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/