The Black Forest Inn

Is not in the Black Forest at all, which meant my dinner date was later than usual. It didn't matter much though. The host took a pretty long time to figure out that we were waiting to be seated anyway. He genuinely seemed surprised that we were here.


The time I spent waiting did give me a moment to take in the eatery. Rich paintings of stocky bavarian men with winged helmets eating, drinking, and making merry decked the heavy wood walls. I though I recognized someone from a long time ago, but shook my head. Those days are over.



My dinner guest finally arrived, looking a bit windswept. He shook hands with me by gripping me almost too firmly by the wrist, then set down his large hammer.

"Wench, bring me a Sprecher's root beer!" He demanded at the sheepish looking waitress that was assigned to our table. After a while she came by and told us they were out. I think he settled on tea, ultimately.

"Wench, bring me the leg of a swine!" He bellowed. This she was able to help us with, although she came with a slowness that caused me to realize she was in training and not actually afraid of the old man that sat across from me. When they arrived he bit into his viciously. I followed suit and was greeted by a warm symphony of pigmeat and buttery gravy that made my heart cry out in agony and my gut cry out in pleasure.

The food, we agreed, was fit for the divine, even if the service was momentarily lax, and the atmosphere was appropriate enough. I'll definitely return to this place.

The Happy Gnome

"You have to try the duck," said David, drinking from a tall glass of an imported ale. Foam clung to his thick, well-groomed mustache. He set the glass back down on the table with both hands, struggling with the awkward weight like a child might.

I looked at the menu, "Vanilla consomme?' What the hell is that and why do they put it on a duck?" I pondered mostly to myself. "Leif, what are you having?"

"Actually I had my name legally changed to 'Roaming' now," said the other little man before quaffing a microbrewed domestic he was fond of.

"Really? Why the hell would you do that?"

"It's the biz, sweetheart," Roaming muttered as he looked through the menu of their 3o tap beers. He studiously ignored the section of over 100 bottled beers, saying he could taste the difference.

David snorted. "I think consomme is a thing sauce or broth or something. It doesn't matter it is delicious!"

At that point our appetizer of cider-steamed mussels arrived. We had a few before some evil trolls carried them away. They were perfect.

"I told you guys we should only come here during the day." I said. The other two nodded solemnly in agreement.

Roaming said, "I would have, but I spend so much time at work these days. You know, I'm also a guarantee enforcer."

"It's OK," David replied, "I don't think they'll spoil the main course."

The main course was the duck for myself, an elk steak and what appeared to be some kind of noodle dish. Each one had a delicacy and careful sensitivity to the unique combination of flavors the chef introduced to the food.

It could not have been better except that someone unexpectedly and comically punted Leif, excuse me, Roaming, across the room.

"I don't think he's really happy at all," David said, taking another cartoonish gulp of his beer.

Restaurant Alma

The visit to Restaurant Alma on my birthday courtesy of one of my best and oldest friends completed visits to all of the 2008 James Beard Foundation Award nominees from Minnesota. Brasa is the other restaurant owned by Alex Roberts, which we love.

The space was quite pleasant, albeit a bit louder than I expected. That said, despite the constant din it was possible to have a conversation at a normal level. It was also very easy to hear nearby tables' conversations. The layout of the space was perfect for the location with a bar, open kitchen, and adequately separated seating, along with a loft area for more diners and (I imagine) private events.

Alma does not have a full bar, but they do have an extensive wine list and a selection of beer. My patron unfortunately was not feeling well so we settled on glasses of gruner veltliner.

Alma arranges their menu as a three course tasting menu for USD 45, however all items are available a la carte as well. For our first course we both chose bison tartar, served with a few croquettes and capers on a lightly spiced sauce. It was gently seasoned and quite the experience.

For our second course we diverged. He had a pasta that I don't recall except I know it had sausage in it. It was good, but unremarkable. I had a light soup of sticky rice and roasted shiitake mushrooms in a coconut milk sauce with bok choy and shallots. The broth was pleasantly spicy and the dish as a whole was quite good.

For our third course we both chose the pheasant. It was served with glazed carrots and red potatoes with a carrot sauce. While it wasn't mind-blowing, it was perfectly prepared, reminiscent of a home-cooked meal. That is, if your mother was a professional chef.

Service was pleasant and swift. I'm going to take the time to note that all the servers with the exception of the man behind the bar pouring wine were female and noticeably attractive. The experience as a whole was enough to show why Alma is considered one of the best restaurants in the Midwest.

Website: http://www.restaurantalma.com/

112 Eatery

This is just a quick take, as the food I had there was a quick meal. It's a funny story, you should ask me about it sometime. Anyway, 112 Eatery is a place I've always been meaning to eat at and hadn't gotten the chance to. I got the chance to and was not disappointed. Late on a weekend night the restaurant was still busy but a spot was open at the bar. I had a lovely little chat with another patron who was there alone after ordering a USD 6 duck pate banh mi. Marinated olives and seasoned almonds came while I waited, and the sandwich was incredible.

112 is a particularly special place for many reasons. It keeps late hours to cater to the Warehouse District crowd and offers a wide range of price and menu options. I plan on trying it again when I get another chance.

Website: http://www.112eatery.com/

Taiko Sushi Bar

Sushi is always an adventure. Eat the wrong thing and the experience can range from mildly unpleasant to slightly ill to (in rare cases) dead. Therefore, it's easy to fall into the pattern of going to places you know are reputable. That is, the high-class, high-price places downtown or the national chains.

Taiko is neither of those things. Taiko is a small, privately owned sushi bar in of all places Mounds View. Yep, Mounds View, Minnesota. The first time we went there I had just gotten over a case of food poisoning and decided sushi would be a good test to see whether or not I was well. From the outside it looks like the space used to be a Wendy's or some such thing. More than one person has said upon entering the parking lot, "This place has good sushi?" Well, it does. It has good sushi for a price that cannot be matched by anyone else in the state and at a quality that rivals the big dogs in Minneapolis.

On the inside, Taiko is painted a lovely shade of green that one wouldn't want in their home but looks great for a restaurant. The bar, tables and chairs are simple and tasteful. There are a few trinkets hanging on the wall behind the bar, but other than that the space is simply pleasantly minimalist.

The menu has a limited selection of soft drinks, beer and sake, Taiko does also offer $10 corkage. The variety of fish available is not immense, but enough for a good meal. One doesn't expect much from something as simple as gyoza, but for some reason the gyoza at Taiko just tastes better than anywhere else. Sashimi is served in generous cuts and portions. Rolls are perfectly made and balanced, and thick. The star is of course the fish, which is consistently fresh and tastes like it should. All preparations lean toward the traditional, the way it should be. One can choose from sashimi, nigiri, a wide selection of maki, and Scott will make anything you request into a roll. For those who don't want to eat raw, Taiko also has excellent tempura selections.

Part of the charm of going to Taiko is Scott, the owner and chef who always has a smile on his face and a good memory for the regulars. While it's nice to be a regular, everyone is treated the same, I was as happy leaving my first visit as the last, which was my sixth in 4 months.

There are of course things that some might consider downsides due to it being such small place. There is no wine list, which is fine because I'd prefer to bring my own and pay corkage. The sake selection is limited for the sake drinkers (which I am not). The fish selection is not as varied as a larger place, but again, I don't mind because they have everything I like. I would like to see them use a higher grades of soy sauce and wasabi.

That said, again, the prices are ridiculously low, the food is good, and Scott is a wonderful man. I wouldn't want to see any of those things change.

No website

Restaurant Week 2008 Wrap-Up

Bottom line is, I failed on this one by not doing it sooner. In fact, we're back-logged in general. Anyway, we went to Masa on Thursday and D'Amico Cucina on Friday. Both were fantastic. Here's what I can remember:

Masa: Food and service were superb. Portion sizes were surprisingly generous. Drinks were the best around - fresh margaritas and mojitos. At a later visit, the bartender taught us the secrets of making a good mojito.

D'Amico Cucina: Food was good, service was absolutely stellar.

Restaurant Week 2009 is only a few months away. We're going to try to keep this up better in general.

Links:

http://www.mspmag.com//

http://www.damico.com/frame.asp?s=visit&ss=cucina&ft=d

http://www.masa-restaurant.com/

Food Memories

I'll finish up the Restaurant Week 2008 series one of these days. There is something more important to report today.

Krua Thailand has changed owners. I've heard some information from a reputable source about why the switch occurred but don't feel quite right about posting it.

At any rate, I'm even more sad to report that the restaurant has suffered considerably. Half of the menu is gone. The "Special Menu" is completely nonexistent now. Upon realizing that I was no longer going to be able to have the sausage that I once loved as a starter, I just went with spring rolls. The spring rolls came out on a plate that looked like it had been covered with chopped supermarket bag salad. This was not an attractive presentation in the least and even more irritating when these bits of lettuce were sticking to the outside of the rolls.

This brings me to the service. Staff have completely changed over and the servers are completely inept. Granted, they are young, but if you're going to have children be on the front line of the restaurant they should be trained.

For my entree, I decided to go with the Pad Thai. It's not anywhere near as good as it used to be, in fact I've made better Pad Thai at home from scratch.

I spent the rest of my day moping around, saddened by the loss of what was once my favorite restaurant. Many won't understand how I feel, but food is attached to many good memories for me. Krua was a place I took family and friends and never had an unpleasant experience at. For me, there was no better way to start a weekend than with a small group of friends at Krua with too many bottles of wine.

As long as I'm feeling nostalgic, here are some of my other favorite food memories:

Elk and Grahams 10 (not together, of course) remind me of Cue. I've
only been there once, and it was when Lenny Russo was running the place.
The whole meal seemed like a dream it was so perfect.

Any time I drink Monmousseau Vouvray I remember Vincent. Vincent is a
place I'd like to go to more often, and was the first place I experienced
Vouvray, which is now one of my favorite table whites.

Good Mexican food (which is ridiculously hard to find around
here), always reminds me of California. I used to spend a week or
so in the Coachella Valley every winter.

St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc reminds me of sushi dates and parties at
Nami.

Finally, everywhere serves some sort of seared Ahi dish now, but my
favorite is the Black and Bleu at the Dock Cafe in Stillwater. It has been
and will be my standard.

The thing is, all of these places can still be experienced. There is nothing in my price range that will match the food, service, personality, and personalization that Krua offered.

Little Szechuan

This would be my third trip to this particular establishment. Those previous being recorded by my esteemed collegue JMJ.

There is not much left to be said about the place past those first few words. Even when there are few customers in their well decorated eating area the service is incredibly inept. They clearly have had no training or have no desire to actually serve the customers outside of purveying the food and subsequently the bill. It is difficult to rouse their attention for simple needs through the course of the meal, and they don't even give you a cursory glance to see if it is to your liking.

In fact, the best service we got at the place was from the mexican busboy who brought us water and tea. He was at least friendly. (He even called us "amigo," although that did ruin the chinese restaurant feel...)

At least the waitress spoke english.

Oh well.

As for the food, what they actually had in stock was quite good. (I had ordered three things before one of them was available...) I was served Chairman Mao Pork, which is mostly pigfat with little bits of meat attached. It was like eating some sort of pork jello.

Delicious.

It is unfortunate that such great food comes from a place that has such a poor staff.

Next time this happens we're killing one of the goldfish.

Restaurant Week Part 2: Vincent - A Restaurant (dinner)

DISCLAIMER: Since I am writing this a few weeks after, my memory of each meal's ingredients may not be perfect.

Part 1

Wednesday brought us back to Vincent - A Restaurant for dinner. Seating was seamless, as it was for past visits. For those of you who have not been and plan on going, be aware that Vincent is one of those rare restaurants in existence that will offer a black napkin in place of a white one if it will blends better with your clothing and doesn't leave other-colored lint. It's a slightly pretentious, slightly amusing touch that often confuses people. At any rate, our server was professional and chatty, which was nice since we had to wait a few moments for the rest of our party to arrive.

We had a 2006 Monmousseau Vouvray, one of our house favorites. For some reason it tasted better than any bottle I've ever had in a store. Perhaps it was just affected by our mood. Our server took care to keep it in an ice bucket while we waited for our party to arrive.

After the rest of our group arrived, bread arrived swiftly, along with our first course. The choices were between the Ezilda soup, or Le Grande Salad. Most in our party had the wonderful signature soup, one of our party chose the salad, and while he commented that it was one of the better salads he had ever had, he also remembered that one doesn't make friends with salad.

The second course was a choice between seared sea scallops with leeks and fingerling potatoes with an orange sauce or beef tenderloin medallions with sun-dried tomatoes, chickpea fries, and a tarragon sauce. The scallops set a standard for many of us, that is, one of our party stated that the meal had "ruined scallops" for him since any scallop thereafter would be inferior. I was also impressed with the dish as a whole, the leeks and orange sauce contrasted nicely, and the thinly sliced fingerling potatoes were a delicate balance of tenderness.

Those who had the beef course enjoyed their meals as well, however one of our party was unfortunately plagued by a tough section. They seemed very impressed by the chickpea fries also.

The third course was a choice between a cheese plate or Vincent's signature dessert, again the vanilla-bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, and Madeleine cookies. We all opted for the dessert. The man helping serve the dessert course described the dessert in the exact phrase that I would use: "simple, but wonderful."

Service throughout most of the meal was perfect, but unfortunately faltered at the end. One of our party requested coffee with dessert, and it was brought after dessert. Our server seemed a bit preoccupied with another table that had came in after us and it was difficult to get her attention for the check. Other than that hiccup, everything from the valet and coat-check at the beginning to the coat-check and valet at the end worked quite nicely. Vincent - A Restaurant is a place I wish I could go to more often.

Websites:

http://vincentarestaurant.com/index.php

http://www.mspmag.com//

The Machine Shed

Just when I thought that I'd had my fill of farm-themed family restaurants, The Machine Shed came to prove me wrong again. Filled to the brim with effigies of cows, pigs, and other foodstuffs, walls lined with toy tractors (for sale at a reasonable price) and other tourist crap, The Machine Shed does not fail to be a corny slice of Americana.

Fortunately, it also does not fail to be delicious.

The meal offered to me was a barbecue beef sandwich with swiss cheese and chips on the side, served with fried mushrooms as an appetizer.

The fried mushrooms were by far the best I have ever eaten in my life. They were not the cute little button mushrooms of your grandpa's restaurant, no sir. These were some form of much larger mushroom (a little bigger than a silver dollar around) with a flakey, greasy, wonderful breading. They oozed a little when you bit into them. They came with a tangy orange sauce that I did not use, but imagined to be good as well.

The sandwhich was alright. It was on their "homemade" freshly baked bread, but the actual barbecue beef could have come out of a make-at-home microwavable tub. The chips weren't anything special either. They weren't bad, they just didn't "wow" me. Although really, after the mushrooms I don't think they could have.

The service wasn't great either. It was slow, and the waitress seemed to have better things to do. What was most offensive, however, was that when I requested a coke the waitress raised no complaint, but when she turned to leave she muttered, "Pepsi, right?" She was already walking away without seeing if I actually confirmed this to be my drink of choice. First, it was rude of her to ask and not actually wait for a response, second, I would have rather had tea than pepsi, if they didn't have cokes. This upset me.

I imagine, were I to go back to this fairly priced family eatery, I will not have that trouble again, however.

Restaurant Week Part 1: Saffron Restaurant & Lounge, Vincent - A Restaurant (lunch), and La Belle Vie

DISCLAIMER: Since I am writing this a few weeks after, my memory of each meal's ingredients may not be perfect.

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine had their Best of the Best Restaurant Week the last week of February this year. None of my friends or I really knew what it was, but upon further reading it seemed like a good idea.

Many of the best restaurants in the area offer tasting menus for the week. Dinners are three courses and USD 30. This gives people like myself an opportunity to sample some of the best food the area has to offer without spending the usual amount it would cost to eat at such places. Lunches are also available at some restaurants.

I made reservations for four people every evening at six restaurants. As the week neared, restaurants posted their menus. Our Sunday spot, Crave, was canceled because their menu did not look particularly compelling.

The response from people I invited to participate in Restaurant Week was much greater than expected and reservations had to be quickly altered to accommodate larger parties. Reservations had initially been made using OpenTable, but modifying reservations required phone calls. La Belle Vie was the only restaurant that did not use OpenTable for the week.

Saffron Restaurant & Lounge kicked off our week. Located in downtown Minneapolis, the space is casually decorated and inviting. The moderately dim restaurant encourages relaxed conversation. Our server explained the menu well and sold us on starting with a couple of mezze dishes. Mezze at Saffron are tapas style small servings. We went with what our server said was their signature mezze, an Artichoke Tagine which was flavorful, tender, and a nice teaser. We also ordered the lamb brain, which came out more battered and fried than any of us had expected, on top of a tomato confit. The lamb brain was not nearly the adventure we were expecting, as the dominant flavor was the breading.

The first course of our meal garnered mixed responses. While it was a nice soup, I thought there was simply too much broth and not enough substance. One of our party thought the broth was just too sweet, while the other two members of our party loved it. This may be because they had decided to go with the USD 12 wine pairing for the evening. I had sips as each course came out and the pairings were absolutely perfect for each course. The soup, for those who care to know was called the "Jerusalem Artichoke" soup. It came plated in a hugely over-sized bowl, with a sweet, creamy broth under a small centerpiece of smoked salmon and wisps of fried onion. I felt that if there had been more salmon and onion it would have balanced out the sweet broth better.

The second course was easily the highlight of the night. A perfectly seasoned and cooked duck breast over a bed of saffron couscous with apricots and pistachios. Every bite of that dish was mesmerizing. It was paired with a lovely Pinot Noir that I can still recall, the nose had a hint of ripe strawberry, the body started with strawberry, moved to darker fruits, and finished with a slight hint of mushroom-like earthiness.

The final course was a coconut and almond cake with blood orange and hibiscus sorbet. The cake was fine, but nothing special, and too dense for one of our party's taste. The sorbet was an experience in of itself, sweet, tangy, and delicious.

Overall, I thought it was a good experience, but going back next year would depend on the menu. Service was a touch on the slow side, but attentive enough for a relaxed meal. What was notable was the fact that the restaurant was about a third full. Granted, it's a new restaurant and it was a Monday, but I was still surprised.

Tuesday brought me to Vincent - A Restaurant for lunch with co-workers. Vincent was offering a simple two course lunch menu for USD 10. Choices were a salad, croque monsieur with Chef Vincent's signature Ezilda soup (named after his grandmother, I think), or what I chose, which was a grilled chicken breast on top of a pancetta and pea risotto. All choices came with his signature dessert as the second course, vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate sauce and Madeleine cookies. Everyone seemed quite pleased with their meals.

The lunch was definitely worth the cold walk, and Vincent being on the corner of Nicollet Mall and 11th Street in Minneapolis gave a fine view of the city, bright in the winter sun. Service was perfect for lunch, our server explained the menu artfully, if not a bit theatrically. I told him we were in a bit of a time crunch, as we were, and he and his team accommodated with such efficiency that we were able to relax a bit after our meal before heading back to the parking ramp. Another thing to note is their two-course lunch tasting menu is usually USD 12.50, making this an excellent place for lunch any day of the week, provided you don't mind also paying for parking. This day they seemed to be doing a brisk lunch business. If I worked downtown, I'd be there for lunch at least weekly.

Tuesday evening was the meal I had most been looking forward to, at La Belle Vie. La Belle Vie moved to Minneapolis fairly recently, having been in Stillwater for a few years. The Minneapolis location is simply stunning. Service was flawless from start to finish, the initial call checked through everything a restaurant should know before someone dines with them. I was a bit put-off by the fact they weren't allowing OpenTable, but it turned out not to be a hassle making reservations at all. A team of valets attended to our vehicle and everyone we met had a warm smile on their face. The lounge was ornately appointed, a mixture of near-baroque with modern seating and a reasonably sized bar. I was surprised at how young our order-taking server looked, however she took perfect care of us and explained the menu with skill.

The scene was simply casual, beautiful, and sexy. The lighting was warm, perfect, and the space encouraged light chatter. The food was perfect, however the portions were a bit undersized - more on that later. We started with some foie gras and grilled bread. The foie gras itself had a lovely flavor to it, and was complimented by a sweet and tangy orange marmalade.

After the foie gras was an amuse-bouche of a simple, delicious cheese pastry puff. One of my companions commented that it tasted like the best Cheez-It ever. The first course was a piece of poached turbot with tarragon on top of a small bed of greens, topped with lobster and trout roe. The fish itself was perfect, mild, with a lovely texture. The roe added a fine amount of flavor and salt. The second course was a fantastic Taleggio stuffed Agnolotti, plated with beets and a hazelnut emulsion. The highlight of the plate though was a line of fifteen year old balsamic vinegar. I can't quite describe what it tasted like, other than perfection.

The third and final course for the night was a medallion of grilled beef tendorloin on a celeryroot fondue, with beech mushrooms and a crispy veal sweetbread. Everything about it was perfect. No one in our party had ever had sweetbreads before, and it was an experience I'd gladly repeat. The server who brought each course explained each dish with great passion and enthusiasm that was at the same time amusing while piquing interest in each plate.

I was disappointed in La Belle Vie's treatment of restaurant week. While every plate was perfectly executed and wonderful, they had simply taken their five course restaurant menu and chopped two courses off. Every other restaurant we went to that week had well thought out menus and the meals were reasonably satisfying in size. I am not one that equates quality with portion size, but leaving La Belle Vie, I was not only not full, but still hungry. Going back next year will depend on the menu, and with the knowledge that extra courses may need to be tacked on. All of that said, the atmosphere and the unparalleled service will probably convince me to go back next year.

Websites:

http://www.mspmag.com//

http://www.saffronmpls.com/

http://www.vincentarestaurant.com/

http://www.labellevie.us/

Vincent, a Restaurant

What, you mean I have to dress up to go to this place? It is bad enough that they even require me to wear clothing at all, much less dress clothes! I mean, "I" am paying "them" for services, not the other way around.

I'm never going back here.

Is that chocolate?

All is forgiven.

Thoughts I have had at Vincent.


The restaurant was quiet and tastefully appointed, the staff was professional while at the same time being warm and pleasant. The food was very good, if'n you don't mind the portions being very small. I left the restaurant feeling pleasantly fed, but I was also tempted to visit a nearby Famous Dave's afterwards so that I would feel genuinely full. I hear this is how rich people eat "all the time." I wonder why so many of them are fat. The only reason I did not go to the aforesaid barbecue joint of note is that I ate about three loaves of bread through the course of the meal.

This brings me to my next comment. The meal took an incredibly long time, and this fact allowed me to consume that much of the free bread. There were long pauses of service in between each course, which gave me plenty of time to do things I am not usually accustomed to doing when eating a meal. Things like speaking and making eye contact. It was unnerving. Again, I have been informed that this is what rich people often do, but for me, it was boring. Perhaps if the meal was going to be the one source of entertainment for the night it would be preferable, but I for one would have rather been served a bit more briskly.

Anyway, perhaps the greatest part of the meal for me was dessert, which was two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with molten chocolate with little puffy cookies on the side. What made this memorable to me was that a well-dressed gentleman came around the table and poured the chocolate from a little pot to your liking. The ice cream was served in what was basically a coffee cup, so I quipped, "Just top it off, I'll find the ice cream later." To my surprise, he did, or would have if I hadn't stopped him. Either way the chocolate was level and the ice cream was nowhere to be found without some excavation on my part.

This place is awesome.

Bigi Est! Est!! Est!!! Di Montefiascone Secco

This is a wine that holds a special place in my heart. In the middle of Umbria in the heart of Italy lies a little town called Orvieto. Orvieto has many stories of great and miraculous things that have happened in it. St. Thomas Aquinas preached many of his sermons in its Duomo, A Eucharistic miracle even took place here. Another one of its notable characteristics is its wine. This region and this town are known wide and far for having (arguably) the best white wine in the world. So upon my trip to Italy last year, and a brief day stop in Orvieto, I purchased one of the most famous and longest lived wines of the Umbrian region. Truly, it was a magnificent wine, and since drinking that bottle with some friends in Florence, I have been dying to try some again.

I had that pleasure just a few days ago. A friend had just returned from Italy, and she brought some Est! Est!! Est!!! with her.

Est! Est!! Est!!! has a wonderful story behind it. This particular version is courtesy of The Wine Buyer.

Around 1100 A.D., Bishop Fugger was traveling from Germany to Rome for the coronation of Henry V. The Bishop sent his quartermaster ahead to scout out inns that had good food and wine. He would write “Est!” (Latin for "This is it!") on the walls of the best inns. He was so impressed with Montefiascone that he wrote Est!Est!!Est!!! on the wall of an inn there. Needless to say, the Bishop agreed and never made it to the coronation. He spent the rest of his life in Montefiascone. Local inhabitants, on the anniversary of the Bishop's death, pour a cask of Est! Est!! Est!!! on his grave in celebration of the notoriety he brought to their wine.

The company, Bigi, is based in Orvieto, but their vines for this particular wine are from Montefiascone. Est! Est!! Est!!! Secco is a Malvasia Trebbiano varietal mix with perfect balance. The color is reminiscent of a honeyed wine, something one would expect of a sweet desert wine, but a sugary wine this is not. The nose is a mix of ripe berries and spring flowers, with overarching notes of jam and oak.

The body is something on which to linger. Expressive grapes mixed with medium amounts of oak make for a truly unique experience. The nose does not belie the body, the jam and flowery notes make themselves present toward the back of the tongue. Another interesting feature is that the wine has a slight bubbliness about it, biting slightly but very pleasantly. A carbonated wine this is not, rather the mixture of flavors coming together create this wonderful effect from a still wine. The wine finishes subtly, quickly, and rather than a disappointment at its departure, it leaves one with a desire for more. A desire in my case, that has lasted over a year.

In all, I am in love with this wine, and at 7.99 a bottle, I challenge you to find a better white wine for under $100.

I leave you with an image I took while visiting Orvieto in January 2007.Ah Italia, que bella.

Brasa Premium Rotisserie

Anyone who spends time in the Twin Cities knows that Northeast Minneapolis just isn't generally the nicest of places. This is life. Gunslinger would like to tell you it is a perfectly fine place to drop one's pants wherever one wants to, however this is not true.

That said, I have a few friends who live in the area so I end up spending time there whether I really want to or not. I've passed by Brasa many times, one of my usual dining companions and I have spoken of going there a few times, it just never happened.

I am glad we went and will be making future trips back. Brasa has a ridiculously inadequate parking lot, but there is plenty of nearby street parking available. The outside is reminiscent of the things it once was (reportedly a gas station/biker bar) by shape, but that is where the similarities end. The inside will remind one of Chipotle - bright, minimal, yet comfortable enough for a casual meal.

The menu is quite simple. One can order various quantities of locally, sustainably raised chicken or pork. There are various sides, and there are some simple combination options. Since this was our first visit, the three of us had a whole chicken and a few sides.

It was far too much food for us, but we tried to eat it all because it was lovely. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the right balance of moisture, very little fat, and crispy skin. The side of the day was a barley rice with vegetables and curry. We were given a sample of it and immediately decided to get more. We also had cheese grits, crispy yuca, and their creamed corn bread. I can't express enough how simply and perfectly prepared everything was. Our meals were washed down with fresh squeezed lemonade. For those who desire proper drinks, Brasa has a very carefully selected wine and beer selection.

The prices were more than fair given the goodness and quantities. We had enough to comfortably feed 5 people for less than USD 50, even after a generous tip to our perfect server.

It is also important to note that Brasa is able to offer this fantastic fare at good prices while making sure that the food is all-natural/organic, fair, and sustainable.

The restaurant itself was quite busy, which is good to see because we plan on going to Brasa relatively regularly.

Website: http://brasa.us/

India Palace

Having just obtained scriptures for the Bodhisattva, we were quite famished, and although I had transcended the need for the pleasures of food I thought a treat may have been in order. Seeing an Indian food restaurant nearby, my companion lowered us down upon his mystic cloud that we might dine. "India Palace!" My excitable companion exclaimed, "Truly a place for the likes of us!"

This place was neither a palace nor India. These are two incongruities that made me wonder if we'd been had. There was a light facade of Indianess cluttering the walls. Decorative wood panels covered the windows and various paintings describing what I can only imagine as traditional Indian pastimes and poses covered otherwise unimaginative walls. The architecture, if stripped bare of its decoration would suggest the site was a Perkins reincarnated as an ethnic food restaurant. This seam in the appearance would cause an uncomfortable incongruity in people who notice and care about that sort of thing.

I didn't.

The server had a certain ineptitude that suggested he achieved his position through family or ethnicity rather than any skill or desire to be a waiter. For example, when my companion asked what the waiter would recommend the waiter said, "Take all the time you need." He then departed promptly. Also, several times he attempted to place dishes on the table without removing used plates. This was problematic, as the table was not large enough to accommodate both.

The food was good. All of it was very mildly spiced, but what it lacked in robust flavor it made up for in complexity and delightful subtlety. The appetizers were all fried, featuring potatoes, peas, cheese, and breaded meat. All were very good. The main dishes were slightly more complex, although my companion's looked like, in his words, "Goose shit." (It was meat in a stewed spinach, I could not disagree with his assessment.)

One disappointment with the flavor is that although we had asked for "Hot" level spiciness, barely any heat presented itself. I guess they figured we were foolish Minnesotans who don't know how to handle themselves.

Nothing was spectacular, but it was good and presumably authentic. I'm not sure if I would bother again.

My companion did have one question which still haunts me-

"Why do they serve beef?"

Harry Singh's Original Caribbean Restaurant

The Twin Cities area is filled with grossly under-appreciated, truly authentic ethnic restaurants serving up perfect food, albeit in run-down, dingy looking spaces. Harry Singh's Original Caribbean Restaurant is another one.

I've been to Harry Singh's twice, and both times have spent some time afterwards in pain. This is a good thing.

As stated, the space is small and really not very nice looking. There is not a double door where there should be one, so every time the door is opened cold winter air rushes in and freezes all the patrons who are otherwise sweating due to the heat of the food. The wall on one side is a large mural of Minneapolis which then flows into some sort of country scene. The other wall has two smaller murals with pictures, newspaper articles, and well-deserved awards beside. The tables are glass topped with menus placed beneath the glass. The chairs look like they might have came from the overflow seating of a church.

The food and the feel make it all worth it. Robyn makes sure everyone has plenty of water and is friendly, making everyone feel at home. Harry comes out on occasion and is very gracious and appreciative of all customers. He also gently pokes fun at people who challenge how spicy he can make a meal.

Yes, the food, the main reason why I will keep going back to Harry Singh's. The food inspires masochism to an unparalleled level. Food can be ordered to whatever spice level a person wants, except the jerk dishes, which simply cannot come mild. Follow this guideline: order your food average. Harry makes and bottles a homemade sauce with which you can add spice if desired.

The menu is intimidating until Robyn explains the menu items and/or you look at the large sign in front of the kitchen window explaining what "Roti" is. I'm not going to explain it, other than it is delicious and should be the first thing you try when you go there. Most people will be able to share one and leave moderately full. I finish them in one sitting because they are delicious. There are a few homemade drinks which are all unique to the city and wonderful in their own ways.

Harry also makes some rice dishes which are incredibly good and very colorful, with various protein options. Taye Povs ordered one of these and requested it be made as spicy hot as possible. Robyn looked at me, and asked "really?" I affirmed Taye's request and chuckled as I ordered an average spice Roti with a bottle of hot sauce.

Taye challenged Harry, and Harry kicked Taye around the block for the next few days. I took one bite of Taye's meal and did not feel good until later the next afternoon. This is where the masochism comes in though. Harry's meals are not just straight heat, one can still taste the wonderful flavors, so one keeps going.

This is the part where I implore you to support genuine food made by people who really want to deliver a proper ethnic meal. So, go to Harry Singh's.

Website: http://www.harrysinghs.com/

Tum Rup Thai

This is not a spot I would have ordinarily chosen, as I do not like Uptown. By the way, this restaurant is in Uptown. At any rate most places I have been to in Uptown have been overhyped, overpriced, overrated, haughty, or some combination of the preceding.

We were drawn there by a gift certificate given to me by my generous employees. I always like trying new Thai restaurants, so even though it was in Uptown we gave it a shot.

The evening did not start well. We had reservations, and the completely vacant and inept host told us it would be just a short wait. I wasn't expecting a wait at all since I had reservations. If this was a small, family owned restaurant I would not have been shocked or minded at all. However, this is run by the same people who run the Sawatdee restaurants and was supposed to be their more "upscale" location, so I did mind.

The restaurant was packed with people. The space was nothing to look at, simply a typical dimly lit semi-modern room in too narrow a suite. There was not anything near an adequate waiting area as we continued to have to shuffle about to make room for servers and other staff walking around doing seemingly nothing. The bar looked like something they tacked on when the designer remembered it was Uptown and people would expect a bar area.

The host never bothered to update us on exactly how long it was going to be. Fifteen minutes later I lost patience and asked him what the heck was going on and informed him that given we had reservations this was completely unacceptable. He looked a bit frightened and mumbled something. About ten minutes later he mumbled something again and started walking towards a table that looked like it could accommodate our group, so we followed.

I honestly don't remember much about the food except that it was fairly good and reasonably priced but underwhelming. The highlight of the menu was the red curry that one member of our party ordered. It was wonderful, but not authentic enough to redeem the rest of the over-sauced, Americanized Thai food trying to pass itself off as authentic.

Bad service was simply the theme of the evening. Our server, while not quite as inept as the host, did not know what wine was available. After ordering a bottle, he came back a long time later to inform us they were out. We made a second choice which he claimed would be just as good. It was not. It was a blend with a passable body, but the finish tasted like inferior Chenin Blanc. He did not even open the bottle in the proper fashion, nor did he ever deliver the tea that another member of the party ordered. If you want to know what this wine was so you can avoid it, it was the Folie à DeuxMénage à Trois White Blend. It should be noted however that I was the only person in the party who strongly disliked it, everyone else thought it was good or ok. I couldn't bring myself to finish one glass.

There's nothing wrong with Americanized Thai food, if that's what you're looking for, sometimes I would rather have it than the real thing. There is something wrong with poor service from start to finish. The one nice thing is that the restaurant did not fit the typical Uptown mold that I stated above. It was only over-self-hyped.

Website: http://www.tumrupthai.com/

Grumpy Steve's Coffee

This is a small coffee shop next to the Wabasha Street Caves, and I only noticed the shop because of this fact. When I was driving by, I said to myself, "What is that little store next to that huge pile of masonry set into the cliffside?"

The name amused me, so I decided to go in. I glared at this "Grumpy Steve" with is whitened beard and thought to myself, "I had better be satisfied or I will write such an awful review of his establishment no man shall set foot in it again!" I then set my teeth and prepared to strike.

This man, grumpy by title only, warmed my heart with a belgian waffle. Mmmm mmm good.

The coffee and other snacks were delectible as well, and if not for the fact that I had to go to work, I may have tried the microbrew beer (not sure if it is his or some other's) or the liqours his establishment also offered.

The coffee hut was pretty standard as far as decor went, except that a large portion of it was taken up by, for lack of a better word, tourist crap. Minnesota books, coffee paraphenalia, and crappy jewelry took up the almost all the wall space.

Or at least, I wish it did.

What really took up nearly all of the available space (leaving only marginal room for that other crap) were "Mystic Trolls" which were ugly little dolls which leered at you with their dark eyes. I was alarmed, as trolls are the minions of the Frost Giants and would surely reveal my location if I stayed.

Because of this I was forced to down my coffee and waffle a little more hurriedly than I would have liked, and I will never return to this establishment, although you, gentle reader, are probably safe to do so. (If'n you don't mind having congress with trolls.)

Yep, nothing says "Time To Drink Coffee" like this little SOB.

Shuang Cheng

It was like a crappy diner, only Chinese food. You know what I mean, ugly plaster walls and uninspired decoration, generic chairs and paper placemats that you can buy in bulk from a generic restaurant supply store.

That said, I can still taste the ginger sauced dungeness crab I ate the other night. The fried rice dish was excellent as well, but that crab may have been one of, if not the, greatest things I have ever eaten. The dragon who accompanied me to dinner explained, in his language as beautiful as it is incomprehensible to human ears, that Shuang Cheng was known for seafood dishes and I very much believe it.

The menu offered a variety of dishes, but for the most part it was standard Chinese restaurant fair. It did offer a better meat selection than some (mainly in that it had real duck in the dishes if you wanted it), and had a much larger seafood menu than many Chinese places. Which makes sense if you read the paragraph above this one.

Service was surprisingly prompt (if a little rushed) considering that the place was packed to the brim with people. Nothing really good or bad to say about it. It was nice that they offered free tea along with the water.

Ultimately, Shuang Cheng adds another unexpected yet excellent Asian food-hole to the big list of such things to be found in the area.

Little Venetian

Everything in existence has an equal opposite. Hot and cold, earth and air, matter and antimatter, yin and yang, and so on. Often these two things can be found very close to one another, bound by their natures as they are.

This is the case with the Little Venetian restaurant, as it is in the same strip mall as the Taste of Scandinavia, which I have found lacking. The Little Venetian restaurant makes up for the failures of the Taste of Scandinavia. This strip mall will be spared the flames when The Time is upon us.

When I came to the strip mall I was not impressed. Generic store A, generic store B, generic liquor store, and so on. It looked like a strip mall. Pane glass and nondescript white-grey wall. You can imagine my surprise when my view of all that strip mall glory is suddenly impeded by a small garden. It was green and warm and happy to see me, and in return I was warmed and happy to see it (if not greened, whatever that would even mean). I followed the small pathway through the trees up to the door and entered the establishment, where my swarthy companion awaited my arrival.

The interior of the establishment was a warm light orange-red sort of color, and decorated with family pictures and Italianish artworks. Nothing stood out but nothing was lost for clutter, either. Overall the atmosphere was comforting and it felt like someones home as much as it felt like an eating-hole.

The girl at the counter was pleasant, and had all of her fingers, which pleased me as I had been previously informed that this was not always the case considering the history of the establishment. Suffice it to say that the regular sized Venetian is closed now and the Italians are a wonderful and diverse addition to the rich tapestry that is America.

Anyway, they had all of the daily specials displayed on plates so that you could see exactly what you would be ordering, and I saw a lamb flank. Flanks being the best way to serve meat, that is what I ordered.

It was everything I could have hoped for and more. It had gravy that was delicious. It had carrots that were delicious. It has potatoes that were delicious. It was everything I had not to grab the bone of the meat and gnaw on it for every last ounce of flavor (and the marrow).

My companion told me, as he stroked his thick mustache, that he enjoyed this establishment because it didn't focus on the cooking tradition of just one region of Italy, like most places, but instead offered traditional dishes inspired by both the Northern and Southern regions. This meant absolutely nothing to me, so I mostly tuned him out and wondered why he had ordered French onion soup.

I'm sure it was delicious too. I'm not fond of onions or the French.

Overall the Little Venetian greets its customers with a casual environment, a good combination of self-service and being waited upon, and amazing food. I will definitely return to this unexpected locale.

Luna Rossa Wine Bar

Stillwater, Minnesota is and has been home to some of the best restaurants in Minnesota. It has a lovely riverside setting and a historic downtown area. Luna Rossa Wine Bar is one of the newest entries into a highly competitive and highly taxed downtown that seems able to accommodate all types of fare.

First let me say this really wasn't a wine bar, unless you consider a wine bar to be a place with a safe, uninspired, and limited wine selection. That said, the wines they do have are all decent wines and prices asked are on the high end of fair.

The space was really trying to be something nice and succeeded for the most part. The areas closer to the street were nice and open, there were some cozy booths also. Each table has plenty of space, and the owners had the foresight to have an extra chair at the end of each booth. There is a half-open kitchen and a small bar area also.

We just went there for lunch, and we will have another review after going there a few times. The lunch special was a pasta bar which both my friend and I opted for. We started with Calamari though, and I can honestly tell you it was the second best Calamari I have had in Minnesota besides Osteria I Nonni. The pasta was fine, as expected since we were choosing our own ingredients. Ingredients used seemed of good quality, and the pasta was a nice al dente.

Service was sub-par, especially given adequate staffing and a small mid-afternoon clientele. We sat around for quite a while before our order was taken. Food came with good timing, and then we waited a while for our check. Our server seemed a bit grumpy (it's not our problem that you're bored working the day shift). Pricing was fair for what we had.

The owners also have restaurants in Champlin and Maple Grove along with something else in Stillwater (I think it was a Gelato bar or something). I hear the Champlin restaurant is quite good. I'll make a few trips back to this one for dinner and get a better feel for the menu.

Website: http://www.lunarossawinebar.com/

Alta Vista Premium Malbec (2005)

This was another interesting Malbec, although I'm not sure if I'd ever purchase this one for myself. Most Malbecs are better consumed after a good 30 minutes or so of breathing. This one not so much.

The nose, prior to aeration was simple with a bit of cedar. The body was wonderfully lush with dark fruits and just a hint of vanilla-like cedar. The finish was long, mild, with a somewhat cooling sensation.

After aeration the nose yielded the dark fruits with the cedar. The body unfortunately mellowed out to a point of being uninteresting. The finish also became simply unimpressive.

No website.

Finca La Escondida Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (2005)

For those who don't like the traditional big, bold, high cedar Cabernet Sauvignon flavor, this is a good option.

The nose of this one mainly yielded dark fruits, with just a whiff of cedar. The body was light, with plums, blackberries, and currants. The finish was short and mild.

No website.

Domaine Maltoff Bourgognes Coulanges-La-Vineuse (2000)

This was a pleasant Pinot Noir.

The nose was a bit earthy, with whiffs of mushrooms. The body was a bit generic, but pleasantly so with reminders of the nose. Low tannins, and low acid. The finish was long and mild.

No website.