1612 Harmon Place
Minneapolis
http://www.nickandeddie.com/
Nick and Eddie is located in Loring Park just down the street from the Walker Art Center. A vogue spot for restaurants like Joe's Garage and Cafe Lurcat. As a matter of fact they are all on the same street. After a last minute decision to have dinner with my Wife, Sister and Brother, I was able to secure a reservation with them. This has not always worked to my benefit as a food critic. However, something about their menu spurred my appetite so I decided to take a risk. A risk I believe paid off.
Nick and Eddie is a great fit for the area. It has that artsy fartsy aura to it. Emminating from casual manner and dress of the wait staff, to the overall decor of the restaurant itself. It has a large L-shaped dining and bar area with high ceilings which makes it feel bigger than it actually is. We sat in the back of the restaurant, which is not quite as picturesque as the front.
Getting to the food, the menu is not huge. It had 7 appetizers, a couple soups & salads and 7 main courses to choose from, plus dessert. Dinner came with a bread service which was a scary start to the meal. Either jazz it up or forgo it completely. For an appetizer we had the Nick and Eddie Smorgasbord Platter which consisted of blini w/gravlox, whitefish salad w/potato pancake, pirogi, shrimp, and meatballs. Not bad for $10 and a nice sampling of each. For dinner, I had the Spicy Steak with mashed potatoes & collard greens which was really good! I had the impression that it was a skirt steak but when it showed up it was more like a NY strip. Nicely marinaded and spiced with all sorts of peppers, complimented with mashed potato's and perfectly cooked collard greens. My Wife had the Grilled Salmon and my Sister had the Grilled Chicken, both liked their food as well. The only disappointment of the night was my Brother's Prime Rib. Although, he may have liked it more if ordered medium instead of medium rare, per our server's recommendation.
The service was great but its hard to beat when "head waiter" and General Manager Doug Anderson is serving you. Something sort of comforting about having the owner serve you and he was 3-4 with his recommendations
Nick and Eddie was a surprise to me. My expectations were not high considering it was a last minute reservation and they actually had availability on a Saturday night. The food for the most part was really good. I heard they recently acquired Chef Steve Brown (from Porter & Frye) for the kitchen and Doug's Wife Jessica is supposedly a great baker and pastry chef. Maybe this is exactly what the doctor ordered and based upon my meal I would definitely go back. Their Sunday brunch sounds like a good opportunity for this.
Ratings from 1-10:
Food 7
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Noise 2
Price: Economical
Friday, March 20, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Hell's Kitchen
80 S. 9th Street
Minneapolis
http://www.hellskitcheninc.com/
Hell's Kitchen has been in business for 7 years and has recently moved into its new underground space which used to be Rossi's Steakhouse. You actually feel like you are stepping down into the depths of hell as the walk down the stairs into the red and black interior of the restaurant. The space is sprawling. Once you check in you have the choice of bellying up to the bar in the main part of the restaurant or you can head down a hall that leads into yet another bar and dining area. My feelings were that the space definitely fits the name of the restaurant.
Prior to the move, Hell's Kitchen had always been known for it's breakfast fare. Needless to say I was a bit concerned about going there for dinner. The dinner menu consisted of your typical bar food with a more spendy entree section. They also have a "breakfast all day" section which I should have stuck to for dinner. I chose the Bison Burger with white cheddar cheese and bacon served with sweet potato fries and chipotle mayo. Yes, all of Hell's Kitchen burgers are made with bison chuck. For the most part, I enjoyed the burger except for the fact they forgot to put bacon on it. My wife had the lobster tacos, which in no way shape or form were actually tacos, more like lobster enchiladas. They were good but not really worth the $25 price tag. Per the recommendation of our server my brother had the BBQ ribs which he though were less than adequate, dry and tough. His wife had the side Cesar salad which as enormous and the baked penne with vegetables. She was less than excited about her choices as well.
The service started out slow and improved only slightly after ordering our drinks. My sister-in-law's salad came out with her entree and the forgot to put bacon on my burger. Got to have my bacon. The food did come out quick after ordering it. The server expressed her concern for the arrival of the salad but not a word about my bacon, at least she didn't charge me for it.
My overall visit to Hell's Kitchen left me confused. They have a great name and venue but the food did not live up to the hype. Bare in mind most of the hype was in reference to their breakfast. Chef owners Mitch Omer and Steve Meyer really has a good thing going here with the name and the venue. My feelings are that a little more emphasis on the dinner menu could be a huge overall improvement. After looking at there breakfast menu on their website, I definitely have to go back and try it.
Ratings from 1-10:
Atmosphere 8
Food 5
Service 5
Noise 5
Price: Moderate, mixed drinks were expensive.
Minneapolis
http://www.hellskitcheninc.com/
Hell's Kitchen has been in business for 7 years and has recently moved into its new underground space which used to be Rossi's Steakhouse. You actually feel like you are stepping down into the depths of hell as the walk down the stairs into the red and black interior of the restaurant. The space is sprawling. Once you check in you have the choice of bellying up to the bar in the main part of the restaurant or you can head down a hall that leads into yet another bar and dining area. My feelings were that the space definitely fits the name of the restaurant.
Prior to the move, Hell's Kitchen had always been known for it's breakfast fare. Needless to say I was a bit concerned about going there for dinner. The dinner menu consisted of your typical bar food with a more spendy entree section. They also have a "breakfast all day" section which I should have stuck to for dinner. I chose the Bison Burger with white cheddar cheese and bacon served with sweet potato fries and chipotle mayo. Yes, all of Hell's Kitchen burgers are made with bison chuck. For the most part, I enjoyed the burger except for the fact they forgot to put bacon on it. My wife had the lobster tacos, which in no way shape or form were actually tacos, more like lobster enchiladas. They were good but not really worth the $25 price tag. Per the recommendation of our server my brother had the BBQ ribs which he though were less than adequate, dry and tough. His wife had the side Cesar salad which as enormous and the baked penne with vegetables. She was less than excited about her choices as well.
The service started out slow and improved only slightly after ordering our drinks. My sister-in-law's salad came out with her entree and the forgot to put bacon on my burger. Got to have my bacon. The food did come out quick after ordering it. The server expressed her concern for the arrival of the salad but not a word about my bacon, at least she didn't charge me for it.
My overall visit to Hell's Kitchen left me confused. They have a great name and venue but the food did not live up to the hype. Bare in mind most of the hype was in reference to their breakfast. Chef owners Mitch Omer and Steve Meyer really has a good thing going here with the name and the venue. My feelings are that a little more emphasis on the dinner menu could be a huge overall improvement. After looking at there breakfast menu on their website, I definitely have to go back and try it.
Ratings from 1-10:
Atmosphere 8
Food 5
Service 5
Noise 5
Price: Moderate, mixed drinks were expensive.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
112 Eatery
112 N. 3rd Street
Minneapolis
http://www.112eatery.com/
I had the pleasure of eating at 112 Eatery the other day with a client from work. I have heard great things about this restaurant since it opened four years ago. I tried many times to get a reservation on both Friday and Saturday nights with no success. At one point I tried to make a reservation 5 weeks out and they were booked. I recommend a weeknight if you don't feel like making reservations six weeks in advance. Or, just show up and eat at one of the bars.
I understood immediately upon entering the restaurant why its is so difficult to get a reservation. The restaurant itself is really small. We sat at the small bar on the main floor right as you walk in. There is also a second level which has another bar and more seating. I did not actually look at this section of the restaurant but from what I understand its not huge either.
The menu is set-up with appetizers, entrees and sides. Some of the entrees could be ordered ala carte. Knowing my appetite, I stayed away from this portion of the menu. Although, I hear the 112 Cheeseburger is to die for. We Started out with and order of sea scallops in butternut bean sauce and blue prawns with rooster mayo. Both were absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection. For my main course I had the tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs and my client friend had the maltagliati with oysters & beurre blanc. Both were pastas of some form. I had to ask the server for a translation. Pronunciation aside the pasta was wonderful.
112 Eatery definitely lived up to all the hype for me. The food was amazing, different and moderately priced. The service was excellent considering we were seated at the bar. The drink prices were pretty much in line with restaurants in the warehouse district. Chef Isaac Becker and his wife Nancy St. Pierre have it figured out. Her taste buds and his creativity in the kitchen is a recipe for success. I can't wait for my next visit to their restaurant!
Ratings from 1-10:
Food 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Noise 2
Price: Moderate
Minneapolis
http://www.112eatery.com/
I had the pleasure of eating at 112 Eatery the other day with a client from work. I have heard great things about this restaurant since it opened four years ago. I tried many times to get a reservation on both Friday and Saturday nights with no success. At one point I tried to make a reservation 5 weeks out and they were booked. I recommend a weeknight if you don't feel like making reservations six weeks in advance. Or, just show up and eat at one of the bars.
I understood immediately upon entering the restaurant why its is so difficult to get a reservation. The restaurant itself is really small. We sat at the small bar on the main floor right as you walk in. There is also a second level which has another bar and more seating. I did not actually look at this section of the restaurant but from what I understand its not huge either.
The menu is set-up with appetizers, entrees and sides. Some of the entrees could be ordered ala carte. Knowing my appetite, I stayed away from this portion of the menu. Although, I hear the 112 Cheeseburger is to die for. We Started out with and order of sea scallops in butternut bean sauce and blue prawns with rooster mayo. Both were absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection. For my main course I had the tagliatelle with foie gras meatballs and my client friend had the maltagliati with oysters & beurre blanc. Both were pastas of some form. I had to ask the server for a translation. Pronunciation aside the pasta was wonderful.
112 Eatery definitely lived up to all the hype for me. The food was amazing, different and moderately priced. The service was excellent considering we were seated at the bar. The drink prices were pretty much in line with restaurants in the warehouse district. Chef Isaac Becker and his wife Nancy St. Pierre have it figured out. Her taste buds and his creativity in the kitchen is a recipe for success. I can't wait for my next visit to their restaurant!
Ratings from 1-10:
Food 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Noise 2
Price: Moderate
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