Murray's

We visited Murray's back in October for my birthday dinner. We made reservations in advance and we were apparently one of the first reservations of the evening as the doors were locked on arrival.  We only waited a couple minutes before the doors were unlocked and we were seated promptly.

We've never tried their famous Silver Butterknife Steak, so we decided to take the plunge. It is a 28 oz. strip sirloin carved tableside for two people. 

It also included a choice of Caesar salad or French Onion soup, which I neglected to take photos of. I believe we both had the salad and it was freshly made with a potent Caesar dressing. 

We both ordered a baked potato for our side.

My serving of steak after slicing

John's serving. The steak was cooked as ordered (medium rare) and well seasoned with salt and pepper. It was very tender and juicy. Since I love tableside preparation of pretty much any type of food, I enjoyed the slicing and serving of the steak at the table. 

The portion was more than enough for two people. I forgot to take a photo of the garlic toast and bread basket, but their garlic toast is amazing. It is chock full of butter and garlic with just the right amount of crunch. 

complimentary lemon bundt cake birthday dessert was a nice special touch

The service was very good, friendly and helpful when needed, but not stopping by too many times. The steak for two was not cheap, but the fact that said and a potato were included was nice. They do offer more budget friendly options on the menu as well as non-beef choices. We really enjoyed our meal and I feel Murray's is a great spot for a fun night out downtown or a special event meal. 

Murray's
26 S 6th St
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 339-0909
http://www.murraysrestaurant.com/

Nolabelle Kitchen & Bar - Mankato

I've been to Nolabelle again since this initial visit and I have to say, it is one of the best restaurants to open in Mankato in some time. The scene in town tends to be chain restaurants and lots of underwhelming fare. 

The food is southern inspired and locally sourced. The room is bright and fun with huge windows. 

Blackened walleye with Brussels spouts

  roasted chicken, cheddar jalapeño grits, natural jus, kale, apple slaw

Grilled cheese with chips

Grilled cheese with side salad

We found the service to be excellent and I loved the drink menu as well. Lots of fun drinks, not your usual basic fare. I'd highly recommend checking out Nolabelle if you are going to be in the Mankato area. Reservations strongly recommended. 

Nolabelle Kitchen & Bar 
520 S Front St Suite 500
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: (507) 720-0841
https://www.nolabellekitchen.com

Hazelwood Food and Drink - St Louis Park

Hazelwood opened another location in St Louis Park this summer. We checked it out for brunch and found a beautiful restaurant in a great location with easy parking available. There is a large patio as well. 

I had the All American breakfast that includes three eggs any style, your choice of applewood smoked bacon, cob smoked ham, or sausage, smoked gouda hash browns, and toast. The bacon was excellent quality and I liked the gouda hash browns a lot. 

John had the breakfast burrito with choice of rotisserie chicken or sausage, scrambled eggs, charred corn salsa, queso fresco, roasted poblano salsa, lime sour cream, smoked gouda hash browns, and tortilla chips. 

The service was friendly and helpful, but not intrusive. We enjoyed our meal and the entire dining experience and look forward to returning again soon. 

Hazelwood Food and Drink

4450 Excelsior Blvd Suite #120 

St Louis Park, MN 55416

Phone: (952) 977-8000

https://hazelwoodfoodanddrink.com/slp-menus/

Marna's

I'm catching up on a bunch of posts from late summer and fall, when we were able to dine outdoors. I just wanted to clarify that these are not recent visits, but I figured I may as well go ahead and post them anyway since take out is still available from these same places. 

We made a reservation online in advance and were seated quickly once we found the host, which took a minute or two. 

John had the arroz con pollo, which was rice cooked with chicken stock, vegetables and pulled chicken and served with black beans and homemade potato chips. 

I finally tried the Marna's burger. I've read about it from a variety of local dining critics and the Travail guys have also shared how much they love it. It is a chipotle infused beef patty, caramelized onions, bacon, grilled pineapple, Swiss cheese and curry cream sauce on a brioche bun. I had chips and salsa on the side. It is definitely a rich, flavorful burger, if a little on the greasy side. It is somewhat spicy, but not super spicy. The cheese, bun and other elements do tame the spice a bit. 

The service was fine and it appeared they were following all of the safety protocols. We enjoyed our visit and would definitely return again. 

Marna's Eatery
4154 W Broadway Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55422
Phone: (612) 272-1370
https://marnaseatery.com

Marna's Eatery

Note: I visited the establishment and wrote this post before the virus shut down everything. I've decided to go ahead and continue posting as it was a snapshot in time. Many places are still open for carryout. Be sure to visit your favorite places during this crazy time. Support what you love. Now is the time!


We finally tried Marna's in Robbinsdale. Boy, have we been missing out on a great spot. They recently expanded into the area formerly occupied by Pig Ate My Pizza, so the space is cute, bright and open. We were seated right away.

The corn bread with honey butter is amazing. The corn bread is served warm and very moist, not at all dry like some cornbread and this is truly an improvement. This is a must order item!

Gallo Pinto

We both had the Gallo Pinto with rice with seasoned black beans, sweet fried plantain, sour cream, egg, guacamole and a tortilla aliñad. This was great also. I'm not even all that crazy about rice and bean dishes, but both were very flavorful and the plantains really were sweet and perfectly cooked. The tortilla alinad is like a flat corn cake and is a nice change from standard toast.

The service was friendly and efficient and we enjoyed our meal so much. We will certainly be visiting again very soon.


Marna's Eatery
4154 W Broadway Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55422
Phone: (612) 272-1370
https://marnaseatery.com

Lake & Irving Brunch

John and I went to Lake and Irving for brunch recently and I realized I have not done a post on their brunch. We’ve made it back here now and then for dinner or lunch, but I don’t think we’ve had their brunch before.

I had the breakfast sandwich with Lowry Hills sausage patty, bacon, sous vide scrambled egg, American cheese, shallot aioli, brioche, breakfast potatoes. I was not crazy about the breakfast potatoes, but they were crisp and had some rosemary, slat and other seasoning on them. Once I added some hot sauce they were great.

John had the garden scramble with 3 eggs, Sonoma chevre, baby spinach, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, wild rice wheat toast, breakfast potatoes. I did not get to try a bite. It disappeared too quickly. It must have been delicious.

The service was just fine and the food arrived pretty quickly. As usual, a great visit.


Lake & Irving
1513 W Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 354-2453
http://www.lakeandirving.com/

Hen House

We visited Hen House in downtown Minneapolis awhile ago. I am way behind in postings, but I had some nice photos I wanted to post. We sat at the counter and while they were very busy, the service was ok.

John had the archer tostadas with corn tortillas topped with refried black beans, eggs, queso fresco, avocado, cilantro and crema and hash browns.

I had the cinnamon roll pancakes with bacon. They were definitely very sweet and the drizzle tasted like frosting. They were tasty, but I could really only eat about half of them.

This is a great breakfast spot and it is often very busy on the weekends, but the food is usually worth the wait. I think they have improved considerably since they have been open.



Hen House
114 S 8th St
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-345-4664
http://henhouseeatery.com

Papa's Cafe

It had been a long time since we visited Papa's Cafe in New Hope. I am not really sure why though. The food is solid and the service is fine. We need to go back on a regular basis.

 generous portions! 

The pancakes are really quite good. They are light and fluffy with crunchy bits around the edges. They are really almost perfect pancakes.

Here is a link from a previous visit. Not much has changed, so everything still applies: http://whereshouldwegomsp.blogspot.com/2012/04/papas-cafe.html


Papa's Cafe
7181 42nd Ave N
New Hope, MN 55427
763.535.4887
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Papas-Cafe/147811451948391

Patrick's Bakery & Cafe

We visited Patrick’s in Maple Grove for brunch for the first time awhile back. John had been to the location near Southdale for lunch ages ago. We were seated immediately and had great service even though there was a large group next to us.

John had the Forestier burger, which is an angus beef burger on freshly baked baguette bread and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms and bacon bits with French fries. He really liked that this is served on a baguette instead of a traditional hamburger bun. The fries were great also.

I had the ham and cheese croissant sandwich, which is a flaky croissant filled with ham, Dijon mustard, bechamel sauce and shredded mozzarella. The sandwich was served warm and had plentiful fillings. It was a lot of food and I liked the side salad and vinaigrette dressing. Everything tasted as great as it looked.

We found the service to be quick and friendly. We had a very enjoyable meal and would certainly return.


Patrick's Bakery & Café
The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes
12489 Elm Creek Blvd N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Phone: (763) 420-7770
http://patricksbakerycafe.com/

Meyvn

We went back to Meyvn for a late brunch recently. IT is a great option because it is easy to get in and the food arrives quickly.

John tried the double cheeseburger. It is a close relative of the cheeseburger at Saint Dinette and this is a very good thing. It is a cheesy, gooey and delicious burger. Very juicy with a decent bun too.

I had the egg sandwich with bacon. It was also topped with white cheese. This was a great sandwich and very, very filling. IT had the same bun as the burger, making it light and fluffy but able to hold a lot without breaking down.



Meyvn
901 W Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 315-4608
https://www.meyvneats.com

Brick and Bourbon

I had been hearing a lot of raves about Brick and Bourbon in Stillwater. That is kind of out of our normal range, but I was excited when I heard they were opening a second location in Maple Grove.

We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon, so we did not have to wait for a table. Though it was plenty busy.

I started with the lavender mule- with vodka, lavender syrup and ginger beer. Very fresh and light tasting.

We shared a bunch of appetizers so we could try a variety of items on the menu. John went with wings with the pomegranate sriracha sauce. They were not at all spicy and very sweet. They were finished on the grill, which is always a nice touch though.

 We also had the crispy Brussel sprouts, which were a solid item. As advertised.

I tried the duck bacon wontons. I did not get a lot of flavor from the duck bacon and they came with the pomegranate sriracha sauce as well, which just added a very sweet flavor to them. Not sure I would get these again.

The service was fine, no issues at all. Everything arrived hot and fresh and we didn’t wait long for anything. I think it is worth a trip back to try a few more drinks and food on the rather extensive menu.



Brick and Bourbon
7887 Elm Creek Blvd N
Maple Grove, MN
Phone: (763) 208-9477
www.brickandbourbon.com

Thirty Bales

The old Big Ten in Hopkins has been gone awhile now and Thirty Bales has been reborn in its place. The room is modern and bright with a large square bar in the center. They did a great job and it looks nothing like it did before.

John had the spicy chicken sandwich with a buttermilk friend chicken breast, hot sauce and pickles, lettuce on ciabatta roll with crinkle fries on the side.

I had the lemon ricotta pancakes. Oddly the server asked if I wanted to add berries and I said no, but it arrived with berries. I had to ask for the maple syrup the menu said it included. The pancakes were fluffy and light, but did not have a lot of lemon flavor.

The service started out OK, but everything seemed a bit off. Servers kept trying to deliver food to our table after we had received ours. It took ages for the check to arrive and the server to come back and process the payment. The restaurant was not that busy at the time either, so I am not sure what the delay was. Being that there are not a ton of interesting options in Hopkins, it might be worth a trip back to try the dinner menu. And hopefully the service improves as they are open longer.



Thirty Bales
1106 Mainstreet
Hopkins, MN 55343
Phone: (952) 930-0369
www.thirtybales.com

Meyvn

We stopped in at Meyvn for a late lunch on a Sunday afternoon. There wasn’t a line and we ordered at the register in short order and grabbed a table. There were plenty of tables available to choose from too. We were given a number for the table and the food was brought out by a runner. They have people to clear the tables as well, but there isn’t really a server in the traditional sense, though someone did come around and ask how things were and if we needed beverage refills.

I wasn’t very hungry so I just had an everything bagel with green onion schmear. The bagel was nicely chewy and the cream cheese had lots of onion in it. I thought this was a very good bagel.

John had the pastrami sandwich with chips. The pastrami was excellent. Very tender and the stoneground mustard added a nice contrast to the salty meat.

The menu includes a variety of other sandwiches as well as some small plates. The menu is definitely focusing on deli type items and the quick service is a plus. The diner menu has a few large plates and some raw bar selections as well. The room is open, bright and inviting with a small pet friendly patio in back as well. This is a very nice spot for a leisurely meal or to grab something quickly. Certainly something for everyone.


Meyvn
901 W Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 315-4608
https://www.meyvneats.com

Firelake MOA

I visited Firelake again recently for a girlfriend getaway at the Radisson Blu at the Mall of America with Kelly and Michele.  After reviewing the dining choices at the MOA we realized there are not a lot of great options there.

Kelly ordered the Blue Smash drink and it looked cool! It was made with fresh blueberries, vanilla simple syrup, fresh squeezed orange juice, Zaya 12 year rum and ginger ale.

We started with broccoli tots, which were deep fried chopped up broccoli with Boursin, white cheddar, smokehouse bacon, potato crust. The dipping sauce had a good kick to it. These were oddly good.

Our second starter was the Dirty Fries- hand-cut frites, Eichten’s cheese curds, Pinot Noir reduction, oven dried mushrooms and truffle salt. They were serviceable fries. I wished for more of the cheese curds.

Kelly had a salad with rock shrimp.

Michele had the Roasted Tomato Soup & Hook’s Grilled Cheese Hook’s 2-year aged Wisconsin cheddar cheese and brioche.

I had the I had the rosemary rotisserie chicken entrée with cheddar mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were good, but I did not detect a lot of cheese flavor in them.

We found the service to be excellent and the food was quite good also. The menu had a pretty wide variety and a lot of local themed and sourced items.


Firelake
2100 Killebrew Dr
Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: (952) 881-5258
http://www.firelakerestaurant.com/moa.php

Hi-Lo Diner

We went back to Hi-Lo Diner the other day. We went during peak hours and waited a good 20-30 minutes for a table. The place is popular! Apparently, they are coming up on the one year anniversary as well.

This glazed donut was amazing, super and fantastic! Warm and fluffy as can be. We ordered it as a starter and it helped the wait for the food seem a bit shorter.

I had the Zie Local Yolkel omelet filled with ham, gruyere cheese and fresh herbs with hash browns on the side. It was OK, not amazing. The hash browns were really good though. Fresh potatoes, crispy on the exterior. 

John had the Tex Max, which was a burrito stuffed with chorizo, hash browns, scrambled eggs and pico de gallo and topped with enchilada sauce, melted manchego and cheddar cheeses and seasoned sour cream. This burrito was a monster, and very flavorful. 

We were seated at a small two person booth/table off to the right side of the restaurant. The service was a kind of slow and not quite as friendly as our previous visit.

Hi-Lo Diner

4020 E Lake St

Minneapolis, MN 55406

Phone: (612) 353-6568

www.hi-lo-diner.com

The Lowry

John keeps winning gift certificates to Blue Plate Restaurant Group establishments on KFAN radio so we keep visiting them. This time we thought we'd check out The Lowry as we have not been there before for some reason. I guess I figured the menu is the same as all the others, but it does have some unique items like oysters and other seafood options I don't think their other restaurants offer.

We were seated after just a wait of a few minutes. It was busy, but not packed when we arrived. There was a longer wait by the time we were finished.

John had the chilaquiles topped with chorizo, tortilla, black beans, eggs, peppers, hash browns and pico de gallo. He said it was very good and especially liked the very crisp hash browns under the egg.

I had the sweet potato hash with onion, pepper, sausage, eggs, jalapenos, guacamole, and toast. The hash was pretty heavy on the peppers and onions, but it had great flavor and was a pretty unique dish.

The service was friendly and efficient and we were in and out pretty fast without feeling rushed. There is ample parking in the lot on the side, so you don't need to worry about finding street parking, which is nice in Uptown. We enjoyed The Lowry and look forward to going back.


The Lowry
2112 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Phone: (612) 341-2112
www.thelowryuptown.com

Pat's Tap

We went to Pat's Tap for brunch recently. It was not busy at all when we arrived and I think it was right around 11am. I was surprised. There is no reason this should not be a top brunch destination.

I had the bloody Mary sandwich, which was topped with 2 fried eggs, bacon, tomato bread, Worcestershire aioli, tomato and pepper jam. The bread did not have as much tomato flavor as I expected, but this was a very savory sandwich and very tasty. I d enjoy a good egg sandwich a lot and the did not disappoint in any way. The eggs were just the right amount of runny and the bacon was crisp, plentiful and excellent quality.

John again had the big cheese burger with cheddar, tomato and garlic dill pickles with French fries. The cheese on this was crisped on the griddle and really, really fabulous. It has a slight crunch when you bit into it. So good.

Pat's Tap has great food and service. The see ball in the back should not be missed either!

Here's link to a previous visit to Pat's Tap: http://whereshouldwegomsp.blogspot.com/2013/10/pats-tap.html


Pat’s Tap
3510 Nicollet Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: (612) 822-8216
http://patstap.com/

COV Wayzata

My friend Angie and I met at COV in Wayzata for a recent get together during happy hour. It was busy when I arrived, but I got one of the booths on the side of the bar.

Our server was very nice and checked back with us frequently. I was impressed considering it was just happy hour. The good service did make the think it would be a great place for lunch or dinner though.

The sesame ahi tuna for $9. It was very good and a decent portion for the very nice price. 

chicken tenders $7

The chicken flatbread for $9 was a very generous portion.

truffle fries for $5

We had a fun time visiting and enjoyed our appetizers and drinks a lot. I'd highly recommend this happy hour and it makes me want to return to try items on the regular menu. The food quality and service all seemed to be top notch.

Deals & discounts: The happy hour is very good with food and drink specials. It runs M-F 3-6pm and Saturday 10-5 in the bar area only. Check website for current happy hour menu.
http://www.covwayzata.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/COV_HappyHour11.16_full.pdf


COV
700 Lake St E
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 473-5253
http://www.covwayzata.com/