CONvergence Foody stuff
Thanks for all the suggestions on the foodie scene in the twin cities. Though we only managed to get to a couple of places, I've more than enough ideas for my semi-regular trips up north to last me years.
The first place that blew me away was a bar in Sountern Minniapolis called (appropriately, for Dork Tower) Matt's Bar, where they grill something called a Jucy Lucy (their spelling): two burger patties with American cheese on the inside. One of the best bar burgers I've had anywhere, and a beast I'd list right up there with a good Philly cheesesteak as great regional street food. Just a few pickles and some fried onions came on it, and man, this thing didn't even need ketchup or mustard. It was burger heaven on its own. The Jucy Lucy's famous enough regionally that the waitress warns newbies to wait for it to cool lest you be hit with hot molten cheese on your first bite.
A word about the Matt's Bar french fries: my LORD, I know many a top-flight restaurant that could stand a lesson from Matt's. While not on par with the frites you'd find at Bouchon or Milwaukee's Coquette Cafe, they were really, really good. Thin, with a crisp crunch on the outside and fluffy, steaming potato goodness inside. Lex, my con liason, said the locals called then "crackfries." I can see why.
Why, oh, why do so many restaurants serve mediocre fries when a place like this can take them to near-ethereal heights? They were simple and great. I love good dive bars, and good dive bars with great dive bar food are spectacular. Matt's was one such place.
The second discovery was at a strip mall near the airport, where a tiny Pakistani/Indian place called Kabobs operates. This was great, because a meal the previous evening at the usually interesting Sushi Tango was expensive (even though a good friend picked up the check) and merely so-so.
Kabobs had just been written up in the City Pages (the local alt weekly). Amazingly good, honest food from the Indian sub-continent in a greasy-spoon setting. The Samosas were lovely and well-spiced: the outer dough was thin and crisp, and very tasty. The fillings (one potato, one chicken) were better than your average samosa by far - a nice ballance of flavors with a little more depth than you find in your common-or-garden Indian restaurant stateside. The chapati and naan breads were huge and inexpensive ($1.25 for a giant crispy, chewy naan, while two chapatis were only $1). On top of this, one of the very best mango lassis I've ever had was a mere $1.50, for about 12 ounces, served in a plastic cup. Sweet, bright and tangy, it was brilliant. (The web site lists lassis at $3, but at the place, it was definitely half that price. Perhaps we only had the "small"...)
Fried fish (a special of the day) was good, but not to my taste. A large chunk of hake-like fish (I forgot to ask what it actually was) was deep-fried well, on the bone, but smaller chunks were overdone, and the spices that coated it were burnt. The strong fishy flavor stood up to the powerful seasoning, though. If I liked this kind of thing, this would be the kind of thing I liked. I ordered it just to see what it was, so it became a nibbled-on side-dish.
We were steered towards the Chicken Tikka Masala by the guy who took our order. I wanted something more exotic, but I'm so glad he pushed this. Just very, very good, and again with more depth of subtle flavors than you usually find. The portion was easilly enough for two, and the cost was only $8. The balance and blend of spices was eye-opening, though the chunks of white chicken could have been a little less well-done (it's so easy to overcook chicken, and this was borderline). Once more, though, the flavor was a step above much of what's thought of as good Indian in the USA. It came with basmati rice, a large plate of the delicate, fluffy stuff, unlike many Indian restaurants where it'll be $3 or $4 more.
Kabobs' was a real find. Zero ambiance, but great food. And slightly over twenty bucks for everything! It also seems to be on the upswing. Initial bad reviews on Chowhound are now replaced by folks who had experiences more like ours.
If you're ever near the Minneapolis airport, or the Mall of America, this is only about a mile away. Definitely a small treasure. Heck, the strip mall had two or three other ethnic holes in the wall that looked interesting.
Lesson learned, though: make sure you ask your servers about their recommendations. I'd have never gone for the Tikka Masala otherwise.
Other lesson: listen to your readers. Thanks, you guys!
John
The first place that blew me away was a bar in Sountern Minniapolis called (appropriately, for Dork Tower) Matt's Bar, where they grill something called a Jucy Lucy (their spelling): two burger patties with American cheese on the inside. One of the best bar burgers I've had anywhere, and a beast I'd list right up there with a good Philly cheesesteak as great regional street food. Just a few pickles and some fried onions came on it, and man, this thing didn't even need ketchup or mustard. It was burger heaven on its own. The Jucy Lucy's famous enough regionally that the waitress warns newbies to wait for it to cool lest you be hit with hot molten cheese on your first bite.
A word about the Matt's Bar french fries: my LORD, I know many a top-flight restaurant that could stand a lesson from Matt's. While not on par with the frites you'd find at Bouchon or Milwaukee's Coquette Cafe, they were really, really good. Thin, with a crisp crunch on the outside and fluffy, steaming potato goodness inside. Lex, my con liason, said the locals called then "crackfries." I can see why.
Why, oh, why do so many restaurants serve mediocre fries when a place like this can take them to near-ethereal heights? They were simple and great. I love good dive bars, and good dive bars with great dive bar food are spectacular. Matt's was one such place.
The second discovery was at a strip mall near the airport, where a tiny Pakistani/Indian place called Kabobs operates. This was great, because a meal the previous evening at the usually interesting Sushi Tango was expensive (even though a good friend picked up the check) and merely so-so.
Kabobs had just been written up in the City Pages (the local alt weekly). Amazingly good, honest food from the Indian sub-continent in a greasy-spoon setting. The Samosas were lovely and well-spiced: the outer dough was thin and crisp, and very tasty. The fillings (one potato, one chicken) were better than your average samosa by far - a nice ballance of flavors with a little more depth than you find in your common-or-garden Indian restaurant stateside. The chapati and naan breads were huge and inexpensive ($1.25 for a giant crispy, chewy naan, while two chapatis were only $1). On top of this, one of the very best mango lassis I've ever had was a mere $1.50, for about 12 ounces, served in a plastic cup. Sweet, bright and tangy, it was brilliant. (The web site lists lassis at $3, but at the place, it was definitely half that price. Perhaps we only had the "small"...)
Fried fish (a special of the day) was good, but not to my taste. A large chunk of hake-like fish (I forgot to ask what it actually was) was deep-fried well, on the bone, but smaller chunks were overdone, and the spices that coated it were burnt. The strong fishy flavor stood up to the powerful seasoning, though. If I liked this kind of thing, this would be the kind of thing I liked. I ordered it just to see what it was, so it became a nibbled-on side-dish.
We were steered towards the Chicken Tikka Masala by the guy who took our order. I wanted something more exotic, but I'm so glad he pushed this. Just very, very good, and again with more depth of subtle flavors than you usually find. The portion was easilly enough for two, and the cost was only $8. The balance and blend of spices was eye-opening, though the chunks of white chicken could have been a little less well-done (it's so easy to overcook chicken, and this was borderline). Once more, though, the flavor was a step above much of what's thought of as good Indian in the USA. It came with basmati rice, a large plate of the delicate, fluffy stuff, unlike many Indian restaurants where it'll be $3 or $4 more.
Kabobs' was a real find. Zero ambiance, but great food. And slightly over twenty bucks for everything! It also seems to be on the upswing. Initial bad reviews on Chowhound are now replaced by folks who had experiences more like ours.
If you're ever near the Minneapolis airport, or the Mall of America, this is only about a mile away. Definitely a small treasure. Heck, the strip mall had two or three other ethnic holes in the wall that looked interesting.
Lesson learned, though: make sure you ask your servers about their recommendations. I'd have never gone for the Tikka Masala otherwise.
Other lesson: listen to your readers. Thanks, you guys!
John