and curry was really calling me. They have a lot of curries here - red, green, yellow and massaman. And many different varieties and combinations of each. I finally decided on the Flamin Chicken (Tender slices of chicken breast - sautéed in coconut milk and red curry paste with bamboo shoots and basil. $9.95) and my friend ordered the Wild Curry (An exotic fusion of Indian and Thai curries, traditional curry with an added kick, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, basil, and butternut squash. $10.95.)
10 minutes later: (i apologize for the terrible pics. If you follow my blog, you know my phone camera SUCKS, especially in dim light or anytime at night. I need to start having my companions take pics instead!)
Sai- Oua E-sane (quite offensive looking-but lightened up by Mr C, hand model extraordinaire!)
Golden Triangle
Let me start with the sausage. This is unlike anything I've ever tasted before. My first bite was extremely salty and spicy. Very bold flavors in this little food. I found that the dipping sauce was the source of the salt (it was VERY salty alone) and advised myself (and you, if you order it) to use it sparingly. When eating these plain, they are better. The lemongrass is very prominent, and the texture of the meat is a little rough - though not dry at all. My companion put it quite nicely by saying - "Let me be a suburban d-bag for a minute and say that it's...interesting."
Flamin Chicken
Wild Curry
Upon arrival, I waited for my company while watching some live performances of Bird on the large flat screen TV on the wall. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thongchai_McIntyre). If you don't know who he is, I suggest you immediately You Tube him. Kooky asian entertainment galore! They don't serve booze, so I ordered some tea. Fitting for our gloomy weather.
Mr. C arrived and we immediately decided on some appetizers. We ordered the Sai- Oua E-sane, which I have heard raves about, (Fresh homemade - style sausage filled with ground pork, chopped lemon grass and other flavorful spices.$5.95 ) and Golden Triangle (4)
(Cream cheese, diced onions, and crab - wrapped in wonton skin and lightly fried.
$3.95.)
Lemongrass Thai has about 32 things on the menu that I need to try, so it took awhile for us to decide. They have some pretty unique stuff, this is definitely not your Chef Boyardee sweet and sour chicken joint. For example, my intial interest was in the Lemongrass Spaghetti (A Thai twist on an Italian dish - ground beef, shrimp, sliced mushrooms, and basil - in a spicy garlicky marinara sauce. $9.95.) However, I've only had a red curry once before, and curry was really calling me. They have a lot of curries here - red, green, yellow and massaman. And many different varieties and combinations of each. I finally decided on the Flamin Chicken (Tender slices of chicken breast - sautéed in coconut milk and red curry paste with bamboo shoots and basil. $9.95) and my friend ordered the Wild Curry (An exotic fusion of Indian and Thai curries, traditional curry with an added kick, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, basil, and butternut squash. $10.95.)
10 minutes later: (i apologize for the terrible pics. If you follow my blog, you know my phone camera SUCKS, especially in dim light or anytime at night. I need to start having my companions take pics instead!)
Sai- Oua E-sane (quite offensive looking-but lightened up by Mr C, hand model extraordinaire!)
Golden Triangle
Let me start with the sausage. This is unlike anything I've ever tasted before. My first bite was extremely salty and spicy. Very bold flavors in this little food. I found that the dipping sauce was the source of the salt (it was VERY salty alone) and advised myself (and you, if you order it) to use it sparingly. When eating these plain, they are better. The lemongrass is very prominent, and the texture of the meat is a little rough - though not dry at all. My companion put it quite nicely by saying - "Let me be a suburban d-bag for a minute and say that it's...interesting."
The wontons were next. These were also different from the wontons I'm used to. No thick sugary red sauce with lots of hard kill-your-mouth wontons, and smidgen of cream cheese. These look and act like wontons, but taste..different (Can't believe I'm saying that.) The skins tasted like they were fried in...beef oil? I struggle to describe this simple, much americanized food. The wontons were very savory tasting. The crab flavor was distinct on the inside, as were the onions. One strabge thing - they used WHITE onions in the filling, which I've rarely seen in asian cooking. The cream cheese was a good amount, and as expected. I liked these, but they were a bit heavy on the onion flavor for me.
Flamin Chicken
I admit I am not a curry connisouer. These curries were different (there it is AGAIN) from what I'm used to. I leaned down to inhale the aroma before tasting, and let's just say the smell was...not pleasant. It's a standard Thau curry, thin, watery, and simple in appearance. Appearances (and sometimes aroma's!) are deceptive. This curry was AMAZING. It was very sweet, but not in a sugary way. A sliver of coconut milk sunshine cutting through creeping heat and spice. Enough to make your nose run, but not your eyes. Simple, sweet, spicy and light. Yes, light. This is not your heavy Indian curry. I took a few spoonfulls plain, as if eating soup. But a soup it is not. There is such a punch of flavor, it's a crime to eat it alone; imbalanced. Mr. C's curry was also amazing. More savory than mine, but just as spicy and wonderful. Mine was so good, when I ate the leftovers, I ate part of them cold. Sounds weird I know, but it was very NOM NOM.
Overall, Lemongrass Thai gives us something to think about. I appreciate that it challenged me with it's twists on classics, and introduction of unique combinations. I will definitely be making more trips, and will conquer the Lemongrass Spaghetti!
http://lemongrassthaicuisine.net/
Overall, Lemongrass Thai gives us something to think about. I appreciate that it challenged me with it's twists on classics, and introduction of unique combinations. I will definitely be making more trips, and will conquer the Lemongrass Spaghetti!
http://lemongrassthaicuisine.net/
Greats
-Flamin Chicken
-Wild Curry
-The tea has loose tea in it - not bagged
-Bird
Not so greats
-The location bites it
- The place was completely empty
- Golden Triangle
- Too bold flavors on the sausage appetizer
-Flamin Chicken
-Wild Curry
-The tea has loose tea in it - not bagged
-Bird
Not so greats
-The location bites it
- The place was completely empty
- Golden Triangle
- Too bold flavors on the sausage appetizer
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Cici's Pizza - Plymouth, MN
A 2 hour Trader Joe's excursion makes a person hungry. After spending $75 hungry shopping (never a good idea), Mr. H and I needed food. Specifically, pizza. So we decided to try Cici's pizza in Plymouth.
Pizza is kind of like sex. When it's bad, its still good. (hey-o!) So I went to Cici's with an open mind, trying to envision mac and cheese pizza. Cici's is located in a little shopping center/strip mall (why does it seem like these are the only places I eat at anymore?) in standard Plymouth fashion. Cici's is really just a buffet, around $7 per person (with pop and tax.) With around 8-10 different kinds of pizza, 2 kinds of breadsticks, one pasta dish and 3 different desserts: brownies, apple crumble pizza, and cinnamon bread; it ain't a bad deal.
I started down the line and saw nothing special - just some pizza laying on metal sheets. But on I forged, getting breadsticks, 2 sides of red sauce, mac and cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza and what looked to be a sausage deep dish piece. I sat down and first dug into the breadsticks. The biggest downside to (any) buffet dining is that the food isn't as hot as it should be. This was no exception, but the breadsticks were good. Garlicky and dough-ey, pretty satisfying overall. Then, I took a dip into the red sauce - I was amazed. It was de-li-cious. Tangy, sweet, garlicky, and simple. I wanted to drink the stuff it was so good. I wish they would sell this. I would buy it by the jug.
The mac and cheese pizza consisted of a white sauce, and mac and cheese noodles on top. The noodles on top added nothing to the pizza, but the white sauce was rich and savory. The pepperoni pizza was surprisingly good. The pepperoni was smokey and spicy. I'd dare say this is one of the best pepperoni slices I've ever had. The deep dish was not as good - it just tasted kind of strange.
At this point fresh pizza was put out, so I got more. Buffalo chicken, ham and pineapple and jalapeno's. Buffalo chicken pizza is one of my favorites, but this one was weird. The sauce tasted like it had cardboard in it, and the chicken was pretty sparse. The ham and pineapple and jalapeno was great, the ham was smokey, the jalapeno added a good kick, and the pineapple a sweet counterbalance (though I had to take off like 5 pieces of jalapeno before I would eat it.)
My only complaints are the cheese and crust. They aren't BAD, but they aren't great. The crusts are traditional, not thick or thin as expected. But hey -it's Cici's, not some diamond in the rough. The cheese on some pizza was almost non-existent, but on a few slices it was gooey and warm. Really depends on how fresh the pizza is I think. On the plus side, none of the slices were overly greasy, my biggest pizza-pet peeve!
I had no room for dessert, but Mr. H just about fainted from delight upon tasting the cinnamon bread. I tried one bite, and was again surprised. It was awesome. Crusty exterior, ooey-gooey inside, sweet and warm. And I am not a fan of cinnamon. I would have had more if I weren't so full.
Overall, I really liked Cici's. Obviously, it isn't gourmet pizza or anything fancy at all. But it's a lot better than one may think, and better than any average buffet I've been to. And the bonus: it turned out to be a quite nice, unexpected date with Mr. H. We even sat and talked awhile after eating. It was one of life's unexpected pleasures, as one wouldn't exactly expect to have a lovely time in a brightly lit pizza buffet in a strip mall. But I did!
http://www.cicispizza.com/_template.php#Scene_1
Greats:
-Pepperoni Pizza
-The tomato sauce - omg seriously.
-Cinnamon bread
-Saw some of the cutest babies in the universe while I was in there
-It's cheap
Not so greats:
-Buffalo chicken pizza
-Really kid oriented place
-So much so that some lady offered us a baby as she walked by.
-Lukewarm pizza (casualty of the buffet)
Just go try it!
Pizza is kind of like sex. When it's bad, its still good. (hey-o!) So I went to Cici's with an open mind, trying to envision mac and cheese pizza. Cici's is located in a little shopping center/strip mall (why does it seem like these are the only places I eat at anymore?) in standard Plymouth fashion. Cici's is really just a buffet, around $7 per person (with pop and tax.) With around 8-10 different kinds of pizza, 2 kinds of breadsticks, one pasta dish and 3 different desserts: brownies, apple crumble pizza, and cinnamon bread; it ain't a bad deal.
I started down the line and saw nothing special - just some pizza laying on metal sheets. But on I forged, getting breadsticks, 2 sides of red sauce, mac and cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza and what looked to be a sausage deep dish piece. I sat down and first dug into the breadsticks. The biggest downside to (any) buffet dining is that the food isn't as hot as it should be. This was no exception, but the breadsticks were good. Garlicky and dough-ey, pretty satisfying overall. Then, I took a dip into the red sauce - I was amazed. It was de-li-cious. Tangy, sweet, garlicky, and simple. I wanted to drink the stuff it was so good. I wish they would sell this. I would buy it by the jug.
The mac and cheese pizza consisted of a white sauce, and mac and cheese noodles on top. The noodles on top added nothing to the pizza, but the white sauce was rich and savory. The pepperoni pizza was surprisingly good. The pepperoni was smokey and spicy. I'd dare say this is one of the best pepperoni slices I've ever had. The deep dish was not as good - it just tasted kind of strange.
At this point fresh pizza was put out, so I got more. Buffalo chicken, ham and pineapple and jalapeno's. Buffalo chicken pizza is one of my favorites, but this one was weird. The sauce tasted like it had cardboard in it, and the chicken was pretty sparse. The ham and pineapple and jalapeno was great, the ham was smokey, the jalapeno added a good kick, and the pineapple a sweet counterbalance (though I had to take off like 5 pieces of jalapeno before I would eat it.)
My only complaints are the cheese and crust. They aren't BAD, but they aren't great. The crusts are traditional, not thick or thin as expected. But hey -it's Cici's, not some diamond in the rough. The cheese on some pizza was almost non-existent, but on a few slices it was gooey and warm. Really depends on how fresh the pizza is I think. On the plus side, none of the slices were overly greasy, my biggest pizza-pet peeve!
I had no room for dessert, but Mr. H just about fainted from delight upon tasting the cinnamon bread. I tried one bite, and was again surprised. It was awesome. Crusty exterior, ooey-gooey inside, sweet and warm. And I am not a fan of cinnamon. I would have had more if I weren't so full.
Overall, I really liked Cici's. Obviously, it isn't gourmet pizza or anything fancy at all. But it's a lot better than one may think, and better than any average buffet I've been to. And the bonus: it turned out to be a quite nice, unexpected date with Mr. H. We even sat and talked awhile after eating. It was one of life's unexpected pleasures, as one wouldn't exactly expect to have a lovely time in a brightly lit pizza buffet in a strip mall. But I did!
http://www.cicispizza.com/_template.php#Scene_1
Greats:
-Pepperoni Pizza
-The tomato sauce - omg seriously.
-Cinnamon bread
-Saw some of the cutest babies in the universe while I was in there
-It's cheap
Not so greats:
-Buffalo chicken pizza
-Really kid oriented place
-So much so that some lady offered us a baby as she walked by.
-Lukewarm pizza (casualty of the buffet)
Just go try it!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Caspian - Minneapolis, MN
After attempting to go to Lemongrass Thai at 8:15 on a Saturday night and finding their doors locked (they close at 9 PM), my date Mr. C and I were hard pressed to find another dinner spot. After some deliberation, we decided on the Caspian. The Caspian is located on the U of M East Bank, off of Dinkytown. It has been there for some years, as I recall some curiosity about it in my early 20's. All I knew of the place is that it is Iranian/persian food. So off we went!
Being across from the Days Inn, it's easy to find. We found parking just fine, and entered through the back. The decor inside seems authentic and unique to anything I've seen in middle eastern-type restaurants before. Large paintings adorn the wall with traditional scenes of native people, and beautiful paintings on the wall itself of the native women. One painting displayed a person holding a goat; faces close together and eyes closed in quiet serenity. There was something foreign and calming about this. Inside and just next to the dining area, there is a small grocery. It was halfway full, and seemed to be a majority of natives, so I will admit I felt out of place but was intrigued instead of shy.
Upon reviewing the menu and looking around, it seemed that tea is a beverage of choice. They do not serve alcohol, but you can bring your own wine. Alas, I was not thirsty for tea, but they offer a Darjeeling blend. Darjeeling is my favorite tea, so I will have try this at some point. The menu was a little confusing, as I'm not completely familiar with this type of food. They have some of your standard middle eastern fare (hummous, falafael, stuffed grape leaves) and some things I've never quite heard of (persian stew aka Koresh, served over "crusty rice" as an appetizer, vegetable pies ) Most of their entrees were similar in the fact that they were some sort of meat, mostly in the form of kebob, with rice (regular or dill), and a grilled tomato, which (as a newbie) puzzled me. I was pleased to see they have a LOT of chicken dishes, also beef, lamb and sirloin. All have variations of whole, ground, or blends.
For our appetizer, we decided on the falafael, which comes with tabouli, yogurt and pita. I've never had falafael before, but am familiar with it from afar. For our entree's, Mr. C ordered the caspian supreme, which is a ground beef/lamb mixture kabob and also a sirloin kabob, with regular rice and the grilled tomato. I ordered the chicken special, which is chicken pieces flavored with lemon and saffron, and I opted for the dill rice. We were served a salad first, which was quite lackluster. It had all things I dislike, iceberg wedge-y lettuce, dressing too oily and too acidic, and just kind of dumped together with a tomato and cucumber slice. I don't expect dinner salads to be main course stunners, but I do expect them to make me want to eat more.
Our falafael:
Please keep in mind I've never had falafael before. But these seemed dry. I tried them alone, and I also put them on pita with tabouli and yogurt, which was better. The tabouli was parsley heavy, and not bright or light like I'm used to. The yogurt was good and tangy - like a sour cream almost. All together, the food was good. Individually, they weren't great. I have to go with my own tastes here, as I admittedly don't "know food", and I just wasn't wowed with flavor, spices, or textures.
Mr. C's Caspian Supreme
And my much less offensive looking Chicken Special.
Mr. C's meat was very flavorful - one side being the beef/lamb combination and the other being the sirloni. I found the beef/lamb to be tender, savory and flavorful. The sirloin was chewy, but good. Both were moist, and not over-spiced.
My dish was not as successful. The chicken was predominately lemon flavored. No savory, delicate saffron was detected. The chicken was also dry. Very dry, to the point where you need to drink something with every bite. The dill rice however, was lovely. It was cooked perfectly, and had a generous sprinking of fresh chopped dill over the top. On each side of the mountainous rice pile sat a little pat of butter. Right on. The dill flavor came through, but didn't punch me in the face, and blended very well with the rice and butter. I would go back just for this rice. The grilled tomato still confused me. I realize this is a traditional serving with a Persian .meal, but don't know it's purpose. I ate one bite plain and it was nice; smokey, tangy, and juicy. But then I attempted to eat more.... and it's just what you'd imagine eating a mushy tomato would be like. I don't know any Persian people, so any enlightenment would be nice.
I've been to great middle eastern (Greek, Lebanese) restaraunts, and some terrible ones. I would put Caspian in the middle. While I was glad to see that they didn't over-spice/garlic/salt any of the dishes, I also feel they were lacking something. A tad more depth perhaps? And I wish my chicken would have been more moist and with a hint of saffron blended with a delicate lemon aftertaste? This may not be The Caspians fault however, as my gut initially told me to go with the lamb shank in tomato garlic-herb sauce. Next time I visit, I will!
I don't think The Caspian has a website.
Being across from the Days Inn, it's easy to find. We found parking just fine, and entered through the back. The decor inside seems authentic and unique to anything I've seen in middle eastern-type restaurants before. Large paintings adorn the wall with traditional scenes of native people, and beautiful paintings on the wall itself of the native women. One painting displayed a person holding a goat; faces close together and eyes closed in quiet serenity. There was something foreign and calming about this. Inside and just next to the dining area, there is a small grocery. It was halfway full, and seemed to be a majority of natives, so I will admit I felt out of place but was intrigued instead of shy.
Upon reviewing the menu and looking around, it seemed that tea is a beverage of choice. They do not serve alcohol, but you can bring your own wine. Alas, I was not thirsty for tea, but they offer a Darjeeling blend. Darjeeling is my favorite tea, so I will have try this at some point. The menu was a little confusing, as I'm not completely familiar with this type of food. They have some of your standard middle eastern fare (hummous, falafael, stuffed grape leaves) and some things I've never quite heard of (persian stew aka Koresh, served over "crusty rice" as an appetizer, vegetable pies ) Most of their entrees were similar in the fact that they were some sort of meat, mostly in the form of kebob, with rice (regular or dill), and a grilled tomato, which (as a newbie) puzzled me. I was pleased to see they have a LOT of chicken dishes, also beef, lamb and sirloin. All have variations of whole, ground, or blends.
For our appetizer, we decided on the falafael, which comes with tabouli, yogurt and pita. I've never had falafael before, but am familiar with it from afar. For our entree's, Mr. C ordered the caspian supreme, which is a ground beef/lamb mixture kabob and also a sirloin kabob, with regular rice and the grilled tomato. I ordered the chicken special, which is chicken pieces flavored with lemon and saffron, and I opted for the dill rice. We were served a salad first, which was quite lackluster. It had all things I dislike, iceberg wedge-y lettuce, dressing too oily and too acidic, and just kind of dumped together with a tomato and cucumber slice. I don't expect dinner salads to be main course stunners, but I do expect them to make me want to eat more.
Our falafael:
Please keep in mind I've never had falafael before. But these seemed dry. I tried them alone, and I also put them on pita with tabouli and yogurt, which was better. The tabouli was parsley heavy, and not bright or light like I'm used to. The yogurt was good and tangy - like a sour cream almost. All together, the food was good. Individually, they weren't great. I have to go with my own tastes here, as I admittedly don't "know food", and I just wasn't wowed with flavor, spices, or textures.
Mr. C's Caspian Supreme
And my much less offensive looking Chicken Special.
Mr. C's meat was very flavorful - one side being the beef/lamb combination and the other being the sirloni. I found the beef/lamb to be tender, savory and flavorful. The sirloin was chewy, but good. Both were moist, and not over-spiced.
My dish was not as successful. The chicken was predominately lemon flavored. No savory, delicate saffron was detected. The chicken was also dry. Very dry, to the point where you need to drink something with every bite. The dill rice however, was lovely. It was cooked perfectly, and had a generous sprinking of fresh chopped dill over the top. On each side of the mountainous rice pile sat a little pat of butter. Right on. The dill flavor came through, but didn't punch me in the face, and blended very well with the rice and butter. I would go back just for this rice. The grilled tomato still confused me. I realize this is a traditional serving with a Persian .meal, but don't know it's purpose. I ate one bite plain and it was nice; smokey, tangy, and juicy. But then I attempted to eat more.... and it's just what you'd imagine eating a mushy tomato would be like. I don't know any Persian people, so any enlightenment would be nice.
I've been to great middle eastern (Greek, Lebanese) restaraunts, and some terrible ones. I would put Caspian in the middle. While I was glad to see that they didn't over-spice/garlic/salt any of the dishes, I also feel they were lacking something. A tad more depth perhaps? And I wish my chicken would have been more moist and with a hint of saffron blended with a delicate lemon aftertaste? This may not be The Caspians fault however, as my gut initially told me to go with the lamb shank in tomato garlic-herb sauce. Next time I visit, I will!
I don't think The Caspian has a website.
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