Restaurant Reviews

I always like exploring new restaurants in the Minneapolis area. Sometimes it’s fun to go to old favorites, but there are so many places to try out that it doesn’t happen very often. Along with that, the story behind a restaurant can make the experience even more inviting. Located in the Riverplace building in the St. Anthony Main area, Mattie’s on Main is a new addition to the neighborhood with its modern day saloon vibe, various types of entertainment and...

Living on the Eastside of St. Paul, my attention has been brought to Payne Avenue and the rising of restaurants and little shops along the route. Following an East Sider residents's Facebook group, the new restaurant Cook St. Paul has been getting quite the hype on lots of posts. Cook St. Paul is owned by two cooks, Eddie Wu and Charles Cook. Their restaurant sits where Serlin's Cafe grew to popularity for multiple decades until the owners closed down for their retirement. I decided to check it out this new place, and interview owner Eddie Wu. The...

This weekend I got to spend some time in Minneapolis to visit my cousin and head to the Beer and Bacon Fest. After all of the shenanigans on Saturday, we were in dire straits come noon on Sunday. Food needed to happen, and it needed to happen now. Nestled on the corner of 34th and Lyndale and only two blocks away, Crema Cafe sounded like a solid choice. It was beautiful outside on Sunday, and we thankfully had the option of outdoor patio seating. Crema has a great patio. The building is wrapped around in a tight U-shape with the patio nestled in...

I enjoyed a recent evening out with friends in the Lowertown neighborhood of St Paul (near where the new Saints' stadium will be built for 2015). We hung out at the Bulldog to watch the big game and then Barrio to dance like maniacs -- but before all that rowdy revelry, we dropped in at ...

On the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, a friend and I were looking to get together for a quiet dinner. We wanted to find a restaurant that didn’t include the festive partygoers of the upcoming holiday but wanted to meet in an area that accommodated to both of us. We settled on Bradstreet Crafthouse. Located on the first floor of the Graves 601 Hotel, in downtown Minneapolis, it is the perfect restaurant...

Last week, with my wife on Spring Break, I decided to take her to one of our favorite spots for lunch to engorge ourselves in the Twin Cities: Fogo de Chão. Now, if you haven't heard of this wonderful mecca of meat, let me tell you about its glory. This is no ordinary sit down, fancy restaurant. While it seems that way upon first glance, both like a traditional sit down restaurant and a fancy one at that, this place is unlike most traditional eateries. This Brazilian steakhouse allows you to eat as much as you want -- yes, as...

Minneapolitans aren't often seen roaming the smooth prairies of southwestern Minnesota (especially in March); but my fiancée and I had the opportunity to do just that. Little did we know, until informed by my good friend and his wife (who recently became residents of the area), that the Brau Brothers, the undisputed beer-lords of our state's southwestern corner, had constructed a legendary drinking hall and brew-lab in the city of Marshall. Marshall, for those of you who believe civilization ends on...

It’s Valentine’s Day. There are restaurants aplenty to choose from depending on your menu preference. With the help of a simple smartphone app called OpenTable, I got to pick from dozens of restaurants on the app -- after scrolling through the options, I then made a dinner reservation for the evening at Basil’s -- Opentable’s 2009 and...

Friends, I have a tasty new spot to recommend. A lovely cafe and bakery called, The Buttered Tin in St. Paul. Now, I know I had some of you already at "Buttered," but I'll go on. The Buttered Tin is a relatively new spot in the very cool Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul. Author's Note: for people nervous about driving "in the city" or bad parallel parkers (the rest of you can skip this): I know some people can be intimidated by driving downtown, but I promise this spot is not intimidating. There are plenty of nearby parking meters and even in the...