Mexico Lindo - Duluth, MN

Mr. H and I arrived in Duluth, and were pretty excited to try out the new HellBurgers (the old Hells Kitchen) which is also right across the street from our hotel. After we arrived in Duluth and chilled in the hotel awhile, across the street we went.

We entered and seated ourselves, per the sign. The inside kind of reminded me of kindergarten with it's classic and bright colors and somewhat bright lighting. The illustrations by Ralph Steadman remain, along with much of the decor. I had wings on my mind, but we still perused the menu and drinks...and perused them....annnnd perused them. I think we perused them for about 10 minutes, and I was kind of getting a headache from the grade school atmosphere, so we left. They deliver for free, and next time I will likely hole up in the hotel with a bottle of wine and order delivery since it might be faster that way!

Mr. H and I then went on our famous 1 hour find-the-right-restaurant excursion. Mr. H is supremely indecisive, and since i had wings on my mind, I was too. Little Angie's Cantina? Nope, too bright, loud and generic. Green Mill? Old Chicago? No, hell to the no! We finally decided on the new and much hyped Mexico Lindo. (how we went from wings to mexican is beyond me, but not unusual for us scatter-brained individuals.)

We arrived at Mexico Lindo, which was a little confusing to get to since it is upstairs in the Fitgers building. We arrived and first saw a few people sitting in waiting areas. We were informed that there was a 20 minute wait, but we could wait in the bar. We agreed out of sheer frustration. We were then led through a frenzied, large dining room area to a small bar in the same space. Shortly after, we met our bartender who introduced herself as "not a nice person" and overall seemed unhappy. I ordered a margarita which was filled right to the brim, wiping off much of the salt... And the mix comes from a machine. We waited 30 minutes and watched a scene of disorganization . 3 drinks sat at the server station our entire stay at the bar. There were 2 bartenders in the small bar, one of which who was mostly counting cash. Finally, we were seated, a result of a "call and answer" system, where the servers walk around and call the name of who is on the wait list, menu's in hand.

We were led into yet another huge dining area, much different than the one we were just in; a bit more quiet and low key. Why they didn't put another bar in this area is beyond me. No wonder our bartender was so pissy. It also was lacking in decor. Mexico Lindo has sort of a schizophrenic quality to it. I realize it is only 2 weeks old, but still....

The menu consisted of your typical Chef Boyardee Mexican options. Combinations, enchilada's, burrito's, seafood specialities and the like. They brought out chips, which were hot and crispy, and the salsa was not hot at all, but cilantro rich, garlicky and very tasty. We finally decided: me on the Tres Maria (3 enchiladas) and he on a combo with one chalupa, one tamale and one chile relleno.

Tres Maria
(I don't have a pic for this one yet- but imagine 3 chef boyardee enchiladas with lettuce and junk all over them.)

Mr. H's combo

According to Mr.H, his chalupa was basically a hard taco (we are spoiled by the chalupas at Puerta Del Sol by our house.) However, we both found his tamale to be the best tamale either of us has ever had. It was delicately spiced, almost a cinnamon or nutmeg flavor, and completely savory. The chile relleno was also quite good, but again a tad too cheesey, even for me.

Greats:
-The tamale
-The chips and salsa
-Our waitress wasn't scattered or tardy. She was prompt, friendly and more together than the surroundings,

Not so greats
-That bitchy bartender (i hate bad service)
-The margs (terrible)
-The enchilada's
-The atmosphere

I don't think they have a website.

Mad Capper - Stillwater , MN

Mr. H and I started our recent vacation in Stillwater. We arrived there Friday afternoon, and decided on the Mad Capper for dinner, as we were famished after some shopping.

The Mad Capper is more of a bar with tables than a formal restaurant. Mostly working class people, and some families (unlike Brine's across the street - meat market!) They also boast a very nice selection of beer - including Kwak, Marsdoues, and otehr variety of tap beers for pretty decent prices. I ordered a vanilla vodka diet, and Mr. H ordered the Tripel Karmeliet which was quite good.

The food is pretty basic, though they do boast a few unusual sandwiches (Cream Cheese and Olive = $8.99, Avocado and Tomato = $8.99) Although they were intriguing, I opted to go with the Spicy Chicken sandwich (7 oz. chicken breast on whole grain bread, covered with Tabasco sauce and Bleu cheese =$7.99) and Mr. H ordered the Cajun Burger (Topped with shaved ham,
mozzarella cheese and Cajun seasoning = $9.99.)

Our food came in about 15 minutes, and I must say I wasn't too impressed. My chicken sandwich came on whole grain bread, which wasn't bad in itself. But the chickem breast was so extremely small that the bread overwhelmed it. I ended up having to pull the extra bread off (because I hate to eat 30% of just bread in my sammiches) and I wolfed all of it down in about 5 minutes. The tabasco sauce was apparent, but something tasted kind of...synthetic. I asked for a side of ranch instead of the blue cheese, so the sandwich was completely bare besides the chicken.

On the other hand, their fries were really good, as was their ranch. Fries were a good size, hot and salty. And the ranch was thick and creamy - not watery and bland like some places (yes I am a typical midwestern ranch-on-everything-please person.) Mr. H's burger was also quite good. I didn't taste anything Cajun, but it was nice and beefy and the bun held together nicely. Mr. H put some BBQ sauce on it, which I think was the best thing we were served. The BBQ sauce is nice and smokey and sweet, so I would suggest anyone thinking about going ere get something with te BBQ sauce on it.

Overall, if I go back, I will try their unique sandwiches, as I think most other things here are pretty standard bar fare - not great, but not bad either.

http://www.madcappersaloonandeatery.com/page.html

Savories - Stillwater, MN

I'm all about the quaint cafe experience when it comes to the lunch, so we chose Savories for our cafe in Stillwater. From the outside, it looks to be a quaint little cafe. They have a delicious looking sandwich on their lunch menu (dijon chicken, jambon, and gruyere pressé; mustard rubbed chicke, smoked ham, sweet onions and gruyere, wrapped and pressed = $11) so we went in, despite it being 1030 AM on a Sunday.

The decor is very bistro and quaint. Our server explained that lunch didn't begin until around noon, which was a huge bummer. But we opted to just stay and order from the breakfast menu, which consisted of maybe 6 things. She described the specials (french toast with apricot crumble e.t.c.) and also that they had different mimosa's on special. I love anything mimosa, so we ordered one lavendar and one elderflower mimosa at $3 apiece.

Since this place was a little bit expensive, we opted to share. We ordered the Crespelles St. Chapelle (a threesome of tender homemade crepes stuffed with creamy herbed ricotta, ham, mushrooms and caramelized leeks topped with a roasted tomato cream = $11.95) and sipped our mimosas while waiting. The lavendar mimosa was a bit too perfumey for me, and the elderflower a bit more sweet. We waited around 10 minutes for our food to come, and I was regretful when I saw how much it was when shared. I was quite hungry, and even thoguh Mr. H had already had a few doughnuts at the hotel, he ate every last bite of his.



The crepes themselves were lovely - soft and the herb tomato sauce was tangy and creamy. My big disappointment was that there really wasn't enough of it, and I left hungry, with a $30 bill to boot. (which i can't really blame Savories for.)

Overall, I would go back if I wanted a great and somewhat expensive lunch experience. I don't recommend splitting anything, or going here if you are super hungry.

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

Hoban - Eagan

In recent months, I've been especially curious about exploring foods/cuisines that are mostly foreign to me (in the sense I have never tried much, or that it is sparse in my area.) After narrowing it down to Hoban in Eagan, Mr. H and I geared up for the drive on a Friday night, and off we went!

I've heard Hoban is one of the more authentic Korean joints in MN. I don't know much of anything about Korean food, but the selections looked appetizing. I was especially intrigued to see they had all different kinds of soju on their menu (Korean booze -basically high octane Japaense sake) and a lot of different Korean alcohol I have never seen or tried, so I was excited about that.

Upon entering Hoban, it was quite busy, and the smell was absolutely delicious. It 's a fairly spacious, open restaurant with larger tables in the middle (most were occupied with larger groups) and booths lining the walls. We waited 5 minutes or so, but were then seated by the very friendly host in a booth. At the table, there was a wine and beer list, but no list of all the exotic Korean booze I saw online. When our waitress came around, I asked about the soju and she said all they had was plain or yogurt, and it was $15 a bottle and not by the glass. I was pretty disappointed by this, and I didn't know anything about the other alcohols, so I just ordered sake and left it at that. (of which they serve almost to the brim in a wine glass.)

There was a lot to choose from on the menu. After a LOT of deliberation (and a lot of help from our waitress, who was VERY friendly and informative), we both decided on a Bi Bim Bap - I chose the Dolsot Bi Bim Bap (Sizzling rice topped with an assortment of vegetables and beef. Comes with an egg and a side of fiery hot sauce) and Mr. H chose the Seafood Bi Bim Bap (Sizzling rice topped with an assortment of vegetables and seafood. Seafood includes chopped calamari, shrimp, scallops, and mussels. Comes with a side of fiery hot sauce.) For our appetizer, we got dumplings, which are a staple of mine most any asian place I dine.

After a 10-15 min wait, our dumplings came out. They were probably one of my least favorite dumplings I've had. They were steamed, and not too flavorful. Dumplings are seemingly simple, but deceptive in this manner. It takes a lot to get a dumpling "right" (much like a spaghetti sauce, or any other "simple"recipe) and these were not terrible, but I've had better.

Our Bi Bim Bap came out about 15-20 minutes later; sizzling, smoking and popping in their hot pots, with many tiny bowls of accompanying sides. I am not familiar with korean food, and had to ask about each thing. The people were very nice and didn't make me feel like some dumb white chick about asking. In the sides there are (and I may miss some): peeled carrots, sliced daikon, pickled daikon (which were also flavored strongly with ginger - my favorite side!) kimchee, sprouts, cucumber, sliced ginger, cabbage and other stuff I'm forgetting. I was not sure how to apply these to our meal, but was assured it was ok to add them into our dishes. They also give you hot sauce and soy sauce for flavoring. Kimchee has a reputation for being quite pungent, and let me assure you right now: it is. I like strong flavors, but the fact that it's fermented makes it that much more pungent.

Dolsot

Seafood Bi Bim Bap

I decided to try my crackling bowl of BI Bim Bap (so fun to say!) plain first, and found it to be quite bland. I started to add some of the sides (especially loved the ginger daikon) and soy and hot sauce. The hot sauce was nowhere near hot, to my disappointment. The meat in my dish was very sparse and it brought nothing to the dish. One thing I did appreciate were all the components were sliced thinly, and easy to eat with chopsticks and take small bites. My big gripe with some asian places is they have BIG HUGE CHUNKS of stuff (brocolli anyone??) and you are forced to just chew one big hunk of that without eating anything else in that bite.

Regardless of the small slices, I found msyelf to be quite full halfway through my meal, so we packed it up and headed out. Hoban boasts a few karoake rooms in the back, so we checked them out on the way out. They are very impressive. Several different private rooms, decked out with dim fancy lights, swanky lounging and mirrors - the whole karoake 9 yards! I'm not sure of the price to rent these rooms, but it looks like LOADS of fun if you can get a group of people together for a night! I'm not sure what the song selections are, but they look to be mostly asian.

Overall, I liked Hoban and will definitely go back to experience more Korean foods - especially the kimbap, which is Korean sushi!

Greats:
-The smell in there is intoxicatingly delicious
-The staff is VERY friendly and accomodating
-The "do it yourself" aspect to the bibimbop
-The karoake rooms!!
-I'm sure if I ask more, I can find out about the Korean booze.

Not so greats
-The dumplings were just so-so
-The dish was bland on it's own, and the hot sauce..not so hot
-The lack of info on the korean booze!!
-It's far away from us

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

Lola's Lakehouse - Waconia

My friends Mr. and Mrs. M suggested we go to Lola's for a Tuesday dinner. Being the skint that I am, I was pretty broke, and Lola's is expensive. No worries they assured me - we can split a pizza! I thought.."Just pizza..at a nice restaurant? Weird "But hey - beggars cant be choosers, so off we went!

I was actually quite comfortable upon entering Lola's. Lots of dark wood, nautical themes and exposed stone. We were seated in what is probably the most comfortable booth I've encountered in a restaurant. No easy task for me. The booths were roomy, not too high and not too low, and when I leaned back I wasn't immediately met with stiff wood. There was some give, and I was quite happy in my nook. The restaurant was nearly empty, which I liked. But It made me wonder what the vibe is when it's busy?

We arrived and perused the menu's. I was happy to see their signature drinks were around $6.
Not too cheap, but certainly not as expensive as other places I've been. They also have a nice affordable wine list. I ordered a glass of Cab, and was delighted to recieve it in a stemless glass (because I am a glassware NAZI.) Mr. H joined us, and he ordered a Sidecar.

Their pizzas come in small or large, and they have specialties or build your own. They have a goat cheese and chicken pizza that looks awesome. But we decided on the build your own, with pepperoni and andouille sausage. Yes - andouille. They have some nice topping choices, for $1 apiece!

I polished off my wine, ordered a French Martini and marveled at the lakeside view. They boast a long patio, running the length of the restuarant that is RIGHT by the water. The walls are basically windows, so even from inside you see the sparkling lake. I am not a huge nature person, but a good view is always appreciated and this was no exception.

Our pizza finally came. It was pretty good. Mr. M says he dreams about the pizza, he loves it so much. I'll agree that it's above average, but I can be a tough pizza-crowd. The toppings weren't overwhelming, which is a pet peeve of mine. The andouille sausage mimicked very thick pepperoni, but had that great andouille flavor you expect. The crust was traditional style, and was not too chewy or crispy - a fine balance between both. The sauce was a tad on the bland/sweet side, but the cheese was abundant and gooey. The thing I liked the most was the structure of the pizza. It wasn't messy, greasy, floppy or loose. It held together perfectly, and was easy to eat and hold. Not an easy feat for pizza and sandwiches of the food world. It's a simple pie that doesn't over or underwhelm your senses. You just ENJOY it.Overall, I liked Lola's a lot better than I thought I would. The view is awesome, the pizza is simple and good, and the interior is cozy. The only gripe I have is the wait. We waited a long time for drinks, which is inexcusable for a restaraunt that isn't busy whatsoever. Regardless, I'm eager to return in the warmer weather and sit on the patio!

Greats:
-Drinks are affordable - especially for the ingredients they use
-Super cozy atmosphere
-Comfy booths
-The bread comes with basil butter
-The pizza is quite good
-The lake view

Not so greats
-The service wasn't that prompt
-I'm scared of what the vibe is in busy summer months
-It's expensive, so I have to save up to go back!

http://www.lolaslakehouse.com/

Crave - St. Louis Park

After seeing Alice in Wonderland at the Showplace Icon Theater in SLP, I was delighted to see Crave right next door. I have been wanting to go for some time now, and what better to do after a movie than nosh and drink and talk?? So...of we went, Mr. H and I!

Crave is really ultra modern and new, very spacious, but not at all trendy or stupid (like Azia. ugh.) It was very friendly and cozy, for being such a large space. The outside boasts some of the most gorgeous outside seating I've ever seen, and I immediately imagined myself on a nice breezy evening; lounging, sipping drinks and eating sushi and life is A-OK! We got there around 930, just in time for Happy Hour. I ordered a vodka cranberry/apple/ginger ale drink ($5!) and Mr. H, a mojito. Their Happy Hour food is seriously a good deal. You get 3 categories - $3, $4 and $5, with anywhere from five to seven things on each list. I got the Unagi maki ($3) and an and an order of the Lemon Garlic Chicken wings ($5.) Mr. H got the Scallop Poppers (scallops baked in spicy mayo wrapped in salmon, topped with crunchy flakes - $5)

Maki/ ScallopsThe maki was lush and lovely. I prefer my sushi food in smaller bites. Some places I've been to act like it's a competition to see how big they can make them. But I like being able to COMFORTABLY pop one in my mouth. These were tres bien! But the real winner were Mr's H's Scallop poppers. I took one bite and was immediately transported to a different universe. It was like biting through BUTTER, with crunchy flakes and my ever beloved masago adding to texture. The scallops were buttery and light and melt in your mouth wicked awesome good superb. I want these again and again.

WingsI loove me some wings, and these were the best I have ever had. In my life. Either that means I haven't had enough wings, or that these are really really good. And dude, they are FIVE BUCKS. The lemon came through just slightly, letting the chicken sing. The best part: the skin. Crunchy crispy greasy heaven. The wings are meaty, and are exactly what I think of when I think of a good nosh. Even ask Mr. H, who "doesn't like chicken skin." That boy was sucking and biting every last crumb of wing-tip skin (my favorite part) like a starving dog. I think I even heard him growl once or twice.

Overall, I loved the happy hour nosh and drink. I also got a nice glass of sake - all this came out to be 30 bucks. That's pretty awesome for all that food and a few drinks. Since Crave has 87 hundred things on their menu, I will have to make many visits. My mom wants to go to dinner tomorrow, and I WILL get her here, so be on the lookout for that blog. Hi Mom!

http://www.craveamerica.com/index.php

Volnay Bistro Bar - Wayzata. (shut up Chad.)

Since I've started to explore the French language, I've also become increasingly curious about the food, and culture in general. I've already (semi) conquered Japanese, so next up: French. I mean, who needs all that butter and cheese? The French Paradox says we do. So there.

Sunday was a rare shopping free day, so Mr. H and I opted to go out for la dejeneur in a new little French place in Wayzata. I've heard the space is formerly Chez Foley, and it doesn't seem completely French (they have a ranch chicken wrap), but it was affordable (which will be my biggest obstacle to truly experiencing French foods) had a few frenchy things, and was close by. So....off we went!

Volnay is a quaint little cafe type place. The interior is very classic, but relaxed. I dunno why they call it a bar, because there isn't one. But I cant wait until it really warms up, so I can sit outside on a small strip of sidewalk at what will no doubt be a small round table and be very European and such.

I knew what I wanted before I even got there (hooray internets) but Adam was undecided. As much as I tried sweet talking, eyelash batting, threatening, bullying and downright begging, he decided against the Lobster Club (lobster meat, house made aioli, lettuce, tomato, bacon and avocado on 12 grain - $13) and went with the Mussels Mariniere (Prince Edward island mussels, white wine, shallots, parsley, garlic and bay leaf - $15) and I stuck with my Bochees a la Reine (flaky pastry filled with chicken, chives, mushrooms, potato dumplings and buerre blanc sauce - $9), and la serveuse even told me my pronunciation of it was quite good, though I don't know what it translates to in English. Oh, and of course we needed soup, so we ordered a bowl of french onion soup as well.

French Onion Soup:
This is not your typical greasy, overdone onion soup. No. It was a simple soup, with a nice piece of swiss draped and semi melted over the top. It was savory, had soft spongy crutons afloat, and the onions were soft and melted in my mouth (this from a girl who doesn't like onions. I challenge myself!) It was a very good "lunchy"soup.

Bouchees a la Reine (how in the hell do I set up my international keyboard?!?!)
First off, I warily circled the salad, as a dog would another strange dog. Salads scare me. They can be so terrible. But this was NOT terrible. It was simple, crunchy, not over dressed, and perfect in every way. The Bouchees al a Reine...well, it's basically a Chicken Pot Pie. One that melts your FACE with awesomeness! Calling the crust flaky and buttery is a downright insult. This pastry is the true nectar of the pastry gods. I even ate the mushrooms in it, which were chopped and admittedly added texture only, but still. Baby steps! The filling was creamy without being TOO rich, and the chicken and the potato dumplings danced and sang in my mouth like they were happy to finally be eaten. In short - SO DAMN GOOD. (and like, a billion calories.)

Mussels
I tried them. I don't like them. They remind me of everything I don't like about mushrooms. I know, I know. This will have to be conquered later. Mr. H enjoyed them though. The garlic seemed subtle, but I was surprised how much I tasted in my mouth and smelled on my hands later.

After looking in the pastry case, we HAD to get dessert. Yes, they have creme brulee. But our sights were set on the Mouche Ganache (light chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache mousse - $6.)

It was ok, if unremarkable. Big old dome of rich, firm mousse with an inch of cake underneath. It had an edible star - bonus!

We ordered coffee's after all this, and I don't know if my head was swimming from all the butter and cream and goodness, or if that really was the best coffee I have ever had in my entire life. Rich, strong, flavorful.. - PARFAIT!

I looooved Volany, and will go back and eat as many things as possible!

Greats:
- All.

Not so greats:
- None.