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/

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

112 eatery

Usually John and I go out for a pre-Christmas celebration together, but our last Vegas trip took the place of that. Instead we opted for an overnight downtown after the holiday. Plus, we had not been to 112 eatery in quite a long time. This time we were seated upstairs near the front windows.

Olives and spiced almonds to start.

I had a very delicious white Russian.

First we had the blue prawns with rooster mayo. The shrimp were very good.

Snapper crudo was next and it was very fresh and light. Excellent.

I had the pan fried skate wing with prosciutto crust.

John had the nori encrusted sirloin with ponzu.

Both entrees were really good. All of our food was perfect actually. I always forget how amazing the food at 112 is. The service was excellent as well, we had no issues at all.


112 Eatery
112 North 3rd Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
612.343.7696
http://www.112eatery.com/


We stayed overnight at the AC Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. I had a comp hotel night to burn, so we thought we’d make a night of it downtown. We also went to Clockwerks brewing and Acme Comedy for a show after our dinner at 112.

Hop Cat

John had I went downtown to check out the new location of the Hop Cat in downtown Minneapolis on a recent Sunday afternoon. We have been to the location in Madison with Megan and Jason and we were excited to see one pop up in Minneapolis. They have a great tap beer list with tons of choices.

John had the angry bird sandwich with fries.  It is a crispy breaded chicken breast tossed in fire sauce on a toasted brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and blue cheese dressing, though he substituted ranch for the blue cheese. He really liked the sandwich and said it was spicy, but not overly so.

We also ordered some crack fries, which are beer battered fries sprinkled with our signature cracked black pepper seasoning. Served with a side of warm cheese sauce for dipping. The fries are ok, but I don't think they are deserving of the name crack fries, but I don't care for a breaded french fry very much. For a breaded fry these are not bad though.

I had the quesadilla with pico-marinated chicken, chipotle black bean dip, shredded house blend cheese and spinach grilled in a cheddar tortilla. Served with salsa and sour cream. These were decent quesadillas and the portion was generous.

The service was fine, but I think our server was sent home after we were seated, so we had all of the other servers stopping by to check on us, which was fine, but they tended to ask the same questions repeatedly. Guess too much service is better than none at all.

We found the food to be pretty good for a sports bar setting and the extensive beer list is certainly the highlight and worth the special trip to downtown Minneapolis.


Hop Cat
435 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 276-5555
https://hopcat.com/minneapolis

Come Pho Soup

A  new spot opened recently in the hallway between the Medical Arts Building sort of behind the old Walgreens location on Nicollet Mall. The menu offers pho and Bahn mi sandwiches with a variety of different meat options for each available.

Come Pho Soup is affiliated with La Belle Crepe down the hall, which has offered pho for awhile, but this makes the offering much more prominent. Before you kinda of had to just know they had it on the menu or heard about it form someone as a crepe place isn't somewhere you'd think of for pho.

Pho

pork bahn mi

We all agreed the pho and sandwiches were both quite good for a quick grab and go lunch, but the meat was a bit bland tasting. The toppings and fillings all looked and tasted fresh. The price was under $10 with a beverage, though I forget the exact price.

Since there are no pho or bahn mi shops in this area of the skyway, I think it will be a great addition to the skyway luncheon options.


Come Pho Soup 
823 1/2 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis,  MN
Phone: (612) 236 4457

Dagwood's Deli

I tried out Dagwood's Deli recently in the Minneapolis skyway. I've walked past it quite a few times, though it is in the far reaches of the skyway for me; it is toward the river at 2nd and Washington.

I ordered the Dagwood Special, which is topped with pastrami, ham and salami as well as lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, mayonnaise and Dagwood's special dressing. The bread was lightly toasted and it was a large sandwich and quite filling. I enjoyed it, but I don't know that it is a lot better than Jimmy John's or Subway. The prices are decent- the cost was $6.99 plus tax.

The rest of the menu covers the sandwich basics from turkey and ham to tuna and roast beef. Mama Mia's also seems to be the same owners and the same kitchen and has an Italian themed menu with pasta, flatbread and Italian sandwiches. I may have to try that next.

Dagwood's Deli

250 2nd Ave S, 

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Phone: (612) 371-0687

http://www.dagwoodsminneapolis.com

The Depot Tavern

The Depot Tavern is located on the side of the First Avenue building and run by the same owners. We have dined here a few times now and I have never gotten around to doing a review somehow.

The room is pretty basic, but comfortable and clean. The service is always very efficient and the food is definitely elevated tavern fare. The menu has a nice variety with something for just about everyone.

John had the BLT, which is your standard BLT on brioche bread. He really liked the fries though. They are made freshly in house daily and very crisp with excellent potato flavor.

I had the buffalo chicken sliders with fries on the side. The buns were lightly toasted and the buffalo sauce was very good. Everything was freshly prepared.

We really enjoyed our food and found the prices to be in line with similar establishments in the area, and I feel the quality of the food is much higher with the Depot going above and beyond to elevate the bar fare to be higher quality than average. We enjoyed it once again and plan to return. It is a great option near Target Center, Target Field and First Avenue.


The Depot Tavern
17 N 7th St
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: (612) 338-1828
https://thedepottavern.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

Butcher and the Boar

John and I visited Butcher and the Boar for our Christmas celebration this year, on the day after Christmas. A busy holiday season caused things to be a bit delayed this year. Our reservation was not until 8:30pm, so we went to Eli's for a drink beforehand since it is just a block away. We thought we could maybe get in early at Butcher, but we ended up sitting at the bar for appetizers and drinks.

candied beer nuts - very tasty snack and great with beer or cocktails

The hot link croquettes were also very good and a bit more substantial. they are basically sausages with a bit of breading around them. The dipping sauce was a bit spicy too.

It was our reservation time and the hosts had not come to get us as promised so we checked in again and they seated us right away. I think they forgot we were there waiting.

Our server was with us right away and provided good service throughout our visit.

It was pretty much a given that we ordered the smoked beef long rib with Tabasco molasses sauce. The meat was tender and the sauce gives just the right amount of kick.

The cornbread was very good and came with a flavored butter that had some sweetness to it.

The smoke roasted potatoes were quite good and really did have a nice smoky flavor. We shared everything and found we still had food leftover to take home.

We found the food and service to be just as good as our last visit a couple years ago. This is great news as I think there have been some changes with the chef and staffing. Though I can't believe it has been that long since we ate in the dining room, we have been there to visit the patio a few times.



The Butcher and the Boar
1121 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 238-8888
http://butcherandtheboar.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/

Bep Eatery

Bep eatery is another recent entry in the skyway dining scene. It seems like there have been a few new openings recently, which is kind of exciting. Bep eatery has Vietnamese street food and offers pho, banh mi, spring rolls and vermicelli noodle salads built to order in the Chipotle style of ordering.

packaged sandwich

trying to show the generous contents of the sandwich

I ordered a banh mi with pork, veggies, herbs, peanut chili dressing and jalapenos. The pork was excellent! It was large pieces of pork, seasoned and grilled. The meat was very tender and there was a lot of it in the sandwich. The vegetables were also very fresh and good and I really liked the peanut chili dressing as it added a lot of flavor. The bread was fresh and crusty on the outside and light and fluffy inside. This was an excellent sandwich and I need to go back very soon and try their other meats with different combinations.

The line moved quickly. You go down the line and select your topping and pay. There is some seating available inside the restaurant, but it looks like most people grab and go back to work. The banh mi was $7.95 plus tax, and it was a large sandwich, so the price seemed fair to me. It is a little out of the way in the Fifth Street towers, but it is certainly worth your trip!


Bep Eatery
100 S 5th St #210
Fifth Street Towers (skyway level)
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(612) 338-5189
http://www.bepeatery.com