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.

Hot Plate

Despite having an incredable time in NYC and upstate NY, landing back into MPLS/STP was a good feeling. Perfect fall weather and tons of restaurants for us to check out. Boy, do we have some work to do.
It has been super busy for both of us, and while we wouldn't change anything about our trip, it was one of those trips where you get back home, and feel like you need a few extra days off. We finally got some free time on Sunday, so we figured we would check out a spot in south MPLS that I have gone by while working and had heard good things about. Well, the rumors are true. And as their t-shirts say, "a day without bacon is like a day without sunshine."

Really neat waiting area.

We arrived and it was pretty busy. The hostess was helping someone, but one of the waiters greeted us, got us some coffee, pointed us towards the couch and said he would work on getting a table. The decor here is off the charts. Mix of your grandma's house and an extensive (I mean ex-ten-sive) collection of paint-by-number art pieces. Sounds like it would be super tacky, but it completely works. Don't know how, but it is really cool, and the entire atmosphere is neat. Also, they have a great playlist going. Definately not your typical small diner.

We ordered the breakfast burrito(Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, black beans, and chorizo sausage with chipotle sauce and sour cream) and a pumpkin buckwheat waffle(topped with pecans and whipped cream). Well folks, this is the best waffle I have ever eaten. Pure bliss. Its like combining a waffle and a slice of pumpkin pie. I wanted to turn around and order another. Plus, there is just the right amount of pecans, slightly coated with brown sugar. Wow. Can't say enough how great this was. The breakfast burrito was also good, but after eating the pumpkin buckwheat waffle, I can hardly think straight.

Hot Plate is an excellent diner with a super unique atmosphere, and we will be going back as soon as we get the chance.

Piccolo Cafe

We had passed by Piccolo a couple times, and I really wanted to stop in before we left NYC. I also wanted to check out the river, so I got up a little early on Monday, checked out the river and the bike path along the west side of Manhattan, and got some coffee and a torta della nona (tuscan cheescake. I know, I know, but we're on vacation).

Piccolo Cafe is a true gem, unique from the many cookie cutter, chain coffee shops found throughout NYC and other cities. Its a very small space, with a very rustic, old-school decor, and they focus on Italian cafe food and coffee. Really, really good coffee, and the cheesecake was very light and flavorful, almost like a firm custard in the middle. 

Thank you New York.

John's Pizzeria - "No Slices"

After doing a lot more walking and exploring in Chelsea, and seeing much of the Highline, we made our way back north. We both felt like trying some real, authentic New York style pizza. After a quick check of online reviews, we found that John's Pizzeria was relatively close, and seemed like it would be well worth the walk. Well, it was.

Really cool wall mural

John's was super busy, which was a good sign that their food must be legit. We ordered the garlic bread with mozzarella cheese, and a John's traditional pizza with mushrooms, onions and pepperoni. Pretty basic ingredients, but the execution was perfect. Great crust, not too light, not too heavy. The sauce was very fresh and flavorful, and the toppings rounded it all off. Plus, we could watch the chefs assemble and bake the pizzas right across the room. The garlic bread was also very, very good. We loved it, and it was a great "last meal" for our NYC trip.

Yeah, it's big.

View from hotel.

Lobster Place Seafood Market

We both had such a great time on Friday exploring the Chelsea neighborhood and visiting the Highline, so we headed south to go to Chelsea Market. On the way, we made a quick side trip to the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. Very cool, and not what I expected around the corner in the heart of NYC.

Chelsea Market is also another very cool spot, being the original location of the National Biscuit Company, where everything from Saltines to Oreos were made. Some really interesting history has taken place here, where there is now a wide range of specialty retail stores and restaurants. We had seen Lobster Place Seafood Market when we visited on friday, so this was the target spot.

For my 'sis

I hear "heavenly music" when I see this pic.

We didn't need much time to decide on what to get. We headed straight to the back and picked out a fresh
 2 lb lobster, they cooked it and 10minutes later, we had super fresh, wild, East coast caught lobster with hot butter. Needless to say, out of this world.

We are both big seafood fans, and my fiance loves lobster, so this was a huge treat. I would highly recommend Lobster Place, and since we shared it, it was actually a really good deal. They also have a huge selection of other seafood, an oyster bar, and more fresh fish than I have ever seen.