Monte Carlo Restaurant

John and I went to the Monte Carlo recently hoping to grab a spot at the bar and have some wings. The bar was already full and we were able to get a table after waiting just a few minutes.

John had the Charlie's Kitchen steak sandwich on pumpernickel with slices of filet Mignon with horseradish sauce served on the side. The steak was served rare as requested and very tender and delicious.

I tried the whiskey peppercorn filet with a baked potato on the side. It is medallions of beef in a Madagascar green peppercorn sauce. The beef was very tender and I liked the flavor of the peppercorn sauce a lot. It is quite rich and flavorful.

The service was very good. Too bad we always end up in the little side room though. It feels so separated and cut off from the bustle of the main dining room.



Monte Carlo
219 3rd Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 333-5900
http://www.montecarlomn.com

Parlour Bar

John has been on a bit of a burger quest lately, so we decided to check out Parlour bar for dinner recently. Their burger has been on the best of lists for a few years now.

The burger is ground chuck, ribeye and brisket topped with white American cheese. It really is a delicious, juicy burger worth the hype.

We also had an order of fries. Decent, plentiful fries for sure.

We also got the tuna topped with carpaccio, Kalamata olive, pickled mustard, pepper, chive and rye crisp. The tuna was cut, very, very thin and the olive overpowered any flavor of the fish. I didn’t love this combination.

The seating is just open seating, either at the bar or at tables around the room. There is no host or hostess on duty. So seating gets a bit chaotic and competitive.  They have an excellent cocktail list, but I totally forgot to take photos of our beverages. The service was fine, nothing memorable, but perfectly acceptable.

 

Parlour bar
730 N Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 354-3135
https://www.parlourbar.com

Nolo's Kitchen & Bar

We checked out Nolo’s restaurant and bar on a recent Friday for dinner and drinks. We had made a reservation, but on arrival it wasn’t busy, so I’m not sure it was necessary, but it was pretty early. Maybe later in the evening it would be busier.

 I started with the rum punch cocktail with plantation rum blend, passionfruit, pineapple, orgeat, lime.

We started with an appetizer of tuna crudo with avocado, watermelon radish, cucumber, citrus, habanero salsa, ponzu, mint. This was a light and fresh starter. Very delicious! Looked so pretty too.

John had the cheeseburger which is double meat patties, double cheese, caramelized onion, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and spread. This burger has made a few best burger lists lately, and it is legit. The meat was very juicy and all of the toppings just made it even more rich. The fries were great also and seemed to be freshly made in house. This is worth coming back for.

I had the smoked chicken pizza topped with smoked chicken, roasted onions, Parmesan, fontina, whole milk mozzarella, roasted garlic cream sauce. It was solid, with a nice woodfired thin crust.

The dining room is very light, bright, open and airy, especially during daylight hours. The prices are not bad and the service was excellent. They have convenient valet parking on the side of the building as well, which is nice because parking in North Loop is getting difficult.


Nolo's Kitchen & Bar
515 N Washington Ave #100
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 800-6033
https://www.noloskitchen.com/

Borough

Stephanie and I went out recently for dinner and we checked out Borough in the North Loop area of Minneapolis. We had a reservation and were seated promptly on arrival. The room is very cool in an old warehouse with lots of old wood floors and exposed brick.

The Not far from the tree cocktail with apple-infused square one botanical vodka, leopold cranberry liqueur, dolin blanc, earl giles vanilla bean, bitter truth lemon bitters. This was a great winter drink.

We started with tuna carpaccio with kalamata olive, pickled mustard, pepper, chive and rye crisp. The portion was tiny, but the fish tasted fresh and the items served with it were an interesting contrast.

Next, the pork belly with pear, red wine, pie crust, allspice and chive. The pork belly was perfectly grilled and very delicious.

My entree was the scallops with red wine risotto, leek, root vegetable, grapes, elderflower and salsify. The scallops were nicely seared, but I did not care for the red wine risotto.

Stephanie had the beef flat iron with mole, smoked tamale and pickled red onion. She said it was rather salty, but the meat was cooked as requested.

We finished with the smores dessert with smoked chocolate cream, burnt white chocolate, pickled blackberries and fluff. This was much better than it looked. It was basically a deconstructed and elevated version of smores.

Our service was good, little slow at times though. Overall, the starters and the dessert were the highlight of our meal and the entrees were just average. I think it would be worth going back for the happy hour and the burger, but I'm not sure the entrees are the draw.


Borough
730 N Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 354-3135
http://boroughmpls.com

Red Rabbit brunch

John signed up for Red Rabbit's eClub recently, so we visited for Saturday brunch. You get a coupon for $10 off upon joining. We arrived just prior to noon and were seated right away. It did fill up quite a bit more by the time we departed. I guess North Loop brunches late.

I had the ham and cheese with grilled ham, mushrooms, arugula and triple creme, with grilled bread and a waffle hash brown. The waffle hash brown is just what it sounds like and it was a great combination of crispy and softer bits of potato. The grilled bread was excellent as it had a bit of smoky flavor.

John hasn't stopped raving about how good this waffle was. I'm told the waffle was very light and fluffy and the berries were fresh with great flavor. He added a side order of bacon as well. The bacon was thick cut and had nice smoky flavor. I was granted a small bite, but the waffle was gone before I got a nibble.

The service was helpful and attentive once more and the food was amazing. John has been talking about how good the waffle was ever since, so I am sure we will be going back very soon.

Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm.


Red Rabbit
201 N Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 767-8
https://www.redrabbitmn.com/855

Red Rabbit

Red Rabbit opened at the beginning of this year, but we are terrible about visiting new restaurants as soon as they open. We have very little desire to fight the crowds and service and food tend to be better later on in many cases. I had also joined Red Rabbit’s eClub and received a discount coupon, which always increases our interest considerably.

We had planned to start off at the bar for happy hour and move to the dining room for dinner, thinking the coupon would not be valid for happy hour. However, there was a long, long wait for dining room tables, so we opted to stay put at the bar for our entire visit, which worked out great.

The cocktail menu is extensive and a whole lot of fun too. I love a good tiki drink! I think this was the “ugly but good.”

We started with the ricotta toast topped with honey and black pepper. This was amazingly simple and amazingly delicious. The honey had a lot of flavor and the ricotta cheese was silky and smooth. We both loved this appetizer.

We also had a few oysters on happy hour. I don’t recall where they were from. That would be great information to share.

We also nibbled on the bar nuts which were spiced hazelnuts. These were a tasty bar snack, and not too sweet.

John had the house sausage pizza. He enjoyed it and compared it to Punch pizza. 

I had the chicken Parmesan, which was delicious, but a gigantic portion. This should be shared! Or plan to eat the leftovers the next day. The red sauce had fresh tomato flavor, nicely seasoned and the chicken was thin with a crisp exterior.

Overall, the service, food and drinks were all outstanding. It is definitely worth the trip to North Loop. It is a fun casual restaurant, so there is not bad time to go.

Deals & discounts: Excellent happy hour daily, visit their website for current details. Also, I recommend joining the eClub for a sign-up coupon and a coupon on your birthday. (I don’t recall the amount of the sign-up coupon and I have not received the birthday coupon yet.)



Red Rabbit
201 N Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 767-8
https://www.redrabbitmn.com/855

Bar LaGrassa

Bar LaGrassa has been around for quite a few years now, and somehow we have never dined there, which is too bad because we were really missing great food and service. It is a busy place, even still, so reservations are recommended, though I'm sure you can sneak in at the bar or pasta bar pretty easily.

Complimentary starter snack-  it was a few types of beans. I think we also had some bread. 

Seared sea scallops with fresh peas

Langoustine crudo- very fresh and delicious. These taste sort of like lobster. 

calamarata with raw tuna. I had read about this dish audit was as fantastic as it sounded. Fresh cold tuna on a hot pasta, so flavorful.

penne rigate with shrimp- it was basically shrimp scampi. This was a very tasty and filling dish.

Roasted carrots with mint, yogurt and sesame. These carrots were amazing and so full of flavor. Just seeing this photo makes me want to go back and order them again. I can't even being to guess what all goes into this dish, but I suspect it is more complex than it sounds.

The service and food were all very good throughout our visit. I look forward to returning again.

Bar La Grassa
800 N Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 333-3837
http://www.barlagrassa.com

Spoon & Stable

Stephanie and I managed to get a reservation for Spoon and Stable three months out, but at 5pm on a Friday. OK, we will make it work and let’s book it, we said. We were both very excited as Spoon and Stable has been one of the most talked about, written about and revered restaurants in town for the last year and a half.

bar area looking to the street

I do think it is a very unique restaurant for Minneapolis, very trendy and upscale. The room is beautiful with lots of wood and exposed brick.

spoon collection

mai tai

Amazing sourdough bread! Probably the best I've had in the area. 

Stephanie had the mushroom soup with barley, leeks, vermouth, watercress. This was a very rich and decadent soup. 

Scallop crudo with green apple, shiso, chilies, scallion vinaigrette. This was very light and fresh with a bit of spice. 

Stephanie had the tamarind glazed pork chop with sweet potato, peanuts, endive and toasted basmati rice. The pork was very tender and juicy and the sauce was very flavorful.

We shared the crispy potatoes with tomato aïoli. They were really crisp, but I thought the sauce could have used a bit more spice or something.

I had the adobo marinated cod with eggplant, snow peas, cashew nuts, green curry and coconut broth. The fish was light and flaky, not a strong fish, but the whole thing was a bit bland to me.

Milk chocolate torte with chestnut mousse, black walnut ice cream. This was very good and not overly sweet. Very balanced.

Petit fours were complimentary to end the meal and a nice sweet treat.

The service throughout our meal was excellent. The server let us chat and was not at all intrusive, but seemed to know just when to check with us. The staff bringing our food did a great job describing the items to us as well. Not that I can remember any of it! And, considering the restaurant was booked solid, it did not seem overly crowded or busy, except in the bar area, which is open seating. They must space out the reservations or limit them to keep the atmosphere in check. I didn’t think the room was overly loud, which is often a problem in large open restaurants such as this. The music was at a good level and we could hear one another without yelling.

Overall, we both enjoyed everything, but nothing stands out as really memorable in that I want to rush back and try it again. I ended up feeling like I paid a lot for some good food, but I wondered if it was worth the hassle to get a reservation.


Spoon and Stable
211 N 1st St
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone:(612) 224-9850
www.spoonandstable.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/

Monte Carlo Restaurant

I visited the Monte Carlo restaurant recently with John and Michele. I've been here once before, but it was a long time ago, definitely before I started blogging.

It is very dark and clubby with a huge bar as you walk in. We had a reservation, but we had to wait a few minutes for our table before we could be seated.

Michele and I both tried a seasonal martini, the pumpkin spice, and it was really good. Not too sweet and not too strong.

John and I both had the Charlie's Kitchen steak sandwich on pumpernickel with slices of filet Mignon with horseradish sauce served on the side. The steak was served rare as requested and very tender and delicious. The horseradish sauce is really good and it adds a bit of spice to the sandwich. I have a serious soft spot for different versions of the Charlie's Kitchen sandwiches around town and is one of the best.

Michele had the meatloaf sandwich on pumpernickel with grilled onions and a side of fries. She said she enjoyed it a lot.

The service was very good and we were in and out in a very short amount of time. We were seated in the side room, so the sound level was not loud at all, though it felt like we were removed from the action a bit. I'd like to sit in the main room next time. They have a very nice patio on the side of the building when the weather is nice.


Monte Carlo
219 3rd Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 333-5900
http://www.montecarlomn.com