Amici Pizza and Bistro - NE Minneapolis

Amici Pizza and Bistro is nestled back in the old fashioned (and somewhat barren) chunk of Johnson St. in NE Minneapolis. Mr. C and I took it upon ourselves to make a trip to this little neighborhood eatery.

Upon entering, the place was indeed very bistro-ish. A small space, dim and romantic, we endured a slight wait before being seated at a small table. We perused the drink menu, with slight offerings of wine and beer. The server came and took our order, and made no impression on us at all. For food, we decided on: Baked Goat Cheese (Toasted almond, grape compote, crostini-$7), The Bucatini (Tomato sauce, fresh basil, grana padano-$13), and the Hollywood Pizza (Oven dried tomatoes, spinach, toasted garlic & fresh mozzarella - $11 for a small.)

Our appetizer came within 10 minutes, and almost everything was wrong with it. The bread was way too thin, and way too crunchy. The grape compote was kind of a chutney mess, with a slight thought about sweetness. The goat cheese was lukewarm (baked anyone???) and tasted oddly sweet and soapy. I love goat cheese, but sometimes I experience this at different places. I'm not sure why. The greens were good though, with a hint of lemon and a kiss of bitterness.

Bucatini

I can't be sure if Amici is related to Rinata or Al Vento at all, but I've had this dish at Rinata and it was almost identical (see here). It wasn't quite the salt-o-rama that Rinata offered, but it was tangfest 2011. I like a nice tangy tomato sauce, but this lacked any kind of balance, and I found it to be too acidic. The pasta was cooked well however.

The Hollywood

Yes, this thing comes with shaved and roasted garlic ALL over it. I really like garlic, but this was REALLY garlickey. I have heard reports that in certain areas of Italy, they are very heavy on the garlic. I'm not sure if this is true, but too much of a good thing is possible. The rest of it was mediocore. The crust was an odd mix of soft/saggy at the tip, and then more firm and slightly crispy at the brim. The cheese was applied with a light hand, and the tangy tomato sauce really went well on the pizza. Probably because it was mixed with other elements.

Overall, Amici fell a bit flat for me. I did discover that Hazel's is practically right next door, so I will be heading there next!

http://amiciusa.com/Home_Page.php

Yum! Kitchen and Bakery - St. Louis Park

After a shopping excursion, Mr. C and I thought it appropriate to do lunch. We were unsure about where to go (as always) and Mr. C said "Oh, I know a place that has lots of things at it, and it's right by where we are" and so off we went. When we arrived at Yum! I was pleased, as I had heard lots of good stuff about the place.

Yum! is more cafteria/bakery/cafe than a restaurant. It isn't terribly small, but it was pretty full when we arrived. Upon entering, there's a coffe counter and a bakery case filled with awesomeness.

They also have the fattest nutty bars in the land, and RED VELVET CAKE CUPCAKES. Ohh my.

There's a seperate counter for ordering food, with the menu displayed prominently on the wall above the kitchen/order area, deli style. Mr. C and I stepped up and made our choices. He: The Reuben [corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut & red pepper aioli on caraway rye - $8.95], Me: The Chicken Club [lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon & pommeray honey aioli on toasted whole grain -$8.50.] We were issued a number, and found an open table. I proceeded to the coffee counter, feeling some caffeine desire. I ordered a medium vanilla latte.

Aside from being adorable, this latte was the best I have ever had. It had just the right amount of coffee + sweetness. The egg nesting style glass is completley clever, as you never burn your hands carrying your drink, and the foam stayed true to its frothy self until the very end. Lovely.

The food came out in about 10 minutes. First up, The Reuben:

Mr. C and I both were not terribly impressed with this. The meat was a little chewy, under-salted and the red pepper aioli didn't pop at all. The pickles here are true cucumber pickles. 70% cucumber and 30% pickle, which I find a little off-putting, but some people love.

Grilled Chicken Club:

This sandwich had several high and low points alike. The low: the bread was so crusty and if you have small choppers such as mine, it is a full on roof-of-the-mouth assault. I had to pick the big crusty parts off. But the fillings were well balanced. The chicken was ok, if not prominent. The avocado and bacon came through well, with the appropriate soft and creamy/salty and firm ratio happening. Tasted to me like there was just stone ground mustard on the thing, no hint of honey anywhere. The chips are very good. They are crumbly and not too crunchy or sharp, like kettle chips are. Thank god, since my poor mouth couldn't take it anymore. They are a little less salty than most may be used to, but they are savory and some have delightful burnt edges. Mmmm.

We had a good time sitting and chatting and looking at the fun merchandise Yum! offers. They have books, the awesome glasses that they serve coffee in, some jeweled spreaders (for spreads and dips) and cutesy things like that.

Saving the best for last, this is possibly my favorite thing about Yum!

That's right.

Overall, Yum! is charming little cafe, and I will be back to try out the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese!

http://www.yumkitchen.com/menu.html

Mai Village - St. Paul

Mai Village is located on University Ave in St. Paul, which is well populated with Asian restaurants. Mr. C and I debated between lunch at Little Szechaun or the neighboring Mai Village, and eventually settled on Mai Village.

The entrance and interior of Mai Village is very appealing. Upon entering, you walk over a little bridge that passes over a gorgeous koi pond. The dining space is spacious and airy. We were seated, and started to look at a well worn menu. Around 10 minutes later, I had to pull the waiter over and ask for beverages. Unacceptable in my book. Anyhow, we went on and ordered the spring rolls for an appetizer. I found the menu to be a little generic, but had some interesting choices (seven courses of beef, cornish game hens.) We waited around 10 minutes, and our spring rolls came. I didn't take a pic, because spring rolls look the same. Unfortunatly, these were among the worst I've had. The wrapping was firm in some places, and there was no depth or balance to the flavors. Moving on, we decided to order the Sauteed Pork with Ginger Sauce (me) and the Beef Over Fried Potatoes (Mr. C.) I asked what vegetables came in my pork dish, and he stated mushrooms and onions were included. I asked if he could please leave them out, and he said that was not possible, so 11 red alarms went off in my head about that.

Pork w/ Ginger Sauce

Overall very dissapointed with this dish. For one, it came out steaming, but it was lukewarm (can we say: microwave?) and it had way too many water chestnuts. I LOVE water chestnits, but I got like 5 of them in every bite. The pork was dry and thin, and the sauce was not spicy or very ginger-ey.

Beef Over Fried Potato

This was a little better. It came out with the same weird steaming-but-lukewarm thing, but overall it was savory and the potatoes were somewhat crispy. One credit I will give them is the chili sauce that is on the table. I don't know what brand it is, but that stuff is HOT. I loved it.

So after we were finished, I had to grab a waiter to ask for a to go box. Then he brought the check, and we waited over 10 minutes before we grabbed him again to take our payment. Sorry Mai Village, but I am never coming back. Next time, i am going to Little Szechaun.


http://www.maivillage.net/

The Uptown Cafeteria and Support Group - Minneapolis

I have been waiting to try this controversial restaraunt for months, and was pleased when Mr. H and I found ourselves there on a very cold early evening. Upon entering, we were greeted with a kitschy cafeteria theme. From walls lined with blue, green and yellow cafeteria trays, to rotating desserts in a towering glass case, white and blue stools, white linoleum style countertops, and cafeteria style menus this place is definitely big on theme and color coordination. We slid into one of many booths, and reviewed the menu.

The menu is sort of the schizophrenic type. On the table, you get condiments such as sriracha, green tabasco, ketchup and mrs. butterworths syrup. The menu offers fritters, wings, potstickers, grilled cheese and po' boys, linguine, chicken and waffles, and scottish salmon alike. Some have said the mess is as much in the food as on the menu and in the decor, but I find this style of cuisine exhilirating. In addition, they have some seriously awesome drinks, which I can't exactly recall, but one is called the Bo Derek, and they are well priced in comparison to other trendy minded places. Plus, you can get a liter of Bandit wine(http://dredgereport.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/box-wine-increasingly-less-trashy/ ) for $19. That's excellent.

We finally decided on food. I went for the Turkey Burger (Wild Acres all-natural turkey with muenster cheese, avocado and green chilies - $10.99) with a side salad, and Mr. H the Hot Italian Beef with fries, after it was raved about by our server (slow-roasted sirloin, provolone, caramelized onions, house-made giardiniera - $12.99.) We waited a short while, and our server actually brought out Mr. H's sandwich first, stating to us that my sandwich would be up soon...

Hot Italian Beef

I hate to seem mean spirited, but this sandwich was terrible. The beef was bland and tough, and the "giardniera" was basically some hard carrots. The jus was worse. It tasted literally like water....dirty water at that. Mr. H did not eat more than 2 bites, but we did munch a few fries which were crispy and salty and awesome. The waitress came back and was very good about us sending the sandwich back. She apologized but wasn't annoying about it, offering to put in a different order. This time, Mr. H ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken (mashed potatoes, cheddar drop biscuits; 1/4 bird $12.99, 1/2 bird $16.99). As we waited, I started on my salad.

The salad was mothing special. It was just greens, and was underdressed. I was pretty underwhelmed. Then my turkey burger came...which I had to wait to eat until Mr. H got his Fried Chicken 10 minutes later.

For whatever odd reason, the turkey burger described on the online menu is not this one. This one just has avocado, pimento cheese, and sweet pickles. The turkey was ground and was very flavorful and true to the bird. The bun was nicely toasted and not overpowering the other awesome aspects of the sandwich: the velvety avocado, the bursts of rich pimento cheese and the best part (to my surprise), the sweet pickles. The pickles MAKE this sandwich, and I am forever a converted sweet pickle fan. The standard pickle spear serving on the side was the best I've ever had. Too often can these pickles me soggy, too salty and too sour. This one was firm, crunchy and the salt level was mild. Overall, I was very pleased with this dish.

Fried Chicken

I defenitely am no fried chicken-connoisseur, but I know good food, and this was off the hook good. The chicken was crunchy and juicy. The breading pulled off the bird in flakes, coating your mouth with a crunchy, yet soft texture. The best part is that the chicken was juicy. Not dry, not greasy, and not tasting too fried, the huge chunk of chicken was so appreciated by us that Mr. H needed to have his pic taken with it...

Everything else was excellent as well. The potatoes were earthy, salty and smooth. the addition of the buttermilk breading was so comforting I could have sucked my thumb. The biscuit was interesting...I do believe they have actual peppercorns in them, and that definitely lends a distinct black pepper taste to them. I personally am a fan of this, but I have heard some aren't so much.

Overall, a very mixed experience at The Uptown Cafeteria and Support Group, but I will definitely be back. Most likely in the warmer months, so I can check out the very popular and highly praised Skybar, which is said to have one of hte best rooftop views in Minneapolis.

http://uptowncafeteria.com/

http://

Wilde Roast Cafe - NE Minneapolis

Wilde Roast Cafe has long been one of my favorite coffee NE Minneapolis spots. Slightly tucked away off of East Hennepin, this quaint little cafe honors it's namesake suitably. The interior is a fusion of passe and modern overall. With dark wood and a roaring fireplace, you feel the old world charm. Expanding on that theme are 4 soft, awesomely over-sized chairs, and matching sofa. Red in color, complete with antiquated floral design, and further flanked by a huge center ottoman decorated with a gold tray and candlesticks. People will seriously wait and sip coffee until these chairs become available. It is comforting to the max.

In addition to coffee libations, Wilde Roast has a full menu. Mostly famous for their desserts, they also offer sandwiches, salads, appetizers and pizzas. They do serve wine and beer, and hold cheap date night Mon-Thurs, where you can get a bottle of wine and 2 entrees for $28. Not too bad.

I've tried several menu items, and have been mostly pleased with them. The Curry Chicken Salad is savory and nutty with cashews, and you can also get it sandwich style. The meatloaf is comforting, and the Buffalo Chicken is no joke. On this day, I was curious about their burgers. With a few different varieties, I decided on the Chi Chi La Rue burger (corn salsa, avocado and cheddar on ciabatta, and I ordered the lean beef) and instead of chips, I opted for a cup of the french onion soup. I ordered my usual medium latte (served in a huge bowl of a coffeee mug) and sat down with my number, awaiting my food.

I started in on the onion soup first. It had a piece of crusty bread floating in with a blob of melted mozarella cheese. I found myself breaking it up, and just breaking down the cheese with my spoon so I wouldn't eat the whole blob at once. Overall, I found the soup to be really salty. But it was plentiful with tender onions, with nice little bursts of cheese and soggy bread. I ate it all anyways.

The burger was greasy. I'm not sure if they used lean beef. The guy who took my order did so immediately after taking care of a large order. So I'm not sure he got it right. The corn salsa was lacking. I didn't get hints of corn and spice like I though I might. And even though you can see the avocado here, it sort of got lost, as did the cheese. The ciabatta was good, nice and soft. But overall, this burger fell very flat for me.

Regardless of this entry, I would recommend anyone to go here. The food, drinks and ambience have a lot to offer, and this will definitely be a NE staple for some time to come.

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

Benihana - Golden Valley

To see away my big bro-in-law, Stuey W., we had to have a last supper. My sis, Missus. W, suggested we go to Benihana. The missus always has the last word, so off we went on a snowy night, along with myself, The Mom and Jodelle.

For those of you not familiar, Benihana is a teppenyaki style Japanese steakhouse. For those who don't follow the link, basically you sit at a table with your party and a few strangers, and watch the chef cook your food on a flat top. It's popular for the interactive aspect, and is usually a lengthy dining experience

We entered the large restaurant and were seated within a few minutes. Our party of 5 soon became a party of 8 as we looked at the menu. I was confused at the prices, thinking that maybe ordering one entree was meant to share. Turns out it's just expensive. Most in my party ordered a steak/seafood combo, and I ordered the Yakisoba (Japanese sauteed noodles with chicken and mixed vegetables topped with a special sauce and sesame seeds.) The waitress took the mess of orders thrown at her, and was accurate and prompt.

And of course I had to order my favorite beer, Asahi.

Since me and Missus W. have never had proper sushi together, I found it appropriate we share half a Caterpillar Roll. Sushi lovers must unite! It was a standard caterpillar roll - nothing extraordinary, but still yummy.



The meal starts of with Benihana's "onion"soup and salad with ginger dressing. I opted out of the onion soup since I was having so much other stuff. The reason I quoted onion is because the bowls of soup come swimming with mushrooms, so I had no food remorse. The salad came out and was actually quite good - a simple mix of iceberg lettuce, carrots and tomatoes. The lettuce was crisp and fresh and the ginger dressing was exceptional, with good heat and delicious pungency that ginger offers.

Shortly after/during our salads, our chef comes out with his food cart, loaded with the things we ordered. First, he starts by cleaning the flat top, and then starts to cook zuchinni and onion slices. In traditional teppenyaki showmanship, he creates a little volcano out of the onion slices, and it spits water from the heat and moisture of the cook top. Next, he adds mushrooms, and some small shrimps, and cooks them all seperate. When they're done he gives each person a small serving of each, along with Benihana's famous shrimp sauce (basically Japanese mac sauce), and ginger sauce with a chutney like consistency.



Pace is the name of the game here, and some little tricks are performed. The chef will flip little shrimp tails into his hat and shirt pocket while you nibble on baubles of protein and veg. After these little performances, the chef gets down to business and starts preparing rice. A big old pile of rice gets fried with a glob of garlic butter, and some veg on the side gets splashes of safflower oil until the chef unites it all into a charming heart shape. Aaaawww. While I didn't have any of my own, I did try Stuey's, and I found it to be quite bland.

Next up are the entrees. Steak and big shrimps are laid out to cook, and chef will ask how you want your steak done. Stuey W. ordered his medium, and Missus W. wanted hers medium rare. My interpretation of them went a little bit different from how they ordered them. Stuey W.'s was a little too done for me, and Missus W.'s had a good doneness.

Next up were my Yakisoba, a big pile of noodles with chicken, zuchinni and onions all cooked seperately. The noodles are tossed around and splashed with yakisoba sauce, then combined and served to your bowl.

In my (although limited) yakisoba experience, the sauce tends to be sweet, and sweetens the overall dish. I don't care for this. If I am having noodles, I want things like ginger, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, or even curry. The sweet aspect doesn't appeal to me, and the verdict: a yakisoba woman, I am not.

As if we weren't already crammed full of food, the meal comes with ice cream. I ordered the green tea, which had a mildly sweet green tea taste indeed. It was good, but I would probably not buy it by the tub.
Cheers and much love to you brother-in-law! See you next time!

http://www.benihana.com/

Kobe Restaurant - Plymouth

Mr. H decided to surprise me with an after-the-holidays dinner, and I was surprised when he chose Kobe. I've never heard of the place, but was glad he picked it since sushi was on the brain. Kobe is mainly a Japanese restaurant and also offers the teppenyaki steakhouse experience. The timing of our visit came perfectly since I had just visited a more popular teppenyaki establishment the night before (see Benihana).

The restaurant is beautifully decorated, true to the minimal oriental style that many Asian restaurants ascribe to. Not quite upscale, but clean, dim and decorative. Spacious, with the entrance boasting a quaint bar which is open to the front, but closed off from the rest of the circular dining space surrounding it. To the left they offer regular dining tables and booths, and in the rear/ behind the bar are the teppenyaki tables. Since we were here for sushi, we took a seat at a nice booth adorned with a round, oriental-style paper lantern hanging above. So very cute.

We were notably hungry, and were eager to order. We spent quite a bit of time reviewing the menu, and I found myself getting a bit excited over the options and prices. Sometimes, (especially with teppenyaki steakhouse dining, japanese or just sushi) the prices are intimidating to the average wage slave. But these prices were reasonable, and I was pleased to see the sushi was affordable. The menu is smart, not offering too little or too many options and also offering many authentic Japanese plates. Such as; Ika Sansai -basically grilled squid topped with sweet eel sauce, or the Ika Shogayaki- the same except BBQ'd with ginger sauce. Also the Negimaki (beef or chicken rolled around scallions), Unadon (grilled eel donburi rice bowl), Yakisoba (the staple Japanese noodle dish), tako su (octopus salad) and plenty of Bento Boxes on lunch special. They also boast many Kobe beef dishes ; a burger and tartare alike (hence the name.)

We decided on a few appetizers and lots of sushi. First up were the crab puffs (cream cheese with crab wonton - $5.) I know this is pretty basic and not very Japanese, but we had to try them and I'm pleased we did!
These are the single best wontons I've had ANYWHERE. The wonton itself is the best part. Instead of being crumbly/flaky/too crunchy, it is solid and crispy like a good quality chip. You can taste a hint of oil, but they aren't oily. I found myself dipping the 4 points into the the sweet, salty and spicy red sauce, then biting them off individually. The cream cheese inside is rich, but the crab flavor really popped.. A rarity with these things. Luscious, crispy and sweet - a true delight. The only downfall is that there was only like 5 of these and you'll want about 20 of them.

The Sushi.
2 pieces of Flounder ($2.50 per piece-the ones pinkish in color) and one piece of Yellowtail sushi (also $2.50.)

I love me some Yellowtail because it possesses a mild, yet concentrated flavor. I think of it as "medium" sushi, because it is not too light, or too oily and heavy (think mackarel.) Keeping true to that rating system, the Flounder would be categorized as "light" sushi. Very pleasant and mild, with a texture that of firm butter. I loved it, and at Kobe it tasted fresh. The fish pieces are generous and thick! The only thing that had me confused was the wait time. These 3 pieces took around 15 minutes to come out. We also ordered a piece of scallop sushi, and it came out about 10 minutes after these....

Scallop Sushi ($2.50, and I could not get a good pic of it.)
This was Mr. H's favorite, but unfortunately it was my least. The raw scallop texture is indeed soft, but I found it a bit too slippery for my tastes. It also tasted very fishy, with the sweet and light notes in the background. It also overpowered the rice, as the piece on top was very large. Not sure if this just how raw scallops are, but I did not enjoy it.

The Kill Bill Roll (Blue crab, spicy tuna and avocado inside, topped with red and green tobiko - $10)I'm not sure if there is a reason for the color scheme here and I don't care. It was delicious. Very simple and clean flavors of the tuna (although not very spicy), and velvety chunks of avocado. It was with this roll I experienced the most incredible of texture experiences. You get the soft soft of the tuna and avocado against the sticky rice, but the real show stopper is the crab. Right under your molars, you get a little nugget of crumbly tempura crab. Tempura is so delicately crispy, which is why it's often filled with soft things. The textural contrast isn't extreme; rather it's so slight that it takes a quick sense to catch it. And when it's caught; it is EXTREMELY satisfying. Followed with delightful pops of tobiko in your teeth and on your tongue, you're in texture nirvana.

Ika Sansai ($6)
I am not a calamari fan, and I don't understand why people even eat the stuff. In my opinion, the fried aspect overtakes the delicate flavor and distinct texture of squid. I'm not well versed in squid, but found this to be an honorable representation of squid. The texture itself is toothsome and meaty. The taste itself is earthy, combined with sweet notes provided by the sweet eel sauce. I like to think of this as "octopus light". While I am not a fan of mushrooms, this reminded me of them. But I still really enjoyed this. Side note: do NOT attempt to eat the tentacles, as they are muscle-y and chewy and not at all meant to be eaten.

Mr. H wasn't satisfied yet, and decided he wanted some Ika sushi (raw squid - $2.50 a piece.)
I am pretty sure this is pronounced "ee-kah", but after Mr. H tried it he said he thinks it's pronounced "ick-ah" because he hated it. He said it was rubbery, and the little lines you see in the fish seemed to contain kind of stringy hairs. I would recommend this to any adventurous eater!

Since this was an Obento-Ya type experience, I felt compelled to try dessert, and we opted for the Tempura Ice Cream ( $4.)



Along with this, we were served 2 VERY hot plates. I wondered why in the world they would bring out a plate so hot? The reason why is because the ice cream inside is super frozen and very hard to spoon through. I found this out when the thing was almost gone, completely depriving myself of the true tempura ice cream experience. Next time - cut in half, assemble on hot plate, and wait a few minutes. Then: eat and enjoy crunchy creaminess.

Absolutely awesome. Just go here (and not Benihana, please.)

http://www.kobemn.com/