Ciento- St. Louis Park

Ciento is a new mexican restaurant where Major's once stood. It boasts itself a tequila bar and mexican kitchen. They serve the usual Mexiamerican food - enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos and some combination plates. On a quite hungry Tuesday evening, Mr. H, his son, and I decided to try this new place out.

I admit - I was judgmental about this place. Could it be that a restaurant replacing Majors is at all good? Look how brazenly and generically it's displayed, easily viewable to 394 passerby! I entered with some trepidation.

The interior is what you would expect - some mexican plates adorning the walls, pillars, warm colors, the bathrooms appropriately marked in Spanish. We grabbed an available booth and hunkered down.

They do indeed boast 100 tequilas anywhere from $4 to $85 (Patron Burdeos..) a pop. We weren't in a tequila shot mood (Tuesday night...5 PM!) but Mr. H ordered the Tajito (Don Julio Blanco, agave nectar, lime juice, mint leaves, club soda - 8.00.) It arrived quickly, along with our chips and salsa, which they offer for $1.99. The drink was awesome. What is basically a tequila mojito gets a little twist with agave nectar (instead of sugar) and lime juice (almost sure they used sweetened- a HUGE difference) and it was just perfect. It was balanced perfectly, with the lime at the center, backed up by mint, bubbly soda, a hint of sweetness and silver tequila. Mr. H thought it should be sweeter/ have more mint, but I prefer them a bit more simple. Probably the best mojito I've ever had, besides my own.

We finally ordered (the menu isn't 5 pages long, thankfully) and I ordered the Camarones (Grilled flour tortillas with grilled achiote shrimp, grilled pineapple, diced onion, cilantro - $9.99) and Mr. H the Chimichanga with Carnita (Crisp fried burrito filled with your choice of meat and rice then topped with salsa verde, queso blanco or ranchera sauce. Served with lettuce,
sour cream, pico de gallo and charro beans - $8.99) and then we dug into our chips and salsa, which were another pleasant surprise. The chips were warm, thin and crispy; not crunchy and a hard assault on your mouth. The salsa was a hint sweet, a hint spice and lots of tomato, and was a nice mix of sauce to chunky. Best chips and salsa I've had. The waitress offered us hot salsa, and said it was really hot. We weren't fazed, and she brought us a green sauce that we dug into with vigor. After about 10 seconds, it hit us. The waitress wasn't kidding. That stuff was seriously spicy. We didn't even touch it after that.

CamaronesI was pleased with the presentation and size of the entree. It didn't make me want to run away, and it looked very appetizing and like good authentic Mexican tacos. In each, there were 3 plump shrimp which were succulent and sweet. There was a good hint of cilantro and lime, and not much onion (which I personally like. I hate being overpowered with onion.) The shells were warm and not too dry, but chewy and soft. The only thing that threw me was the pineapple, It was a little too firm, and it didn't meld together anywhere. It wasnt unpleasant, but it was...misplaced. The rice was a bit sweet, and the charro beans are OFF THE HOOK. They are pinto beans with BACON. They are smokey, salty and awesome. Overall very very pleased with my dish.

Chimi with Carnita

I personally loved this. The pork was very, very savory and tender. The best pork I've had in a long time. The rice to meat ratio was like 4 - 10. I hate getting a ton of rice in my burritos. This had lots of juicy tender meat, and I loved it. Mr. H didn't care for it too much, and though it was too one note. I can see where he is coming from, as it could have used another element- maybe spicy or salty? - to balance it out.

To wrap up the night, we decided to try a shot from the tequla list. At the top of the list is the " Oro" section (the cheaper stuff - $4-$5) and there listed was a Sauza Giro and a Sauza Gold. I like Sauza, and asked the waitress what the difference was? She wasn't sure, but said she would ask the bartender. I prepared for a long wait, but she was back in 5 minutes explaning the Giro has cane sugar and the gold is just a gold tequila. We ordered one of each, and they also came within 5 minutes (our waitress was ON IT.) Served in skinny tall shot glasses, we imbibed these magical potions. Indeed, the Giro is more sweet and nice, and the Gold is more smoke and burn. Awesome end to the meal.

Greats:
-Chips and salsa
-Camarones
-Chimichanga
-Tajito
-Cheap tequila (but good tequila.)
-Our waitress

Not so greats
-That it displays itself out to passerby like a whore on Lake Street.

http://www.ciento100.com/

Sakana Sushi - Wayzata

I had a mad sushi craving, and decided to go to Sakana despite having a very medicore experience there on my birthday. Meh, it's close and was a nice day, and I was in lunchin' mode!

Sakana is in terribly yuppie downtown Wayzata. The decor is somewhat traditional for a Japanese place. No frills or glitter, just some cozy seating and a sushi bar. They offer traditional American-Japanese fare (gyoza, tempura, noodles, sashimi and sushi, fish e.t.c.) and while the sushi is priced normally, the entrees are quite expensive. Today, they had a lunch special for 2 sushi rolls for $10 ( a choice of the basics: Cali roll, Boston Roll, tuna, spicy salmon etc.) I was pretty hungry, so I ordered the Shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings) and one Spicy Yellowtail roll and one Eel and Cucumber roll.

Shumai
Shumai are usually the same everywhere I go. This one was not much different, except the shrimp didn't get as lost in the softness of the filling These are usually a little mushy, but not in a baby food way, more of a yummy little steamed dumpling-type of way. The sesame ponzu sauce was light, salty and sweet. Perfect.

Spicy Yellowtail Roll
Eel and Cucumber Roll
This has seriously been my best sushi experience to date. The rolls were not at all fishy. They were light, tasted fresh and were constructed excellently, with a swipe of spicy mayo on the plate. I struggled to eat a few of the larger yellowtail pieces, but I've developed a strategy, which is to bite one half and chew it in my mouth while still holding the other piece up to my mouth with the sticks. This way, I can chew and make a bit more room in my mouth to fit the rest of the roll in. It sounds like it might look gross, but it actually is pretty methodicall. Bite, chew chew, then chomp goes the rest of the roll. Any flimsily made roll would fall apart at this maneuver, but not these! The mayo was excellent...I can't place what they flavored it with, but it was smokey and spicy. The yellowtail rolls had just a hint of spice - so I doctored it up with lots of wasabi, which is ok by me!

What makes the ultimate sushi experience for me is the mouth-feel. Sometimes you get kinda fishy, sometimes you get kinda messy or too spicy. But SOMETIMES you get lush, velvet, fresh perfection, and this was it. I find myself attempting methods to get the best out of each roll, because it's just so good you want to do something to savor it and take it higher.

I'm glad Sakana is close. My next plan is to go there and try the mackarel and see how it differs from Wakame (which was much more underwhelming.)



Greats
-Everything

http://www.sakanamn.com/index.html

Chimborazo - NE Minneapolis

Going to Chimborazo has been a long time coming, and the little corner Ecuadorian restaurant has gotten a lot of stellar reviews. Mr. H and I decided to venture there for lunch on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The interior is pretty bare bones, but we didn't expect a posh decor. We were there for the menu, which is ambitious and affordable. From ceviche (shrimp cocktail with red onion, tomato, lime, and tostados.) to Lomo saltado o pollo saltado (Stir-fried marinated chicken or beef with peppers, onions, tomato, and fried potatoes. Served with rice and avocado.) Since we were out for lunch items, we didn't get any entrees. They have pretty good lunch specials, so we centered on those and ordered.

I was seriously considering the ceviche (since I've made it but never had it out anywhere..) but Mr. H loves his empanandas, so we decided on 1 beef empanada (savory beef turnover- around $3) and 1 cheese empanada (cheese filled turnover dusted with sugar- same price.)

Beef empanada


Cheese empananda


Excuse my lack of food sophistication in this blog. I am not familiar with this cuisine, so I will describe it the best I can in general terms. The empanadas as a whole weren't remarkable. I am admittedly (possibly dumbly) baffled by the powdered sugar on the cheese one, and I found it to be bland. It's very simple, just a mild cheese inside a fried shell. The beef one was slightly more flavorful, but held the same simplicity. They were not remarkable.

Muchín de yuca (Three cassava croquettes filled with onion and cheese. Served with aji criollo for dipping-forgive me for forgetting the prices on stuff.)


These were lovely and soft. Again, not a huge flavor sensation, and I'm not familiar with yuca or cassava....but OH the aji criollo! Very reminiscent of Indian mint chutney- spicy and cilantro brightness. I could drink the stuff. It was well paired with these lush lovelies.

Llapingachos (Three cheese-filled potato pancakes served with egg and peanut sauce.)


Wipe out your pre-conceived notions of potato pancakes. These were thick little potato patties, served over fried egg and served with a peanut sauce. These were fluffy, but substantial. Very satisfactorily potato, but for some reason I can't remember I didn't care for the peanut sauce.

Sanduche de pollo (Roasted chicken with cheese and aji criollo on a bolillo roll.)


Leave it to me to order a sandwich, huh? This sandwich was above average, for several reasons. A) it was not overly stuffed with sloppy fillings. It very simply was just chopped chicken with some spices and a mild white cheese. B) it wasn't too dry, though there was not sauce on it. It's served with that awesome aji criollo, so it was very much all good. C) Somehow, they perfected toasty char on the inside of the sandwich bread like no other. Seriously, I have never had such an awesome textural contrast between the nice toasty crunch on the inside of the bread, to the soft outside and firm filling. Such a pleasing mouth feel, you want to keep eating for that reason alone. And the salad on the side was quite good. I was very impressed by their vinagrette specifically. It avoided being too tart, but stayed bright with a touch of lime. Perfect.

I definitely need to go back to Chimborazo to get an entrada experience!

Greats:
-Llapingachoes. Yummy potato heaven.
-The lime vinagrette
-AJI CRIOLLO SAUCE.
-Sanduche de pollo (successfully good natured.)
-Lots of great looking stuff for future visits!

Not so greats
-Beef empanada
-Cheese empanada
-Atmosphere lacks ambience.

http://www.chimborazorestaurant.com/

Buca Di Beppo- Minneapolis

Buca has been doling out $10 off coupons lately like hotcakes, so me and my loyal Mr. C went out to experience this old Italian staple.

As many know, Buca serves family style. Meaning that you get a lot of food. You can order 2 sizes: small or large. Small feeds 2-3 people, and large 4-6. Buca offers a lot of chef boyardee type entrees (ravioli definitely has it's place amongst italian food, but don't tell that to Michale Chiarello) that seem pretty americanized. But that definitely does not stop it from tasting good.

I was somewhat surprised by the somewhat chain-ey look to the menus. Buca in Mineapolis has a great hodge podged/old fashioned feel to it, with old pictures occupying every inch of the walls and even old kitschy stuff in the bathrooms. Upon entering, you will be met with a cardboard Danny Devito. It's a cross between being annoyingly and generically italian and completely comfortable all at once. But I adore that they purposely serve mismatching dishes. Feels like home (a generic one with photos of Sly Stallone and Devito on the wall in the entry.)

Tomato Caprese Salad (10.95 for a small- we were hungry and ate like half of it before taking a pic. Sorry.)
This was overall pretty tasty, but a bit too salty. I especially appreciated the huge basil leaves- beautiful and herbacious. The tomatoes were firm and sweet, the cheese mild and buttery. A good appetizer overall.

For our entree: The Spicy Chicken Rigatoni (Awaken your taste buds with a new favorite - tender chicken breast sautéed with garlic and red pepper, tossed with peas, a spicy rosa sauce and imported Italian rigatoni pasta. $18.95 for the small.) REALLY sorry about the shitty pictures. But, y'know.


I was extremely surprised by not only how well balanced and amazing this was, but by how PERFECTLY the pasta was cooked. I'm not kidding. I've eaten at Rinata, and this pasta was cooked better. Nice and toothsome, with a creamy, smokey and spicy sauce. The chicken was perfect throughout, never chewy, dry or too sparse.

Overall, I need to go to Buca again ASAP. With an appetizer, entree, and 2 glasses of wine, Mr. C and my bill was under $40 (after the coupon.) Success!!

Greats
-Mismatching dishes
-The spicy chicken rigatoni
-The rigatoni was perfect and awesome
-The wine list isn't amazing, but it's not totally generic either, and is affordable.

Not so greats
-Chainey feel to the menus
-Our waitress wasnt memorable at all, but meh
-Parking can really suck in the area
-Salt level in the caprese salad

http://www.bucadibeppo.com/default.aspx

Wakame Sushi and Asian Bistro - St. Louis Park

My sushi hankering came back today, so I found myself looking for the place with the best lunch special. happy hour and ended up at Wakame. They offer your standard sushi, nigiri, specialty rolls and standard japanese fare (bento boxes, teriyaki's) along with thai stir fry and noodle dishes.

The decor is nothing special, but it is a nice little space. I'm always glad to go somewhere that isn't overwhelmingly trendy, but still somewhat refined. I had the pleasure of sitting right next to (what I assumed to be) a Russian party of seven people. They were enjoying themselves and it was ear-pleasing to listen to them.

Wakame actually has great happy hour choices, with reduced prices on appetizers (i opted for the steamed dumplings = $4.25 for happy hour), specialty rolls (i opted for the Hot Spicy Girl Roll = $8.95) and cheap nigiri (i opted for my beloved Unagi at $2.25 and Mackarel - yes MACKAREL, at 1.50. You get one piece each.)

Steamed Dumplings (my phone will only take good pictures when it's daytime and I am by a direct source of light!)


These were actually quite good. The dipping sauce was the best dumpling sauce I've had to date..it is not overly salty, and not too bland. It also has a little kick of spice to it thanks to a light hand of chiles, and green scallions. Overall, very good.

Hot and Spicy Girl Roll (spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail, and crunchy bits, topped with spicy salmon & crunchy bits, drizzled with spicy mayo sauce) and my Unagi and Mackarel nigiri.

I started with the Mackarel. I've been quite curious about it since hearing many unfavorable things about the flavor. Indeed, it is quite fishy. It did not, however, have the pungency I was anticipating. I probably won't eat it again, but it wasn't terrible. The texture is fine, maybe a bit more firm than yellowtail, but not quite salmon. The unagi was not the best I've had. Unagi can taste either too fishy or too smokey, and this was on the fishy side. I've oinly ever had mild, sweet, fresh tasting unagi at like 2 other places. Maybe it's me??

The roll was quite good. The big pieces you see in the pic are actually cut in half, which I was grateful for. Quite often, specialty roll pieces are too big. I want a good bite, and while these were definitely substantial. they were not difficult to eat. The fish was nice, though I struggled to find any yellowtail. I think I just may be a sushi purist (what??) Anytime there are 2 or more fish mixed together, it gets fuzzy for me. I can't distinctly taste any one thing. It's still delicious, but becomes more complex. The tempura crunch is always appreciated and toasty, especially against the softness of the roll. It was all supple, no firm. It was quite spicy. I am usually pretty surprised that spicy rolls actually ARE spicy. I can tolerate a moderate-high level of spice, and this roll satisfied that well.

Greats
-Cozy, unassuming atmosphere
-Great prices (i got a ton of sushi and appetizer for under $20)
-Dumplings were tasty
-The Hot and Spicy Girl Roll
-Listening to Russian..or Polish maybe?

Not so greats
-Unagi nigiri
-Mackarel
-Not so great on happy hour drinks..but who can blame them, as they are located in a well populated shopping area.
-That's it.

http://wakamebistro.com/default.aspx

Houlihans - Chanhassen

**NOTE: I edited this because I found a bunch more pics of stuff I've eaten at Houlihans.**

On what must have been like my 4th trip to Houlihan's for small plates, I've finally tried almost everything they have. Here is my final blog and summary of the new menu items.

Houlihans has 4 sliders to choose from (shrimp po' boy, pulled pork, burger and a pot roast slider) for $5 apiece, or you can get 3 for $9.50...a small fifty cent savings. Pictured here are the pot roast slider, the shrimp po' boy and the pulled pork. My vote goes for the pot roast. When is pot roast not good?

The Shrimp Po 'Boy was my 2nd. The shrimp flavor came through nicely, without having that overwhelming "fried" taste.

The Pulled Pork had some fried onions on it, and was just ok. It was overall bland and needed more oomph. The buns were nice and shiny, and our server could not tell us what they were except that "they make them there".....
The spicy chicken and avocado eggrolls ($5) were my least favorite. They were distinctly spiced with cumin, and not much else. Not very spicy or flavorful overall.


The Blueberry Mojito = awesome. It has basil and mint, with blueberry syrup. My red flags cautioned me against sweet, but this is not overpoweringly so at all. Pretty good balance of sweet and herbaliciousness!

Fortunately, Houlihans offers 5 varieties of fries. We opted for the Disco Fries (Canadian 'poutine' (poot-sin) style with melty mozzarella, slow cooked pot roast and gravy. $4) and they were heavenly. I somehow don't have a pic, but they were the perfect portion, perfect amount of cheese and gravy, and small bits of pot roast. I'm kinda glad there weren't more because I would have totally gorged myself on them otherwise.

Other things I've had:Thai Noodle Bowl - (ginger-peanut noodles (chilled), cilantro, basil,
mint, napa cabbage, sweet & sour carrots. $5)

-This was quite plain. It comes cold, and it's ok, but I could make better at home honestly.


Grilled Naked Chinese Dumpling Kabobs - (ginger lemongrass
pork bites with peanut sauce. $5)

-Ok, I know we're all adults and can read, but the title is somewhat misleading. Is it a kabob? A dumpling??? Turns out it's a kabob. 5 skewers of pork with a little asian flavor to them. They come with 3 dipping sauces - a wasabi mayo, a spicy kind of soy sauce, and a sweet and sour dip.



Overall, I would go to Houlihans for social outings, but never specifically for the food, though I do like their sandwiches!