Favorite "original" restaurant in the Cities?

[deerminator]

The wife and I are looking to go someplace different for dinner the next time we're down there. I'd like to know your favorite restaurant, upscale or downscale in the Cities that's different, or rather that serves food that's unique and obviously good. For instance, we used to love going to Sherlock's Home in Minnetonka before the owner closed it down so he could open another Granite City. Everything inside was imported from Britain and they had lots of great food and drink you couldnt get elsewhere - English Ale brewed on site and hand pulled from kegs in the basement to the bar, pheasant pot pie, squeaks and bubbles and so on. Looking forward to any and all answers. Doesn't have to be foreign food either - lol -just any place, a diner even, that is different in the food and decor. To me there's two things that make a great restaurant - atmosphere and food. Having one is good, both makes it great.

[picksbigwagon]

Ah Man I loved Sherlocks....the porter and some scotch eggs...........My wife and I really like Stella's Fish Cafe in uptown. they usually have a great selection of lobsters and some awesome tuna steaks.....

[jng]

CUZZYS the up north bar in the cities best food in town. chili rocks

[Swimbait2009]

Not Justa Cafe in Bayport has some crazy good breakfast! If you plan on fishing the river at all, hit it up after the morning bite, but prepare to wait if you go on the weekend, or any other day that ends in a 'Y'.

[merc]

Yes, Cuzzys is a cool old place.

[Chef]

Try Salute bar American in Edina at 50th&France--great food, fun spot. Chino Latino is unique in uptown. Gasthoff in NE Mpls. is German.

Biaggi's in Excelsior is good and if you're fond of foods like Sherlock's was witha good Beer Selection, try Jake O'Connor's in Excelsior.

Baba Lu Tapas and Jazz in Mpls. is good on Washinton Ave. and JD Hoyts is on the same street--the best Pork Chop in MN.

[goblueM]

Blue Door Pub in St. Paul

good rotating, local tap beers

new take on classic Twin Cities burgers

and some really innovative burgers too

[fishwater]

we used to love going to Sherlock's Home

Barley John's in Blaine might be a good choice. They have awesome drinks and food. Some of my favorites bars for food are the Gopher in St. Paul for coney dogs and Mayslacks in NE for the roast beef. All the Blue Plate restaurants are really good too. Highland Grill, Groveland Tap, Longfellow Grill - hard to go wrong. I'm getting fatter just thinking about all the good food...

As far as upscale, I like Luci Ancora and Muffuletta.

[DonBo]

My wife and I really like Stella's Fish Cafe in uptown. they usually have a great selection of lobsters and some awesome tuna steaks.....

Agreed! Our favorite place in the big city. They have a huge oyster/sushi bar there too if you're into that kind of thing.

[deadeye]

Psycho Suzi's in NE is my favorite place. The food is good and the drinks are the best. Its sort of a mini vacation to somewhere warm going in there.

[picksbigwagon]

Holy cow, I typed lobsters when I meant oysters.....go there for oysters, they usually have 3-6 different varieties, try them all...

[FishLocker]

Agree, Chino Latino...try the Gitmo-Jito if you like your MoJito to bite back (my favorite) and the roast pork dish with plantain garnish is wonderful and so different than MN cooking.

Also try OM in downtown Mpls, it is Indian cooking but recipies from all over India, not just one area. Wait staff is great at helping you decide if you tell them what you like in flavors. The chef put out the book "660 Curries"

Have fun.

[nofishfisherman]

Lots of different places to try. If you can give an idea of the type of food you're looking for that might narrow it down a little.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Brasa - they specialize in either pork, beef brisket or rotisserie chicken served with your choice of sides. There are a ton of sides to choose from and they are all great. Its sort of a south american, central american style. One in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul.

Ngon - its a Vietnamese restaurant that serves upscale sort traditional stuff with some twists. All food is locally grown or locally sourced including the beer. Everything here is awesome, I suggest the Bun noodle salad with the shrimp egg rolls and then wash it down with whatever Surly or other local beer they have tapped that day.

Salsa Ala Salsa - good Mexican down on Eat Street.

Tacqueria Los Ocamppos - Another great Mexican place, you order at the counter and then they bring the food out so its not fancy but its so good. Make sure to wear your fat pants if you order the burrito, its the size of 2 chipolte burritos.

Someone mentioned Salut in an earlier post. I've been there and was not impressed. The prices seemed extremely high for what you get. If you want a $14 burger or a $30 steak then its a good place but there are places you can get better food for less money.

[pushbutton]

i met at a friend at a place called Cresent Moon on central in northeast mpls. i was originally irrirtated since she wanted to order the "football pizza".......in my mind i did not drive 90 miles one way to eat freaking pizza, especially one made at an afghani place....she said trust me and i am glad i did. she is a patchulli burning, subaru driving yuppie so the pizza came with spinach, eggplant, mushrooms ect....the pizza itself was good and does have an middle eastern flair but what makes the trip worth while are the dipping sauces you get with the pizza. the cucumber mint sauce combined with this "green" sauce was truly amazing!!!!!!! will post my version of this cilantro sauce sometime.........

[shortfatguy]

in the midtown global market there is a little place called La Sirena Gorda. It has really awesome mexican style seafood. The shrimp tacos are out of this world. And the prices are cheap. Its not much for ambiance (the seating is in a food court type setting) but the food makes up for it. The owner and chef is the guy who used to own Babalu and managed the oceanaire for quite awhile so he knows his seafood!

[McGurk]

There's a small Southern Italian place that my wife and I use as our restaurant for our Anniversary and New Year's dinners. It's called Al Vento, and they are located at 50th St S and 34th Ave, kitty corner from Nokomis Shoes. The menu is small and a bit pricey, the wine is great, and the atmosphere is really enjoyable. Small, intimate, cozy, and somehwat busy without being annoying. I haven't had a bad meal there yet in the 10 or so times I've gone, and there are rarely the same main course options on the menu from trip to trip. A bottle of mid-priced wine, antipasta, 2) salads, 2) main courses, coffee and dessert plus a tip is usually $120-140, so it's far from cheap. I'll go back again, though.

[hcmpls1]

I take a lot of customers out so I’ve been to a TON of restaurants in the cities. Here are a few of my favorites that aren’t the big steak and seafood places...

112 Eatery – New American - Warehouse District Minneapolis

Café Ena – Latin – Southwest Minneapolis

Tum Rup Thai – Thai - Uptown

Broders’ Pasta Bar – Italian – Southwest Minneapolis

Café Maude – New American – Southwest Minneapolis

Azia – Asian Fusion - Eat Street Minneapolis

Brasa – Latin/Traditional American - NE Minneapolis

Chino Latino – Latin/Pan Asian – Uptown

Some of these restaurants have a better atmosphere than others but all have GREAT food!

If you want a review of any of these just let me know... I've been to each many, many times!

[goblueM]

Lots of different places to try. If you can give an idea of the type of food you're looking for that might narrow it down a little.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Brasa - they specialize in either pork, beef brisket or rotisserie chicken served with your choice of sides. There are a ton of sides to choose from and they are all great. Its sort of a south american, central american style. One in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul.

Ngon - its a Vietnamese restaurant that serves upscale sort traditional stuff with some twists. All food is locally grown or locally sourced including the beer. Everything here is awesome, I suggest the Bun noodle salad with the shrimp egg rolls and then wash it down with whatever Surly or other local beer they have tapped that day.

Salsa Ala Salsa - good Mexican down on Eat Street.

Tacqueria Los Ocamppos - Another great Mexican place, you order at the counter and then they bring the food out so its not fancy but its so good. Make sure to wear your fat pants if you order the burrito, its the size of 2 chipolte burritos.

Someone mentioned Salut in an earlier post. I've been there and was not impressed. The prices seemed extremely high for what you get. If you want a $14 burger or a $30 steak then its a good place but there are places you can get better food for less money.

Ngon bistro was AMAZING. just ate there the other day. wonderful american style entrees, plus great vietnamese food, and good local beer. also had some really good deserts

[nofishfisherman]

Ngon bistro was AMAZING. just ate there the other day. wonderful american style entrees, plus great vietnamese food, and good local beer. also had some really good deserts

To make it even better they have some good happy hour deals. If you are on Facebook you can follow Ngon Bistro, the owner posts beer and food specials to take advantage of.

Probably my favorite St. Paul restaurant.