Caffrey’s Deli
I can’t believe I lived in Uptown for a year and never discovered this place! On my way out of town on a recent trip a friend suggested we stop here to get a quick bite to eat. I had never been there before but I remember seeing their menus all around town. I thought it was actually called Laffrey’s because of the font of the first letter. On Lake and Lyndale, this place is now one of my favorites in Uptown.
Although, I have only had one sandwich so far, I would go back. It was a great turkey sandwich. I think if I still lived over there that I would have them on speed dial when I get to lazy to make dinner. They deliver!
Caffrey’s Deli is old school and does not really have a website. They do have their menu online because a fan decided to put it online. Stop in sometime and have a sandwich. You won’t regret it.
Because there is something good about the old school way of doing things.
@mplsgossipgirl
Osaka
Yes, it is off the freeway. Yes, the decor outside is tacky. But, Yes, they do have happy hour, a pretty good one at that. Although, they have Osaka restaurants all over the suburbs in Minnesota each one is very different. Chain, not a chain? I am not completely sure. They each seem to have different happy hours. So, do not take what I am saying as going for each of the Osaka’s across the suburbs.
The particular restaurant that I have visited is in St. Louis Park and has happy hour from 4-6PM and some kind of lunch special that I am not exactly sure of. They do not advertise their happy hours but they should.
Osaka is both a hibachi (I have not been) and a sushi restaurant. Although, on their website is called a seafood and steakhouse. Maybe, they have some kind of identity disorder.
I have been here several times and although the service is horrible. They left us outside for 15-20 minutes after they seated us without taking a drink order. I still keep going back because I like the sushi and the happy hour. If you can handle not having great service but getting fairly good sushi this might be a place for you to try.
They have a fairly nice patio outside, other than the fact that your view is a highway. The decor inside is typical of an Asian restaurant with water features and has a modernish twist.
Although, I don’t think I would ever take anyone here for a meal, I like it for when I don’t want to cook dinner and craving sushi. Although, I have heard about Sushi Tango in uptown having a great happy hour. So I might try that next time. Let me know what you think of the other Osaka locations or places that you like to get sushi.
because sometimes I don’t want to cook. When that happens, it is best to call in reinforcements.
@mplsgossipgirl
Restaurant Week – Acqua
With beautiful views of White Bear Lake, Acqua was my choice for MSPMAG’s Summer Restaurant Week in Minnesota.
I was blessed with the perfect day yesterday to spend time by the lake. I have been to White Bear Lake many times and have never dined at this restaurant. It is truly a hidden gem, that people are now discovering. White Bear Lake is about 25 Minutes outside of the cites and is worth the drive.
Acqua in my opinion is an Italian Seafood place. Meaning, when you come here you need to try something that has come from the sea and also has pasta with it. It has charm because it is located in a small house on a one way road and has a wonderful patio. Although, you cannot make reservations for the patio which is often full on sunny days like yesterday, dining in the house is equally as nice.
The Restaurant Week menu had at least 3 choices for each course allowing diners many options to choose from. My suggestion would be to try the item on the menu that seems the most unique to you and that you would not normally try. Those are always the menu items that I enjoy the most. I started with the Cantaloupe and Honeydew Puree with Strawberry and Mint.
This was definitely one of those items that I was not sure if I would like or if I would normally pick at a restaurant. But, it was great and look at that design. With hints of Cayenne Pepper this cold sweet soup was just what was needed to start off a great meal. I also had a few bites of the field greens with the tomato vinaigrette, also good, but more on the safe side of things.
You also get bread with honey butter while dining here…. I literally could not stop eating it. The wait staff who were friendly and professional kept bringing me more. Thank goodness for them.
Then on to the main event. You cannot go wrong with any of the choices on the restaurant week menu and from what I was hearing from other diners you can’t go wrong with virtually anything on the menu. I was told I need to come back and try the braised shank.
I had the main picture of this post, a Spaghetti with Grilled Shrimp, Roasted Tomato and Lemon Butter Sauce. It was delicious and I finished every bite. I regretted afterwards not saving some for leftovers.
I also tried the Eggplant Parmesan which had a delightful sauce on it.
Last but certainly not least was the desserts. Choose which ever item sounds good to you and go for it. You cannot make a wrong choice here. I had both the Creme Brulee and the Chocolate Souffle with the amazing graham cracker ice cream. I also saw the Pistachio Semifreddo come out and regretted not trying it.
Overall, try this place out for Summer Restaurant Week today or tomorrow and hope that next Restaurant Week they will be back again. Make sure to get your reservations in here early, you will not be disappointed. Heck, come here anytime you can because their regular menu looks fabulous also.
because sitting by a lake eating good food is what I want to be doing in heaven
@mplsgossipgirl
Restaurant Week MN Summer 2012
If you don’t have plans tonight. Do what I am doing. Go out and eat at a fabulous restaurant for MSPMAG’s Restaurant Week. Check out my post later this week to find out where I went for Summer Restaurant Week.
If you have not participated in Restaurant Week yet, try one of the restaurants on the list from July 8th-13th. This list will have the name of the Restaurant the menu they will have for Restaurant Week and a place to click on to make reservations on Open Table.
Quick Hint: If you have not signed up for Open Table, do it, now. It is a free and easy way to make reservations at many restaurants in Minnesota. They also do a point thing and keep track of places that you like. If you travel, especially to places with a great foodie scene, Open Table can be a great place to make reservations (a little more in advance then we do in Minnesota)
When you get to the restaurant, all you need to do is let them know you will be ordering off the restaurant week menu. It is that simple.
Check out one of my favorite Restaurant Week places: Cafe Lurcat (you can’t go wrong), Vincent (get the surf and turf), HauteDish is new on the list this time around and they have a lot of items to choose from, and last but not least Saffron (the blue prawns). The Capital Grille is good for those who like meat, meat, and more meat.
Lunch: Vincent (best ambiance for a quiet lunch) go for the poached eggs.
You can see my previous posts on past Restaurant Weeks HERE. They will be a good indication of what places do Restaurant Week right.
I don’t think all the restaurants on the Restaurant Week list are a “good deal” take a look at their normal menu and see their prices and also check reviews from people like me. Restaurant Week is a chance to try those restaurants that you normally could not afford to go to. I think that places that also do fun and unique items are worth it as well.
I am still bummed not to see La Belle Vie on the list. One place in the Twin Cities I have not been to because of the cost, even though I am sure it is worth every penny.
Follow me on Twitter @mplsgossipgirl to guess where I am tonight.
Because I am Hungry.
@mplsgossipgirl
Eat Street Social
After trying to go to the new restaurant in town “The Icehouse” and being rudely turned away by the hostess (I don’t think she will last long), some friends and I ended up at Eat Street Social on 26th and Nicollet.
It was a blessing. I can’t believe I had not been there yet. After looking over the handcrafted drink menu, I was amazed by the choices. The names were clever and made with quality ingredients. My favorite was the Yamato Sling. I was able to try almost all the drinks on the menu and even got a little tutorial from one of the bartenders.
If you go there I suggest sitting at the bar because you will get a show along with your drink or dinner. The bartender that we were sitting by struck up a conversation with us and even showed us how he was making the drinks. They have several bartenders on hand so you are guaranteed a really well made drink.
All I can say is that the service was overwhelmingly great, it was a friendly atmosphere and the hostess did her best to accommodate our large group. The server we had did a great job of explaining the menu and even though we didn’t have dinner there and he explained some of the items that we would have had no idea what they were. Such as “A Round for the Boys” where you can buy the kitchen a drink for $12.00. What a great idea! I am going to be using that next time I come and eat dinner.
The reason I will be going back is because the dinner menu looked delicious and was reasonable. Their soups sounded wonderful, and I haven’t met an asparagus soup that I haven’t liked at least a little bit. Also, the braised lamb sandwich is something I have to try. The bacon gnocchi with ramps and the fish special entree are also at the top of my list.
So, if you haven’t given it a try yet, do not overlook the Eat Street Social.
Because never underestimate the power of a good drink.
@mplsgossipgirl
Salsa a la Salsa
Just a bit out of downtown on eat street you will find a quaint place called Salsa a la Salsa. If you are looking for somewhere to pop in with out a reservation. This is a great place to try. It is usually quiet and the food is good. I say usually, because I was seated to a group of dude bros who were talking about all the females they were going to meet at the clubs that night while drinking strawberry margaritas. Don’t judge bro.
They have a huge menu and I haven’t had anything that I didn’t like yet. I would ask your waiter/waitress what they like to eat and get that.
It is a nice place to go if you are really hungry because they bring chips to the table right away with green salsa that is mild. Their margaritas are good and they have reasonable prices on both beer and wine.
It is not taco bell and some of my friends that are not all about “real” tacos did not like this place. If you do have someone who is that way in your party, point them to the burritos. There is one that is like many of the chain restaurants make but better.
It is not the best food I have ever had but in a pinch it is wonderful. The place is friendly with welcoming staff and relaxing. This is exactly what you need when you have had a stressful day and do not want to make dinner.
I should mention that they also have another restaurant in the Midtown Global Market which is great as well with the same menu I believe.
Where do you go to get a meal when you don’t want to cook?
@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.
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..
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
Minnesota Breweries
I am not sure what I love most about Minnesota. I know of something that comes close. BEER. I am proud of craft brewers of Minnesota because they are making some wonderful brews. Call me a beer snob but, enough of the Budweiser and light crap, I would take a Minnesota beer over those anytime, anyplace.
I am also proud to call Minnesota my home because of the push to get these wonderful beers in our restaurants and the work that is being done to let them open tap rooms! The more beer the merrier or at least that is my opinion on it.
Here is a list of a few breweries I haven’t been to but I am hoping to make it there sometime soon.
1. Castle Danger Brewery
In Northern MN on the way to the Gun Flint Trail you will drive through a small town called Castle Danger. This is the greatest name for a town and I want to buy a cabin there eventually.
This is a production brewery and only puts out a few different beers at a time. It is a one- man production. The family who owns the brewery also own the Castle Haven Cabins. Sounds like a great weekend trip to me. They are already booked for summer but have some availability in the next few weeks.
Growlers are available every Wed, Fri & Sat from 4-7pm at the brewery filled with your choice of beer that we currently have. Now Available: Danger Ale, Camp Depression Lager & George Hunter Stout.
More information here on their website: http://www.castledangerbrewery.com/
2. Boom Island Brewing Company
Owned by a french horn playing couple Boom Island sits on the banks of the Mississippi. This is a Belgium style brewery with strange named beers like thoprock.
You can contact the brewery for tours. I believe that it is pretty small. Otherwise, you can find their beers on tap at places like the Happy Gnome and Pig & Fiddle.
Check out their Website here: http://boomislandbrewing.com/home.html
3. Harriet Brewing
If you are looking for a brewery in Minneapolis look no further than Harriet Brewing. They have a newly open taproom which has been getting a lot of attention lately. Plus, you can take the light rail there.
They focus mostly on European style beers specifically German and Belgium. It was started in a garage on lake Harriet hence the name and has grown into it’s new space. If you go to an event hosted by them you will notice the local art and music.
They currently have a home brew and label competition going on to help their delivery man Andy who hurt his hand.
Check their website to see when the tap room is open: http://www.harrietbrewing.com/
It is usually open Friday and Saturday nights.
4. Surly Brewing Company
Starting as a home brewer in 1994 Omar Ansari most likely never thought he would own a brewery like he does today. Surly is one of the fastest growing names in beer not only in Minnesota but around the country.
Surly is a term coined by the company that means the anger that is fueled by not being able to find a good beer. Good beer is the name of the game at Surly, who taunts people who don’t drink it by posting their tag line, ” Good beer is an acquired taste, get some.” Omar is credited for working to get tap rooms a commonplace around Minnesota.
Surly is soooo popular that you need to actually sign up online to take a tour of the brewery. Check out the website here and sign up: http://www.surlybrewing.com/brewery/tours.html
5. Lift Bridge Brewery
Their mission is simple. To create fine beers for you to enjoy. I picked lift bridge to make my list simply because Stillwater is a must in the summer. It is a wonderful place to enjoy a beer. Plus, I love the farm girl brew.
You have to sign up online to go on a tour of Lift Bridge Brewery: http://www.liftbridgebrewery.com/tours.aspx
I was inspired by another blogger to write a post about Minnesota Breweries after seeing the wonderful pictures on his page. I hope this helps get more people to visit breweries and try some craft brews that are local. Check back later to see pictures from my brewery tours.
Thanks Cameronkarsten for your post Odin Brewery. http://cameronkarsten.wordpress.com/
Because beer is a beautiful thing
@mplsgossipgirl
mplsgossipgirl 