From: anne@cray.com (Anne Chenette)
Newsgroups: rec.food.restaurants
Subject: Re: Minneapolis/St. Paul Restaurants
Summary: More recommendations
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:52:56 GMT
Followup-To: anne.cray.com
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.

>In article <UezjO2q00WB4IpYrZN@andrew.cmu.edu> "Joseph C. Lappa" <jl8p+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:


>>    I'm going to be in Minneapolis/St. Paul area for a week and I'm
>>looking for any recommendations for good restaurants.  

And...

In article <1992Nov17.000949.6251@news2.cis.umn.edu> stecher@atlas.socsci.umn.edu (Jack Stecher) writes:
>In Minneapolis, try an Italian bistro called Giorgio (sp?), on Hennepin
>and about 25th.  If you must check out the hopping places, than go
>to Figlio already, but be forewarned that you'll find pretentious
>undergraduates dressed in black, smoking clove cigarettes, and speaking
>bad French.

I disagree!  I think that Giorgio's has much better food than Ristorante Luci,
and with much less pretension in the kitchen.  But it does, unfortunately,
tend to attract some pretentious customers.  (But it also attracts me, the
antithesis of a clove-smoking undergraduate.  And my French is rather
good, if I do say so myself! :-)  My advice is to aim for a slow night
(like Monday), arrive at 5:00 or 5:30, and sit in the far room; Giorgio's
is a charming place then!

I agree whole-heartedly with your recommendation of Table of Contents,
Thai food, and The Dakota Bar and Grill.  The *best* Japanese restaurant
(sushi-wise, at least) is Origami, in downtown Mpls, but I'm quite partial
to Sakura, which is in Galtier Plaze in downtown St.Paul.

>Do not eat Chinese food in the Twin Cities.  Gelatinous sauces are the
>norm, and the most common fried wanton is filled (no kidding) with
>cream cheese.  Hunan does not exist here, at least not outside people's
>homes.

Au contraire!  Luckily, there are a few good Chinese restaurants here.
(Although this *is* the home of the General-Mills-owned "Leann Chin" chain.)
Try one of the following places, and see if you're not pleased.  (None of
them serve those beastly little cream-cheese-stuffed wontons!)
   My Le Hoa	2900 Rice St., Little Canada -- (612) 484-5353
   		Has dim sum on Saturdays and Sundays
   Rainbow Chinese Restaurant
		2750 Nicollet Av, Mpls -- (612) 871-2630
   Shuang Cheng	1320 4th Street SE, Mpls -- (612) 378-0208
		Specializes in fresh seafood; usually crowded
   Village Wok	610 Washington Av. SE, Mpls -- (612) 331-9041
		Called "most authentic Chinese in Twin Cities"
   Yangtse	5625 Wayzata Blvd, St.Louis Park -- (612) 541-9469
   		Has dim sum on Saturdays and Sundays

There's even some REAL Mexican restaurants, although most people don't
know about them.  They're all near downtown St. Paul.  None are fancy.
El Amanecer, Juanita's, and La Cazuela are all in the 200 block of
Concord Street, and T.Garcia's is just around the corner.  And don't
miss "Cora's Filipino Fast Food" when you're in the neighborhood!

We also have a marvelous selection of Vietnamese restaurants, although most
of them wimp out and offer only Chinese food on the menu (it's what the
customers know...).  My current favorite places are The Bona and Thanh Quan,
both near Washington & University Ave in Mpls, and Mai Village, at
422 University Ave in St. Paul.  (Try the 7-course Bo dinner!)
Other good places are Pho Xe Lua (Lake St, Mpls.), Hoa Bien (University
Av, St.Paul), To Chao (ditto), and Trieu Chau (ditto).  Heck, just drive up
University Avenue from downtown St. Paul and stop anywhere!

Steak restaurants abound; my collegues rave about Lindy's, but I'm quite
fond of Jax, as much for the atmosphere as for the food (which is very,
very good, but a bit stodgy.  Which is why I like it.)

And some more restaurants to try, if you're in the mood for cheap and
flavorful ethnic food, as I often am.

   Caspian Bistro	2418 University Av SE, Mpls. -- 623-1113
			Persian; amazingly cheap prices for great food.
			I hestitate to advertise this one for fear it
			will get too crowded!
   Delites of India	1123 W. Lake St, Mpls -- 823-2866
			Vegetarian Punjabi food in a casual,
			family-run restaurant.
   Emily's Lebanese Deli
			641 University Av. NE, Mpls -- 379-4069
			Also the best Lebanese food in town; very
			different style than The Port (very casual).
   Khyber Pass		1399 St. Clair Av, St.Paul -- 698-5403
			Afghani food, casual, inexpensive, and yummy.
   Odaa Ethiopian Restaurant
			408 Cedar Av, Mpls -- 338-4459
			Wonderful Ethiopian/Eritrean food near the
			U of M West Bank campus. (There are *three*)
			Ethiopian restaurants within one block!)
   Port of Beirut	1385 S. Robert St, West St.Paul -- 457-4886
			Best Lebanese food in town; try the garlic
			sauce!  Try also for a night when Cassandra
			is performing "danse orientale".
   Signature Cafe	130 Warwick St, Mpls (1 block S of Franklin) -- 378-0237
			Small Egyptian/"continental" restaurant
			tucked away in a cozy neighborhood, near
			the intersection of Franklin and Hwy 280.
			Good food at an amazingly low price.
			(Try the fresh fish.)

Enjoy your week here, Joseph.  I hope you don't get snowed in!

					Anne
Newsgroups: rec.food.restaurants