Restaurant Week Minnesota is coming up on October 21st-26, 2012. Do you have your reservations yet?

If you don’t know what Restaurant Week is, you can read my earlier post HERE. It details what you need to do if you want to participate.

When deciding where I am going to go for restaurant week I take a look over all the menus and then decide what I think looks best. These are my own opinions and I am not paid for my endorsements or criticisms.

Here are my picks:

Good:

Bradstreet Crafthouse: Very good drinks and a delightful atmosphere. Plus, the lamb sliders are yummy.

Cafe and Bar Lurcat: AMAZING! If you have never been to Lurcat, you need to make this your pick. I reviewed this awhile ago HERE and loved my meal. My helpful hint: Ask your server what items they like on the menu. They have tried them and know what is best.

Capital Grill: This is the place you go if you like meat. They have fantastic steaks and it is the perfect place to have a fancy night out with complementary valet. Make sure you come dressed up.

Corner Table: I haven’t been here before but the menu excites me. This one might be a leap of faith. How can you go wrong with Pots du Creme with gingerbread?

FireLake Grill House: Chosen because they are using local ingredients. I like the idea of the lunch menu with a salad and a sandwich.

Haute Dish: What a great way to try some of their different menu items. People love the mac and cheese with king crab and the tator tot hot dish.

Heidi’s: If you haven’t had a chance to get here yet. You must. This is an excellent restaurant and I can’t believe they are even participating. I have had the lamb shank before and which is perfect. If I were to go here I would try the dungeness bisque.

Highland Grill: One of the only restaurants who figured out how to use the $15 dinner correctly. What a great way to try many of their menu items like the fundito dip.

The Oceanaire: The grilled swordfish, enough said.

Saffron: The whole menu looks delicious. I love how they offer add on’s of wine pairing and also supplements. I don’t know if I would be able to decide between the entrees.

Technique: This is at the chefs school which makes me excited. Not only are these chefs trying some new things, they are most likely being “graded” on their performance. Although this is new I think that the prices are great, 3 courses for 15 dollars. I wish they could have more spots open for reservations. The meatloaf sounds like bunches of fun.

Vincent A: This is one of my favorite places to go during restaurant week. They make really great food and the atmosphere is fancy. Go on a date and order both of the entrees, you will be impressed. I wish they would offer their Pots Du Creme for the dessert though.

Maybe:

Aji Japanese: $10 all you can eat sushi for lunch! This intrigues me. But, I am not sure of the grade of sushi being used or what types this includes. It looks promising.

Campiello: I have never been here but the menu looks promising. I think they would be better off trying a $15 dollar dinner and seeing if they can get some new customers trying their food.

Copper River Fish and Chop House: I might try this place sometime. The menu looks pretty good on their website and they have fresh fish. Hopefully, they can cook it well.

Cosmos at the Graves: I find it interesting that they put directly in the menu that tax and gratuity are not included. The menu looks promising and a few friends said they liked the restaurant week items here. I am just not sure about it yet. The lunch menu looks like a good deal to me.

Dakota: Why did you just put one option? The Dakota would have been one of my top picks if they would have given more options. They have some talented chefs there who are going outside the box. My suggestion is to give a few fun and exciting options and at least one safe option.

Fogo de Chao: I heard this is a great deal and my guy friends love this place. I have never been here since I am not a meat, meat and more meat kind of person. If I did go here I would go during a special like Restaurant Week.

Joe’s Garage: I haven’t been here and that is the only reason why it is not in the Good category. They have a great menu with lots of options and anyone who serves Poutine is cool in my book.

Longfellow Grill: Could be good. Not really sure on this one.

The Lowry: I have heard that people like this place but the menu doesn’t look all that great.  Although, it might surprise me.

Masa: I always walk by this place and wonder why it isn’t busy. That makes me hesitant to go there. But the menu looks good and I think lunch here would be great. I love a good torta.

Parma 8200: The melon salad sounds good. I could give this place a try.

RedRossa Italian Grille: Gorgonzola sauce, I need to find out what this is. It sounds yummy.

Rosa Mexicano:  I am a fan of flan. Yes, I may be the only one.

Scusi: The scallops sound really great. I haven’t been here before but this might be a good time to try it for the first time.

Sea Change: This restaurant is great and I wish they would have offered a special dinner along with the lunch. If you can make it here for lunch you will not be disappointed. I think this place is intimidating for some people and I would love to see a special that would get this place some new fans.

Stella’s: Wow that lunch special looks great. I like the options and think that it would be a fun place to catch lunch with a friend.

Twisted Fork: Lavender Creme Brulee, sounds great. I think they have a good menu and would consider going here on a relaxed night out.

Urban Eatery: I have heard this place is good. It was right on the edge of making it to my favorite places. The pumpkin dessert looks great!

Wildfire: I have not been here before, but I like how many options they gave on the menu.

I wouldn’t recommend:

Amore Victoria: I have had horrible service here and cannot recommend it even though the food is good. The choices of the Pumpkin, Osso Buco, and Chicken Parmesan sound delicious but coupled with the service I can’t do it. See my review HERE.

Blue Point Restaurant: Not that impressed with the menu. Give us the good items that you serve and I might think about stopping by.

Chez Daniel: The reviews are mixed. I have never been here but the menu seems over priced for being in a hotel and out of the city. They do groupon specials which makes me hesitant that the food cannot stand alone. I might try if the price was more reasonable.

Damico Kitchen: I am bummed about the horrible service that I got here last time. Read my review HERE. But, the food and the menu is good, so if you are willing to bet on the service you could give it a try.

Edina Grill: Why are you doing a $30 dinner. Try the $15 dollar dinner next time.

Forepaughs: A waldorf salad really? For 30 dollars. The other parts of the menu looked okay but, it makes me wonder how good it can be if they would actually serve a waldorf salad. Are we going to a funeral?

Jimmy’s Food and Cocktails: I wish they would have included what the exact choices would be. Could be good.

Kincaid’s: Not wow’ed by either locations menu.

The Lexington: Could be fun to go here. The desert looks good but I am not that excited about the rest of the menu. But, I think it would be fun to take my Grandma here.

The Melting Pot: It screams cheesy romantic valentines day date for high schoolers to me. I just can’t get on board with it. Plus, melted cheese freaks me out a little bit.

Sanctuary: It could be good. I am just not sure about it.

Seven: They have a decent menu with Jumbo Prawns on it. But, I feel like they already have the marketing budget and not sure why they are doing this.

Woolley’s Steakhouse: That Kielbasa Mac and Cheese does not sound appetizing.

Don’t go here:

3 Squares: They do not have anything over $15.00 on their regular menu. Why would you spend $30? My suggestion, please make your menu a $15 dollar dinner.

Chiang Mai Thai: They didn’t put their best item the Pad Thai on the menu. I haven’t been impressed with this place lately and it is not worth the price. I reviewed them recently HERE.

Crave: What a lousy menu. I think you could do better than that Crave.

Huberts: Why would you go here? It is bar food. Which I am sure is delicious but I am not sure why it is on the restaurant week menu. If you are looking for a greasy hang-over spot or a place to get a hang-over. Maybe you should try this place.

Indian Zayka: The menu is not posted, but there are pictures of people using a buffet. Not sure why this is on restaurant week. But, I love Indian food so I wish the menu was posted.

Loring Kitchen: Horrible service and a bad restaurant week menu as well. This place is not my favorite. See my review HERE.

Samba Taste of Brazil: heard this place was good. The menu does not reflect that.

Woodfire Grill: A burger is an entree that you can get for a $30 dinner? That is crazy. That burger must be unreal. Most likely it is just a rip off though. Please prove me wrong.

During restaurant week watch for my posts on the places that I go and my reviews.

Please also leave me comments or tell me about your experience at the different restaurants. I would especially like to hear about any that were rated lower on my scale but that you thought were really good.

because I love food.

@mplsgossipgirl