Young Joni revisit

We went back to Young Joni again. We were unable to get a reservation, so we went early on a Saturday, around 5pm and scored seats at the bar. I had not realized on previous visits that the bar and also a huge square table near the front are all open seating for people without reservations. Anyway, the trick seems to be to arrive early.

We started with the Sweet and Spicy Pork Spare Ribs gochujang bbq sauce, pickled vegetables.

Next, Brussels Sprouts with zhoug, pomegranate, pickled shallot.

This is the Tavern Pie topped with house red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, jalapeño, honey. It was spicy and a little sweet for a nice contrast.

The service at the bar was just fine. All of the food was exceptional as always. I see why Young Joni is still mobbed as the food and service are worth every dime.


Young Joni
165 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5719
http://www.youngjoni.com

Young Joni & Back Bar

We'd been wanting to back to Young Joni, but getting in is not easy. We decided to try going early and getting a spot at the bar. No such luck, the bar was full when we arrived, but we put our names on the list and headed to the back bar to try getting in there.

The Cocktail Formerly Known as Paisley Park

The MOA

The wait to get into the back bar was only 10 minutes or so and we enjoyed waiting there until our table in the restaurant was ready. I think we waited 75-90 minutes total. The drinks at the back bar were excellent too.

The cauliflower includes shishito peppers, saffron chermoula, pickled fresno, golden raisins, almond picada and cauliflower yogurt.

Basque pizza topped with Spanish chorizo, mozzarella, goat cheese, piquillo pepper, red onion, Castelvetrano olives and preserved lemon.

whole fish with one piece missing....it was branzino, which was a special. 

after...it was very light, flaky and delicious.  

The service was excellent and the food was amazing. The pizza is perfect and the fresh, whole fish is great. Don't be afraid to try a whole fish! The cauliflower is spicy, sweet and creamy, so many good flavors. There's a reason Young Joni is insanely busy and popular. It's worth the trouble to get in.


Young Joni
165 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5719
http://www.youngjoni.com

Young Joni

We finally went somewhere new shortly after it opened. I really wanted to try Young Joni, so I made a reservation about a month ahead of time. It was worth the wait.

We were seated right away. The room is very warm and inviting with open beams and lots of dark wood. The place was packed and buzzing and the sound levels were good, not too loud and not too quiet.

Our server greeted us pretty quickly and provided excellent service throughout our visit.

Paloma and sarsaparilla cocktails

We began with a couple starters- the first was the brussels sprouts. The sauce was a bit sweet and the onion added to the smoky flavor of the brussels sprouts.

The second starter was the grilled chili prawns. The sauce was definitely spicy and not in a Minnesota way. They were perfectly grilled and I could have eaten several more. 

We shared the Korean BBQ pizza. The crust was sturdy enough to support all of the topping and just the right amount of chewy and soft. The arugula was nicely dressed with sesame and soy vinaigrette and the short rib topping was tender and plentiful.

John had the sea salt and olive oil soft serve. It was surprisingly delicious, he was not sure it would be good, but it was in fact great. The olive oil almost tasted like caramel sauce.

My dessert was the church basement bars plate with a side of milk. The chocolate chip cookies were warm and perfect. The middle bar was a blueberry and lemon bar, which was sweet and light, like a cobbler. The chocolate bar on the left was super chocolatey, rich and sweet.

looking toward the bar

looking toward the front 

That reminds me, that the front door is a little tricky. All the windows and doors on the front look the same, the door is at an angle and has a very small lip to grab. 

restroom with giant lightbulb

I very highly recommend Young Joni. The experience was perfect from start to finish. It is not cheap, but worth every dime for the high quality food and service your receive.


Young Joni
165 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5719
http://www.youngjoni.com