Grumpy's

 

I was having some serious cravings for a good burger, and we didn't feel like dealing with a bunch of traffic or parking issues, so we knew that Grumpy's in Roseville would be the perfect place to go. We have had nothing but good experiences going to Grumpy's, and it is a spot that I would highly recommend. The first time my fiance brought me here, I was skeptical, and didn't know what to expect. It definately changed my thinking about suburban bars, and we have gone back several times, specifically (for me, at least) for the burgers and the relaxed atmosphere.

Cajun chicken sandwhich

New York deli burger

My fiance ordered the cajun chicken sandwhich (cajun char-broiled chicken breast, cheddar jack, lettuce, tomato, onion strings and their cajun sauce) and I ordered the New York deli burger (with pastrami, pepper jack, jalepeno cream cheese, bacon and a pickle), plus some waffles fries and shoe string fries. We have both had these two items before, so we were really excited to have them again. My fiance loves this sandwhich. Just a really great combination. The burger is something else. You really need to go and try it. Very juicy, cooked just right, with a ton of pastrami and cheese. Like the sign says, it is one "freakin' delicious mess".

For those who haven't been to Grumpy's, I would highly encourage you to try it out. They have a great beer selection, awesome burgers (plus a lot of other options) and tons of different kinds of "taters," lots of big screens to watch the games, and a seperate dining area for the family or if you want a quiet area.

Wise Acre Eatery

If you happen to make your way south on Nicollet Ave, a really great place to check out is Wise Acre Eatery. If my memory serves me right, this was an old custard shop, but you would hardly know it now. It is a really cool space, with two huge glass garage doors, lots of light, cool decorations and an all-around relaxed vibe. We went for brunch, and it was definately a popular spot.

We ordered a couple coffees and a donut muffin. Both were very good. The coffee even had brown sugar cubes and creamer for the 'misses, and the donut muffin was very good; basically a donut shaped like a muffin, with cinnamon-sugar on top.

Donut muffin

I ordered the special, which was their take on juevos rancheros, and consisted of tortillas, black beans, two poached eggs, melted cheese, habanero sour cream, red spiced pork, and pico de gallo. Very, very good. Fresh, spicy, flavorful and filling. Really a great dish. My fiance ordered the corndog with house made relish and pumpkin mustard. The corndog was the perfect texture, and with the mustard, quite good.

Juevos rancheros

Corndog and house relish

We definately enjoyed Wise Acre and would strongly recommend checking it out. The have a diverse menu, and we look forward to going back to try out their dinner options.

House of Wong

Things have been crazy busy this past week, and we have hardly had time to even see each other, much less check out any new restaurants. We were in dire need of some groceries, and decided to go to the "fancy" Target in Roseville. Since everyone knows that you should never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, we stopped at House of Wong for a quick supper.

Dumplings

House of Wong has been a long time food stop for my fiance; growing up, she went here every Friday and pretty much always got the chicken chow mein. It is the only place where she ever gets chow mein, so I guess that in itself is saying something. House of Wong is very much the stereotypical "asian" food restaurant. Dated decor, pretty cheesy music, some frozen ingredients (not all freshly made), but really affordable. Given this, if you know what to expect before going, you can get a great deal on a lot of food that is better than you would expect. I have usually get the orange chicken with fried rice, and it is good, plus you get a lot. When I say "a lot," I mean like two pounds of solid chicken. No pile of rice and veggies covered with a few pieces of chicken here-just a huge plate of orange chicken, and a seperate one with the fried rice.

Chicken chow mein



Orange chicken and fried rice

 So, if you are ever in the Larpenteur-Lexington area of Roseville and want some good food at cheap prices with a lot of leftovers for the next day, check out House of Wong, and you might just find your new pre-grocery shopping food stop.

Barrio

We were talking the other day about downtown St.Paul, and Lowertown in specific, and how we need to explore more of this area. Living here in the Twin Cities has a lot of benefits, one of them being the access and opportunities provided by both of the cities. Since we both love mexican food, I booked reservations for a late supper at Barrio in St. Paul.

My fiance has been the the Minneapolis Barrio in the past, and she really liked it, but I had never been, or really heard of many details about it. I pretty much went there with no prior knowledge or assumptions, and left having had a really positive experience. It was very busy, which is expected for 8 pm on a Friday. The atmosphere is very lively, with low lighting and some really neat decorations (huge wall mural, very cool bar with library ladders for the tequila shelves, Mexican wrestling masks, and a huge bull "statue"). We were seated with a great view of Mears Park, and placed an order for appetizers and a Nordeast and Fulton Lonely Blonde (a very good local beer, if you haven't tried it, you need to). We ordered the chips and salsa trio and the queso fundido (with roasted poblano peppers with warm flour tortillas).

Salsa trio

Queso fundido

 I forgot to write down what each salsa was, but they got progressively hotter as you moved to the left. They had very good flavor, but the medium one was already hotter than most place's hot. We mainly ate the mild one, and tried the hot once, which was all we needed. My only gripe was the chips, as they weren't that good. Some were really crispy, while others had soft spots on them. The chips and salsa trio was pretty inexpensive, but if you don't like really hot salsa, then you will only be eating one of the salsa's, so it may not be a good deal then. The queso was fantastic. Most queso I have had has been pretty "runny" (not the best term), with more of a nacho cheese consistency. I have never liked this, and typically don't eat very much queso. This queso was much thicker, more dip-like, and had awesome flavor. The poblanos in it were perfect, and it was actually a really filling dish, especially when using the grilled tortillas to dip into it. I would definately get it again.

beef barbacoa taco

Amish chicken enchilada

We ordered three tacos and an enchilada, which all had some unique ingredients and looked very good. We got the Amish chicken enchilada (al pastor with salsa verde and crema), the spiced shrimp taco (with tomato mint and pico de gallo), the beef barbacoa taco (with avacado and habanero pickled onion), and a grilled Amish chicken taco (with heirloom tomato pico de gallo and pineapple-mango salsa).  

spiced shrimp taco

grilled Amish chicken taco

The tacos were exceptionally good. The barbacoa had very good flavor and was super tender, and was definately hot with the habanero pickled onions on it. My fiance especially liked the crema on the enchilada, and the shrimp taco also had a great spiciness level to it. Our favorite was the grilled Amish chicken taco. The pineapple-mango salsa was very well balanced by the fresh jalapenos, and it was spicy, but in a really good way. Overall, the food was very good. The service was also good, as our server had a lot of tables to cover, but consistently checked in on us, and was very cordial. Even the manager served us one of our tacos and made sure everything was ok. This was a great first stop in our quest to explore more of downtown St.Paul, and we saw several more places while walking around that are now on our hit list.

Cafe Latte

Sunset as we headed out.

A date night was in order, and we have been talking about heading down to Grand for the past week, so we figured tonight was time to get some good food and just hang out together. We both love Cafe Latte, but I have never had their pizza before, so we each ordered one, as well as dessert.

We ordered the pepperoni pizza (basil marinara sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella) and the special, which was the butternut squash pizza (Italian sausage with spinach, red onions and feta). The pepperoni was very good. I'm not a huge pepperoni pizza fan (I usually like a bit more to them), but this one was quite good. I especially noticed the sauce, as the basil marinara was very distinct and very good. The butternut squash pizza was terrific. The squash took the place of the sauce, with huge chunks of Italian sausage, and big pieces feta. The butternut squash was very mild in flavor, and we didn't notice it at first, but once you catch the flavor, it is more obvious and very well balanced.



Butternut Squash Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza

No trip to Cafe Latte would be complete without some of their dessert. We ordered my fiance's favorite, the Tres Leches. It is out of this world. It is super, super moist, with very light frosting (almost like whipped cream). Really, it is amazing. If you have yet to try their dessert, you need to make it a point to go and try some. They have a huge selection of cakes, and the worst part is trying to decide on which one to get. We avoided this issue by getting another one to go. We chose the chip and chunks cheescake. As of the time of this post, we hadn't eaten it yet, however, the night is (relatively) young, so it may not make it to tomorrow.

Tres Leche

Chip and Chunks

Nelson Cheese and Deli

After a pretty busy Sunday morning doing a bunch of work, I finally took a break for a late lunch. We both had a craving for sandwiches, and what better place than our absolute favorite sandwich place: Nelson's. This is one of the places that we could go to almost anytime, and we would be excited about it. They have a very large menu of salads, sandwiches, and hot dogs/brats, plus a wide variety of great cheese.

We ordered the Kansas City BBQ (lean roast beef, slow cooked in sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, topped with melted cheddar and served on a French Roll, plus I had it spicy, which is a relatively recent option that I highly recommend), and the Town of Nelson (thinly sliced turkey breast, baked virginia ham, baby swiss and monterey jack on caraway rye with lettuce, onion and mayo). We also picked up a small bag of cheese curds, which really is a must. The only drawback to Nelson's is that they don't have any seating, so it's a grab and go deal.

Town of Nelson

Kansas City BBQ

Side profile

I'll be honest, I tried a couple different sandwiches the first few times I went to Nelson's, but since having the Kansas City, I haven't tried anything else. It is a great sandwich, with a ton of roast beef, a perfect layer of cheddar, a soft bun and very flavorful, slightly sweet BBQ sauce. It is also hot/heated up, so eating it right away is crucial in order to get the whole experience just right. I really like the spicy option, but wish they made it a bit spicier. I haven't tried the Town of Nelson, but my fiancé get's it a lot, and she loves how fresh it is, and the meat is noticeably good compared to other sandwiches she has had. The cheese curds are great. Remember, this is a cheese shop, so I would highly encourage people to grab some extra cheese, or to try something you haven't had. We have gotten several different kinds for us, as well as family and friends, and everyone has always liked it. Nelson's is our go to spot for last minute lunch or dinner, or if we are heading to the conservatory or Como Park (or the humane society off of Lexington). We really, really like Nelson's, and if you get the chance, check it out.
PS-sorry about the white highlighting. Couldn't get it to turn off.

Modern Cafe

We had planned to meet my sister for breakfast on Sunday, and I wanted to try out a new place that none of us had been to. I have biked past the Modern Cafe a few times, and have meant to check it out sooner, so I was pretty excited to finally go there, as I have also heard/read good things about it.

NE mpls wall art

The interior has a cool, old-school feel to it, and it wasn't very busy, so we were seated right away, with coffee and menus. I have heard about the Famous Modern Hash, ( 2 eggs, pot roast, potatoes, peppers, herbs, with fresh jam and toast) so my mind was set on that. The girls ordered the scallion buscuits and gravy with two eggs, and the daily special, which was beef and chicken breakfast tacos with pico, black beans and salsa verde.

Famous Modern Hash

Breakfast Tacos

Scallion Biscuits and Gravy

The hash that I ordered was very good. The pot roast was like I have had growing up-super tender, pulls right apart and had great flavor, while the peppers and herbs added great flavor when mixed in with the hash and perfectly cooked eggs. The breakfast tacos were pretty good. Similar to others I have had, but the pico and salsa verde were very fresh. The biscuits and gravy, however, were unlike any that I have ever had. They were huge, which I sort of feel like is a requirement for this dish. Also, the flavor of the gravy was unlike any other gravy I have had previously. Very, very good. The biscuits themselves were also moist and flaky, and overall, it was a really good dish.

Basement wall art

The service was friendly, and they continued to check in to refill coffee and ensure that everything was ok. The food was better than most other cafe/diners I have been to, and we will definately go back when in NE Mpls.

The Melting Pot

Since it is food week, and I had already missed out on one food outing, I was pretty excited to be able to go to the Melting Pot on a "double date" night with some friends. I hadn't heard too much about it before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. First impressions weren't much, as it looked like many other nice, sit down, chain restaurants. However, that is where the similarities with other chain restaurants I have been to ends. The whole concept of a multiple course meal of fondue creates for a unique and interactive experience.

Spinach Mushroom Salad

House Salad

We all chose to do the four course option, which consisted of a salad, cheese fondue, entree and dessert. Between the four of us, we ordered two house salads (Crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, crispy croutons and sliced egg with your choice of Peppercorn Ranch Dressing or our sweet and tangy House Dressing), a California Salad (Mixed-baby-salad greens, Roma tomatoes, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese with Raspberry Blacs Walnut Vinaigrette), and a spinach mushroom salad
(Fresh spinach, baby Portobello mushrooms, red onion, chopped bacon and Roma tomatoes with a warm Burgundy Shallot Vinaigrette). I had the spinach mushroom salad, which was excellent. One of the better salads I have ever had.

3 types of stuffed olives for the girl's drinks

Fiesta cheese fondue

For the cheese fondue course, we selected the fiesta cheese fondue (Cheddar cheese with lager beer, jalapeño peppers, and salsa; tailored to the heat level you want), which was very good. It was pretty spicy, which was what all of us wanted, and there were chips, bread, apple pieces, and assorted veggies to dip into the fondue.

Coq au vin

Mojo

For the entree course, we chose two different cooking styles. The first was Coq au Vin (fresh herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices and burgundy wine) and the other was Mojo (Caribbean-seasoned bouillon with fresh-garlic and  citrus). Basically, they heat each one at your table, and you cook the meat in whichever one you want, and then dip them in one of the sauces. We got two plates of meat, which included tiger shrimp, seasoned choice angus sirloin, and herb-crusted chicken breast. There were several sauces, such as the curry, teriyaki glaze, ginger plum and the green goddess ( cream cheese, sour cream, onions, chives and parsley that is great on vegetables and makes an excellent stuffed mushroom). I especially liked the ginger plum and teriyaki with the chicken. The meat had very good flavor from the fondue cooking style, plus the sauces added a lot to it.

In progress

It didn't seem like a ton of meat initially, and maybe its just that this cooking style forces you to eat a little slower, but we were all getting pretty full by the time we finished. But we still had some work to do, as our fourth course, and say may argue, the most important course, had yet to start.

It was a very tough choice (as there are 12 options), but we finally selected the Chocolate S'mores (milk chocolate topped with marshmallow cream, flambeed and garnished with graham cracker pieces) and the flaming turtle (Milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans flambéed tableside). Wow. Haven't had so much chocolate in quite awhile. Each couple recieved a plate with fresh strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, Rice Krispies Treats®, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies for you to dip into any of our decadent chocolate-fondue creations. They were all excellent, but overall, the brownies and cheesecake seemed to get the most votes for our favorites.

Banana and chocolate

Brownie overload

We all had a great time hanging out and trying some unique food. It is a fun thing to try, as not only are you getting good food, but the whole process is very interactive, as you make everything however you want to. It would typically be a pretty steep meal price wise, but since it was food week, it was pretty reasonable, especially considering it was a full four course meal. Really something pretty neat that we would recommend people try if they get the chance.