Del Sur Empanadas

We've been meaning to try Del our Emepanadas for awhile and never got around to it until we picked it up for lunch awhile back. They have a very handy online ordering system and pick up is quick and easy.   It is just me, or all of the online ordering systems a great improvement over calling in an order? 

I think John had the chicken Lomito sandwich. It was topped with chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, ham cheese and chimichurri mayo.

We tried the mushroom and ham and cheese empanadas. I quite liked the sauces served on the side. One is a chimichurri sauce and the other is a spicy sour cream based sauce. 

I had the Lomito sandwich with filet mignon, lettuce, tomatoes, ham, cheese and chimichurri mayo. The sandwich was freshly made and a sizable serving. The side salad was a very nice addition as well. 

We liked Del Sur Empemnadas a lot and have picked it up a couple other times since our first visit. It is just down the way from Unmapped Brewing, and a great option if you are in the area. 

Del Sur Empenadas
14725 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345
Phone: (952) 303-6081

https://www.delsurempanadas.com

Dipped and Debris

In our quest for new and interesting dining options, we recently visited Dipped and Debris in Northeast Minneapolis. Dipped and Debris specializes in sandwiches and frozen custard.

The service is quick and straightforward. You order at the register and they deliver the food to your table when it is ready. They also had a wide variety of bottled soda pop to select from near the register with many specialty and local brands. The dining area is basic but brightly lit and brightly colored, which fits the quick service style and motif.

John had the Debris sandwich with roast beef, lettuce, onion, tomato, mayo and gravy on a French loaf.

We shared an order of fries. I liked the slightly spicy seasoning on the fries a lot.

I had the Dipped sandwich with beef on a French roll, dipped in gravy and topped with provolone and hot giardiniera peepers all on a French roll. The roast beef was very tender and juicy and there was a lot of it as well. This was a huge sandwich! It was messy to eat but very delicious.

The service was efficient and friendly. We did not wait long for our food to arrive. I’d like to return soon and try the Po Boys as well. I am sure the custard is amazing, but we didn’t get a chance to try it as we were stuffed form the sandwiches.



Dipped and Debris
2422 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: (612) 800-9424
https://www.dippedanddebris.com/

Prairie Tap House

We visited Prairie Tap House for a quick dinner one evening when we were not feeling like making dinner. It wasn't very busy and we were seated right away. We used a coupon from the Metro Dining Guide for $8 off each month.

John had the pit beef sandwich topped with thin-sliced angus beef, shaved onion, creamy horseradish sauce.

I had the Latin pig sandwich topped with pit pork drenched in mandarin habanero sauce, avocado, fresh cilantro and mayo. The habanero sauce was far more sweet than spicy, and it was a super sweet flavor. The fries were hot and tasted like they had been freshly made and were the best thing on the plate and were possibly made in house.

Both of the sandwiches were ok, but nothing memorable or outstanding. The meat was a bit on the dry side and all a uniform doneness. No rare meat here, which also meant it was all a bit on the dry and chewy side.

The service was ok, kind of rushed, but we were only left waiting when we were ready to pay the bill.     Overall, everything was ok, but I don't think we will be rushing back.


Prairie Tap House 
Eden Prairie Center
8251 Flying Cloud Dr,
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: (952) 217-4054
http://theprairietaphouse.com

Ummie's Bar & Grill - Mankato

I visited Ummie's Bar & Grill recently my friends Tricia and Christine for a late lunch on a Saturday. They suggested Ummie's since it is a newer spot in town. It was not busy at all and we seated ourselves near the front. The interior has been nicely redone and has lots of exposed brick and wood floors with a bar down the side of the room.

I had a chicken sandwich with a bourbon sriracha sauce and topped with swiss cheese. The sandwich was excellent and the sauce was sweet and spicy, but not so spicy I did not enjoy it. I ordered the house made potato chips with the secret recipe chip dip. The chip dip seemed to be cream cheese based and was very flavorful, but not spicy.

Christine had a bacon cheeseburger

Tricia had the avocado turkey burger

The service was good and the food was all excellent. Ummie's is a great addition to the Mankato dining scene. The town certainly needs more independent restaurants with great food. I look forward to going back and visiting during patio season.


Ummie's Bar & Grill
530 S Front St,
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone:(507) 625-8277
http://ummiesmankato.com

D'Amico & Sons

We recently visited the D'Amico and Sons location in Golden Valley for dinner because John signed up for their loyalty club and received a coupon for a buy one get one free entree. It is so close, but we rarely think to visit for some odd reason.

John had the oven roasted garlic shrimp with spaghetti. It was a generous portion and had excellent flavor. John inhaled it in short order.

I had the Tuscan pot roast with beef, carrots, roasted garlic, parsley, and horseradish sauce with roasted Romano potatoes. The meat had a bit of tomato sauce in it and was very tender. The carrots were lightly sautéed and excellent and the horseradish sauce was the real deal and very strong. I really enjoyed this and will order it again.

The food was excellent and even though it is just counter service they stopped by the table to ask if the food was ok. We enjoyed it a lot and intend to return very soon. The menu has a nice variety, though sandwiches are only available at lunch, they offer salads, soups and pastas as well.


D'Amico & Sons
7804 Olson Memorial Highway
Golden Valley, MN 55427
Ph: 763-546-1166
http://www.damicoandsons.com/

Malone's Bar and Grill

We visited Malone's in Maple Grove for lunch on a Sunday recently. We needed a place with lots of TV's for NFL football on and this certainly fit the bill. They take reservations, which was a great selling point for our large group with small kids.

I had the buffalo chicken sandwich with grilled chicken, waffle fries and seasoned sour cream. The sandwich was good and the onion bun was very fresh and soft. The waffle fires were excellent, but the seasoned sour cream was not very good. It basically tasted like sour cream and not much seasoning.

Megan had the Jimmy burger, which was topped with fried onions, lettuce, tomato, American and cheddar cheese and Jimmy sauce. Jimmy sauce is basically like special sauce at McDonald's.  

John had the California burger and said it was good. It was topped with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and guacamole.

I found the food much better than I expected and the service was good as well. The server did a good job with our group. I would certainly return to Malone's again. They have a lot of HD televisions, which is great; I don't think there is a bad seat in the house.


Malone's Bar and Grill 
12635 Elm Creek Blvd N
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Phone:(763) 447-6500

Cadillac Ranch - Mall of America

We met Kristin and Chris at the Mall of American the other day. We could not really decide where to go, but we knew we wanted to go somewhere that would have college football on TV. We could see the game was on when we walked by, the menu looked OK, so we thought we would give it a try. We were seated right away and the server was with us promptly. He was good at checking back with us throughout our visit.

John had the buffalo chicken sandwich. It was your basic chicken sandwich and fries. 

I had the pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and blue cheese potato chips. The pork was OK and the BBQ sauce was in short supply. I'd call this average, nothing special.

The blue cheese chips were not bad, although I was expecting a potato chip rather than potato slices. They were decent though with lots of blue cheese dressing and crumbles on top.

Chris had the no bull burger, which was a hamburger topped with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese and onion straws.

Kristin had the Philly cheese steak with a side of fries.

The food was fine, the service was acceptable, but the one thing that made us all want to leave as soon as we were done, we the extremely cold temperature of the dining room. All of us were freezing cold, even people that never get cold normally. Maybe they keep it cold to make sure you won't stay too long, so they can turn the tables faster. Either way, we found it acceptable, but I don't know that I would go back anytime soon. It is just one more of the average dining options at the Mall of America. I did see that some new options are coming soon, so hopefully those will bring better food with them as well.


Cadillac Ranch
Mall of America
352 South Avenue
Bloomington, MN 55425
(952) 854-1004
http://www.cadillacranchgroup.com/

Real Meal Deli

I decided to try and step put of my lunchtime rut and try a new place again. Real Meal Deli has been in the Baker Building for some time and they recently opened a second location in the Tri-Tech building. The menu consists of sandwiches, soups and salads with breakfast available in the early mornings as well. The Baker Building location is strictly grab and go, the Tri-Tech location has tables, chairs and seating with widows even.

I had the Josie's Club Sandwich which is topped with sliced deli turkey & ham, swiss, chopped bacon, hellman’s mayo, lettuce and tomato. The bread was fresh tasting and the deli meat was higher quality band the vegetables tasted and looked fresh.

I made this a sack lunch combo so I could try the soup, you also get a cookie and a beverage. The wild rice soup was decent. I was not expecting a broth based soup, it was a lot like chicken noodle soup with wild rice in it. It had good flavor and a lot of vegetables and meat in it though.

The cookie was warm, which was a nice touch I thought. This was probably more food than I needed at lunch, but it was nice to try a few different items at once. Overall, the food was decent, not amazing, and I would go back next time I'm in the mood for a sandwich or soup. I found the pricing on par with other soup and sandwich places like Panera or Cosi, the combo was $9.48 before tax.



Real Meal Deli
Two downtown Minneapolis locations:

Baker Center
733 Marquette Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Open Monday - Friday 10:30am - 2:30pm
612.436.0114

TriTech Office Center Suite #206
331 2nd Ave S.,
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Open Monday - Friday 7am - 2pm
612.436.0114
http://www.realmealdeli.com

Allie's Deli

I feel like I have been slipping into a major rut with my lunch time dining in the skyways. I tend to go to the same rotation of favorites and find it a challenge to go out of my comfort zone to try new places.

Allie's deli has been in the skyway for some time and they even expanded sometime last year into the old Caribou space next door. It is always busy with long lines, but the line moved very quickly for me.

I tried the French dip (half sandwich) with a pickle and chips. The bread was very good and the salty au jus added flavor to the rather bland meat and cheese sandwich. The meat was not dry, but it was a bit overcooked. I'm not sure I'd order this again, but I liked that you can order a whole or half sandwich option for every sandwich on the menu.

Next time, I need to try the salads or soups as those look to be the most popular items. I also found all of the employees to be very outgoing and friendly.


Allie's Deli
527 Marquette Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 333-6425
http://alliesdeliandcatering.com/

Twin City Grill

I recently joined the Lettuce Entertain You loyalty club called Frequent Diner Club Rewards. It costs $10 to join, but you get a $10 off coupon on your first visit with the card as well as a birthday discount and points for each dollar spent at the restaurants that you can redeem for free food and drink. There are quite a few restaurants in the company's line up in our area too. So we decided to visit the Mall of America, get some walking in and then have lunch at Twin City Grill.

We did not make a reservation, but we were seated right away. The restaurant was pretty busy, but not packed. The atmosphere is rather dark and clubby, with lots of leather booths and dark wood. Our server arrived quickly to take our beverage order and tell us about the specials.

I had the walleye sandwich and salt and vinegar fries. The walleye sandwich was beer battered and topped with tartar sauce and lettuce and tomato. The walleye was very good with a nice crispy breading. It was a very large sandwich and very filling. The salt and vinegar fries were OK. There was just too much salt on them and the vinegar gave them a very sour flavor. Maybe there was too much vinegar on them as well. Either way, they would have been fine with a lot less seasoning. I should have just ordered plain fries.

John had the Baja burger with salt and vinegar fries. The Baja burger was topped with avocado, jalapenos, provolone, chipotle mayo, lettuce and tomato. He said it was a good burger, but certainly not close to the best he’s ever had. It was a bit overcooked actually. He thought the salt and vinegar fries were too salty as well.

We’ve always liked Twin City Grill quite a bit and overall, we had a good experience and will certainly return, especially now that I have the Frequent Diner Club card. I believe you also get birthday perks and we also received some coupons for all of the other restaurants in the chain such as Big Bowl and Wildfire.

Deals and Discounts: The loyalty club has proven to be a good value so far, since I already recouped the cost for the card. I also received some discount coupons for all of the restaurants in the chain in the Twin Cities. Twin City Grill also offers happy hour specials on food and drinks available Monday through Friday from 3-6pm in the bar area.


Twin City Grill
130 N Garden
Bloomington, MN 55425
(952) 854-0200
http://www.twincitygrill.net

Pub 42

We've been back to Pub 42 a few more times now and photos of all three visits are below. While I loved this place on the first visit, we've had mixed experiences since.

We went back for dinner and trivia night and had dinner before the trivia started. Our server seemed ok at first, but he brought out the entirely wrong burger. John had ordered a burger with provolone, and bacon, cooked medium and he got a well done burger with cheddar. It was sent back and he got another burger with cheddar, but it was cooked correctly this time. Still no bacon. Oh well. The manager ended up removing the burger from the tab anyway, so that was nice.

I had the pumpkin ravioli. The portion seemed rather small for the price of $13.95. The cream sauce was very rich and flavorful though. I'm not sure I liked the sausage on top of the ravioli though. It didn't complement the sweetness of the pumpkin very well.

cheeseburger with fries

 

We went back again for trivia a week later and sat at the bar this time, hoping things would go better and they did. No service issues at all. John really liked the char wings as they had a nice smoky flavor.

char wings

The filet sliders were good, but the meat was a bit chewy in spots. A decent appetizer though.

The huge side order of fries. Also, they have a great seasoned sour cream that tastes just like the Champps seasoned sour cream.

 

We had one last gift card won at trivia to use up, so we went back one more time. We sat at the bar again and the service was fine. No issues again.

chicken Caesar salad

The side of fries. this time the fires were really undercooked and most of them were soggy.

The chicken fingers were really good, with a light crispy breading.

Overall, we had mixed service at Pub 42 and the food seemed to be a bit hit and miss. Some things are better than others on the menu. And if you want good service I would recommend sitting at the bar.

Oh yeah and to top it all off, they have canceled trivia night. So much for that one. Time to look around for a good trivia night again.

Here is a link to our first visit to Pub 42:
http://whereshouldwegomsp.blogspot.com/2014/04/pub-42.html

Deals & Discounts: They have a happy hour! Both early and late. Monday – Friday: 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close and Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here is a link to the happy hour page on the website: http://pub42.com/happy-hour/


Pub 42
7600 42nd Ave N
New Hope, MN 55427
(763) 278-4242
http://pub42.com/

Motely Crews Heavy Metal Grill

We visited a few breweries recently and tried the Motley Crews food truck when it was parked at Indeed brewing. We were starving, so it really hit the spot.

I had the Motley-Q, which had slow roasted shaved ribeye with grilled onions, provolone and mozzarella cheese and a rich, sassy, full body BBQ sauce. The bread was very fresh and yet strong enough to hold all of the contents without coming apart.

John ordered the Harley, which had slow roasted shaved ribeye with grilled onions, provolone and mozzarella blend of cheese and their own A1 type steak sauce.

Michele had the Italian chick sandwich, with slow cooked chicken with provolone and mozzarella cheese and a thick hearty marinara sauce. All of the sandwiches were very large and very filling.

The sandwiches were great and I love the trend of food trucks at all of our new local breweries. I only wished I had waited to eat as the Anchor Fish and Chips truck was at our next stop and I bet that would have been as good as the restaurant. Regardless, Motley Crews was good and I think we would all order it again,


Motely Crews Heavy Metal Grill
Twitter: @MotleyCrews

Yard House

A new outpost of the Yard House opened last month in St Louis Park. We tried to get in a few times, but the wait times were always an hour or more. We had the foresight to call ahead before this visit and at least get our names added to the waiting list. We still had to wait about 30-40 minutes once we arrived, but it was not as bad as the hour plus we had been quoted before. By the time we checked in and got a drink it was not too long before our table was ready. We ended up in a booth near the front of the restaurant.

It was very busy and loud in the restaurant, and the atmosphere is sports-bar like with lots of big screen TVs and some industrial touches such as huge fans in the ceiling. One full wall of the restaurant contains all of the beer kegs behind glass. The employees all seemed very friendly and helpful despite the place being very busy and full.

The beer selection is the main draw here and they do not disappoint. I was also pleased to see a large number of local beers on the tap list. The beer selection is gigantic; I think they have over 100-plus beers on tap, so there is certainly something fort everyone.

I had the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich with Swiss, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo on a poppy seed bun. I liked the sandwich a lot; the chicken was very juicy and not at all dry as can be the case with chicken breasts. The thin cut matchstick fries were great. They arrived hot and tasted very fresh.

John had the avocado Swiss burger. Basically the same thing I had but with a hamburger patty. The hamburger was cooked medium as ordered and was very juicy.

I am surprised to say that I really liked Yard House. I was not very excited about the food as it is another chain restaurant (owned by the Darden, which also owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster) but it exceed my expectations. We will certainly go back, especially if getting in becomes easier. The long wait times are a major deterrent right now, but I’m sure that will subside as the newness wears off a bit.

Deals and Discounts: A daily happy hour is offered on both food and beverages. It runs Monday - Friday 3pm - 6pm  and Sunday - Wednesday 10pm - Close. Drinks and food specials are offered including half off selected appetizers. Detailed information is available on their website: http://www.yardhouse.com/MN/st-louis-park-restaurant/happy-hour/


Yard House
1665 Park Place Blvd.
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
952-417-0490
https://www.yardhouse.com/MN/st-louis-park-restaurant/

Maison Darras

Finally some new openings to report in the Minneapolis skyways! Maison Darras has opened in the Baker building recently and it appears to be a wonderful addition. It is a very small storefront made up of mostly counter and food display cases, though there are a few tables inside. It is mainly targeted at those picking up lunch and taking it back to the office.

On my first visit I had the goat cheese, turkey and tomato Panini. After you order they take the sandwich out of the case and put it on a panini press for a few minutes to warm it through. The combination of flavors in my sandwich was a winner with tart goat cheese and tangy tomatoes.

I also had the crème brulee, but in my excitement I totally forgot to take a photo of it. The crust was crisp and the interior was rich and creamy making this an excellent crème brulee. The prices are not bad; the paninis are $5.49 and sandwiches are $6.49. you could add a dessert and beverage as a combo meal for an extra fee as well.

I loved my first visit to Maison Darras and will be going back again soon. I am looking forward to trying more of their soups, salads, paninis and sandwiches.

Update: I went back again this week for a second visit.

This time I had the Chesterfield panini, which contained chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. The chicken was cubed into small pieces and quite good. Not at all dry. The BBQ sauce gave the sandwich a rich and tangy flavor.

Here is a photo of the creme brûlée I talked about above. Amazing on the second visit as well!

Deals & Discounts: I was given a stamp card on my first visit. If you buy 10 sandwiches or salads you get one free. Not a bad deal for frequent visitors.


Maison Darras
Baker Center
733 Marquette Ave, Suite 211
Minneapolis, MN 55402
http://www.maisondarras.com/
Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am - 2:00pm

Pub 42

We visited Pub 42 in New Hope recently and had a wonderful experience. The building was the former location of the Sunshine Factory and they recently moved to a new location in Plymouth. While the food at Sunshine Factory was always decent, it was nothing to get very excited about. It was your basic bar food. Pub 42 might be a game changer for this area of town.

We were not expecting it to be very busy as it was early on a Thursday night, but there was a wait for table both in the bar and dining room. (There is a separate wait list for both rooms.) We managed to find a seat at the bar and after a bit of a wait we were able to order a couple drinks to enjoy while we waited for a table. Right after we received our drinks our pager went off as the wait was much shorter than quoted. We were led to a booth in the new dining room. Our server was obviously new, but did a good job most of the time. She did disappear for awhile right at the end of the meal when we were paying the check, but other servers picked up the slack.

I had the double bleu burger with house chips. The burger had bleu cheese crumbles, bleu cheese dressing, crispy onion straws and bacon on top. It was very good and cooked as ordered. The bun was lightly toasted and substantial enough to handle the weight of the burger. The house chips were just ok. They were a bit bland.

John had the Millionaire’s BLT with fries. This sandwich is great. It was a BLT taken to a new level. It had brown sugar chile bacon, lemon aioli, tomatoes, lettuce and mayo on toasted white bread. The bacon was amazing. It was thick cut bacon with a nice spicy kick to it with a touch of sweetness from a glaze. If you love BLTs, I highly recommend this sandwich. The fries seemed to be house made as well and they were great. Very hot, fresh and salty.

We finished with a couple martinis. John’s had cucumber infused vodka or gin; we are not totally sure what it was. The waitress said one thing and the menu said another. I had a strawberry stoli doli, which was excellent. Just what we need, stoli dolis right down the street. This could be dangerous!

Pub 42 was unexpectedly great. The food was excellent and we were expecting average. The drinks were great and they have also done a good job remodeling the dining room with comfortable booths and more updated décor. They have also added a lot of taps, so the beer offerings are very extensive with lots of local choices. If our first visit is any indication, Pub 42 has a lot of potential.

Deals & Discounts: They have a happy hour! Both early and late. Monday – Friday: 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close and Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here is a link to the happy hour page on the website: http://pub42.com/happy-hour/

Pub 42
7600 42nd Ave N
New Hope, MN 55427
(763) 278-4242
http://pub42.com/

World Street Kitchen

One of my favorite food trucks has become a brick and mortar restaurant that I can visit whenever I want! No more waiting days and days for the World Street Kitchen truck to have mt favorite yum yum bowl on the menu. They have it every day now! I am very happy to see the recent transformation of food trucks into restaurants. It is a testament to the dedication of the entrepreneurs willing to take a chance and launch a food truck based business.

The World Street Kitchen restaurant is a counter service place- just order at the counter and your items will be delivered as they are ready. The atmosphere is very industrial and functional.  They have a nice variety of local beers on tap and in bottles in addition to wines and sangria. I like that they offer alcoholic drinks, it definitely adds to the food and atmosphere.

love the sign!

I had the daily special- a fish sandwich with lettuce, special sauce and potato chips.

John had the Korean BBQ Bangkok burrito.

white sangria - white wine, grapefruit and honey

I had the fish sandwich that was the daily special and it was very delicious. The bun was toasted and had a special sauce on it that added a bit of spice. The fish was crunchy, not greasy and very light and flaky. The lettuce and potato chips added a bit of extra crunch. At first, I thought the portion was a bit small, but once I was finished I was full, so the portion was just right. This is a very delicious and crave-worthy sandwich.

John had the Korean BBQ beef short rib Bangkok burrito. It was a gigantic monster of a burrito and rolled perfectly. It was stuffed with fried rice, secret sauce, cilantro basil and the flavorful beef short ribs. He loved the burrito and can't wait to go back and have it again.

The food and drink was great and I look forward to returning.  The food is just as good as it was on the truck, though I still look forward to the truck being out and about this summer.

Deals & Discounts: Happy hour is available daily from 3-6pm and 9 to close. Right now it includes half price snacks, $5 cocktails, $3 house wine and $3 local tap beer. Though I am sure the specials can change without notice.

World Street Kitchen

2743 Lyndale Ave. S  #5,

Minneapolis, MN 55408

(612) 424-8855

www.eatwsk.com/