(Double posted on I'll explain it when you are older)
Restaurant Week 2009 will be upon us soon. I'll be organizing outings and such. Keep up to date on facebook, I'll create an event and figure out logistics, etc.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Filler
In case it gets deleted by a moderator, I wanted to copy a comment I left at this post by Kathie Jenkins.
Taiko continues to be an absolute gem of a sushi restaurant and the absolute best deal in town.
Averaging a visit to Little Szechuan about every other week. Haven't had any service issues in months, which means going there has not been a debate.
Everyone seems to be tightening their belts, whether it's from realization that one has been overspending in general, student loans kicking in, emergency expenses, loss of job, etc. One of the things that immediately gets cut from one's budget is going out. Consider a few things though before you decide to stay in:
1. Being a "regular" is a nice way to get extras and perks. Do it well enough, and going out is sometimes less expensive than cooking at home.
1.a. When things do turn around, you're going to want to be able to go to these places, so patronize them when you can to keep them floating.
1.b. Don't let a light wallet have an effect how much you tip. If you can't afford to tip adequately, don't go out.
2. Many restaurants, even the nicer, generally more expensive places, offer less expensive plates and specials. Spending a little extra time on the internet before a night out can be a huge money-saver.
3. Ethnic restaurants often offer the best combination of taste, portion size, and price.
Anyone who knows me personally knows just how much I dislike this woman's writing.Wondering, once again, why Kathie Jenkins still has a job. Her complete
lack of professionalism and tact is highlighted in this article.Kathie, it's time to put aside your completely undeserved pride and step away from one of the Twin Cities biggest newspapers. All you are doing is hurting the local
restaurant scene and preventing less-informed consumers from broadening their
horizons. Perhaps you could set up a blog and become one of the many (including
myself) that writes with wild abandon.Pioneer Press management staff, please remove her forcibly if she doesn't leave on her own and consider expunging everything she has ever written from your archives.
Taiko continues to be an absolute gem of a sushi restaurant and the absolute best deal in town.
Averaging a visit to Little Szechuan about every other week. Haven't had any service issues in months, which means going there has not been a debate.
Everyone seems to be tightening their belts, whether it's from realization that one has been overspending in general, student loans kicking in, emergency expenses, loss of job, etc. One of the things that immediately gets cut from one's budget is going out. Consider a few things though before you decide to stay in:
1. Being a "regular" is a nice way to get extras and perks. Do it well enough, and going out is sometimes less expensive than cooking at home.
1.a. When things do turn around, you're going to want to be able to go to these places, so patronize them when you can to keep them floating.
1.b. Don't let a light wallet have an effect how much you tip. If you can't afford to tip adequately, don't go out.
2. Many restaurants, even the nicer, generally more expensive places, offer less expensive plates and specials. Spending a little extra time on the internet before a night out can be a huge money-saver.
3. Ethnic restaurants often offer the best combination of taste, portion size, and price.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Vincent - A Restaurant (Happy Hour)
An outing to see The Nutcracker Fantasy at the State Theater presented a lovely opportunity to try Vincent's Heures Joyeuses! If you click the link to the menu, you'll notice the prices are stellar.
Service at Vincent is, as mentioned before, top-notch. Happy hour there is no exception. The bar area was busy, but there was no wait for a table. The bar does offer some creative cocktail options in addition to the USD 3 wine and beer selections available.
We split a "Vincent Burger", fries, Chicken a la Plancha (chicken morsels), and duck pate. Despite our both having prodigious appetites, we were not able to finish it all. The fries were simple, perfect, and enough to cover four people as a side. The chicken morsels were also good, but not particularly special. We both loved the duck pate, her because it reminded her of something her mother made, myself because I love a good duck pate.
The burger was the phenom though. I had always meant to have one, and it did not disappoint. The burger itself is made of ground beef, short ribs, and gouda cheese. It comes "California" style with lettuce, tomato and onion. It is sublime. It is everything anyone ever wanted a burger to taste like. Mind you, this is coming from a person who typically likes burgers with some combination of Sriracha sauce, fried egg, bacon, peanut butter, mushrooms, bleu cheese, etc. It's absolutely mystifying how every bit manages to capture every flavor while keeping a perfect balance. Not too greasy, a whiff of char, words cannot describe it - it is an absolute must try. The only way I can sum it up is this: one of the best chefs in Minnesota created a damned burger and slapped his name on it.
If I lived or worked closer to Vincent's I would be at their happy hour multiple times a week. On a budget, between four people, two burgers and a plate of fries would probably do. That's USD 25 after tip. You'll be inspired to tip well, because the service is attentive down to actually properly plating a split burger.
Website: http://vincentarestaurant.com/
Service at Vincent is, as mentioned before, top-notch. Happy hour there is no exception. The bar area was busy, but there was no wait for a table. The bar does offer some creative cocktail options in addition to the USD 3 wine and beer selections available.
We split a "Vincent Burger", fries, Chicken a la Plancha (chicken morsels), and duck pate. Despite our both having prodigious appetites, we were not able to finish it all. The fries were simple, perfect, and enough to cover four people as a side. The chicken morsels were also good, but not particularly special. We both loved the duck pate, her because it reminded her of something her mother made, myself because I love a good duck pate.
The burger was the phenom though. I had always meant to have one, and it did not disappoint. The burger itself is made of ground beef, short ribs, and gouda cheese. It comes "California" style with lettuce, tomato and onion. It is sublime. It is everything anyone ever wanted a burger to taste like. Mind you, this is coming from a person who typically likes burgers with some combination of Sriracha sauce, fried egg, bacon, peanut butter, mushrooms, bleu cheese, etc. It's absolutely mystifying how every bit manages to capture every flavor while keeping a perfect balance. Not too greasy, a whiff of char, words cannot describe it - it is an absolute must try. The only way I can sum it up is this: one of the best chefs in Minnesota created a damned burger and slapped his name on it.
If I lived or worked closer to Vincent's I would be at their happy hour multiple times a week. On a budget, between four people, two burgers and a plate of fries would probably do. That's USD 25 after tip. You'll be inspired to tip well, because the service is attentive down to actually properly plating a split burger.
Website: http://vincentarestaurant.com/
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