http://www.ushershouse.com/
Moorhead MN
Visit: June 2010
Paul Robeson wasn’t singing about the Red River of the North in the film “Show Boat”, but if he had been, the lyrics may have incorporated something about a languid, harmless, and peaceful riverlet – barely more than a mere stream – which every few years goes berserk in March or April, wreaking great damage in the process. Nor did Franklin Roosevelt have in mind using Works Progress Administration funds for the construction of a very pleasant restaurant on the banks of the oft-flooded river. Rather, the original purpose of this architecturally interesting building was to house the American Legion, which it did for half a century, after which a succession of eateries have attempted to make a go of it. Even though it’s, I would estimate, only a couple of hundred feet from the river, it’s on somewhat elevated ground, so perhaps the various owners have never had to file a flood claim with their insurers.
Its present incarnation, now over two years old, is called Usher’s House, which consists of three different venues. One is a very attractive, white tablecloth, “casual fine dining” room with stonework walls and full length windows overlooking a park and the river. A more tavern-like atmosphere is found in Monk’s Pub, and another room, called the Hunt Club, is available for private parties. There is also, weather permitting, an outside eating area, nicely situated next to the park and river.
My wife and I dined in the “casual fine dining” room where tables are well-spaced and the decibel level is completely inoffensive. I awarded them the coveted Russ’s Eardrums Preservation Award, although I didn’t tell them about this singular honor.
We began with the shrimp fonduta, several shrimp in a melted fontina cheese sauce, nicely seasoned and slathered on toasted ciabatta slices. Very nice, and just the right amount. Three more orders and we could’ve made a meal of it. The house salad was only $3, so I had to find out what one gets for such a pittance. Large and crisp with a quite good house dressing is what one gets.
My wife chose a large Berkshire (misspelled Burkshire on the menu) Farm pork chop, accompanied by bok choi, potatoes mashed with corn, and apple saffron jam. The jam showed an admirable attempt by the chefs to go a bit out of the ordinary. Regrettably, the chop was woefully underdone. No, we aren’t afraid of trichinosis. I typically prepare pork to a pink center at home, but this was unacceptable. It was graciously returned to the kitchen and re-presented a brief time later. It had been subjected to more heat, but only up to a marginally acceptable level.
I rarely order steak out because I almost always find more interesting menu items than slices of cow. On this occasion, though, the genome passed down to us from our distant hunter-gatherer ancestors asserted itself. I was also curious about how a $27 filet mignon might compare to the much higher-priced cuts found in steak houses such as Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris, and others. I thought I could make this comparison in spite of the fact that it’s been years since I’ve had a steak in any of those venues. My verdict here is, the chains can’t possibly serve a better filet than this one. It was perfectly cooked and rather sizeable, joined on the plate by an excellent truffled risotto and roasted asparagus, with a red wine demiglace.
The service was friendly, the wine list offered sufficient choice and reasonable prices, and the entire ambience was very pleasant. If we lived in the Fargo-Moorhead area, we would be regulars. Based on – again – this one visit, Usher’s seems to be deserving of a far longer tenure than its restaurant predecessors at this former American Legion site.
Aristos
Stillwater, MN
http://www.aristosmn.com/
Visit: June 2010
My wife and I developed a powerful hankerin’ for hummus the other day, so we decided to go to a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant which has been open in Stillwater for less than a year. It’s called Aristos (“the best” in Greek), and it occupies a building which formerly housed a Hardee’s fast food joint, so it was a certainty that Aristos would be an improvement.
The exterior is quite plain and remindful of its previous incarnation, but the interior is nicely done with some Greek touches which do not include the faux-Tiffany lights above some of the tables – unless Tiffany was actually Greek. Tiffanopoulos? I don’t think so.
According to the Stillwater newspaper, the co-owners are from Egypt, one of whom has been in Stillwater for over twenty years, having opened the Main Café in downtown Stillwater. Aristos is not downtown; it’s a couple of miles to the west, which is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned because the traffic backups to get into the small, popular, and busy downtown even in the middle of the day exhaust my patience.
The menu is perhaps not as long as some Greek venues, but most of the standards are there: various kabobs, pastitsio, moussaka, souvlaki, etc. For patrons with no imaginations or with defective palates, there is also a hamburger and a cheeseburger. Why would anyone come to a Greek restaurant and order this ubiquitous mainstay of American food? Perhaps a child or teenager who’s had virtually nothing else in life? Then tell this person to eat what’s on the menu or go hungry until later. One person in a party of four who considers hamburgers as essential as oxygen? Tell this person the same thing. Or, "Go wait in the car."
The appetizers are divided on the menu into cold and hot. Among the latter are saganaki (very popular when we were there, as we kept seeing flames out of the corners of our eyes), spanakopita, and falafel. Word on “the street” is that the foule madamas is outstanding and based on a recipe from the mother of one of the owners.
As for ourselves, we opted for a combination of three cold (i.e., room temperature) appetizers for $8.95: Skordalia, hummus, and baba ghannuj. Tzatziki is another option. The accompanying crisped pita crackers were noteworthy. I’ve made them numerous times, but they’ve never been this good. The appetizers themselves were excellent, the baba ghannuj one of the best I’ve had. In fact, I’ll be mightily tempted to drop by here some time and consume large quantities of the appetizers.
For entrees, my wife had the kufta kabob, a mix of beef and lamb, and I had the gyros plate. These included a house salad. They also included rice, tzatziki sauce, and the frequently encountered irrelevant vegetables of broccoli and carrots. I like both just fine. In fact, I’ve never met a vegetable I don’t like. But these are fillers, something that adds color and little else - not just here, but in so many restaurants where they are clearly afterthoughts and considered cost-effective. In this particular restaurant, for example, why not chop up some yellow squash, zucchini, and a bit of onion, sauté in some oregano or mint flavored olive oil, and send that out? As Chef Tell, one of the early television chefs back in the 1970s would say, “Verrry zimple, verrry easy”, and cheap.
Servings were sizeable, and everything was very good. The wine list is rather short, but with very reasonable prices and a few Greek bottlings. We opted out of dessert, particularly baklava. How do people have enough stomach space for this after a typical Greek meal? Sorta makes me envy cows. How many stomachs do they have? Four? If there were anything to this “intelligent design” nonsense, humans would have one stomach for appetizers and first courses, another for the entrée, another for desserts, and a fourth for beverages. Of course, the rumination part doesn’t appeal to me, and I can see other detrimental consequences of additional stomach spaces. But I digress.
The hostess was friendly, and our server was both friendly and efficient. One of the owners – that’s who I assume he was – visited our table on three occasions, which is always a good sign. There is a small but attractive bar, too.
Aristos receives from me the Eardrums Preservation Award, as the noise level wasn’t at all obtrusive on a night when it was half full, and I’m sure wouldn’t be on full nights either. There was background music but at a low level.
The subject of noise allows me to segue to another (partly) Greek restaurant practically across the road from Aristos: Phil’s Tara Hideaway (see review elsewhere on this blog). This restaurant has a whole different aesthetic. It’s a log cabin with tables densely packed together and, when full, which it is on the weekends and possibly other nights, it achieves a decibel level of newer commercial jet aircraft – not the older ones, before Federal noise abatement requirements were mandated; I don’t want to exaggerate. It is, in other words, an Auditory Assaulter. This venue has a distinct party vibe, which is fine. Aristos is staid by comparison. It just depends on which atmosphere you prefer, doesn’t it? In any case, notwithstanding my bleeding ears, the gyros at Tara were the best I’ve ever had. No, I haven’t been to Greece, but I’ve eaten at many Greek restaurants. The food was wonderful. So, when I ordered gyros at Aristos, it was for the purpose of comparison, a bit of competition. Tara’s wins, but not by much, because it’s more assertively spiced.
Residents of the eastern environs of the Twin Cities area are lucky to have two good Greek eateries.
The Nova Wine Bar and Restaurant
Hudson, WI
http://www.thenovaofhudson.com/
Visit: May 2010
My wife was out of town when I decided to use her gift certificate for Nova for my own pleasure. I should add that she’d had this certificate for a year and a half, and I thought that was long enough. What if there were a statute of limitations? Hudson, as those in Minneapolis and St Paul know, is a nice little town on the St Croix River, just a few miles east of the metro area. This particular restaurant has some history behind it, including its origin as a brewery back in 1896 up to Prohibition when the location became a Coca-Cola bottling company. For the past few years, it’s been a combined wine shop and restaurant, although they’re physically separated by several feet. There’s also a small outside dining area.
I had been here a couple times for lunch and found it very pleasant, but this was my first dinner visit. The greeting was prompt and friendly, and I was directed to a window table. I then remembered that these window tables – at least the ones I could see – should probably be avoided. The chairs are of the type one might imagine in a movie placed in a castle of Henry the Eighth: Very large, very heavy, enough wood to construct a small house, and with arms extending very far. In other words, it’s impossible for the diner to get close enough to the table to avoid having to lean over in a rather uncomfortable position. Chairs at the tables in the middle of the dining room are of a more standard design.
My provender of choice was the following: Billed as an appetizer, artisan bread with three butters for $7; their “signature” salad of greens, pears, figs, walnuts, and gorgonzola, tossed with a lemon vinaigrette which also carried a tariff of $7; and, for $16, a beef and pork wild rice meatloaf in a barbeque sauce, accompanied by broccoli and mashed potatoes (or fingerling potatoes). For fermented grape juice, I had a Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay and a Rhone-type red from Walla Walla, Washington whose name escapes me at the moment. No dessert.
All offerings were quite good, the bread and butter so much so that I almost, as my mother would say, “spoiled” my meal; i.e., ate too much to enjoy the rest of it. The salad was splendid and large enough to share with someone else (presumably someone you know). The meat loaf arrived on the plate as two thick and large slices; the broccoli not only retained some crunchiness but had a fine flavor as well. Same for the mashed potatoes. The wine list isn’t long, but there are some unusual wines, and many are available by the glass. Oddly, though, in spite of the restaurant’s emphasis on wine along with its wine shop next door, no vintages were displayed on the menu. This wouldn’t be strange at Applebee’s, but it is here.
It was a Friday night, and the restaurant, while not full, had a reasonable number of customers. I mention this as background to my usual assessment of noise levels. It was perfectly conversational, and I suspect that even with a full house it would still be conversational, so this venue receives Russ’ Eardrums Preservation Award. But, as I was departing, a fellow with a musical instrument of some kind – I’m confident it wasn’t a viola or a contrabassoon – I didn’t have a clear view – was setting up. If it’s unamplified, this could be very pleasant. If amplified, all bets are off.
Overall, the food was quite good, and the prices were reasonable. Those who live within what only they can judge as acceptable driving distances should eat here. Besides, Hudson is a very attractive little town.
I might mention that the menu section of the web site needs some work. Formatting is confusing and a bit amateurish.
India Palace
Woodbury, MN
http://www.indiapalacemn.com/
Visit: May 2010
This was my fourth visit to this branch of India Palace (there are others in the Minneapolis-St Paul area) and the third for my wife. To perhaps unfairly generalize, previous visits were a bit underwhelming. Not by any means unpleasant in any sense, just somewhat bland. The reason this might be unfair is that we were comparing this restaurant (and every other Indian restaurant) to one of our favorite restaurants anywhere: The Moghul Palace in a suburb of Seattle. When we lived in that part of the country we dined there many times and always departed pitying those who would go to their graves or urns having never partaken of such northern Indian cuisine. At some point after having moved back here, we realized that we should treat local Indian restaurants more fairly; in other words, try to forget about Moghul Palace. It’s a bit like this: I had an Audi TT Quattro a few years ago and loved – nay, worshipped - it. Wonderful car which allowed me to fantasize about being half my chronological age. But as the warranty was nearing expiration, I became very concerned about actually having to pay for any (very expensive) repairs, even though it had been care-free up to that point. So for that reason and others, the day came when I traded it in for a new Toyota RAV4, more suitable for Minnesota weather. I almost wept in the dealership’s parking lot, embracing The Houndd (my name for the car) as we bid farewell to each other. My wife and perhaps other onlookers were likely appalled and somewhat embarrassed by the maudlin scene, particularly after I had to be pulled off her or him. I still think about The Houndd much more often than someone my age should, but it’s now my lot in life to “settle” for lesser vehicular transportation. So what’s my point? That, difficult as it is, I must stop judging the present with the yardstick of the past. You can see that this has had a significant effect on me, but moving on . . . (sniff).
Whether or not it was because of our effort to cast the Seattle area restaurant out of our minds and judge India Palace on its own merits, we left much more pleased than before. For an appetizer, we had the onion bhaji, lightly fried onions in a chickpea flour coating; garlic naan; raita; chicken biryani, marinated chicken, saffron basmati rice, and sultanas; and lamb vindaloo. Everything was quite good, and the moderate to hot spice level I specified for the lamb was right on target. The raita was perhaps the best I’ve had. Prices at most Indian restaurants seem to fall within a moderate and reasonable range, and India Palace is no exception. Entrees run from $10 to around $15. The ambience was fine, but suffice it to say that the principal draw here is the food. A few wines are available, but I might suggest that the Indian Kingfisher beer would be a better choice. I say “Indian” beer, but it’s now brewed in the UK and California. Excessive noise levels will never be a problem here.
There are three other India Palace locations in the area: Plymouth, Roseville, and Burnsville. Now that my wife and I have at least partially succeeded in suppressing past memories, we can say that they’re well worth a try.
Da Afghan
Bloomington, MN
http://www.daafghan.com/
Visit: April 2010
My wife and I had a fine meal here on the last day of April. Regrettably, it was probably our final meal at this restaurant, certainly not because of the quality of the food, but because it's closing at the end of June. The owner-manager told me the owner of the building has other plans for leasing this space.
Its closure will leave only one other Afghan restaurant (as far as I can tell) in the Twin Cities: Khyber Pass on Grand Avenue in St Paul. Da Afghan has been in operation at the same location for almost 23 years.
Given its imminent demise, a full review of its food seems a bit pointless, but I will say that if any readers squeeze in a visit before it closes its doors, be sure to order anything with lamb, which is naturally raised at Far Wind Farm in Hutchinson, MN.
Moscow on the Hill
St Paul, MN
http://www.moscowonthehill.com/
Visit: February 2010
My wife and I and another couple dined here on an appropriately snowy February night. It was an altogether pleasant experience. Here's what we consumed: An appetizer of cured herring accompanied by wonderful garlic-dill fried, whole red potatoes (Russians know potatoes); a fine version of borscht; a salmon special with scallops; walleye "Baikal" with a wine tarragon sauce; and peasant-style pelmeni (Siberian dumplings filled with beef and pork topped with mushroom-cheese sauce and broiled). All were excellent. There is, as one would expect, a wide variety of vodkas, and vodka "flights" are offered for those who want to sample different bottles. The service was friendly and efficient, and the ambience was properly Russian. And, an increasing rarity in the Metro area: the noise level did not prohibit conversation among us. A minor complaint is that there was no (recorded) Russian music - balalaika would be good; rather, there was some sort of American pop music, rather muted, fortunately. I was told that some nights there are accordion players. Visitors might want to check on that. (Russian accordion music is far better than, say, Lawrence Welk accordion music.)
This is a very good restaurant for very tasty and well-priced hearty Russian food. Don't go here for low-fat, low-calorie preparations. Forget about that kind of thing and just go for a very satisfying experience.
Yarusso Brothers
St Paul, MN
http://www.yarussos.com/
Visit: February 2010
Four of our party of six have extensive experience with Italian food, from cheap eateries to fine dining. This would rate quite low - in about the 10th percentile. Not that it wasn't edible or that it tasted outright bad or that we paid homage to the porcelain god later that night; rather, the only distinguishing feature about this place is the enormous portions for the entrees, prices of which were very low ($12.25 for the three or four serving largest entree). I suppose the idea is that people who have simply never had a good marinara or pomodoro sauce and who, having spent little, want leftovers for the next few weeks (a bit on an exaggeration), will come here and like it. That's fine; there should be restaurants for such people.
Some specifics about the food: The ubiquitous fried calamari, which was surprisingly not defiled by the completely ordinary tomato sauce, while edible, was one of the worst versions of it we've had - tough with an oddly-tasting batter. The mozzarella sticks consisted of tasteless cheese and alleged bread which had taken on the consistency of the cheese itself, accompanied of course by the multipurpose tomato sauce. The house Chianti was rose-colored water and an offense to the entire province of Tuscany – even if it actually came from Saskatchewan.The salad which came with the entree was fine, as was the waitress.
It's hard to argue against large portions, but quantity does not equal quality. No, actually it isn’t hard to argue against large portions; it’s one of the things that plague Americans’ eating habits. Yarusso’s tomato sauce is inferior to virtually any jarred or canned version found in grocery stores. One does not have to spend big bucks to eat good Italian. There are many, many better options than Yarusso. Tell yourself to spend a very few dollars more for far better pasta, and eat something else for leftovers. Oh yes, the bread offered when people are seated: The worst I've ever had at either a real or faux Italian restaurant. It had the texture and taste of Wonder Bread. A disgrace.
We have a group of six people which has been dining out roughly once a month in the Minneapolis-St Paul area for four years now. This works out to forty-some (we’ve missed a month here and there) venues. I don’t know if we’ve just been very lucky or we’ve chosen well, but we’ve had pleasant experiences at all of them, some better than others, to be sure, but still ranging from “good” to “excellent”. Yarusso Brothers is our first outright bad experience. Unless you think Chef Boyardee is a fine – or good enough – example of Italian food, go to one of the many other options in the area.
Stella’s Fish Café
Minneapolis, MN
http://www.stellasfishcafe.com/
Visit: March 2010
This little review focuses almost exclusively on raw oysters. If you don’t regard this delicacy as one of the finest things you can put in your mouth, feel free to stop reading. From 3:00 to 6:00 every Friday, Stella’s offers a raw oyster special: 69 cents each. Restaurants, including this one at other hours, charge from $2.00 to $2.50 each, which, for me is a bit like charging a dollar per potato chip. In other words, I can eat many, many oysters – so many that if I lost control and actually paid two dollars or so for each one, I’d bankrupt myself. They come by the dozen at Stella’s, so that works out to $8.28 plus tax. Several different types of oysters are on the menu, although it’s “chef’s choice” when you get this special. I consumed four dozen and could’ve eaten more. They were excellent – fresh and redolent of the sea. My wife lacks my enthusiasm for this delicacy, so she ordered another 3 to 6 special – salmon burger sliders, three for $5, which she pronounced quite good. And for $3.95 (regular price), the generous loaf of gorgonzola table bread is another reason to come here.
Phil’s Tara Hideaway AA
Stillwater, MN
Visit: September 2009
This is an interesting place. In one form or the other, it’s been here for quite a while and claims some history, such as Al Capone and John Dillinger eating here. The “hideaway” part of the name apparently refers to felons keeping a low profile or perhaps to the difficulty in seeing it from the main road. Notwithstanding Stillwater State Prison being within walking distance, all this activity was back in the 1920s and 30s, I hasten to add.
I've consumed many renditions of gyros over the decades, and this is the best I can recall having. Other Greek items were very good, too. It isn't all Greek, though; there are many eclectic preparations as well as standards such as prime rib. Two of the four of us on Friday night had fish specials which they pronounced very good. The ambience is Northwoods log cabin, so the inventive preps and the Greek food are unexpected. Even more appealing is that the prices seem to run about 20-30% less than the equivalent items at venues closer to the Twin Cities urban core. The service was friendly, although a bit slow, which we attributed to the large crowd. Speaking of which, we arrived about 6:30 and had a 20 minute wait, which we understand is normal since no reservations are taken unless the party numbers at least 6. In better weather than we had (rain), there is a pleasant patio outside to which libations can be brought as one waits.
Now for the criticism: It's so loud that conversation is difficult. This is endemic at restaurants now, it seems. I doubt anything can be done about it here, given the non-sound absorbing log walls and ceiling, although the number of tables, already too close together, could be reduced. Of course, that would mean less revenue. The decibel level notwithstanding, if you like Greek food (and non-Greek) at very nice prices, by all means you should try it. We'll be back - just not on a Friday or Saturday night.
Moto-I
Minneapolis, MN
http://www.moto-i.com/
Visit: Summer 2009
Our usual group of six dined here, and all gave it a thumbs-up. Sake is brewed in the back room, visible from one dining area, and the menu provides a very useful tutorial on the different types and brewing styles. It claims to be the only sake brew-pub in the country. The food is smallish in portion but also in price. The idea is that a table will order several different items and pass them around. The choices cast a wide net, Asian and faux Asian: dumplings, noodles, buns, bulgogi, kimchee, green curry chicken, etc. We tried a rather large sample, and all were very satisfactory, some such as the bulgogi excellent.
It's assumed that diners will place new orders on a rather continual basis, as opposed to the more standard first course, followed after a time by a salad, then after a time the entree. The arrangement here wouldn't work unless the wait staff is really on its toes. Our particular server, a very friendly and almost ever-present woman, was so attentive that we never had to get her attention to put in another order; she asked us before we had a chance, correctly perceiving when we wanted more.
It was an enjoyable evening, with the only complaint being a common one at so many restaurants: the loud ambience. We happened to get a table in the back which was a bit separated from other, noisier parts of the restaurant, so it was marginally tolerable – but it wouldn’t have been had we been seated elsewhere. The availability of an area a bit less loud is what saves Moto-i from the dreaded AA designation. Still, a good place and a unique one for the Metro area. Oh yes, one other thing: One of our party was completely unfamiliar with Asian food. The diverse offerings and small plate approach were a good introduction for him and presumably would be for others in this category.
Blue Moon Fish Company
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida
http://www.bluemoonfishco.com/
Visit: January 2010
My wife was born on the sixth day of January and, as a native of the north central part of the US, had never awakened on her birthday, she said, when the weather was anything but frigid. So we went to the Fort Lauderdale area of Florida this year, expecting, of course, roughly 70 degrees warmer than she had ever experienced on her birthday. Jeezus! Cold weather records were set at the precise time we were there! It was 39 degrees one morning, and the wind blew constantly out of the northwest, from which we had just come. It was Minnesota wind! Going into the water was out of the question. The fact that it was twenty below when we left the Minneapolis-St Paul airport didn’t help. At least we ate well while we were there.
We’ve always loved buffet brunches, although we’ve slowed down in recent years because now when we indulge in one, we’re pretty much done for the rest of the day. Up to our Sunday buffet brunch at Blue Moon Fish Company, the hands-down winner was the Top of the Mark at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. We’ve been there three or four times. It’s spectacular. Well, the Mark retains the advantage of a view over almost all of San Francisco, but it now has a worthy competitor food-wise here in southern Florida. If I went into even moderate detail describing what we ate at the Blue Moon and the venue in general, this review would be much too long (but too long for what?). I will say, or write, only that if you find yourself in the Fort Lauderdale-Miami area on a Sunday, and you regard dining as one of the major purposes of life, click on the URL above and make arrangements to go.
Local Burger
Lawrence, KS
http://www.localburger.com/
Visit: Several times, most recently April 2010
All right, full disclosure time: The creator, owner, chef, and manager of this restaurant sprang from my own loins. She’s my daughter, Hilary. Lawrence is the location of Kansas University and is sometimes referred to as the “Berkeley of the Midwest” or some such thing. An exaggeration, of course, but the town has its charms, and it’s the location of this pioneering restaurant which focuses on local sourcing for its ingredients. In other words, it’s part of the locavore movement. Hilary’s restaurant, in its less than five years of existence, has been featured in national publications such as Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker magazines, and in a special program on the Sundance television channel. Given the slim chances anyone reading this will actually be in or pass through Lawrence, I’ll simply state that all the positive publicity Hilary’s place has received clearly confirms my opinion that her food is excellent, different, and well worth supporting for her attention to environmental concerns and her support for local farmers.