Station Pizza

Interesting restaurant options in the suburbs tend to be far and few between, so I was excited to hear about Station Pizzeria opening in Minnetonka just off 494 and Minnetonka Boulevard. John and I visited for a Saturday lunch recently. It was after 1pm and not at all busy when we arrived. We were greeted and seated right away.

We started with roasted Brussels sprouts topped with bacon, parmesan and lemon-thyme vinaigrette. They had a bit of char and the cheese and lemon added excellent flavor.

We ordered the trifecta pizza, topped with pepperoni, sausage and mushroom. The crust was chewy and was strong enough to hold up to the toppings with a nice bit of char around the edges. The sauce tasted fresh and I liked the crumbled sausage as well as the thinly sliced mushrooms.

They had some basic pizzas and some more interesting pizzas and I look forward to trying the other options on future visits. They had a nice list of local beers available on tap as well as a decent sized wine list. The restaurant is a refurbished gas station and has lots of industrial chic charm. I look forward to warmer weather when the patio can be used and the large glass garage doors opened up.


Station Pizzeria
13008 Minnetonka Blvd
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: (952) 426-3273
https://stationpizzeria.com/

6Smith

Stephanie and I checked out 6Smith in Wayzata for our most recent dinner outing. Wayzata is a nice midpoint for both of us to meet and there are a lot of new dining options too. While 6Smith is no longer new, I had not visited for dinner in the main restaurant yet, just the rooftop last summer.

We started with a couple drinks, Stephanie’s Red rum drink looked very nice. It contained Sailor Jerry, Lola Belle rum, Aperol, lime juice, cranberry juice, Angostura and cherry bark vanilla bitters, topped with soda.

We started with the tuna poke, which was pretty standard: Ahi tuna, sesame & soy sauces, seaweed, avocado and wonton crisps. It tasted fresh and we liked the light, crisp chips.

I had a fish special and I can’t recall all of the details to save my life. I think it was Cajun seasoned with a cilantro cream and chili oil sauce. The fish was excellent- a bit spicy, but not overly so. The sauces added a nice fresh flavor.

Stephanie had the prime rib eye with the bacon jam and Fini cheddar fondue sauce added. The sauce was divine, not that the steak really needed it, it was great alone too, but the cheese was rich and creamy and you can’t go wrong with bacon of any kind.

We shared the French fries as a side. They were fresh, I am pretty sure made in house and came with béarnaise and truffle aioli . The truffle aioli was excellent too.

Our dessert was the butterscotch and chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream and a warm cookie and some caramel drizzled over the sides. It was quite good.

Overall, the service was excellent. Our server checked with us often and we never waited for a thing, though we did not feel rushed and were given plenty of time to visit. The dining room has large windows facing the lake letting in lots of light and an industrial feel throughout.  I enjoyed everything about 6Smith and I look forward to returning when the weather is warmer so we can sit outdoors and enjoy the lake view.


6Smith
294 East Grove Lane
Wayzata, MN 55391
Wayzata Bay, Lake Minnetonka
952-698-7900
http://www.6smith.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

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

Ike's Food & Cocktails

I just wanted to share this awesome roast beef sandwich I recently had for lunch at Ike’s downtown. I’ve been telling everyone that will listen to me all about it.

The roast beef is rare, tender and very juicy and it is served on a fresh onion bun. The au jus has a very nice garlic flavor and the giardiniera adds a nice kick, as does the horseradish sauce on the side. Basically, you get a bunch of sauces and topping to finish off the sandwich in the best way you see fit.

It also comes with cole slaw and a side order of house made French fries.  The food arrives very quickly and it is an excellent lunch time treat.

So yup, I still like Ike’s.


Ike's Food and Cocktails
50 South 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-746-4537