Rosalia Pizza

Rosalia is a pizza outlet that opened in the back of the Martina space in early 2021. It is owned and operated by Daniel Del Prado a local chef that now has a mini empire of six outlets in Minneapolis. 

I did not realize at first it was possible to eat in at this restaurant. They do take reservations for tables inside and outside. There are a good number of tables and the room is bright and white with huge windows on one side and lots of greenery as dear throughout. The service is somewhat hands off, possibly due to Covid protocols, where you scan a QR code to bring up the menu and ordering system. The food is delivered as it is prepared or you can order items one at a time and keep adding onto your tab as needed and close out at the end. 

The  menu has a number of interesting starters so tried the tuna with roasted tomato, caper, cilantro, chile oil and lime. The tuna was very fresh tasting and the other ingredients added extra flavor and a bit if spice to the dish. 

We also tried the chopped salad with oregano vin, romaine, pepperoncini, carrot, tomato, sunflower seeds and chevre. There's just something about having a sale with pizza that works. This was a bit different, but very delicious and flavorful. 

We had the pepperoni pizza topped with tomato, mozzarella, parmesan and pepperoni. The pizza is wood fired and the char is excellent. The crust is fairly light and airy with a good amount of toppings and not too much cheese to weigh it down unnecessarily. 

We enjoyed all of the food items we ordered. Since ordering is on your phone, service is fairly hands off, which is fine. There are people you can flag down if you need anything and everyone is friendly and helpful. 

Rosalia Pizza
2811 W 43rd St 
Minneapolis, MN 55410

Phone: (612) 345-5494

https://rosaliapizza.com

Kyndred Hearth

We checked out the Kyndred Hearth restaurant in the Omni Lakes hotel at the Viking Lakes development where the Vikings practice facility and headquarters is located in Eagan. The hotel sits on the edge of the small Vikings stadium on the site, so it has a bit of a view. We normally would not drive quite so far but cabin fever has made us willing to go out of our way apparently. It was a beautiful hotel and restaurant. The hotel would be a nice spot for a local staycation. 

wood fired meatballs with pomodoro and ricotta

mixed mushroom pizza with cremini, shiitake and portabella mushrooms, taleggio fontina, tarragon

Orecchiette pasta with fennel sausage, garlic, charred rapini

smoked manhattan cocktail 

The server knowledgeable and attentive. The food was all very good and arrived hot and fresh. We had plenty of food and took some home for lunch the next day. 

The restaurant is an Ann Kim restaurant. She operates several other restaurants in Minneapolis we like a lot, including Pizza Lola and Young Joni. I am not sure this was as good as Young Joni, but it was certainly similar. 

Kyndred Hearth
2611 Nordic Way 
Eagan, MN 55121
Phone: (651) 689-9850
https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/viking-lakes-minnesota/dining/kyndred-hearth

Wrecktangle Pizza

We picked up Wrecktangle Pizza from the North Loop Food Hall awhile ago. We placed our order online and set a pickup time I think. It is very convenient when that is an option. The pickup process was easy, John just ran inside while I waited parked on the street. 

John had the pepperoni with cup and curl pepperoni and red sauce. Looks perfect! 

I had the Shredder with pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, whipped Cry Baby Craig’s honey, pecorino romano and red sauce. The crispy, blackened edges of the crust are perfectly delicious. This was a couple meals for me as the crust is very thick and filling.  

Both pizzas were very good and we would order them again. The prices are a bit on the expensive side, however at $17 and $20. 

Wrecktangle Pizza
729 N Washington Ave, 
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 695-6525
https://wrecktanglepizza.com

Pig Ate My Pizza

We visited the new and larger location of Pig Ate My Pizza in Robbinsdale recently. They have a much bigger space (in the old Travail location) and they are also brewing their own beer now.

We stopped in on a Friday night around 6pm. It was busy, but we were seated at a large communal table pretty quickly. It had been ages since we went to Pig, so the menu has changed a lot.

We started with the wings with pho dry rub wings, mint, fresno, basil ranch. The skin on the wings was crisp, but they had very little flavor. The dry rub didn't have a lot of flavor. Very bland. I wasn't crazy about the basil ranch sauce either.

Next, the dry rub ribs with a side of pepper relish and basil ranch. The ribs were delicious. The dry rub had great flavor and the ribs were tender. They did not need the sauce really.

We had the Boomtown pizza with mushroom puree, roasted crimini and king trumpet mushrooms, arugula, chive, crispy garlic and Italian sausage. The pizza had a very rich and creamy taste, the crust was nicely crisp and held up well to the toppings on it.

The server seemed like he had a lot of tables and we had to call him over when we wanted to order our food and also more drinks. We were in and out in a decent amount of time though. The atmosphere is definitely loud and chaotic. The front area was very chilly as they have garage door type windows, which will be nice in the summer, but are freezing in the winter. Overall, we enjoyed the experience and would return.


Pig Ate My Pizza
4124 W Broadway Ave,
Robbinsdale, MN 55422
Phone: (763) 537-7267
https://www.pigatemypizza.com

Pizza Karma

A second outpost of Pizza Karma opened last fall in Maple Grove. We had been intending to visit the Eden Prairie location for awhile now, so I was happy to see it open in Maple Grove as well. We visited on a weekday evening and it was empty except for one other table. I hope they are busier on the weekends.

We started with the tandoor fired wings with dry rub of fresh ground spices. The wings were a bit small and anemic, but the dry rub had a great flavor. The spices were Indian-inspired and quite flavorful, but not spicy.

We had the chicken kebab pizza topped with chicken, tomato-fenugreek sauce, fresh mozzarella and onion pepper medley on plain crust. The naan crust was very light, crispy and airy. We both liked it a lot. It is a personal sized pizza, so one per person would be a nice serving size. We decided to share since we had the wings to start though.

Pizza Karma is a quick service restaurant, where you simply order at the counter and your food is brought out to your table as it is ready. The employee at the counter was helpful and friendly. The space was modern, open and airy. We enjoyed everything we tried and look forward to returning soon and trying some of their other unique pizza options.



Pizza Karma
11611 Fountains Dr
Maple Grove, MN 55369
Phone: (763) 432-7561
https://www.pizzakarma.com/

Burch Restaurant - pizza menu

We finally got around to trying the pizza at Burch. It turns out they do take reservations, which I didn't know, but I do not think they are required. You can also order off of the full steak menu for the dining room upstairs, which I also was not aware of. So if you do not mind sitting in the basement, this is a nice option.

John had the margarita pizza topped with mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil. It is his default go to pizza and always a safe option if you ask me.

I had the Gorgonzola Mostarda Prosciutto with crème fraiche, gorgonzola, orange mostarda, prosciutto. It was definitely a sweet and tangy flavored pizza. It had unusual flavors. I liked it, but I am not sure i would order it again.

The pizza crust on both pizzas was very good. Definitely similar pizza to Punch pizza with a wood fired pizza oven flavor.

The service was OK-- a bit slow at times. I'm not sure our server knew we were her table or something like that. And when we were ready for our check she was nowhere to be seen, but someone else brought it for us and ran the payment.



Burch Steak
1933 Colfax Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 843-1515
http://burchrestaurant.com/

Young Joni revisit

We went back to Young Joni again. We were unable to get a reservation, so we went early on a Saturday, around 5pm and scored seats at the bar. I had not realized on previous visits that the bar and also a huge square table near the front are all open seating for people without reservations. Anyway, the trick seems to be to arrive early.

We started with the Sweet and Spicy Pork Spare Ribs gochujang bbq sauce, pickled vegetables.

Next, Brussels Sprouts with zhoug, pomegranate, pickled shallot.

This is the Tavern Pie topped with house red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, jalapeño, honey. It was spicy and a little sweet for a nice contrast.

The service at the bar was just fine. All of the food was exceptional as always. I see why Young Joni is still mobbed as the food and service are worth every dime.


Young Joni
165 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5719
http://www.youngjoni.com

Surly Pizza Upstairs

The fancy restaurant at Surly brewing is gone (bummer) and has recently been replaced with a pizza joint. It looks like they reconfigured the room slightly and added a bar near the door. We sat at the bar and just ordered beer and food from the bartenders. Normally, you go thought the line, get a number and the food is delivered to your table.

John had the Spicoli pizza, which was topped with house made fennel sausage, grilled radicchio, onion, red sauce and mozzarella cheese.

I had the I’m Your Daddy pizza, which was topped with pepperoni, sweet and hot peppers, burnt honey, red sauce and mozzarella cheese. It was really good pizza. I love it when the pepperoni get crisp and forms little pepperoni bowls. The crust had a nice char and was a thinner crust and fairly light on the cheese.

The service at the bar was very friendly and helpful and sitting there gave us some time to review the menu while we decided what to order.



Surly Brewing Company
520 Malcolm Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: (763) 999-4040
https://surlybrewing.com/

Young Joni & Back Bar

We'd been wanting to back to Young Joni, but getting in is not easy. We decided to try going early and getting a spot at the bar. No such luck, the bar was full when we arrived, but we put our names on the list and headed to the back bar to try getting in there.

The Cocktail Formerly Known as Paisley Park

The MOA

The wait to get into the back bar was only 10 minutes or so and we enjoyed waiting there until our table in the restaurant was ready. I think we waited 75-90 minutes total. The drinks at the back bar were excellent too.

The cauliflower includes shishito peppers, saffron chermoula, pickled fresno, golden raisins, almond picada and cauliflower yogurt.

Basque pizza topped with Spanish chorizo, mozzarella, goat cheese, piquillo pepper, red onion, Castelvetrano olives and preserved lemon.

whole fish with one piece missing....it was branzino, which was a special. 

after...it was very light, flaky and delicious.  

The service was excellent and the food was amazing. The pizza is perfect and the fresh, whole fish is great. Don't be afraid to try a whole fish! The cauliflower is spicy, sweet and creamy, so many good flavors. There's a reason Young Joni is insanely busy and popular. It's worth the trouble to get in.


Young Joni
165 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5719
http://www.youngjoni.com

Broadway Fast & Fresh Skyway

The Broadway Pizza in US Bank Plaza closed awhile ago, remodeled a bit and reopened with a new concept where you can build your own freshly made pizza. The toppings are unlimited and they also offer salads, wraps and pasta dishes. They offer a few favorites or you can build your own pizza and any pizza is priced at $7.99.

I tried this out the other day and was pleasantly surprised. The line moved quickly, you just tell them the toppings, pay and they call your number when the pizza is finished. The whole process only took about seven minutes from start to finish.

I topped my pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and green olives. The finished pizza was hot and fresh, which is often a problem with skyway pizza places if it sits there too long. The toppings were generous and the sauce and cheese had good flavor.


Broadway Fast & Fresh
200 South 6th St #270
(612) 465-8899
http://www.broadwaypizza.com/downtown-minneapolis/

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/

Young Joni

We finally went somewhere new shortly after it opened. I really wanted to try Young Joni, so I made a reservation about a month ahead of time. It was worth the wait.

We were seated right away. The room is very warm and inviting with open beams and lots of dark wood. The place was packed and buzzing and the sound levels were good, not too loud and not too quiet.

Our server greeted us pretty quickly and provided excellent service throughout our visit.

Paloma and sarsaparilla cocktails

We began with a couple starters- the first was the brussels sprouts. The sauce was a bit sweet and the onion added to the smoky flavor of the brussels sprouts.

The second starter was the grilled chili prawns. The sauce was definitely spicy and not in a Minnesota way. They were perfectly grilled and I could have eaten several more. 

We shared the Korean BBQ pizza. The crust was sturdy enough to support all of the topping and just the right amount of chewy and soft. The arugula was nicely dressed with sesame and soy vinaigrette and the short rib topping was tender and plentiful.

John had the sea salt and olive oil soft serve. It was surprisingly delicious, he was not sure it would be good, but it was in fact great. The olive oil almost tasted like caramel sauce.

My dessert was the church basement bars plate with a side of milk. The chocolate chip cookies were warm and perfect. The middle bar was a blueberry and lemon bar, which was sweet and light, like a cobbler. The chocolate bar on the left was super chocolatey, rich and sweet.

looking toward the bar

looking toward the front 

That reminds me, that the front door is a little tricky. All the windows and doors on the front look the same, the door is at an angle and has a very small lip to grab. 

restroom with giant lightbulb

I very highly recommend Young Joni. The experience was perfect from start to finish. It is not cheap, but worth every dime for the high quality food and service your receive.


Young Joni
165 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5719
http://www.youngjoni.com

Giordano's Pizza

Just wanted to share a quick picture from Giordano's pizza in Uptown. We visited for early dinner on a Saturday afternoon recently. Since it was early, it didn't look that busy, and we scored a parking spot in the adjacent lot, but the only open spots were two stools at the bar. We took them and quickly made the decision to order a deep dish pepperoni and sausage pizza. The pizza takes 45 minutes to bake and I see why.

This is a heavy duty pizza and it is topped with tons of cheese. I liked this pizza, but I'm not sure it was the best deep dish I've ever had. The crust was very thick and sturdy, but I missed the cornmeal dusting that sometimes is used under the crust. The cheese had good flavor, as did the meat. The sauce was acceptable, but was missing the super fresh tomato flavor we were looking for. Overall, I'd say if you are missing authentic Chicago style deep dish pizza, this will meet your needs, but it is not the best ever.

We found the service to be brisk and quick. They do their best to get you in and out, though the cooking time slows things down considerably. There are two Minnesota locations now as well, in Minneapolis and Richfield.


Giordano's Pizza
2700 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 444-3143
https://giordanos.com

3000 W 66th St,
Richfield, MN 55423
(612) 444-3731

Mozza Mia Pizza

I had bought a bunch of Parasole gift cards around the holidays, so visiting Mozza Mia was encouraged by that purchase. We arrived after 5pm on a Sunday and were surprised to see a lineup of people waiting to be seated. We were seated very quickly and sat at the bar facing the kitchen.

We started with tomato caprese bruschetta topped with freshly made mozzarella, tomato and basil on grilled sourdough bread. The fresh mozzarella really made this dish excellent. The tomatoes had nice flavor as well, especially considering it is the middle of winter in Minnesota.

John had the supremo pizza topped with bolognese, pepperoni, onion, peppers, mozzarella, provolone and gorgonzola. We felt the crust was a bit on the bland side. I did not get much flavor from the wood fired pizza oven at all.

I had the fig and prosciutto pizza topped with La Quercia prosciutto, gorgonzola and caramelized onion. This was a sweeter pizza and I removed a few figs and enjoyed it a lot.

The service was fine, a bit odd since the server had to wait on us from behind since the kitchen was in front of us, but we had everything we needed when we needed it. We thought the prices seemed a bit high for the quality of the food, so I am not sure we will be rushing back anytime soon.


Mozza Mia
3910 W 50th St
Minneapolis, MN 55424
Phone: (952) 288-2882
www.mozzamia.com

Jake's Stadium Pizza - Mankato

I’ve been in Mankato a lot recently, so I thought I might as well share a few finds from Southern Minnesota in case you find yourself in town.

Jake’s Stadium pizza has been around for as long as I can remember. According to their website it has been around since 1964. I’m not that old, so no wonder I think it has been there forever. It moved to a newer building in 2010, but the inside center portion of the dining room looks the same as the old location pretty much. I suppose someone would have missed the orange plastic booths if they did not bring them to the new location.

We had a thin crust pepperoni and sausage pizza. The sauce had a nice fresh flavor and the toppings were generously applied. The crust was nice and crisp too. I liked how the edges of the pepperoni crisped and curled up on the edges a bit. It is a solid pizza at a good price. A medium was $12.10 with two toppings and that was plenty for two of us, with a few pieces leftover.

This pizza is what I would call your standard Minnesota style pizza. It has a thin crust, lots of cheese, lots of toppings and it is cut into squares. I must admit, I never knew that was an official type of pizza, but I guess cutting pizza into squares is not done in many other places.


Jake’s Stadium Pizza
330 Stadium Rd
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone:(507) 345-5420
http://jakesstadiumpizza.com/

Blaze Pizza

John and I visited the new Blaze Pizza in St Louis Park recently, mainly because we had received a coupon ion the newspaper for a free pizza. There was a short line on arrival, and you build your own pizza as you go through the line Chipotle style, they fire it and call your name shortly after.

John had the link in pizza with Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, sauteed onions, mozzarella, red sauce.

I had the white top pizza with white cream sauce with mozzarella, applewood bacon, chopped garlic, oregano, arugula.

Overall, the pizza was good, but I kept comparing it to Punch Pizza. I did not think the pizzas were as good as Punch. At Blaze they cut off the burnt edges of the pizza. WHY?! Hey, that is the good part! I did not think the sauce or other ingredients had as much flavor either. There was a gentleman in front of us telling us how much he loved Blaze, but he had never heard of Punch. He loaded up his pizza like crazy and shared it with his wife. I can see how it would seem like a good value, but I just didn’t think the flavors were that great. The crust is defiantly more of a thin crust and probably doesn’t hold up that well if you add tons of toppings. The crust was shaped by a machine and didn’t seem very light and airy.

John and I were not particularly dazzled and I don’t know that we would return. For about the same price you can get a much better pizza elsewhere.

Blaze Pizza
8126 Hwy 7
Saint Louis Park, MN 55426
and
1000 Washington Ave S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
http://www.blazepizza.com

Fat Lorenzo's

We visited the Fat Lorenzo’s in Minneapolis recently for an early dinner on a Sunday. It is a pretty small location with four rows of tables and booths, but it was not at all busy when we arrived.

We ordered a medium carne pizza (meat crazy) topped with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage and sliced meatballs.  The pizza is a New York style pizza with a pretty thick crust, but it is not deep dish by any means. The toppings were generous and I thought the pizza sauce had a fresh tasting sauce. It was very filling and I could only eat a couple slices. More pizza to take home is always good though!

The service was friendly and prompt and our food arrived in a timely manner. In addition to pizza, the menu offers pasta, hoagies, appetizers and gelato. The Minneapolis location offers wine and beer. Parking is available in a small lot on the side of the building or on the street and it is easy to access just off highway 62.


Deals & discounts: The metro Dining Club has a monthly discount of one complimentary entrée when a second entrée of equal or greater value is purchased or 50% off the regular price of any size pizza for up to $7 off per month. Note: You must purchase a minimum of two beverages per card. Not a bad deal though.

Fat Lorenzo’s
5600 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55417
Phone:(612) 822-2040
http://fatlorenzos.com/

Also a second location
Inside Everett McClay VFW Post 1296
311 W. 84th Street
Bloomington, MN 55420
952-888-3282

Hello Pizza

We’ve been making an effort to try some different places lately. We visited Hello Pizza for some quick slices. It was not busy at all when we arrived, only one other couple was there on a Sunday around 11am.

We both had the Hello Trinity pizza, which is topped with red sauce, mozzarella, house-made fennel sausage, natural casing pepperoni and crimini mushrooms. The pizza was hot and fresh when it arrived and tasted great. The slices are quite large and one was enough for me. It is definitely along the lines of a New York style of pizza crust. I love their pepperoni and how it gets crisped at the edges.

Hello Pizza is not full service, you just order at the counter and your food is brought out when it is ready. The dining room is very cute though. It is a great place to stop in for a quick meal and we will certainly come back again.

Hello Pizza

3904 Sunnyside Rd

Edina, MN 55424

(952) 303-4514

http://hellopizza.com/