Review - Sea Salt Eatery

Sea Salt Eatery
4801 Minnehaha Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55417
(612) 721-8990 ‎

*Update - Sea Salt Eatery is now open for spring and summer! 04/07/11 - 10/30/11*

April 13, 2011

We ate dinner a Sea Salt yesterday, our first visit of the year. I was happy to see a short line but then disappointed when I saw that the whole fried fish special that I read about online was sold out. The line was moving fast and my decision making skills had to keep up. Tony and I quickly decided to share the Fried Fish Tacos (two for $5) and the Crab Cake Basket (1 for $11).



The fish had a crispy batter filled with steaming flaky white fish. Each piece of fish was served on two grilled corn tortillas with sauce, onion and cilantro. I gave Tony my cilantro, it's not my thing. I did really enjoy the grilled tortillas, the char was excellent and so was the price of these tasty tacos!



The crab cake had lots of large chunks of crab meat with a nice proportion of breading, vegetable and crab. The basket included slaw, corn salad/relish and melon. Only the cake was spectacular, I think I would prefer two à la carte crab cakes over the basket if that was an option. Ummm a crab cake taco would be good, maybe I should drop Sea Salt a line.



It was great to sit outside again and enjoy a cold beverage without shivering. The winter was long and all the snow that collected has melted and is now flying over the falls and down the river. It's a great sight to see! I'm looking forward to many more tasty visits to the Sea Salt Eatery and Minnehaha Falls this summer!

Review - Black Sheep Coal Fired Pizza

Black Sheep - Minneapolis
600 Washington Ave N.
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612.342.COAL (2625)

Black Sheep - St Paul
512 N. Robert St.
St. Paul, MN 55102
651.22.SHEEP (74337)



I've eaten at Black Sheep about five times now. It's quickly becoming my favorite pizza in the Twin Cities. The crust is thin with a slight chard taste - a nice chard taste, like good BBQ. Unlike Punch and Pizza Nea the crust at Black Sheep has never been soggy. It's always light and very crispy, probably from the coal burning oven and maybe a little love.

The menu is't huge, but it's ample. They have four or five salads but I've only had one, the Harvest Market Salad. It's details change from time to time but arugula, roasted seasonal veggies and a tasty homemade dressing seem to be a constant. It's so good, I have to get it every time that I'm at Black Sheep.



The pizzas are available in two sizes, large and small. A perfect size meal for Tony and myself at Black Sheep is a small pizza, one salad, and two beers. We've tried the large, but it's too much for us. I'd say the small is good for two people, or one with a big appetite and a large will feed four. They're priced between seven and twenty dollars each.



I don't have a favorite pizza at Black Sheep, yet. I like to try a new combination each time. I think it might be the only place that I've had capers on a pizza. I'm going to try the #8, Chicken and Pickled Peppers on my next visit. The last pizza we ate was the #1 (cheese and sauce) with garlic added. Sounds simple, I know. It's the simplicity that allows you to taste the freshness of the ingredients. The sauce is a little sweet and tangy, the cheese light and stringy, the garlic was super thinly sliced and spread all over the pizza, just the way I like it.

Review - Gorkha Palace

Gorkha Palace
23 4th St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612)886-3451

Tony and I have been wanting to try the new Gorkha Palace since it opened. We stopped by once, but it was a Monday and they were closed. We made it there on a weekend day for lunch, and they were open, but not very busy. With us, there were four groups of people.



The sever greeted us and took our drink order right away. Then she walked away, but still within eye sight. Another person came to our table and took our lunch order. After 10 - 12 minutes the server came back and told us that the other person was new and never turned in our order. So, we would have to wait another ten minutes before we got anything to eat. The server was nice enough, just not prompt. One man, after receiving his check and waiting for the server to return, had to go up to the bar to pay.

We ordered Chicken Mo Mo to start. Mo Mo is a steamed dumpling. Grokha Palace makess five types of Mo Mos including Yak, Mutton and Vegetable. They are served with a tomato chutney. They were pretty tasty, warm and well seasoned. The Mo Mo comes in a six or ten piece order and cost between six and twelve dollars. This appetizer was my favorite part of our meal.

Review - Brasa

Brasa - Minneapolis
600 E. Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3030

Brasa - Saint Paul
777 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN. 55105
651-224-1302



Tony and I have been known to eat at Brasa more than once a week. It's our "fast food". We don't just eat there a lot because it's fast, that's just a perk. We eat at Brasa because the food has never let us down. It's always made with fresh ingredients and it warms me from the inside.

Review II - Sea Salt Eatery

Sea Salt Eatery
4801 Minnehaha Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55417
(612) 721-8990 ‎

*Update - Sea Salt Eatery is now open for spring and summer! 04/07/11 - 10/30/11*

We ate dinner a Sea Salt yesterday, our first visit of the year. I was happy to see a short line but then disappointed when I saw that the whole fried fish special that I read about on line was sold out. The line was moving fast and my decision making skills had to keep up. Tony and I quickly decided to share the Fried Fish Tacos (two for $5) and the Crab Cake Basket (1 for $11).



The fish had a crispy batter filled with steaming flaky white fish. Each piece of fish was served on two grilled corn tortillas with sauce, onion and cilantro. I gave Tony my cilantro, it's not my thing. I did really enjoyed the grilled tortillas, the char was excellent and so is the price of these tasty tacos!



The crab cake had lots of large chunks of crab meat with a nice proportion of breading, vegetable and crab. The basket included slaw, corn salad/relish and melon. Only the cake was spectacular, I think I would prefer two à la carte crab cakes over the basket if that was an option. Ummm a crab cake taco would be good, maybe I should drop Sea Salt a line.



It was great to sit outside again and enjoy a cold beverage without shivering. The winter was long and all the snow that collected has melted and is now flying over the falls and down the river. It's a great sight to see! I'm looking forward to many more tasty visits to the Sea Salt Eatery and Minnehaha Falls this summer!

Review - The Sample Room

The Sample Room
2124 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
612.789.0333

I really enjoy the concept of The Sample Room. As the name suggests, you can try lots of different things in one visit. The menu is separated into categories such as; charcuteries, cheese, meat, and pastas. There's also a few entrées to choose from. Tony and I don't have huge appetites, three of the small plates will fill us up. If you have a larger appetite, share a couple of plates and have an entrée or sandwich for yourself.



I was surprised to find out the history of The Sample Room. The building was built in the late 1800's and opened as The Thies Hotel and Sample Room. I believe the restaurant that's there now opened in 2002, which also surprised me. I didn't find the place till this year and I feel like I've been missing out!

The Sample Room is at Mile 856.2 on the Mississippi River. So, if you want some great food as you're out boating, you can tie up at their dock, walk up, and sample some tasty stuff. Or, if you want to go to eat in a more traditional way, they are located at 2124 Marshall St NE, Mpls. There is plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant, by the Mississippi.



There's a nice cozy feeling to all dinning areas at The Sample Room. Including a relatively small dinning room with a bar counter to one side and a patio on the other. My favorite place to sit is the outside bar area. It's closest to the river and provides a great atmosphere when the sun is setting.

Review - Sea Salt Eatery

Sea Salt
4801 Minnehaha Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55417
(612) 721-8990 ‎


If you haven't been to Sea Salt this year, hurry! Time is running out. They close the doors, till next spring, on October 31. If you've never been, then you need to go now. That way, you'll have time to fit a couple of visits in, you'll want to go back!

The restaurant is located next to Minnehaha Falls, so take a walk or bike around the park, visit the fall, and then eat some delicious seafood.

Inside tables are limited, but there's ample outdoor seating. Dress to sit outside and you'll be happy. Another thing that's "outside" is the bathroom. Well, it's through a pavilion and is shared with the public park. The restaurant is always clean, the restrooms are not.

To order, you stand in line. Sometimes it's a long line, but it usually moves pretty quickly. The menu is on the wall and the specials are posted on a chalk board, and online. I suggest, if you're with someone, that one person stands in line while the other finds a table. Your drinks are given to you at the counter and the food is brought to you.

On our last trip to Sea Salt, Tony and I had the Whole Fried Crappie served w/ Chowder & Melon for $13.95. The skin was very crispy and the inside was perfectly light and flaky. We got a bit of attention as we ate the fish. It did look intriguing next to all the fish sandwiches around us.





There is so much tasty stuffs at Sea Salt. The catfish is one of my favorites, maybe because I'm from Texas. I've heard that the oysters are great. They come fried, served in a sandwich, or on the half shell. I also recommend the fish tacos. There are six different ones to pick from including grilled veggies, if you want a break from fish.

Unfortunately, if you're dying for fish-n-chips, you might not be completely satisfied. Chips are not on the menu. Sorry. Maybe the clam fries will fill the void?

Another thing that I enjoy at Sea Salt is the hot sauce bar. There must be 30 different kinds. I didn't count, I just know that there's plenty to choose from. I like to try different ones till I get one that's too hot, then I switch to malt vinegar.



I think October 31st is going to sneak up on us. The winter can seem so long without that last, fresh memory of Sea Salt on your tongue. So, don't delay!


Tony, sitting in front of Sea Salt's open kitchen

Review - India House (Closed)

India House
765 53rd Avenue Northeast
Fridley, MN 55421-1240
(763) 586-9800

I've recently discovered Indian food and now it's all I think about. When I moved from Uptown to a northern suburb I was afraid that I was also moving away from my delicious Indian restaurants. Namaste and Dancing Ganesha were may favorites. They both have very good food, with hit and miss service. Fortunately, my worries proved futile when I found India House.

The Food is great! The menu is huge, so there is something for everyone. My friend Christine was thrilled to find two pages of vegetarian dishes. There's also chicken and lamb to choose from. Of course, the menu is rounded out with crispy appetizers and sweet desserts like the creamy rice pudding.



If you already enjoy the wonderful world of Indian food, I would suggest you grab a bunch of friends and head to Fridley for a huge shared dinner. If you're not sure yet, go for lunch. They have a buffet that includes most of the favorites.

There are two hot tables, one veggie the other with meat and rice. The jasmine rice is light and fluffy and the nann (flat bread) is warm and soft. The dal (lentils) and the curried veggies were my favorite from the first table. On the next, I enjoyed the tandoori chicken (think Indian fajitas) and the vindaloo. Vindaloo is a hot and sour dish. I think my mother would like it, she loves that combo. There's also a cold table with salad, puddings and condiments. I love the mint sauce, which is bright green and spicy. The buffet also includes chi tea and mango lassi. Tony had a few cups of the lassi, a creamy mango and yogurt drink.



The alcohol selection could use a little work. There's a small wine list that is not very memorable. I had a Shiraz, it was alright. They feature the same Indian beers that you can find at most Indian restaurants, I think they taste like Bud. They also serve the usual American beers, which also taste like Bud, or Miller, or Coors.* I would start with the huge glass of water the server fills for you, have some hot tea, and finish with a lassi.

Service at the India House Restaurant is quick and friendly. The manager has made a point of saying hello and welcoming me each time that I have visited. I felt like a regular my first time there and can not wait to go back.





*I might be a bit of a beer snob. I don't like to drink beers that are owned or distributed by InBev or MillerCoors. It's not a flavor thing, it's purely political. India House does offer Guinness, Summit and Dark Horse. Which are all TastyStuffs approved.

Review - Runny Eggs and What Service?

The Modern Cafe
337 13th Ave NE Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 378 9882
modernmpls@gmail.com

I wanted my first review to be a good one, but I need to get this one done so that I can stop looking at the pictures.

I ate at The Modern Cafe by myself for lunch and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with a friend. So, we went for breakfast last Saturday. The weather was wonderful and we took advantage of the outdoor seating. A young man greeted us and gave us menus right away. Then, our server arrived and we ordered drinks. When he returned with the drinks we ordered our food. In a very timely manner the food was brought out. That was the last time our server stopped by our table. I saw him walk out and across the road the say hi to someone, but he did not look in our direction.

This might of been ok, it the food was ok, but it was not. I ordered the Scramble. I was expecting fluffy eggs. When I first looked down at my plate I was disgusted! I was looking at slime! Part of the eggs were nicely cooked but those parts were swimming in the completely raw globs that were staring up at me. I wanted to simply ask the server to have them cook more, but as I have already stated, he was not around. When my friend was done with his food, I went inside to find our check. Then he had to bring it to the inside to the bar to pay. Since both the food and the service were a huge let down to us I don't think we will be returning to The Modern Cafe.