The Skyroom at Macy's

It has been some time since I have done a post on skyway lunch options and somehow I have never done a post on the Skyroom at Macy's. The Skyroom is located on the 12th floor and it is a spacious room with many large windows and several food kiosks with different food offerings.

The major draw for many people is the huge salad and soup bar in the middle of the room. The other kiosks offer Mexican, Italian, grill and deli selections.

salad bar

On my recent visit, I went to the grill counter and ordered the grilled chicken sandwich and french fries. The chicken sandwich is unique as it is marinated in piri piri spice and served with lettuce, tomato and guacamole on a toasted potato bun. The piri piri lends a bit of spice and extra flavor to the chicken breast and the guacamole really brings it all together for me. The fries are nothing special, but not bad if they are freshly cooked.

The Skyroom is a great option for lunch in downtown Minneapolis as it is good quality food in a nice setting at affordable prices. Plus, there are huge windows and if you sit in a cubicle all day like I do, this is a welcome respite from gray walls.

Deals & Discounts: Punch cards are available; after seven visits your eighth meal is free.

The Skyroom - Macy's
12th floor
700 On The Mall, Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 375-2200

Pizza Nea

We have not been attending trivia nights like we used to, which is a shame, but none are held at any of our old haunts. So we went to Pizza Nea before going to trivia at Keegan’s recently. It is a bit of a drive to go down there, but not too bad.

We seated ourselves when we arrived at Pizza Nea and a server came over quickly to bring us menus and take our beverage orders. We had bought a Groupon and the server explained what we could order with it.

I ordered the Diavola pizza, topped with salami, pepperoncini, olives, mozzarella, cracked red pepper and basil. The pizza was a little spicy, as expected. I liked the char on the crust and the red sauce was flavorful.

John had the Margherita pizza with Buffalo mozzarella and basil. John thought this was an good, traditional Neapolitan style pizza.

The pizzas came out very quickly and we were in and out with plenty of time to spare. The service was excellent. I liked the wide variety of pizza selections available on the menu.

Deals & Discounts: We had purchased a Groupon for two pizzas and two glasses of tap beer or wine for $26.50, valid Monday through Thursday. Considering this came to $38.00 in the restaurant this was a great deal. This Groupon is still available too! We just left a cash tip for the great service.


Pizza Nea
306 E Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 331-9298
http://pizzanea.com/

Freehouse

We visited Freehouse in the North Loop neighborhood for a weekday dinner and it was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night at 6pm. We had a 30 minute wait for a table, but I think they quoted us 40 or 45, so it did not seem too bad. We were seated in a booth near the bar, but it was raised up a level. It was nice as we could see the televisions around the bar.

In addition to being a restaurant, Freehouse brews their own beer in house, so the equipment is visible behind glass in the rear of the restaurant.  I forgot to take photos of the beer, but I sampled a flight with the Kolsch, Witbier, Oktoberfest and the brown. John had their IPA. I liked my selections quite a bit. They have a wide variety available too.

John had the Freestyle burger, which is a basic burger with lettuce, tomato, cheddar, pickles, mustard and secret sauce with a side of fries. The fries were fresh and crisp. John liked the burger and it was cooked as ordered with a little pink in the middle and juicy.

I had the roto-bird, which is rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and kale and tomato salad. The chicken was cooked perfectly and not overly salty as rotisserie chicken often can be. The mashed potatoes were real potatoes, and had a hint of garlic flavor. Everything was quite good and I would certainly order this entrée again.  

Other than  the long wait on arrival we had a good visit. Our server was a bit slow at the outset in greeting us and bringing our beverages, but everything after that was fine. It was very busy on a weekday, which was somewhat unexpected. You can call ahead to get on the wait list, but they do not take reservations unless you have a party of eight or more. There is a large parking lot on the side of the building, but surprisingly, we had a hard time finding a parking space.

Deals & Discounts: The reason we visited was due to a coupon I received via email as a member of their eclub for a buy one get one entrée.  Happy house offered twice daily Monday - Friday 8am - 11am and Monday - Friday 4pm - 6pm in the bar only. Current specials include discounts on beer, drinks and selected food items.

Freehouse

701 N. Washington Ave., Ste 101

Minneapolis, MN 55401

612.339.7011

http://www.freehousempls.com/

Coup d'Etat

We visited Coup d'Etat on my birthday last week. We intended to have a large meal and we started out great, but as we consumed a couple courses we found ourselves getting full and we had several beverages, so we never did get to the main courses. Not surprisingly, the next day I was not feeling great as a result. So, we need to return and order entrees some other time! But I thought I might as well share the photos I do have.

We started with the tuna under the First section of the menu. We both thought this sounded great so we each ordered a plate of it. And I am glad we did not have to share it because it was excellent. The tuna was accompanied by jalapeno, radish, grapefruit, avocado and it gave the tuna a bit of spice as well as acid from the grapefruit.

Next, under the Second part of the menu we had the cauliflower with Moroccan spice, pickled sultanas, preserved lemon. The Moroccan spices were very interesting and had notes of cinnamon, while the sultanas added a bit of sweetness. It was quite filling too.

The other item we had under the Second part of the menu was the octopus on baguette with harissa and greek yogurt. This dish was a great combination of salty and spicy and cool flavors. The harissa gave every bite a bit of a burn, but it was not too spicy, and the yogurt cooled it off immediately anyway. The octopus was cooked perfectly, not at all chewy, which can be the case.

Our server was great and checked back with us often. We ended up staying for a cover band playing that night, Jonah and the Whales, which was very fun, they played a mix of old and new songs. The outdoor patio is two levels and quite large, so we will have to make sure we return next spring when the weather improves.

Deals & Discounts:  There are a variety of food and drink specials available daily from 5pm-7pm and 10pm-12am.


Coup d'Etat
23 Girard Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 354-3575
http://coupdetatmpls.com/