My Birthday Dinner No. 4 - Terzo Minneapolis

 My extended birthday celebrations came to a glorious end in mid-December, nearly a month after my actual birth date. (That was Thanksgiving Day.) My daughter treated me to dinner at Terzo in south Minneapolis. 

Unlike the other two restaurant birthday dinners, I had been to Terzo in the past; multiple times, actually. I've even posted in this blog about the restaurant twice - once in 2014 as we prepared for a trip to Italy and again in 2016 just before another Italian trip. 

Terzo continues to be a favorite of mine. So it was an easy choice for a birthday dinner, especially since my daughter hadn't eaten there previously. 

We started with a glass of prosecco and an order of arancini. Next we had salads. My daughter had 'misticanza' which was a beautiful mixed salad with baby lettuce, pea tendrils, fresh herbs, radish, celery, egg yolk and a light dressing. I had a seasonal salad 'autumnale'. 

Smoked trout on pasta

Terzo offers half orders of its pasta entrees. We opted for that. My daughter had 'torchio al funghi,' a horn-shaped pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce. I ordered 'tajarin alla trota,' which was a long, thin pasta served with smoked trout, garlic, fennel and onion. 

As I've mentioned in my previous posts about Terzo, it is basically a wine bar, though the food menu is more extensive than you'd typically expect at a wine bar. So it's a real treat to try different varieties of wine from Italy with the food. My daughter ordered red wine from Sicily with her pasta. Mine was a white - Neblina Madonia - which very nicely complemented the smoky trout on my pasta. 

To conclude our meal, we each ordered an espresso and a scoop of gelato. I had apple gelato; she had almond. 

This being the first visit to Terzo since the Covid pandemic, I was pleased to see that they have maintained their quality and relaxing ambiance. Our server was very helpful and accommodating. In previous posts, I've commented that the items on the food menu are kind of expensive. But it's worth it for a special occasion, and to experience the great selection of wine from Italy. 

Espresso and gelati for dessert

My Birthday Dinner No. 3 - Kado no Mise, Minneapolis

As I explained in my previous post, I turned 70 years old on Thanksgiving Day 2021. That being something of a milestone, I ended up enjoying four birthday dinners. Thanksgiving dinner was the first. Two weeks later, my wife and I had a special dinner at Italian Eatery in Minneapolis. You can click here to read that post, or simply scroll down to it after you read this post. 

Both my son and my daughter gave me the gift of having dinner with each of them individually. They actually did pay for those dinners. But I would have been happy to pay just to have the time alone with them. 

Just four days after Birthday Dinner No. 2, I picked up my son and we went to Kado no Mise, a Japanese restaurant serving a fixed price "omakase" tasting menu. The restaurant's website explains that Kado no Mise translates as "corner restaurant." (The restaurant is located at the corner of N. 1st St. and N. 1st Ave. in Minneapolis.) The website further explains that "omakase" means "I'll leave it up to you," that is to say, the diner leaves it up to the chef to decide what food to serve. It does take some level of trust to do that. But my son and I both are adventurous diners, so we were eager to give it a try. 

The restaurant offers three levels of an omakase experience. We opted for the basic "ume" menu. It featured five courses. The "take" and "matsu" menus feature a sixth course, and each of those includes more items on the sushi course. 

But first, before I get into the food, we had a drink. Besides the omakase restaurant, the same establishment has a Japanese whisky bar called Gori Gori Peku. So to start our evening, we both ordered an old-fashioned cocktail made with Japanese whisky. It was very good; it motivated me to get a bottle of Japanese whisky for my bar at home. 

Then, as the meal service began, our server brought us a small glass of vermouth. I haven't previously had vermouth as an aperitif, only used it as a cocktail ingredient. But this was very pleasant and set the stage for the meal to come. 

2/5 of my sushi course

Our first course was "sakizuke" - a selection of small bites, sort of like an amuse-bouche. That was followed by probably the most unusual course of the meal - chawanmushi. It was a steamed egg custard with fish and mushrooms and ginger. Great flavors with a silky smooth texture. 

Next came the sushi course - five pieces of simple nigiri. The fish was excellent, very fresh and flavorful. But the style of service was new to me. Every other place where I've had sushi, you're provided with a small ball of wasabi paste that you mix with soy sauce and then dip the sushi in it. However, for this meal, the chef put a small smear of wasabi on the rice and under the fish. Then, instead of dipping the sushi, we were provided with a small bowl of soy sauce and a tiny brush. We were instructed to brush a small amount of sauce onto the fish and then eat it. If you look at the photo closely, you'll see the brush with the bowl of soy sauce on the right. 

After we finished the nigiri, and before the next course was served, our server asked if we wanted to extend the sushi course with some more pieces. We declined, but it is an option in case a diner wants more. 

See how simple the rolls are?

The next course to come out was makimono and misoshiru - sushi rolls and miso soup. Like the nigiri, these rolls were very simple, basically just rice and fish. Once again we were invited to 'paint' the rolls with the soy sauce. We did receive the traditional side of shaved ginger to enjoy with the rolls. The miso soup was very good. I'm not a big fan of miso soup. My son is, and he said this was very good. Tea was served with this course. 

The last course was a scoop of sorbet.  

Here are my final observations about our meal at Kado no Mise. 

1. Going out for sushi can be very expensive. There's a tendency to keep on ordering and pretty soon, you've run up a pretty hefty tab. So an omakase fixed price menu like we had helps to provide a buffer from spending more than you intended.

2. That said, this is not a very filling meal. We both were satisfied. But if your expectation is to get ample amounts of food with each course, you may be disappointed.

3. This is not the kind of sushi that is typically served (at least here in Minnesota). The nigiri and rolls are very simple. If you expect, or want, exotic sushi with many different kinds of fish and vegetables, this isn't that kind of sushi. No California rolls on the menu.

4. The omakase experience at Kado no Mise is just that, an experience. The service, the setting, and the food are all part of the experience. To enjoy it, you should set aside expectations, keep an open mind, and relax. 

I would definitely go back. But it would most likely be for some kind of special occasion and with somebody who would enjoy the experience. 

Enjoying our rolls and miso

My Birthday Dinner No. 2 - Italian Eatery

 In my previous post - The Story So Far - I noted that one of the things that happened during 2021 was that I had a birthday. Not just any birthday. I turned 70. 

When I was a kid, my parents (or at least my mother) usually made a big deal about birthdays for me and my siblings. But Mom and Dad never made much of a big deal about their own birthdays. So I suppose it's not surprising that in my adult years, I also never made much to-do about my birthday. While I was still working, I usually would still go to work. My wife and I would have a nice birthday dinner out at a restaurant sometime in the relatively close vicinity of the actual birth date. 

But, 70 is a bigger deal. So it justified having multiple birthday dinners. (Stay tuned for Nos. 3 and 4.)

When I rebooted this blog, after a 14-month hiatus, I decided to give up any pretense that my restaurant posts are actual 'reviews.' Restaurant reviewers have standards and a process for evaluating a restaurant, its ambiance, food, service, value, etc. You won't find that in Krik's Picks. These are just my very personal and subjective experiences, usually about a single visit to a restaurant. 

My birthday dinner No. 2 was in early December at Italian Eatery in South Minneapolis. It was excellent! I mean really delicious, enjoyable, and praiseworthy. 

My wife and I started by sharing a starter - roasted "zucca". It was delicata squash sliced thin and long, roasted with just a bit of char on it. It was topped with sheep's milk cheese, cherries and a pomegranate sauce. 

Pasta meals + wine

From there we went on to our main courses. We both ordered a pasta. The spaghettini nero immediately appealed to my wife. It's squid ink black pasta with scallops, shrimp, squid, and mussels. On the menu, the pasta is served with an arrabbiata sauce, which can be kind of spicy. She doesn't like spicy. But our server offered to check with the chef to see if the dish could be served with a non-spicy sauce. Ecco! Her pasta was served with a pomodoro sauce like they serve on their spaghetti dish. She loved it!

I asked our server for advice on my meal. I couldn't decide between a rigatoni dish with fennel sausage or mushroom cappelletti with a cream sauce. The server suggested the cappelletti but with the fennel sausage added on. I said "OK" and that's what he served. It didn't really need the sausage on the mushroom dish. But it was very tasty. 

As a side dish, we ordered Calabrian cauliflower. The flavors were great, and it was pretty spicy, so my wife didn't eat much of it. We brought about half of it home, and I enjoyed it the next day with my lunch. 

Dessert & amaro

For wine, we ordered by the glass. The restaurant has a nice selection of Italian wine. My wife had a Super Tuscan. I was worried that it would be too heavy with the seafood in her pasta dish. But the server thought it would go well, and she liked it. At the server's suggestion, I ordered a glass of Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore. It's a variety that I've had before, and it complemented my pasta very well.

You're probably picking up a theme here. Our server was really excellent. His attention and advice really helped to make the evening special. But the best was yet to come. 

When I made the reservation, I did note that it was my birthday. So at the end of the meal, the server brought us a generous two-scoops of gelato and for me, an amaro. I topped it all off with an espresso. 

It was such an enjoyable evening, that we decided that we should bring our adult children there. There are many more menu items that deserve to be sampled. (Full disclosure - our daughter is already a fan. She was the one who recommended it in the first place.) 

Post script: Just for the record, my birthday was on Thanksgiving Day. Hence, my No. 1 birthday dinner was Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house. Here's the photo. 

Thanksgiving/Birthday dinner

Enjoying a belated Fathers Day lunch at Coalition in Edina

For Fathers Day, in June, my daughter's present to me was to have lunch together. (Sweet.) I got to pick the location. I wanted to be careful not to pick too expensive, in case she insisted on picking up the check. I didn't purposely pick a theme, but my choices all were along 50th Street in South Minneapolis. Two of the choices were reliable favorites:  St. Genevieve at 50th & Bryant and Terzo at 50th & Penn. The third choice was a new restaurant at 50th & France - Coalition. Tovah picked Coalition. It exceeded expectations.

The South Minneapolis/Edina location is the second Coalition location. The original is located in Excelsior. We seldom go out that direction. I don't think I've ever eaten there. And now I don't have any reason to, since the new location is so good.

The decor at Coalition is sleek and modern with chrome, brick, and high ceilings. My daughter arrived early and got us a high-top table next to the window facing onto 50th Street. That was very nice for our July 3 lunch date. Farther back in the restaurant are tables and booths. They looked very comfortable, but perhaps a little bit dark, maybe a better mood for dinner. Overall the restaurant wasn't particularly crowded. We received a friendly greeting at the door, and our table was close to the entry. I did see one group of 3 come in, also seated at a high-top. But when their fourth person arrived, they moved to one of the tables in the restaurant.

Tovah had scanned the menu online. At lunch, it features several small plates, vegetables, and salads. The entree section of the menu is mostly burgers and sandwiches. There were several items on the small plates and vegetables that looked good, so we decided to order 3 of them to get a variety to sample. We also decided to split a sandwich.

Here's what we had:

• Burrata (listed as a starter, or small plate) - two generous globes of soft, milky burrata cheese served with a generous scoop of fig jam, some greens, thin slices of American prosciutto, and four pieces of lightly toasted ciabatta bread. 

The burrata platter was my favorite

• Brussels sprouts - lightly sauteed and served with grilled grapes and hazelnuts. We both thought they had a sweetness that couldn't be explained simply by the grilled grapes. Turns out they are drizzled lightly with some honey.
• Cauliflower - Our server commented that this is one of their most popular items on the menu. The florets are lightly fried (I think in sesame oil) with a sweet pepper barbecue dressing and green onions. 
• We also split a chicken sandwich on focaccia with brie cheese and arugula. 

The vegetables were excellent. I can see why the cauliflower is so popular. My personal favorite from this lunch was the burrata platter. The cheese was excellent. It was beautifully presented. The fig jam was good. The ciabatta was good. I'm not a big prosciutto fan, but Tovah liked it. 

Lunch at Coalition, ample servings at a reasonable price

It turns out that those 3 items would have been ample for our lunch. We didn't need the sandwich. The sandwich was good, but not memorable. It was nice that they split the sandwich and plated it separately for us. And I just realized as I'm writing this post - we were given a choice of salad on the side with the sandwich. I asked for slaw. But the salad we were served was more of a tossed salad with a light vinaigrette and tomatoes. It was fine. But my daughter doesn't like tomatoes, and I noticed she left hers on the plate. 

Coalition is open for breakfast as well as dinner. We looked at the menus for both. I seldom go out for breakfast, so I don't anticipate sampling that menu. On the dinner menu, the starters, vegetables, and salads look pretty much the same as the lunch menu. The main difference seems to be that the sandwiches are replaced with full entrees. 

I did bring the leftover Brussels sprouts and cauliflower home. My wife and I had them with a meal at home. She really liked them and said she'd like to try the restaurant. So I'm sure that we'll make a return visit, probably for dinner (maybe after a movie at the Edina Theater). 

Also, I did pick up the check for lunch. My daughter objected. But really, the joy was in having time alone with her, and not having her pay for our lunch. 

Fish sandwich praise proves to be restaurant bait

Our local restaurant reviewer has a blog that he calls Burger Friday. Each week, he writes a post about a different burger served in Twin Cities restaurants. I do keep his comments in mind when considering different restaurants around town. But truthfully, I seldom order a burger.

This past Friday, however, his post was about fish sandwiches. (Click here to read it.) I do have a favorite fish sandwich, which I've noted in a previous Kriks Picks post. (Click here to read it.) But when I was downtown at lunch time today, I thought about his blog post and decided to try the fish sandwich at Sea Change. I've written several posts about Sea Change. It's one of my favorite special occasion restaurants. (Click here for my most recent.)

Fish sandwich at Sea Change

When I reread my previous post about Sea Change, I realized that this wasn't the first time I've had the fish sandwich. I did like it both times. The fish is thick and moist and flaky. It's served with a slice of yellow cheese melted over the top. That component to the sandwich is totally unnecessary. The fries served on the plate are very good. They're also optional. My server told me I could substitute a salad if I preferred. (I didn't.)

I asked for a wine recommendation. He suggested a Gruner Veltliner from Austria. I'm not very familiar with that variety, and I almost opted for a Pinot Grigio from Italy. But I decided to go with his recommendation, and I'm glad I did. The wine is very crisp and powerful. It balanced the sandwich very well.

The ambiance at Sea Change is relaxing, at least for a later lunch. I arrived at about 1:15 and there were only 3 or 4 other diners in the restaurant. Service was prompt, attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. 

Lela, Bloomington, MN: The kitchen can't do it alone

There's lots to like about Lela, the classy Italian restaurant at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel. The food ... is amazing. It's creatively prepared and beautifully presented. The flavors are fabulous. The decor is comfortable and modern. The space is open and bright.

Yet, despite all that's attractive about it, my wife and I were let down after our belated Valentine's dinner. It was not a busy evening. We had a reservation for 7:30, but it would not have been necessary. There were many open tables available. (I hope that's not a telling sign.) Still, somehow, the service was slow and inattentive.

A glass of Prosecco and deviled eggs

At first, I dismissed my wife's impatience. We planned to go out to hear music after dinner. But we weren't really in a hurry. So when it took longer than necessary to get a couple glasses of Prosecco, I just said we should relax and go with the flow. Unfortunately, it wasn't just slowness.

We started with an order of Lobster Deviled Eggs. They were so lovely - creamy white eggs, topped by a basil leaf and lobster with a dollop of tarragon aioli. I suppose we both could have eaten off the serving plate. But we asked for individual plates instead. Our server expediently snatched plates from the empty table next to us. That's ok. But for some reason, he seemed compelled to complain to us about what a poor job the busboy had done by not having set our table properly with individual plates. That seemed unprofessional.

Next we ordered a salad to share. It was the Haricot Vert Salad, and when we placed the order, my wife inquired as to whether it contained any cilantro. The server assured us there was not. But it only took one bite to detect the not-at-all subtle sharp pungent flavor of cilantro. Neither of us like it, and she is very sensitive to it. So we always ask and specify "No cilantro." While cilantro wasn't a primary ingredient of the salad, it was topped with micro-greens that included the offending herb. We sent it away and a replacement came back without any of the micro-greens. Oh, and by now, the plates we had used for the deviled eggs had been taken away, new ones had not been brought with the salad, and we had to ask for some.

Not an auspicious way for the meal to proceed. But the salad was excellent. And the presentation was so attractive and unusual. It was served in a wreath-like ring circling the plate.


Happily, our entrees were served without incident. My dish was called carrot agnolotti. The house-made pasta was tender and excellent. On the plate with the pasta was a mound of brilliant orange pickled carrots. The whole thing was delicious. My wife had lobster truffle gnocchi. The gnocchi were fluffy pillows of ricotta bathed in a rich sauce with bits of lobster and beech mushrooms. She enjoyed it very much. While not a large serving, because it was so rich, she couldn't finish it. So she brought some of it home, and I had the pleasure of having it for lunch the next day.

I do have one more complaint. I know it's not the restaurant's fault. But some of the other diners came into the restaurant looking very shabby and unkempt. This is a nice restaurant, not inexpensive, that's trying to maintain a sophisticated appeal. It's not a hotel coffee shop. It would be nice if people would take the effort to dress up a little bit; at least change out of your sweatpants.

I have been to Lela for lunch a couple of times. I don't recall having slow service either of those times. Maybe it was just an off night. Or maybe this is one of those restaurants that's just better for lunch than it is for dinner. Unfortunately, our city does not seem to be a place where sophisticated Italian dining can thrive. I hope Lela makes it.

Agnolotti with pickled carrots

Haricot Vert Salad

The Commodore, St. Paul, serves a nostalgic journey

My wife and I used to go to the Commodore when we were younger. That would have been in the mid-1970s. For us, the main attraction in those days was live music in a venue that recreated the feel of a classy jazz club. If I remember right, we used to hear the Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra play there. Sadly, the Commodore closed in 1978 after a gas explosion and fire.

Dining room at The Commodore, St. Paul

So when the Commodore reopened in late 2015, we were excited to give it a try. But, you know, life happens. So it took us more than a year to finally make our way to St. Paul. We went on a Saturday evening in February with 4 other friends. I'm happy to report that it appears to be successful. It was hard to get a reservation, and the tables were full of enthusiastic diners when we were there.

Any review of this renovated and reinvigorated establishment has to begin with the decor. It's amazing. There are 3 different lounge areas, each with its own bar. Consequently, each lounge is cozy enough to feel intimate. It's easy to contemplate relaxing in any of the lounges, sipping a cocktail, while waiting for your table in the elegant dining room.

Cocktails at the Commodore, by the way, are excellent. They can serve up a classic drink just fine. But the menu features several creative and inviting concoctions. My drink was called Stormy Weather. It was scotch-based with sweet vermouth, a touch of amaro to add a little bite, and something called 'root liqueur.' I was afraid that 'root liqueur' was a code name for root beer, and it did have a root beer essence. But the overall drink was well-balanced and satisfying. It was served in a beautiful coupe glass that had been rinsed with absinthe to give the drink some floral tones.

My wife had a cocktail called 'Dorothy Parker.' She saw it listed on the menu online. But when she perused the menu, it wasn't there. She asked the server who said of course the bartender could make it for her. Apparently the cocktail menu changes regularly, so if you have a favorite that's not on the menu, just ask. My wife's drink, by the way, was served in an elegant martini glass.

Selection of appetizers with cocktails

With the drinks, we ordered several selections from the appetizer section of the menu. We had Parmesan fried risotto, polenta & green tomatoes, and bacon-wrapped dates. All were very creative, attractively presented, and delicious.

Most of us at the table had a salad. Thoughtfully, the Commodore offers a choice of a half serving which is very nice, especially if you've started with some appetizers. I had a wedge salad, which was served with shredded carrots and turnips, thinly sliced radishes, and sesame seeds. It was good, but not particularly memorable. I felt the best salad at our table was the butter lettuce salad, which was excellent.

Everybody at our table was very pleased with their entrees. I had the evening special of braised beef on potato puree. It was excellent.

We all agreed that the Commodore is a great addition to the Twin Cities food scene, and well worth coming to St. Paul to enjoy. The only thing missing - they need to bring back live music. According to some of the news reports when it opened, that is part of the plan. And our table was right next to a stage that would have accommodated a trio or quartet. But so far, the stage is empty. I'm hopeful that we'll see live music there again soon.

Butter lettuce salad tasted as good as it looks

Icehouse, Mpls: Inventive music complements inventive menu, drinks

Here's a venue that really has it all.

Located on 'Eat Street' in South Minneapolis, Icehouse is a surefire winner whatever your mood. For my wife and me, the Saturday night dinner show is our usual attraction. The music starts at 6:30 p.m. There's no cover charge. It's usually a duo, occasionally a soloist. The music is restrained enough to accommodate dinner conversation. But the line-up of locally renowned artists assures that you're going to hear some good music as well. When we came last Saturday, the performers were Patrick Harison and James Buckley. Harison plays the button accordion and Buckley plays acoustic bass. They performed a wide variety tunes, mostly jazz, some with Middle Eastern harmonics.

As a music venue, Icehouse is intelligently designed. The stage is in the middle of a big, two-level dining room. We've only ever been seated on the ground floor where there isn't really a bad table for hearing and watching the performers. There may be some tables upstairs where the sight lines are not ideal. But the sound fills the room nicely, so no worries about hearing. There is a back room where we've never been seated. For sure you wouldn't be able to see the band from that room. I don't know how well you'd hear the music from there either.

But Icehouse is more than just a nice music venue. They have a creative drink menu. On our most recent visit, I had a cocktail called Smoke on the Water. It was a scotch-based drink with cynar and other ingredients. I tried looking up the recipe online. But it turns out that "Smoke on the Water" is a fairly common name for a cocktail, and there's quite a wide variation on how it's made. Most of the recipes I saw didn't even include scotch. My wife's cocktail was from the "Rocks" portion of the drinks menu. These are called "sipping shots" and cost only $5. Yes, it was smaller than my cocktail (which cost $13). But it still was an ample drink. Her drink was called "Satan Laughs & Spreads His Wings." She had it on a previous visit and really enjoyed it. That time, for a coaster, the drink was served on one of those little evangelistic religious pamphlets. But last Saturday, it was served on a regular paper napkin.

Duck Platter with a nice Barbera

After we sipped our drinks for a while, we ordered dinner. Honestly, the food menu at Icehouse is equally as varied and creative as the drink menu. We ordered a plate of roasted squash, which we sort of intended to be a starter. But it was was served as a side dish with our meals. The squash was sweetened with maple syrup and sprinkled with smoked nuts which added some nice texture to the dish. For my entree, I ordered a duck platter from the 'Main' section of the menu. It featured 3 different preparations - duck confit, roasted duck breast, and a duck liver foie gras style. These were served on a bed of spaetzle. I thought all 3 preparations were very well done, though when my wife tasted the confit, she felt it was too fatty and she didn't like the foie gras. She picked her meal from the "Sides & Snacks" part of the menu. She had BBQ brisket "burnt ends." It was a smaller portion, but adequate for her, especially since we also had the squash starter. Her only complaint was that the menu indicated that there would be "brussels" which we assumed would be Brussels sprouts. At most, there were only a few leaves from a sprout.

I did have a glass of wine with my duck. Icehouse has a nice selection of wine by the glass as well as by the bottle. I chose an Italian Barbera. It was very good. We've had Barbera in the past that has pronounced tannins. This one didn't and it went very well with the duck.

We found the service at Icehouse to be very accommodating. Our server was attentive, and when we asked for some time to sip our drinks and listen to the music, she left us alone. When we did get around to ordering food, she was very helpful and enthusiastic about the items on the menu.

We left around 9, when the dinner show ended. After dinner, Icehouse transforms into a music bar. Food is still available. But the entertainment tends to be more high energy and not so suited to conversation.

Borough, Mpls revives my faith in sandwiches

I don't usually order sandwiches when I'm out for lunch. It's not that I have anything against sandwiches in principle. It's just that when I'm eating out, I usually prefer something more creative, an entree, or even a salad. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to put some stuff between two slices of bread.

(Exception: Grilled cheese. I LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches.)

Earlier this year, Borough, a restaurant that I really like quite a lot, started serving lunch. So late in summer, when I was downtown during the lunch hour, I decided to give it a try. They have several items on the lunch menu that look good. But for some reason, I decided to try the pastrami sandwich. So glad I did.

Pastrami on Rye at Borough

The pastrami was excellent. Great flavor and very tender. Borough does a nice job with proportions. There's a generous serving of meat on the sandwich, but it's not piled ridiculously high. The sandwich is on a very tasty rye bread that's lightly grilled. Along with the meat on the sandwich is sauerkraut and spicy mustard with a couple of pickle slices on the side. Now this was a sandwich to get excited about. I had a side order of potato salad, made with fingerling potatoes, mustard, egg, celery, and roasted peppers. It was great.

My server was very helpful. I asked him about a catfish sandwich also on the menu. He appropriately raved about it and suggested that I try it on my next visit. So I did. When I was back downtown a few weeks later, I went back to Borough and ordered the catfish sandwich.

Catfish sandwich at Borough

As you can see from the photo, this was a very creative construction. The plank of catfish is blackened and grilled. It straddles two halves of a toasted roll made with goat milk. Piled on the catfish is a generous mound of celery root slaw. There are 3 dabs of hot sauce on the plate and the requisite pickle slices. I loved it. Another excellent, creative and noteworthy lunch that just happens to be a sandwich.

Well, with two great sandwiches in the course of a few weeks, I began to wonder if I've been unfair in my prejudice against ordering sandwiches. So recently, I was shopping at the Ridgedale Mall. It was around lunch time. Ridgedale has several good choices for lunch over and above the offerings in the food court. I've heard good things about Ruscello, the Italian restaurant at Nordstrom's and decided to give it a try. On the menu was a sandwich that sounded good - braised short rib on a baguette. So I ordered it.

Alas. The bread was good. The braised short rib was flavorful. But the sandwich was ... blah. It was just some stuff between two slices of bread. It leads me to conclude that it requires some creativity and finesse to make a sandwich that's worth ordering in a restaurant.

Braised short rib sandwich at Ruscello

St. Genevieve: Come to South Mpls. for a French wine bar

There's a relatively new place in south Minneapolis that's getting a lot of favorable buzz. St. Genevieve is a French wine bar in a quiet residential neighborhood. We had a 7:30 reservation on a Saturday night. So, yeah, they take reservations! Big plus in my book. 

Friends had told us it's quite noisy, and in the entryway, it was. But we were seated at a table near the back, and it wasn't too bad. Probably the most impressive thing was the friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating staff. It was our first time there. The hostess sat down next to us and explained how things work - mostly small plates, encourage sharing, wine by the glass or bottle, half glasses of wine available. Very nice. 

When we had questions about the wine, our server was very helpful - accurately describing the ones we were interested in. We liked our choices. My wife usually shies away from Pinot Noir, but when she inquired about it, the server noted that it's a white Pinot Noir - Pfeffingen blanc de noir. It was actually a German wine, and my wife enjoyed it. I also chose something that I'd never seen before - a rose of cabernet franc (Plouzeau Chinon Rose). It was an easy-drinking wine that went well with our food.

We ordered 4 plates to eat, not knowing if that would be enough or too much. The server asked about food allergies, and my wife said she's sensitive to cilantro. No problem; nothing we ordered had cilantro. Except, a couple minutes later, she reappeared at our table to advise us that one of the items (squid) had cilantro in the marinade. We thanked her and canceled that plate. So we ended up having the Gem salad, and like other reviewers have noted, the kitchen split it for us and sent it out on individual plates. (Very Nice indeed.) We also had the octopus and an order of pommes frites. The salad was ample, as was the serving of fries. Our other plate, the octopus, was quite small. We didn't leave hungry, but we maybe could have had another plate. 

My bottom line - great ambiance, great service, they take reservations, good food, interesting wine selections (and reasonable prices), shared 3 plates between 2 people and 2 and 1/2 glasses of wine for $60 plus a tip.

KwikPick: Eastside in Mpls. promises great things for downtown dining

We have some friends who've recommended Eastside for a long time now. I don't have any excuse why we haven't dined there sooner. But I can assure you, we'll be back.

Food: 5
Service: 4
Ambiance: 4
Value: 5

Recommendation: The menu is very diverse. You can choose 'snacks', small plates, large plates or sides to suit your tastes and appetite. On our first visit, we chose a side of cauliflower to split as a starter. Then we each ordered an entree. She had a bison burger and I had lamb. Despite my aversion to ordering a burger for dinner, this one was delicious. And my lamb was great as well.

Our server was friendly and attentive. The decor is hip, modern, and comfortable. We felt that very satisfied with the price we paid for the quality of the food and drink we consumed.

We'll definitely be back, and I'll write a fuller review. But we were so pleased with our first experience at Eastside that I wanted to post a quick, preliminary review.

Kwik Pick: Terzo Vino Bar whets our appetite for Italian white wine

We met friends at Terzo to talk about travel in Italy. As my wife and I plan our next trip, we got lots of good suggestions from these friends, and she had just returned from skiing in the Italian Alps. So between us, there was a lot of enthusiastic discussion of our planned itinerary.

I wrote my previous review of Terzo in 2014, as we were planning our first trip to Italy after I retired. Our intent was to sample wines from the regions where we'd be traveling. It was a great strategy for shaping our expectations of the wines we'd be tasting on the trip. Not that we need to make up an excuse to go to Terzo, but planning for our next trip was as good a reason as any.

Also, Terzo has revamped its food menu, now offering more meals and a prix fixe option. We've always liked the food there, and we eagerly anticipated the new menu. This visit turned out to be an exploration of Italian white wines. The ladies started out with a glass of prosecco. My wife commented afterwards how much she enjoyed drinking the prosecco out of a regular white wine glass, instead of a champagne flute. I had a glass of Lambrusco, which turned out to be refreshing, light, and bubbly, a nice starter for the evening.

Then we switched to a bottle of Pratello Lugana, a white wine from the Lombardy region made from 100% turbiana grapes. I wasn't familiar with either the region or the grape. But this wine went very well with my wife's scallops and my branzino.

Ratings:
Food: 5/5 Besides the entrees mentioned above, we shared a couple of items from the pasta (primi) section of the menu. Everything was very flavorful, creatively prepared, and attractively served.

Service: 4/5 We relied on our server's advice for the wine. As with our past experiences, the suggestions were very good. The only quibble that I have, service was somewhat slow. It didn't bother us too much since we were having an enjoyable conversation. But we all noticed and remarked on the slow service.

Ambiance: 4/5 The ambiance is comfortable and casual. Tables are not crowded.

Value: 4/5 We felt the wine was very reasonably priced ... but the food was kind of expensive. The prix fixe option is $45 for a choice of an antipasto, a pasta/primi, and an entrée. But everyone at the table has to go that route, wich precludes sharing. And the servings are ample, so if you go that route, you can expect plenty to eat. In the end, though, I guess I'd say that $45 for food at a wine bar is a lot.

Recommendation: Definitely go to Terzo if you like Italian wines or if you want to try a variety of wines from different regions of Italy. The food is excellent. Just be prepared for some sticker shock at the cost of a meal.

An amazing tasting menu at Victory 44 in Minneapolis

My wife and I treated our son and daughter-in-law to a joint birthday dinner in January. His birthday is in December, hers is in February. So January was a nice middle ground. They picked the locale - Victory 44 in Minneapolis. I've written about the restaurant before, once for a wine dinner they had about a year ago and once for lunch after I retired in 2013. Both times were with my son. So you can tell that it's one of his favorites.

The restaurant is in the Victory neighborhood of North Minneapolis, located on 44th Ave. N. (hence the name - Victory 44.) The dinner menu consists of a creative assortment of dishes. You might be tempted to call them small plates. They are quite reasonably priced. But in general, each serving probably is enough to share between 2 people. When you order, you can pick your own assortment of plates, each of which is individually priced.

But the real V44 experience is the tasting menu for two. And on Tuesdays, (the night we went) the date night tasting menu was $70 for two.

So here's how the tasting menu worked on the night we were there. There are basically 8 items on the menu. For purposes of the meal, they are paired into 4 sets. The diner gets to choose one from each pair ... plus a dessert. Since it's for two people, there's a little negotiating to decide which items to pick. Fortunately, my wife and I have pretty compatible tastes so we tended to lean toward the same choices anyway. Then, my son and daughter-in-law generally opted for the other choice. So at our date night dinner for four we were served almost every item on the menu, and we all could taste each item.

So just for the record, here's what we ate:

First course - Devils on Horseback and Ham & Pickle Tots. The version of Devils on Horseback served at V44 is a date with Gorgonzola cheese wrapped in bacon and roasted until the bacon is crisp. The Ham & Pickle Tots were a house-made variation of Tater Tots with ham mixed in and served with a dill pickle sauce.

Second course - Snow peas and smoked beets. Since my wife and I don't particularly like beets, we did try them. But because we didn't want the beets, our server generously substituted a plate of V44's famous Loaded Bacon Fries. They were amazingly good.

Third course - Cheddar Pierogies and Squash Farotto. The 'farotto' was prepared risotto style with farro substituting for arborio rice. I've read about that technique but never tried it. It was very good. The Cheddar Pirogies were the only disappointment of the meal. They weren't bad. But to me, they just weren't noteworth.

Fourth course (main entree) - Fried Chicken. The other option was Pork Sausage. That didn't really appeal to any of us. So we all got fried chicken. It was excellent.

As I mentioned early in the post, each serving is split between two people. But by now, we'd each tasted 7 items, and we were getting full. But there was still dessert to be served. One of each - Banana Pudding and German Chocolate Cake. We all took a taste. But most of the dessert got packed into take-home containers.

We did have a bottle of wine with the dinner. It was a petite sirah by Miro. It was very reasonably priced. I realized after we ordered that we have a bottle of the same wine on the shelf at home. Our server initially suggested a pinot noir as a good choice to pair with all of the items. But we don't particularly like pinot noir. The petite sirah was a very good choice.

Tuesday night date night was not busy. There were only a few other diners in the restaurant. That meant that our server was available to give us particularly attentive service. She was great - very helpful with her suggestions and very knowledgeable about the items being served.

V44 has adopted a no tipping policy. So when you consider that $70/couple also includes a tip, that makes the Tuesday date night tasting menu a remarkably good deal.

I only have one quibble with the restaurant. Even though the tasting menu is a good deal (on date night or not), it's still pricey enough so that we'd consider it to be a special occasion experience. My quibble is, when we go out to celebrate a special occasion, we're also looking for a nice ambiance. The ambiance at V44 is very casual and relaxed. That's not bad, and obviously the regular clientele like it that way. But for some people, for us, it might make them consider another restaurant for a touch more class.

Despite that quibble, I doubt that you could find a better tasting menu in the city. It offers plenty of variety. The food is remarkable for its quality, preparation, and creativity. And the value is fantastic. It's definitely worth a visit.

New Year’s dinner at Lurcat revives my enthusiasm

I’ve always liked Café Lurcat and Bar Lurcat. Although they’re two separate establishments, they complement each other nicely. The Bar has a cool, hip vibe, great cocktails and excellent bar food (many of the same items available at the café.) The Café is elegant and sophisticated, the food is delicious, creatively prepared, and beautifully presented.

But we hadn’t been to either in a while. Why did it fall off our list? Well, we used to enjoy the live music in the Bar. But they don’t have live music regularly anymore. And the last time we went to the Café for a celebration dinner, we had a problem with a server-with-attitude. So despite really liking the ambiance and the food, we’ve opted for other restaurants for anniversary and birthday dinners lately.

We also don’t usually go out on New Year’s Eve. But I saw a notice of Lurcat’s menu for New Year’s Eve and it just appealed to me. So we decided to give it a try.

Well, not only was it a great way to welcome 2016, but the whole experience really refreshed my confidence in the restaurant.

For New Year’s Eve, Lurcat offered a fixed price menu for dinner, but with a few options for each course. You could get the dinner in either the Café or the Bar. There was music in both venues – a solo piano in the Café, a Sinatra-style jazz combo in the Bar. After the dinner service, there was a dance party with DJ in the bar.

We opted to take a table in the bar. First of all, that style of music fit more with our mood for the evening. In addition, then we’d already have a table when the dance party began.

Our dinner reservation was set for 8:45. We figured that way, we’d enjoy the jazz combo throughout dinner and be done eating when the dance party began (estimated at 10:30, actually closer to 11).

Our server for the evening (Anthony) was fabulous. Here are some of the things he did that made the evening so enjoyable:

• He made helpful suggestions for choices from the menu. When we had trouble deciding which cocktail to order, he gave his recommendation and personal guarantee that if we didn’t like it, he’d take it back and bring something else.
• He listened to our likes and preferences and based his suggestions on what we’d like.
• He paced the service according to our schedule. So when we got up to dance, he held delayed bringing things to our table until we were ready. At one point, he apologized that the kitchen was running behind. But we just got up and danced until our entrees were ready.
• At the end of the evening, after midnight, he advised us that there was quite a long wait at the coat check. But he took our claim check and brought our coats to us at the table.
• Throughout, he was genuinely friendly and accommodating.

As we expected, the food was great. The amuse bouche was smoked salmon with herbed crème fraiche served on an endive boat. For starters, my wife had crab cake and I had an arugula salad consisting of little dumplings filled with duck and foie gras, and little kumquats and pieces of pear to add sweetness. My wife’s entrée was lobster and scallops on squid-ink stained pasta and with roasted vegetables. For my entrée, I had four beautiful lamb chops on a roasted garlic puree with fried artichokes and a Bordelaise sauce. It was the best lamb chops I’ve had in a long time.

Even though it was a fixed price menu, it was not a ‘tasting menu’ per se. The portions were full-sized. By the time we got to the entrée, my wife was feeling full and only ate about half of her pasta. The rest was boxed up and made a nice lunch. And we had a lot of choices for each course (except the amuse). Regular diners at Lurcat would recognize several familiar dishes, such as the crab cake, apple-cheese-chive salad, and Chilean sea bass. (If you want to see the full menu, click here. (I think this will work.))

The side dish was a platter of roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and baby potatoes. There also was a choice of desserts. While we generally like to get different items and share, in this case we both ordered the pistachio pavlova with blackberries and black current syrup.


So after all that, Lurcat is back on my list of excellent restaurants for a special occasion. I only wish they’d reinstitute live music in the Bar.

Adieu to Vincent: A Restaurant

I don’t think I’ve ever purposely gone to a restaurant knowing that it was about to go out of business. I certainly never have written a blog post about one. But today I couldn’t help myself. I had to have one last visit to Vincent on the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. The restaurant’s last day of business is Dec. 31. I went there for lunch.

I have been to Vincent several times in the past. My wife and I have celebrated special occasions there. Once, I was the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by the person who was my current boss and three former bosses to commemorate my 35th anniversary of working at Land O’Lakes. (Here’s the post I wrote about that experience.)

It also was a great place for business entertaining. I’ve commented before that my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities is Meritage in St. Paul. Like Vincent, it features French food. But the ambiance at Meritage is more casual bistro. The dining room at Vincent was big and open with tall ceilings and tables nicely spaced so that you felt comfortable talking business over dinner. That would be difficult at Meritage where the guests are kept cozily close, encouraging interaction (but not so conducive to private conversation).

Our Star Tribune food writer, Rich Nelson, in eulogizing Vincent (sorry for the melodrama) has lamented that that beautiful space will be transformed into a Caribou Coffee/Einstein Bros. Bagel shop. Somehow, I can’t imagine coming into the shop on a late evening to find the conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra munching a bagel and sipping coffee after a concert at Orchestra Hall across the street. (That happened one time when we dined at Vincent.)

So, what to have at my last meal at Vincent? I thought about ordering a burger. I must admit that I’ve never had Vincent’s burger, despite receiving nearly universal acclaim as one of the city’s best. (Here’s Rick Nelson’s tear-stained tribute to the burger.) To be honest, I’m not big on burgers at nice restaurants. Seems like kind of a waste. And besides that, apparently chef Vincent Francoual will be moving on to become Culinary Director of Cara Irish Pubs, and perhaps his famous burger will show up on the menus of The Local, The Liffey, Cooper, or Kieran’s.

I also considered ordering steak frites. A classic French dish like that would have been fitting.

Instead, I opted for red wine braised beef short ribs with risotto. Here’s the photo. It was delicious. So was the baguette served with a pot of creamy butter. I confess, I ate all four pieces in the basket and nearly finished the pot of butter. I also had a glass of red wine, a blend of tannat and cabernet Franc by French vintner Madiran, Chateau de Viella 2011. That’s going on my list to try to find at local wine shops. And I splurged by ordering dessert. I wish tarte tatin had been an option. Instead, I had a walnut tart with caramel sauce and caramel ice cream. And an espresso.

So, au revoir Vincent. Thanks for the great meals.

La Grolla, St. Paul: A pretty good reason to cross the river

There’s a lot of hype and excitement about all the new Italian restaurants opening in the Twin Cities. (Check the third paragraph of Rick Nelson’s year-in-review article for a list.) I’m excited. I’ve often lamented that so many of our Twin Cities Italian eateries just don’t match the quality and creativity of meals I’ve eaten at in other cities.

So really, it’s my own fault for not having discovered La Grolla sooner. Partly, it’s my parochial attitude about going to St. Paul to eat. There are so many good restaurants west of the Mississippi that I usually don’t consider driving to St. Paul. But, I must admit, it seems like my list of ‘exceptions’ – St. Paul restaurants that are worth the trip – has grown to the point where I may have to change my attitude. (See especially Meritage (my favorite Twin Cities restaurant), Ngon Bistro, Muffuletta, and the St. Paul Grill (for lunch). Also, there’s Caffe Biaggio which is a really good Italian restaurant in St. Paul, and somehow I’ve never written a blog post about it.)

So now, add La Grolla to the list. We went with friends on a Saturday night, to have dinner before going to the new jazz club in St. Paul, Vieux Carre. (The jazz club was really fun. Worth checking out.)

The ambiance in the dining room is very pleasant – warm, friendly, brick and plaster walls, high ceilings. We got a table near the front. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the items on the menu. She was not particularly attentive, however. After our meals were served, we didn’t see her again until she checked to see if we wanted dessert.

La Grolla has a very nice wine list with an interesting variety of Italian wines. We opted for a Sangiovese, an excellent choice that fit the variety of meals that our group ordered.

My wife and I started with Insalata Bianca. It was a large plate of Belgium endives tossed with fennel, hearts of palm and shaved Parmesan cheese dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. It was very tasty. Our friends also split one of the other salads. One of the quirks at La Grolla, the menu states that there’s a plate charge for splitting an item. We didn’t bother with ‘splitting’ our salads. We just positioned the salad plates so that each of us could reach and share. The salads were quite large. Ours was $9. I suppose if you didn’t want to share and didn’t want such a large salad, you could order a small salad for $6.

Another little quirk – the menu states that there’s a $4 charge for a second basket of bread. The bread was good and the amount we were given in the bread basket was adequate. We didn’t want a refill anyway.

For an entrée, I ordered one of the nightly specials. It was house-made pappardelle noodles with a delicious, briny fish and seafood sauce. The sauce included salty anchovies, fish and seafood with cherry tomatoes and cream. The pasta was tender and tasty. The whole meal was excellent. Here’s a photo of it.  

Two people at the table ordered grouper. Both plates looked very appetizing, and the food was very tasty. But the fish was served with the skin on. One of the meals, the fish separated cleanly and easily from the skin. The other meal, the skin stuck to the fish and was difficult to eat. Was this an indication of uneven preparation in the kitchen? I don’t know. But here’s where we wished the server had been more attentive and checked to see if everyone was satisfied with their food.

The fourth person at the table had veal scaloppini. As much as I liked my pasta dish, I think her meal was the best of the evening.

So, while we had a few concerns, overall it was a very nice experience. I think La Grolla ranks among the best Italian restaurants I’ve eaten at in the Twin Cities. I’d have to say my current favorite still is Trattoria Tosca in Linden Hills. And I owe myself a return visit to Caffe Biaggio. But I certainly would welcome a return visit to La Grolla next time I feel like driving across the river.

Yes, it’s true. Spoon & Stable is fantastic

I almost didn’t write this review. There have been so many raves about how great Spoon & Stable is, what more is there to say?

Spoon & Stable definitely deserves the accolades. Still, there are a few highlights worth noting.

First of all, they take reservations. Yeah! Not that they’re particularly easy to get. No matter how eager we were to dine there, we weren’t going to show up at 5:30 to get a table or eat at the bar. We tried several times during the fall and finally got a table at 7:30 p.m. on a Saturday night of Thanksgiving weekend.

Next, it’s a beautiful room – warm, comfortable and inviting. You enter into the bar area where you’re greeted by a bustling buzzing bar scene. We were on time for our reservation, and the hostess assured us that our table was being set – 5 minute wait at the most. One minor quibble – it’s one big open room. The dining room opens into the bar area with only a waist-high divider. Our table was in that first row adjacent to the bar. At one point, the overflowing crowd at the bar resulted in patrons leaning against the divider and actually brushing against my wife’s hair. Not a big deal, but a little annoying.

So let me get my other quibble out of the way now. The other thing is the tables seem quite close together. So, when the server was waiting on the people at the next table, his butt was right at the edge of our table.

Service, by the way, is good. Our server was well-informed about the menu, helpful with suggestions, attentive and friendly without being annoying.

We started with drinks. I ordered a Manhattan No. 2, the house variation of a classic Manhattan. This one had both rye whiskey and calvados and sherry instead of sweet vermouth. It was recognizable as a Manhattan but unusual enough to be memorable. It was, needless to day, delicious. My wife was in the mood to try something different. Our server advised us that the bartender makes a daily special cocktail. On this particular evening, it was a stylized Grasshopper. With some hesitation, she decided to order one. This variation was quite different from a classic Grasshopper. In fact, the only similarities were the shocking green color and mint flavors. She liked it. But it really should have been an after-dinner drink rather than a pre-dinner cocktail.

Now on to the food. From the ‘Garden’ section of the menu, we decided to split an order of the Roasted Carrot Salad. It was excellent. On the plate were three different kinds of carrots, roasted but still a little crisp. The dressing was a maple vinaigrette which added nice autumn tones to the dish. It wasn’t particularly large. Perhaps diners with a heartier appetite would order a second starter. The Duck & Foie Gras Terrine looked good to me. Or one of the side dishes would have been nice as an alternative.

For my entrée, I ordered braised lamb shank. I love lamb shanks, and this one was fabulous. It was not too fatty and was fork-tender. On the plate with the lamb was a medley of vegetables and beans. They were a nice accompaniment and did not detract from the lamb, which was the star. The menu says it also has preserved lemons, but I didn’t detect that flavor.

Visually, my lamb shank was appealing simply as a big chunk of meat with a bone sticking out (as you can see in the photo). My wife’s entrée, on the other hand, was a work of art (see photo below). Her dish was called ‘lightly Smoked Steelhead Trout.’ It was probably a little more rare than she had anticipated. but the flavors were amazing. The plate had a few Brussels sprouts, a rutabaga puree, and a citrus vinaigrette.

We decided not to order dessert. But not to worry. The server presented us with a box of four bite-sized sweets to nosh while paying our bill. Very nice. In terms of value, I thought our meal was quite reasonable. It wasn’t inexpensive, and the portions were moderate. You could spend more if you added dessert or more starter plates. But we were satisfied with the amount of food we ate and the price we paid.

So we definitely would go again. It probably would be for a special occasion … if we can get a reservation.

Here’s my wife’s Smoked Steelhead Trout

La Fresca is a breath of fresh air in S. Mpls.

There are so many good restaurants in the Twin Cities. Yet I still get excited when I find another one that’s truly delightful. As my wife and I walked out of La Fresca with a couple of friends, we were already talking about when we could plan a return visit.

Not that we should have been surprised. La Fresca is the self-described ‘nouveau Mexican’ iteration of Chef Hector Ruiz family of restaurants. ‘Family’ is a good term to use. Each of the restaurants in his small group (now numbering 4) shares familiar similarities – Latin influences and creative combinations in generally small neighborhood locations that appeal to local residents and, yes, families. But like a family, each individual member has it’s own distinctive features.

Café Ena, where we have enjoyed many delicious meals, is ‘Latin fusion’ with influences from South America and Central America. Click here for a previous blog post.

Rincon 38 features Spanish and Latin small plates, tapas if you will. We’ve enjoyed dropping in to enjoy its exciting variety by sharing several items on the menu with a glass of wine. Click here for a previous review.

El Meson, now sadly closed, was the grand dame of the family. But a newcomer, La Ceiba, that opened early in 2015 promises to satisfy fans of El Meson’s Caribbean inspired dishes. We haven’t been there yet, but it seems like we should.

I can’t really explain why we haven’t eaten at La Fresca sooner. It’s been open for a year and a half. But we just hadn’t gotten there yet. But after last Saturday’s meal, I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite of the group (while reserving the right to change my mind whenever we try La Ceiba.)

Like the others, La Fresca does take reservations. (Thank you for that courtesy.) We arrived on time and had a very short wait for our table to clear. The dining room is smaller than Café Ena, maybe about the same size as Rincon 38. But the tables are not crowded, just comfortably cozy. There also are a few seats available around the bar where wine and beer are served.

For a starter, my wife and I split a small plate called Puerto Morelos. It was a lobster and shrimp medley on a block of avocado polenta and topped with roasted corn cream sauce, jicama and cucumber slaw, and fried leeks. It was small, but delicious. Our friends split a salad from the ‘segundos’ part of the menu. It was roasted squash and beets with mixed greens, a light dressing, and crumbled goat cheese.

The entrées from the Terceros part of the menu run heavily toward fish and seafood. There are beef and pork and chicken and vegetarian choices. But we all opted for seafood.

My wife ordered Aguascalientes, pictured above. It was pistachio crusted halibut on potato gratin and served with roasted king oyster mushrooms, baby spinach, cauliflower puree sauce, and fried leeks. It was fantastic.

Across the table, one of our friends ordered Yucateco, which was sea bass with a Mayan sauce, zucchini, squash, charred corn, leeks, radishes, scallions, and onion. I didn’t get a taste, but it looked great.

Our other friend ended up with the most fantastic meal of the evening, the Mariscada. It was a fish and seafood soup with red snapper, shrimp, calamari, scallops, potatoes, onion, carrots and celery all swimming in a flavorful pepper broth. First of all, it was a very generous serving; he couldn’t finish it all. But he was surprised that it didn’t come with bread to soak up the wonderful juices. However, our resourceful server managed to find a baguette and brought it to the table.

I chose the evening fish special. It was coconut crusted grouper also served on a block of avocado polenta. It was accompanied by roasted zucchini, corn, onions and tomatoes. Excellent!

If I had one quibble about the evening, it would be timing. We ordered a round of drinks (sangria, wine, and a beer). Our appetizers came very quickly after the drinks were served. But then it seemed like we had a long wait for our meals to come out of the kitchen. We were having a nice conversation and were not in any rush. So we didn't complain. But the wait was noticeable.

So once again, Chef Ruiz has provided delightful neighborhood restaurant that was thoroughly enjoyable. We do have to plan a return visit soon.