Lunds Downtown Minneapolis
Thank-goodness! Target is now not the only one who is selling food in downtown Minneapolis, lets be honest their fresh food and meat selection sucks. They now have some stiff competition from Lunds who is opening their store today on 12th and Hennepin. This opening has been long awaited by anyone who lives in downtown Minneapolis or works downtown.
Lunds downtown will be housed in an old motor company building which has beautiful windows that were used as a car showroom. There will also be a Lunds liquor store opening in the adjacent building. I know that organic fruits, sustainable seafood, and quality pre-made meals are going to be a welcome change for those of us who are used to green over-priced bananas from Target. Not that I don’t love Target prices on snack foods because they beat out all prices at most grocery stores.
Head to Lunds this week because they are offering $5.99 specials on crab and steak in their flyer to celebrate the opening of this new store. Also, $4.99 Cherry Chicken Salad as well.
@mplsgossipgirl
Crave Rooftop Happy Hour
If it ever stops raining… the Crave rooftop has an excellent happy hour.
Grab your sunglasses and cute sundress and check out the hotties who heat up this patio. Seriously, the crowd here is always good looking. I would recommend coming a bit dressed up but not wearing shoes that are hard to walk up stairs in. You have about 3-4 flights to walk up.
After a long day at work or a beautiful day walking around Minneapolis head over to Crave and try a few items off the extensive happy hour menu. If you like sushi, this is the place for you, they have many options to try including the Philly roll, and tuna roll. It is not the best sushi I have ever had and they do these weird sculpture with the veggies on some of the rolls that is unnecessary, but, when it is hot it hits the spot. I also saw some ladies enjoying burger sliders and steak bites and they seemed to like them. I went for a few of the fresher items on the menu. Try the edamame, it has a saltiness to the outside and tastes great with beer.
It was busy on a Tuesday night which is a great sign that people like this happy hour. Get there early.
*Beware the menu they list on the website as their happy hour menu has items that are not included on the menu on the rooftop.
My only wish is that they would add a few more beers to their tap list. They do have Lift Bridge which is the best on the tap list.
because it is a pretty view of the city.
@mplsgossipgirl
I do have to add a little bit to this post. I decided to share this place with some friends and CLIENTS, after a Twins game. After seeing people on the rooftop having a good time we wanted to get up there and join. When we got inside they told us we couldn’t go up there since they didn’t have servers.
But, we could sit in the bar downstairs. It ruined my experience and was awkward for the clients. PLEASE use common sense move severs from downstairs which was empty to upstairs instead of telling us we couldn’t go up there. Also, we would have been happy waiting up there if you gave us some peanuts or something to hold us over. You ruined the flow of my meeting and you lost a ton of business from us.
Dining in the Dark
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to try and eat your dinner without seeing it? Well, if that sounds appetizing or appe-teasing to you, you have a chance to try it out this Wednesday, May 23rd, at The Marquette Hotel.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness is hosting Dining in the Dark to give foodies the unique experience to drown out the sense of sight at the dining table. They will have to rely on their sense of touch and taste for the meal. The event runs from 6-9PM and tickets start at $250. You may also want to put the blindfold on when you write the check for the meal as well…
More information can be found here: www.blindness.org
Because it’s fun to try something new.
@mplsgossipgirl
Loring Kitchen
Did you know that Loring Kitchen has a new Happy Hour? It’s from 2-6PM and 9-Close daily.
Since they had this new happy hour I decided to see what it was all about. I have been before and had horrible service. Seriously…HORRIBLE. Let’s just say one time I was there the power went out and we didn’t see our server for 30 minutes. They didn’t tell us this was going on. They asked us to leave. I vowed never to go back.
But, since it is a neighborhood place, the outdoor seating is great, a new happy hour, and I was so hungry that I didn’t want to walk into downtown I made the mistake of trying it again. I really want to like it.
I should start off by saying that it is never the food. All the food that I have had there has been good. I like the steak salad which is on the happy hour menu, the pizzas are good, and the veggies are always done correctly. I won’t speak about what I had this time but, it was very good.
The beer, wine and other drinks are a great deal during happy hour. I ask you why on beautiful day the place isn’t packed?
The reason why I dislike this place and why I think people don’t go here is that the service is bad. bad. bad. This time the power was not out but we were not greeted by a server for over 20 minutes. We were finally greeted not by a server but by someone who looked like the manager. She could see the frustration on our faces and took our Happy hour order. We arrived with about 30 minutes of Happy Hour left but by the time this manager took our order there was only about 5+ minutes left.
The bad service kept going with the whole flow of the meal. It took awhile to get the food it took longer to get the check. Overall, it was another let down. It bothers me most because I know how great this space is and this is what is holding it back from being a really nice restaurant to go to and bring other people to have a great dinner.
So, I beg of you, Loring Kitchen please please please work on your service and timing. Otherwise you are going to keep losing customers like me.
because good service can make the meal.
@mplsgossipgirl
Have you had good experiences there? Have you had similar ones? Let me know..
GrillFest @MNMO
You know it is the start of summer when you fire up the grill for the first time. This past Saturday, I attended GrillFest which was put on by the lovely folks of Minnesota Monthly in downtown Minneapolis. This was the first time that they put on this event and hopefully it will not be the last because I think it will only grow in popularity over the years. Let me tell you, this was a great way to spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon, food, wine, beer, and interesting presenters.
This event goes to benefit Minnesota Public Radio, so if you are a fan this is a great way to support the station and get to eat really great food at the same time.
Here are some of the Hits:
1. The Burger from Macys. Holy Crap… that was a delicious burger. A pretzel bun with blue cheese, onions, burger perfectly cooked and a whole lot of love made this the best thing I ate that day.
2. The Jerk Chicken. Yum. I had a roommate once from Trinidad and she would have liked this jerk chicken. It gave that slow burn that you look for. Plus the guys serving it were awesome as well. They are new in the market and they were seeing if people other then themselves liked it. I did.
3. Surly. Need I say more. They had their Bitter on tap and well, I could have stood by that booth all day and hung out with the roller girls.
4. Captain Ken’s Baked Beans. Made locally, these beans are really great. You can even find them at Kowalski’s in the frozen food section.
5. Schell’s Brewery. Zommerfest. Thank goodness someone is making a summer beer without all that fruit in it. It is a lighter beer perfect for a hot day.
6. My South African friends with the Boerewors. I miss the wonderful meats that they have in South Africa and it was so nice to be brought back by the meat you were serving! Thanks to Von Hansen’s meat market for making it special for the event. I can’t wait to have my own Braai.
7. Local foods section. They had the Jelly’s that are delicious on meat. Also, a new simple syrup that was very good as well. I would have bought it if I didn’t have to lug it home and yes you should start to sell it in stores. It was good.
8. Tents in-case it started to rain.
9. Dr. BBQ. What a guy. I learned some helpful tips and I was entertained by his witty nature and jokes. Who knew to put in apple juice? Not this girl.
10. A speaker system that worked even though it was really windy.
11. Great Location. Easy to get from light rail to the parking lot as well as on bus routes.
12.A great crowd. Even some local celebrities. (Jason Matheson)
Some of the Misses:
1. Lack of seating and tables. COME ON. SERIOUSLY. Please supply these for your events. It is very uncomfortable to try and eat while holding your drink and multitude of other items. Its awkward and my satisfaction with the event would go up 100% if I could have set my drink on a table while I ate.
2. Better food trucks with more options. The food truck I ate at was not good. I tried it because I hadn’t had it before and the person taking orders was raving about the food. It was not a gyro, and that curry had curry powder that was not good. Hint hint: the food truck I ate at took all of my coupons and my partners coupons even though the sign said just one per item……. I thought I would be able to try one other truck as well. I think I may have been tricked….
Also, the food trucks could have done food that was not grilled more fresh food as a change from all the other food being served. There were a lot of shredded pork sandwiches. I want to eat what your food truck does really well.
3. Would have liked to see more more competitions. Just for fun.
The hits definitely outweighed the misses at this event. You really can go wrong when you are eating good food and drinking good beer and wine. I will bring a few friends along next year to enjoy the event as well. Keep on keeping on Minnesota Monthly and if you ever need someone to help with your events…. hire me.
because there is something in that BBQ sauce.
@mplsgossipgirl
If you were there as well, let me know what you think!
Dining Out For Life
Go out to dinner tonight? Why? Because it is Dining Out For Life where restaurants all around Minnesota are giving a percent of profits to The Aliveness Project. You are going to have dinner anyways right?
Check out the list of restaurants HERE
Because you should.
@mplsgossipgirl
My recent restaurant experiences…
After re-reading several of my recent posts about restaurants, I clearly have not been happy with my experience at several of the places I have been.
This is horribly sad for me. I don’t mean to be a crank. But, I figure if I tell the truth and the restaurant reads it maybe they will make some changes. I also want to make diners aware of what kind of experience they could get if they go there. No fake Amazings!!! here. I love food and love to appreciate the food in Minneapolis and surrounding areas. If I say something was AMAZING, I feel that way wholeheartedly.
Most of my rank comments have been about the service and I have been pondering why I have gotten some not so great service these last few weeks. Is it because I am younger than most of the servers, my lack of fashion, or because I do a lot of happy hours? I don’t know what exactly it is. I always tip over 20%.
I should also mention that none of the restaurants know that I write a blog. I try not to be too descriptive in my posts to let them know who I am. That way my experience is not skewed by what they want my experience to be that might be different than a normal customer.
Come on restaurants! I am just like any other person who wants to have a reason to come back again. My wish right now is that I could write more complementary posts about the restaurants to get more patrons in them.
My challenge to you:
I am ready to be redeemed by a restaurant… Please let me know if you know of any restaurants with great service. I will go there and let you know about it.
Key’s at the Foshay
Key’s at the Foshay is one of the best kept secrets in Minneapolis. Not only do they serve breakfast all day, they also have amazing desserts.
The best part of this restaurant is their staff. They greet you and remember you from past visits. Ask you how you like items on the menu. Tell you stories. But, most importantly, make you laugh.
Be prepared Key’s you can’t get rid of me now!
Because Key’s knows how to treat a customer and friend
@mplsgossipgirl
Salut Bar Americain- on Grand
I had great company last night when I attended Salut in St. Paul. Thank goodness, because otherwise I would not have been very happy when I left there.
When I got to the hosts table I waited because there was no one there to help me. When someone showed up I said I had reservations under my name and I was not sure if anyone from my party was already there, thinking that this host would be able to show me where our table was. They just looked at me as if I had something on my face. Then said, “well, did you look in there to see if they are here?” So, we went on our way without help from the host.
It stared out pleasantly with water, some bread, and butter. Our waitress was MIA. We finally ordered drinks and meals. Then, the strangest thing happened. Our waitress came out with a small dish with some small bites, placed it in front of one of us, muttered something and left. It took us awhile to figure out if that was something that came with what one of us ordered or if it was just an add on to our meal. We finally decided to share it. It made for an awkward moment.
The people who enjoyed the main course were the ones that ordered burgers. They looked delicious. My suggestion would be the burger with swiss and onion I believe it is called the french onion soup burger. I was hungry for something on the lighter side and ordered a staple. A GREEK salad. What ended up coming out was a hodge-podge salad with something that they must have had left over. My Greek salad had no cucumbers and had both red and green peppers all over it. It was the majority of the salad. If you take a look at the menu it does not even mention peppers come on it. I wasn’t sure, therefore I did not question the salad I ordered. I thought I may have not read the menu correctly. How disappointing, I spent 10 dollars on a salad that I really didn’t like. I might have ordered something else other than a salad but they were a little bit out of my price range for a mid-week dinner with friends who are on a budget.
My wine was fantastic. I had the $6.00 Merlot and would recommend that as a cheap, good wine.
My advice, if you go there order a burger and not a salad.
because what is on the menu should be what you get.
@mplsgossipgirl
Hell’s Kitchen- The Worst Cocktail I have EVER had.
Good thing their tag line is damn good food. Last night I had quite possibly the worst cocktail I have ever had at a restaurant. It was actually worst than most of the stuff I had in college. So, you know it’s bad.
I ordered a Cosmo (raspberry, that was recommended by the person who made my drink). It was $8.50. I am expecting a good drink if I am going to pay that much. Well, Hell’s Kitchen did not deliver.
It was overly sweet and tasted like cough syrup with booze in it. I am not sure if the person who made it was actually a bar tender or if he was just helping out at the bar for that time. I hope for the restaurants sake that he is not a bar tender. They should not let him make any drinks anymore. I literally, not figuratively, could not drink it.
It was actually quite sad. The whole restaurant at 7:00pm was almost empty. I felt bad for the guy preforming because he was the best thing about my experience there. He was good! But, clearly something is going wrong if at 7 on a Thursday you can’t get people in to eat your food and drink your drinks when there is a good performer.
I like Hell’s Kitchen for breakfast. I did write another review about Hell’s Kitchen that was glowing. But, I doubt I will ever go there to get a drink again. I am very glad that I didn’t choose the bar tenders choice drink because I wonder what kind of drink I would have gotten then.
The happy hour menu looks good… so maybe I will give it a try.
Let me know if you have had a drink there and what it was like.
Because booze should taste good.
@mplsgossipgirl
mplsgossipgirl 