Re: Where Can I Eat Out?

[Guest guest]

Eating out is an exercise in compromise. With that in mind, I would

also add the following to my wife's excellent selections...

Three Muses restaurant in Uptown Minneapolis on Lyndale Avenue about

1/4 block south of 28th Street. They could use the business right

now too, so if you're hungry, I'd recommend going now! :-)

They prepare everything fresh, use only free-range meats and tend to

work more with root vegetables than with pasta. When they do grains,

I'm sure they're not soaking them though. The cheeses are mostly

artisanal imports...and many of them are made with raw milk. The

Hangar Steak in red-wine reduction and blue cheese sauce served with

root vegetables is amazing. It's unfortunately also the most

expensive item they serve, and it runs for just a bit under $20.

It's steep, but there are far more expensive places that are not

nearly as tasty or quaint.

One of the best restaurants in Minnesota for great ingredients and

inventive cuisine is Lucia's near Hennepin and 31st Street. It's on

31st about 2 doors west of Hennepin -- there both a wine bar with a

limited food menu, and a full restaurant. The owner, Lucia, is

heavily involved in the local agriculture scene. She insists on

locally grown produce, meats and dairy wherever possible. The food

is excellent and the prices are reasonable even though they're not

cheap (probably $10-$25 for most things).

I think that Auriga on Hennepin Avenue just north of lin has

similar standards to Lucias. I've never eaten there so I can't

really say much about it other than its reputation is very good.

Marimar at the corner of 34th Avenue and East 50th Street in

Minneapolis (in between Lake Nokomis and Minnehaha Park) has similar

principles to the previous two. They're a little less pretentious

but about the same price; they're probably also less likely to insist

on better quality meats.

Also, many of the ethnic restaurants are better than average choices.

Try a good Greek, Indian, Afghani, Kurdish, Thai, Cambodian,

Ethiopian, Somalian, Vietnamese or Hmong restaurant. There are

multiple of each of those types in the Twin Cities (except Kurdish

and Cambodian -- there's only one of each of those).

Want Chinese? Don't go to the local Minnesota-style chow mein shop.

Go instead to the Village Wok in on Washington Ave in Stadium Village

in Minneapolis. It's real chinese food...not american food with

chinese names. Oh yeah, it's also delicious and pretty cheap. It's

not fancy, but it's not a dive either.

French Meadow Bakery on Lyndale near 25th Street does mostly

sourdough breads and vegetable soups. Most things are organic.

There's a serious dearth of meats (although there's some chicken),

but the food that they do have is very good and of high quality.

Asase Yaa, a restaurant and juice bar serving a fusion of the

cuisines of Ghana, Germany and the rest of the world is very good and

very much homemade and yummy. It's on Avenue about 1/2 block

North of Lake Street on the West side of the street. The owner here

is also involved in local agriculture and youth projects and

purchases locally where possible.

Sushi shops are good choices...as are most Japanese restaurants, and

Japanese cuisine is less prone to using MSG than many other Asian

cuisines. Fuji Ya on Lake Street just east of Lyndale is a great

sushi and general Japanese restaurant. Midori's Floating World cafe

near Minnehaha and Lake is another good one. Saji Ya on Grand Avenue

in Saint is good too. Sushi Tango in Calhoun Square and

Kikugawa on St Main are supposed to be good too, but I've

never eaten at them.

There's a great Spanish-style Tapas bar called La Bodega...again at

the corner of Lake and Lyndale. Tapas is basically many many

appetizers that you choose to arrange into a meal, sort of like a

Spanish version of Chinese dim sum.

Also at Lake and Lyndale is Machu Pichu which specializes in Peruvian

seafood dishes if I remember correctly. JP's across the street from

Machu Pichu is very good and very high quality.

Oh, and if you really *must* go to chain restaurants and/or refuse to

go to Mpls or Saint (I don't really know any really good

suburban restaurants), maybe opt for Chipotle Grill. I really don't

like them, but most people do. More importantly, their meats are

from Niman Ranch -- which although neither perfect nor local, is

better than most.

I know there are some decent restaurants outside the central cities,

but I'm not much help there. However, if you're in SE Minnesota,

there's a great restaurant in Lanesboro called the Old Village Hall.

http://www.oldvillagehall.com/

Hmm, I know I'm forgetting a bunch of good ones...

Basically you want to avoid chain restaurants...even semi-fancy ones.

Pick restaurants that have an actual chef...not just cooks.

Finally, don't obsess about all of your dietary principles. When you

go out, be content if you're getting at least a couple things that

are done right. Fresh ingredients and minimal processing are

probably the most important things to look for.

Sorry for the length of this post. I get excited about restaurants!

:-)

Kroyer

--- realfoodie2003 <realfoodie2003@...> wrote:

> The more I learn, the more I find it difficult to eat out. Anyone

> have some favorites that they would be willing to share?

>

> Kathy

[Guest guest]

Hey ,

What is the URL of that eat well/antibiotic free website you mentioned? Yes,

I know what you mean about wanting to find " casual " places for eating out.

French Meadow would be one. Kroyer mentioned that one. It is casual.

Auriga I've been to. ly, I was not very much impressed with it! My DH

(dear or darn husband, depending on how you look at it) likes to try out nice

restaurants. So we've been to Auriga (we were there last year, it's still goin'

as far as I know), Fhimas (another thumbs-down for me...very pretty and

eyecatching but that's about it...) & to n.e. thyme (it was nice, I liked it,

but it's not exactly cheap).

If I happen to try any more restaurants on this list or on 's list, I

will let you guys know.

Great info, ! Thanks so much!

Sara

PS , I bet you are busy now planning trips to restaurants over every

available weekend for the whole year! Just kidding!

Where Can I Eat Out?

Hi! I'm new to the list, but I've looked into options of healthy

eating in the Twin Cities for the past few years.

A little over a year ago, I wrote a question to the " Ask the Critic "

column in the St. Pioneer Press which was published. I asked

where there were natural foods restaurants in the Twin Cities area

(that weren't necessarily vegetarian, but served organic or free-

range meat, etc.). Here was the printed answer:

" There are a lot of restaurants with organic options. Cafe

(Mpls) offers organic mock duck tacos, organic greens with goat

cheese, soba salad with organic buckwheat noodles and a Thai pasta

dish made with free-range chicken. Other restaurants that feature

natural foods include Chet's Taverna, Fhima, Barbary Fig, and the

Dakota Bar & Grill - all in St. . In Minneapolis, there's

Lucia's, Auriga [which I think has since closed?], Mpls. Cafe,

Restaurant Alma, Sapor, Cafe Barbette, -Lake Bowl, French

Meadow Bakery, and Turtle Bread.

Then, there's Ecopolitan (Mpls). The food's not only 100% organic,

it's 100% raw. That's right, no cooking at all. Chef/owner Alyson

Ostenaa believes that heat destroys enzymes and vitamins vital to

life, so instead of a stove she uses juicers, blenders and

dehydrators to assemble a variety of appetizers, entrees, and

desserts.

A lot of coffee shops brew with organic beans. One - Livingtons

(Mpls) - also has organic ice cream. "

-----

And then last month, the Star Tribune had an article

entitled " Ethics Are On The Menu: More Local Restuarants Are Serving

Free-Range, Grass-fed Livestock. "

Here are some excerpts:

" I'm no vegetarian, but I do have a conscience. And when I think

about how most of our meat is produced, it bothers

me....Fortunately, a growing number of local restaurants are opting

for meat and poultry produced in a more humane and sustainable way.

A few chefs, such as Lucia of Lucia's Restaurant in Uptown

Mpls have been serving locally raised, sustainably produced meat and

poultry for years. Ken Goff of the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant in

downtown Mpls has had free-range chicken on the menu for a decade,

and recently added grass-fed buffalo.

In recent years, these pioneers have been joined by chefs such as

Pampuch at n.e. thyme, at Restaurant Alma, and

Siebenaler at Sapor Cafe in Mpls, and, across the river in St.

, Mike of Chet's Taverna, Klein of W.A. Frost,

and Lenny Russo of Heartland....When Pampuch took over as chef-

partner at n.e.thyme in September, he started buying most of his

meats from the Southeast Minnesota Food Network, based in his

hometown of Winona. His pork comes from Hidden Stream Farm in Elgin,

his beef from Earth Be Glad farm in ton, and his chickens from

a variety of small local producers.

Sustainably produced meats and organic poultry cost more than their

mass-produced counterparts, and that presents chefs like Pampuch

with challenges. To keep his neighborhood bistro affordable, he

skips the rib-eyes, tenderloins and other prime cuts and works

instead with cuts that are less in demand because they take more

time and talent to prepare. The result is slow food: dishes like a

Portuguese stew of braised pork with tomatoes, clams and caramelized

onions, served over a truffled soft polenta ($16), or a lunch entree

of slow-cooked organic chicken confit with pinto beans, stewed in a

mole sauce. Pampuch's December menu also offers a variety of

vegetarian choices, ranging from bucatini pasta with roasted

cauliflower, currants, spinach, rosemary and pine nuts ($12) to a

roasted carrot timbale with organic greens and a warm bulgur salad

($13).

Weeknights from 4:30 to 6:30 PM, Pampuch offers a bargain-priced

three-course " Feed Me " menu that includes a salad or appetizer,

entree and a small dessert for $14 to $19. Recent " Feed Me "

offerings have ranged from spaghetti with slow-roasted pork, white

beans and rosemary to truffled soft polenta with Hill & Vale braised

lamb shank, pistachio/orange pesto and thyme-scented jus.

At Chet's Taverna, chef-owner ' menu emphasizes organic and

sustainably raised game from local farms, and seasonal produce

traditionally found in the winter pantry. Entrees range from grilled

leg of venison served with grits and brown-buttered kale ($20) to

pan-roasted partridge with cauliflower, sauteed savoy cabbage and

puree of caramelized parsnips ($20)....

Russo of Heartland is the purist in the group, using only

ingredients native to the Midwest. A three-course " fauna " menu

featuring locally raised meat and poultry is offered nightly for

$35, with a meatless " flora " menu for $25. Recent a la carte

offerings have included an elk strip steak served with Brussel

sprouts and house-smoked lamb bacon ($26), and a wild boar rib

roast - served with roasted organic shallots, cauliflower, and

mushrooms ($30) - that was raised on Northern Pride Farm in Bay

City, Wis.

W.A. Frost boasts that " approximately 70% of all our ingredients are

organically grown or naturally raised, and many of these are locally

produced within a short distance of our restaurant. " Highlights from

chef Klein's current menu include a roasted Wild Acres duck

breast with herbed spaetzle ($27.50) and a poached free-range

chicken, also from Wild Acres, with seasonal vegetables ($19.95).

" We are committed to supporting sustainable organic agriculture,

local farms, producers and conservation efforts, " proclaims the menu

at Restaurant Alma. Chef and co-owner ' current dinner menu

features Berkshire pork loin from Six Point family farms in western

Minnesota, roasted with Chinese broccoli and hen of the wood

mushrooms ($15/$22); Wild Acres duck breast and confit from Pequot

Lakes with roasted Brussels sprouts and a pear and pineapple puree

($24), and a pan-seared Organic Valley beef ribeye basted with foie

gras and served with braised chard and roasted salsify in a Madeira

sauce ($29).

At Sapor Cafe, an underdiscovered gem in the Mpls Warehouse

District, chef and co-owner Sievenaler prepares pork loin from Tim

Fischer Farms in Waseca, pan-seared with caramelized onion cheese

grits ($21), and buffalo from Lofton Ridge near Chisago City,

braised with quinoa-squash cake and a cranberry relish ($20).

At Bobino, which recently held a fundraiser for the Land Stewardship

Project, executive chef Pat Weber and chef de cuisine Rubin

use some sustainably produced meats when they can get consistent

supplies; their current menu includes pork shoulder from Tim Fischer

Farms, roasted with cumin and orange and served with sauteed

Brussels sprouts and cinnamon-scented calabaza squash ($19).

If You Go:

- Bobino Cafe & Wine Bar, 222 Hennepin Av. E., Mpls, 612-623-3301

- Chet's Taverna, 790 Av., St. , 651-646-2655

- Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Av. S., Mpls, 612-332-

1010

- Heartland Contemporary Midwestern Restuarant, 1809 St. Clair Av.,

St. , 651-699-3536

- Lucia's Restaurant, 1432 W. 31st St., Mpls, 612-825-1572

- n.e.thyme, 4257 Nicollet Av., Mpls, 612-822-5155

- Restaurant Alma, 528 University Av. SE., Mpls, 612-379-4909

- Sapor Cafe and Bar, 428 Washington Av. N., Mpls, 612-375-1921

- W.A. Frost and Company, 374 Selby Av., St. , 651-224-5715

------

Personally, I'm looking for more 'regular' food rather than

fancy/gourmet food (with its accompanying higher price), and my

favorite place to eat out (when I *do* eat out, which isn't very

often) is " The Good Earth " in the Edina Galleria (and in Roseville).

They have more 'regular' food...free-range, antibiotic-free

hamburgers, antibiotic-free chicken enchiladas, etc. And lots of

great fruit smoothies...Copa Banana...Carmen MiJuiceda, etc. A place

you could bring the whole family to and get healthier food without

hurting your wallet too much. I've also heard " Sidneys " tries to use

locally produced, organic if possible, ingredients. And, according

to an Eat Well/Eat Antibiotic-Free Website, TGIF Fridays has an

antibiotic-free Angus burger, and Chipolte's has antibiotic-free

pork from Niman Ranch.

Hope that helps!

:-)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

I found the URL! It's this one, right? Good, I'm off and running (and

sharing it with some others!)

http://www.iatp.org/foodsec/library/admin/uploadedfiles/Eat_Well_Eat_Antibiotic-\

Free_2.htm

Thanks!

Sara

Hi! I'm new to the list, but I've looked into options of healthy

eating in the Twin Cities for the past few years.

A little over a year ago, I wrote a question to the " Ask the Critic "

column in the St. Pioneer Press which was published. I asked

where there were natural foods restaurants in the Twin Cities area

(that weren't necessarily vegetarian, but served organic or free-

range meat, etc.). Here was the printed answer:

[Guest guest]

>I found the URL! It's this one, right?

>http://www.iatp.org/foodsec/library/admin/uploadedfiles/Eat_Well_Eat

>_Antibiotic-Free_2.htm

Yep, that's the one! :-) Although I always tell people to be careful

they don't assume that every resturant listed serves antibiotic-

free meat in general. Most of the places may have only *one* item on

their menu that's antibiotic-free (like TGIF Fridays and

Chipolte)...but it's at least a start!

:-)

[Guest guest]

Greetings to and all,

The recent discussion about " Where to Eat ut " really perked up

my ears. Rebekah and I find it fairly easy to stock the home

larder with wholesome food but all too often we sink back into

the abyss when dining out. You could say " Just eat at home

then... " but that would be missing one of the simple joys that

help compensate for living on concrete as we do. It's fun to eat

out.

As we slowly get more determined to eat well, stay out of the

hospital and support sustainable ag farmers, we tend to drive a

bit further but we do so in order to patronize the cafes doing their

part for the cause. Our favorites are THE BIRCHWOOD, CHET'S

TAVERNA, and a few of the others mentioned, even the

occasional CHIPOLTE. Even though we live 1/2 block from

LUCIA'S (and know her) we were unaware of the efforts she has

made to support local organic ag. Let's keep our list growing as

we discover other places. Has anyone here eaten at a Ted's

Montana Grill? Just curious. He has a big article about bison and

the chain in the current issue of Inc. magazine. It all sounds

good and the menu is 55% bison items, although I am pretty

sure he is not organic much less grass-finished. (I'd vote for Ted

for prez anytime though)

Two weeks ago the NYT published an article about the success

and fabulousness of the new FARMER'S DINER and I was

immediately jealous of the Vermont area boasting this

one-of-a-kind eating establishment. Makes (even) me want to

open a restaurant! We need one here!

Will