Most big cities have their share of good restaurants and The Twin Cities is no exception. One I found after my morning visit to the Sculpture Garden was the Good Day Café. Located just off a major highway but down a bunch of winding side streets, GPS came in very handy!
An admitted breakfast snob, I found the house-made corned beef hash better than any I’ve had other than Hereford’s canned Corned Beef Hash (which isn’t made any more). Their house-made ketchup was also better than any I’ve had other than Sir Kensington’s (which also isn’t made any more). Sigh.
Across from my hotel was a branch of the local chain “Hazelwood.” The restaurant has four locations, including Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay and Woodbury. The food is good if a little pricey.
But what really kept me going back were the scotches. In addition to offering 1.5 oz pours, a double was 50 percent more than a single, not double the price. As a result, a double shot of Laphroaig, one of my favorites from Islay, was $27 compared to $25 for a single at the bar in another nearby hotel.
Another unlikely dining venue was just across the street on the north side of the mall: IKEA. Yes, the furniture store.
Other places I enjoyed more than once were Ciao Bella. With its shaded patio providing a beautiful setting - again, weather permitting - they offer a range of traditional Italian dishes with some very inventive offshoots. Among my favorites were the appetizer of four diver scallops seared in brown butter and served with crispy prosciutto over a salad of wild arugula, frisée, roasted tomatoes and lemon. I also enjoyed a pizza cooked in their wood-fired oven; seared Ahi tuna with avocado, soy sauce and spicy mayo served on sesame crisps; Ahi tuna spring rolls; and jumbo lump crab cakes.
Another regular haunt was the Smack Shack, a seafood-focused establishment near Edina. Over the course of several happy hours, I indulged in plates of a half-dozen oysters on the half-shell ($12 at happy hour), Smack & Blue sliders (beef sliders with bleu cheese, hot sauce and caramelized onions), fish tacos and a tuna poke wrap. A colleague who joined me frequently raved about the Connecticut Style Lobster Roll (warm lobster with butter, lemon and chives on a warm split bun) and their crab cakes.
Several evenings were spent at CōV, an American restaurant delivering upscale hospitality, American cuisine and Nantucket atmosphere. As at its original Wayzata location, CōV Edina is sure to impress. Happy hours were good; prices for wine and other beverages were slightly discounted but there was a good selection of small plates and appetizers. Staff was always friendly and attentive, making it a nice respite from chains, of which there are plenty!
One of the more novel, if pricey, places was Lindey’s The Place for Steak It is truly unique. The interior looks like a mountain cabin with knotty pine tongue-in-groove paneling and a general rustic feel to it. It’s noted for its excellent steaks, but not so much for the options it offers. Dinner menus are printed on tag board, mounted on stands that the server sets next to the table. There are four types of steak offered: Special sirloin, Prime sirloin, broiled shrimp, and prime chopped sirloin (I don’t care what you name it; it’s hamburger). Entrees come with a salad with house dressing (like a French and no, there are no other options), a “greaseless hashbrown potato platter” and garlic bread. Desserts are on offer, but who has the room for it?
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| Entrance to Good Day Cafe |
An admitted breakfast snob, I found the house-made corned beef hash better than any I’ve had other than Hereford’s canned Corned Beef Hash (which isn’t made any more). Their house-made ketchup was also better than any I’ve had other than Sir Kensington’s (which also isn’t made any more). Sigh.
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| Breakfast at Good Day Cafe |
Across from my hotel was a branch of the local chain “Hazelwood.” The restaurant has four locations, including Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Tonka Bay and Woodbury. The food is good if a little pricey.
Oddly, Happy Hour runs from 2 – 5 p.m. When I asked about why that was since most people don’t get off work until 5 or later, they admitted it had been a slow time for the restaurant, so they decided upon those hours and it seems to work well for them. Perhaps that's because a fair number of people come to the area specifically to shop at the Mall of America and aren’t bound by a work schedule.
Speaking of the MOA, it does have a fair number of restaurants on the top floor but, as I noted last time, prices were higher, likely reflecting the rents the Mall charges. The area just outside the mall, though, has a couple of noteworthy places.
At the south end of the mall, the Radisson Blu hotel has a very nice restaurant called the FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar. When I’m dining alone, I often sit at the bar and make a meal out of the “small plates” or appetizer offerings. FireLake has a good selection of small plates, some reasonably priced sandwiches, soups, salads, a good selection of wines and local brews, and a fairly amazing selection of single-malt scotches. I had a couple of meals there and enjoyed both the Margherita and the FireLake Flatbread. Freshly prepared, they came out piping hot and were each more than I cared to finish.
Speaking of the MOA, it does have a fair number of restaurants on the top floor but, as I noted last time, prices were higher, likely reflecting the rents the Mall charges. The area just outside the mall, though, has a couple of noteworthy places.
At the south end of the mall, the Radisson Blu hotel has a very nice restaurant called the FireLake Grill House and Cocktail Bar. When I’m dining alone, I often sit at the bar and make a meal out of the “small plates” or appetizer offerings. FireLake has a good selection of small plates, some reasonably priced sandwiches, soups, salads, a good selection of wines and local brews, and a fairly amazing selection of single-malt scotches. I had a couple of meals there and enjoyed both the Margherita and the FireLake Flatbread. Freshly prepared, they came out piping hot and were each more than I cared to finish.
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| Margherita flatbread at FireLake |
But what really kept me going back were the scotches. In addition to offering 1.5 oz pours, a double was 50 percent more than a single, not double the price. As a result, a double shot of Laphroaig, one of my favorites from Islay, was $27 compared to $25 for a single at the bar in another nearby hotel.
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| IKEA big breakfast |
IKEA has a bistro on the lower level and a cafeteria-style restaurant one floor about. They have Swedish breakfasts, complete with Swedish pancakes and lingonberry jam; and lunches and dinners of Swedish meatballs or veggie balls with sides of soup, salad, and gravlax-style salmon. Delicious, and reasonably priced. Don’t let the size of the place intimidate; drive to the loading dock (upper floor of the parking garage), go in the doors, up the escalator, turn right and you’re there! Going out, use the elevator to go down a floor as there is only an up-escalator.
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| Entrance to Al's Breakfast |
Another funky little spot for breakfast is Al’s Breakfast in Dinkytown. This 14-seat diner was featured on Season One of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” and is still hopping today. Al, the gravely-voiced proprietor seen on the TV show, has officially retired, though staff says he does make appearances on Saturdays.
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| 14-stool interior |
If you’re inclined to head out of town a bit, Legends Golf Club in Prior Lake, MN has a killer prime rib dinner every Friday and Saturday night. For the incredibly reasonable price of $28, guests get a 12-oz cut of prime rib with au jus, choice of starch (I loved the cheesy hash browns) and seasonal vegetables. A side order of sliced Italian bread is a must for an extra $5. Guests can dine inside or, weather permitting, on the patio which overlooks part of the golf course and the two lawn-bowling areas. It’s a great place to watch the sunset.
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| Prime rib dinner with all the fixin's |
Other places I enjoyed more than once were Ciao Bella. With its shaded patio providing a beautiful setting - again, weather permitting - they offer a range of traditional Italian dishes with some very inventive offshoots. Among my favorites were the appetizer of four diver scallops seared in brown butter and served with crispy prosciutto over a salad of wild arugula, frisée, roasted tomatoes and lemon. I also enjoyed a pizza cooked in their wood-fired oven; seared Ahi tuna with avocado, soy sauce and spicy mayo served on sesame crisps; Ahi tuna spring rolls; and jumbo lump crab cakes.
Another regular haunt was the Smack Shack, a seafood-focused establishment near Edina. Over the course of several happy hours, I indulged in plates of a half-dozen oysters on the half-shell ($12 at happy hour), Smack & Blue sliders (beef sliders with bleu cheese, hot sauce and caramelized onions), fish tacos and a tuna poke wrap. A colleague who joined me frequently raved about the Connecticut Style Lobster Roll (warm lobster with butter, lemon and chives on a warm split bun) and their crab cakes.
Several evenings were spent at CōV, an American restaurant delivering upscale hospitality, American cuisine and Nantucket atmosphere. As at its original Wayzata location, CōV Edina is sure to impress. Happy hours were good; prices for wine and other beverages were slightly discounted but there was a good selection of small plates and appetizers. Staff was always friendly and attentive, making it a nice respite from chains, of which there are plenty!
One of the more novel, if pricey, places was Lindey’s The Place for Steak It is truly unique. The interior looks like a mountain cabin with knotty pine tongue-in-groove paneling and a general rustic feel to it. It’s noted for its excellent steaks, but not so much for the options it offers. Dinner menus are printed on tag board, mounted on stands that the server sets next to the table. There are four types of steak offered: Special sirloin, Prime sirloin, broiled shrimp, and prime chopped sirloin (I don’t care what you name it; it’s hamburger). Entrees come with a salad with house dressing (like a French and no, there are no other options), a “greaseless hashbrown potato platter” and garlic bread. Desserts are on offer, but who has the room for it?
Shortly before my assignment ended, I was reading a magazine article about "Best Breakfast Spots in the Twin Cities." To my delight, both the Good Day Cafe and Al's Breakfast were on the list.
My bottom line is to a) steer away from chains unless you just HAVE to have what you know they’re good at, b) use social media sites like YELP!, but also c) ask around. Locals will know whether a place is still “the place to be” or whether it’s living on its reputation and you’d really rather go somewhere else.
As Julia Child used to say, “Bon appetit!”
Photos by Carl Dombek
Click on photos to view larger images
My bottom line is to a) steer away from chains unless you just HAVE to have what you know they’re good at, b) use social media sites like YELP!, but also c) ask around. Locals will know whether a place is still “the place to be” or whether it’s living on its reputation and you’d really rather go somewhere else.
As Julia Child used to say, “Bon appetit!”
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Photos by Carl Dombek
Click on photos to view larger images
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