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A National-Level Food Experience at Scena Tavern

If I told you for $100 you could sit at the counter across from one of the most-acclaimed chefs in the country, and one of the most talented cocktail minds in the country, and spend two hours experiencing flavors that would blow your mind – you’d jump on it, right?

That’s what’s happening at Scena Tavern in Uptown. Chef Erik Anderson was named to Food & Wine’s Top New Chefs list, he ran a hugely successful restaurant in Nashville, and then came home. He’s opening his own restaurant called Brut this summer, but in the meantime he helped create the menu at Scena.

[Read my Minnesota Monthly review of Scena here.]

Scena is great – service can be hit or miss – and some people might not like the Uptown atmosphere of this Uptown restaurant – but overall I really like this restaurant. Great wine list, some of the best cocktails in town, and a really friendly and delicious menu.

But the Crudo bar weekend experience is truly on the level as the best restaurant experiences in America.

crudo erik
Erik Anderson
Nick Kosevich
Nick Kosevich

Imagine crudo dishes like dry-aged Yellowfin tuna, bottarga (roe) and jalapeno paired with Mezcal, lemon, grapefruit, Jamaican Oleo, cilantro, Corazon Bitters, seltzer! Crazy!

Hamachi with cucumber, hot beef fat, and picholine olive was paired with Bone Marrow-infused Auchtentashen Three Wood Whiskey.

I loved the Wild Striped Bass with chilled herb broth, and the Junipero Martini with Orange Bitters, the same herb broth and bergamot oil!

crudo striped bass

There was Spanish Mackeral with charcoaled skin, a gin gelee, and laurel oil paired with a Barrel-Aged Gin Martini. A martini unlike any you’ve ever experienced.

crudo hamachi

Look at this red prawn with the crispy shell on top:

crudo red prawns

If this were on the coasts, national media would be falling over themselves talking about the best bargain in food, the best experience you can have with an incredible pair of chefs. Plus Erik and Nick are really fun – this is a party. Eight seats at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays only.
Scena Tavern, 2943 Girard Avenue S, Minneapolis 55408. Reserve at crudobar@scenatavern.com

 

 

Top 12 Dairy Queen Blizzard Flavors

I love a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Feeling like candy swirled in that soft serve? Do it. How about cookies? Go for it. Fruit? That’s weird, but you do you. I’ve created a list of the Top 12 Dairy Queen Blizzard flavors – and while you should feel free to disagree in the comments, do so knowing that you are wrong.

  1. Chocolate-covered Cherries (it’s been discontinued – a couple pumps of chocolate formed almost a chocolate shell on the inside, combined with cherries – just perfection)
  2. Choco Cherry Love (This was my replacement for Chocolate-covered cherries. Also discontinued because Dairy Queen apparently hates me)
  3. Turtle Pecan Cluster (pecans with chocolate & caramel)
  4. Snickers Blizzard
  5. Oreo Blizzard
  6. Heath Bar Blizzard
  7. Salted Caramel Truffle (caramel bonbons plus toffee pieces, fudge, chocolate chunks)
  8. Mint Oreo Blizzard  Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard (I made an error by not including this originally, the cheesecake chunks are delightful. It belongs on the list.)
  9. Butterfinger Blizzard
  10. Banana Split Blizzard (Banana splits are good, banana split blizzards are better)
  11. Reese’s Peanut Butter Blizzard (more peanut butter flavors, please!)
  12. Chocolate Xtreme Blizzard (negative points for the X in Xtreme)

Top 14 Sandwiches in The Twin Cities

November 3rd is National Sandwich Day, but to me, every day is sandwich day. What makes the ideal sandwich? It’s not easy to achieve. I want the perfect bread: easy to hold, full of flavor, but not overwhelming flavor. I want a hearty serving of meat or veggies: whatever the dominant flavor is supposed to be. Nice cheese, oh the best sandwiches almost always have nice cheese. And something pickled or spicy to balance the meaty flavor. If it were easy, everyone would have a killer sandwich. Here is my list of the Top 14 Sandwiches in the Twin Cities. Ranked in Order of greatness! What did I miss? Add your answers in the comments.

  1. Clancey’s Meats: Roast Beef Sandwich
  2. Saint Dinette: Fried Bologna Sandwich
  3. Be’wiched Deli: Tuna Confit Sandwich
  4. St. Paul Cheese Shop: Surprise sandwich ($9 for something awesome)
  5. Half Time Rec’s Paddy Shack: Corned Beef Sandwich [WCCO Story]
  6. Terzo Wine Bar: Calabrian Porchetta Sandwich
  7. Tilia: Fish Taco Torta
  8. Borough: Catfish Sandwich: [WCCO Story]
  9. Hola Arepa: Chorizo Sausage Arepa [WCCO Story]
  10. Surdyk’s Cheese Shop Minneaple Melt (lingonberries, brie, turkey, apples)
  11. Chris and Rob’s Chicago Taste Authority: Italian Beef Sandwich
  12. The Buttered Tin: Tuna Melt (Thanksgiving Sandwich when available) [WCCO Story]
  13. Quang Restaurant: Thit Nguoi Banh Mi (roast pork, ham, pate, pork patty for $5)
  14. Manny’s Tortas: 3 Little Pigs Torta (pork tenderloin, bacon, ham)

After La Belle Vie: What are The Best Restaurants In Town?

La Belle Vie was the standard-bearer. It was. I had some of the best meals of my life there, and I’ll never forget the anniversary dinner where the power went out and Tim McKee comes rushing in, he and Mike DeCamp still prepared an awesome meal for us without power. I’ll cherish the night we brought our sons to the lounge to eat the tribute menu for Solera. And the many times at the bar where we met new friends. LBV was our go-to: need a late night cocktail? An incredible dessert? A beautiful glass of wine? A snack that would stimulate every taste bud?

No doubt there are dozens of reasons why La Belle Vie is closing – Tim’s comments about the minimum wage hike and the proposed Working Families Agenda got a lot of play from those looking for an ideological angle, but in my view this is what really is going on:

  • We have more high quality restaurant choices than ever before
  • Service at La Belle Vie has slipped over the past few years
  • Losing Bill Summerville at the front of house was a big deal
  • The cost of running La Belle Vie is extremely high (staff, food, and flatware/silverware)
  • Fewer people are looking for a high-end-feeling fine dining experience.

I have no doubt that increased costs from new regulations like a minimum wage hike or the health care bill or the city telling restaurants how they have to do sick time or schedules are all factors, but those costs sink restaurants on the edge, not restaurants that are thriving. (Granted, many restaurants are on the edge, as Stephanie March explains.)

To prove my point about increased competition: look at these fairly new restaurants that have received 4-star reviews from Rick Nelson in the Star Tribune. All of them opened after La Belle Vie arrived in Minneapolis in 2005.

Those are the 4-stars. Now let’s look at the 3 1/2 stars just from 2015:

I’d add my own top tier restaurants to this list:

That’s 18 restaurants that compete with La Belle Vie – all are new within the last ten years, and almost all would be on my radar for a birthday or anniversary or celebration of a promotion. Most of them end up being similar in cost to what I would spend at La Belle Vie, but with a more casual feel. What does this say about La Belle Vie? Share your thoughts below.

My thought is this: Thank you. Thank you to the many great servers I’ve met at La Belle Vie, the great bartenders, the cooks, the chefs, and the friends. Ten years in Minneapolis, nearly 18 years overall is a hell of a run.

Best Spicy and Adventurous Cuisine In The Twin Cities

I spend a lot of time enjoying fine dining spots, finer dining spots, and on the opposite end – the hole in the wall. But Jamie’s question on Twitter struck a chord with me.

I have lived here for 5 months and get depressed about the lack of places up my alley. We’re not much for fancy dining out, but love spicy and adventurous cuisine.

@JamiePridemore

Jamie – I know my readers will have more suggestions in the comments, but here are some places I think you’ll love.

  • Hola Arepa – Great brunch, great dinner, awesome drinks. I love the Shiitake Cachapa, the Chimichurri Chicken and Adobo Chicken Arepas
  • Sonora Grill – Shrimp Temprua and Chicken Al Pastor Caramelos, don’t miss the eggplant fries.
  • On’s Kitchen – Nice Thai spot, great Spicy Laab salad and
  • Marla’s Carribean Cuisine – Jamaican Jerk Shrimp or Chicken (go Marla’s Hot if you dare)
  • Harry Singh’s Carribean – Jerk Chicken Roti is awesome, get your own Carribean Fire Pepper Sauce too.
  • Krung Thep Thai – Spicy Papaya Salad, Roasted Duck Curry, get it as hot as you like.
  • Brasa – the beef has a nice spicy note, but their pork is my favorite. Collard Greens or Yams & Andoille are my favorite sides
  • Pineda Tacos – one of the most underrated Mexican spots. Great burrito, great chimichanga (the chipotle chicken is legit).

Other sources on this topic:

Heavy Table’s Central Avenue checklist is awesome. Many ethnic treasures up and down this corridor.

MSP Magazine’s Peter Lillenthal is one of the best ethnic restaurant minds in town, he knows how to find the hidden treasures. His Spiciest Global Eats list is right on the money.

 

Summer Edition: Top 12 Burgers in Minneapolis/St. Paul

Is there anything hotter than burgers right now? No, there is not. Why is this the case? Burgers are delicious. It’s pretty simple. The hot trend right now is the simple, diner-style burger: thin patties, nice char, simple toppings. It’s a great trend! A great trend!

Because you love burgers, I’ll be updating this list periodically with my Top 12 Burgers in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

  1. Revival
  2. Saint Dinette
  3. Parlour
  4. Strip Club Meat & Fish
  5. Vincent
  6. Haute Dish
  7. Paddy Shack [WCCO Story]
  8. Bulldog NE
  9. The Nook/Shamrock’s: [WCCO story]
  10. Victory 44
  11. Blue Door Pub
  12. Red Cow [WCCO story]

My Must-Try List:

  1. Nighthawks (Update 8/4 – tried it and loved it. Excellent burger. Will likely make next list.)
  2. il Foro
  3. Surly

What else should be on the must-try list? What else should be in my Top 12?

UPDATE 7/17: Tried the Tilia Burger – the cheese sauce is quite dominant, but a very, very good burger.