3460 = The total number of daily calories in the RowStein house.
5 = The total number of mini-meal consumed per day.
0 = The number of restaurants on this list we can visit while on this diet.
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Sorry for the delay, readers! On Tuesday night, Dan and I went to the Guthrie's production of Time Stands Still and we got home very late. Then, yesterday, I was at a meeting until well into the evening. But, as promised, this week... we give you... THE FOOOOOOD BLOG!
If you don't already know, Dan and I love food. LOVE it. And we love going out to eat. Trying new restaurants is one of our favorite ways to explore the cities. So, in true Compendium spirit, we're sharing a short list of some of our Twin City staples (in no particular order) and what we love best about them.
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RowStein Rated - Best Chinese.
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| Mmmm... Dan Dan Noodles... |
This little gem can be found in the less-than-savory Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul. But, believe me, a trip to Little Szechuan is totally worth it. The place is clean, cute, welcoming (on the inside), with unbelievably delicious food and friendly staff. A large, picture-enhanced menu makes choosing new and daring dishes easy (and we strongly suggest staying away from the boring Americanized stuff on the very last page). Dishes are served family-style, shared plates piled high with huge spicy, savory (and affordable!) portions. For Dan and I, two dishes and an appetizer is enough food for a decent meal at the restaurant and at least two more rounds of leftovers, each. What better way to enjoy food than having the joy of repeating the meal, again and again?
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| Spicy fried fish and hot tea.... yummm.... |
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RowStein Rated - Best F&%ing Wings Ever.
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| Oh, you tasty meaty morsels you... |
We've only recently discovered this place, but it has quickly rocketed to the top of our list of local favorites. A tiny little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, housed in a stripmall in Maplewood, that packs more personality and surprisingly delicious flavor than you can possibly imagine. It's not fancy on the inside. It's your basic "order at the counter, then and grab yourself a seat" kind of place. They don't serve fountain drinks, just cans and bottles. And the wait can get long for your food (I recommend two cans of soda, if you're like me...). BUT... the reason the wait can get long is because the cooks are crafting little nuggets of made-from-scratch perfection. Seriously. They serve over 60 kinds of chicken wings! (Click here for the complete list of flavors.) And many of these recipes are interesting, complicated, multifaceted, gourmet combinations! And, even coated in sauce, the wings retain a hint of that crunchy, crispy-fried goodness. A culinary feat, to be sure.
When we went to :D Spot for the first time, Dan took one bite of the Black Widow wing (suggested to us by the staff), looked up at me with an astonished expression and said, "This is, by far, the best f&%ing wing I've ever had." Even the fries, the regular ole' fries, were surprising! They were spicy and salty, and they came with an aioli dipping sauce that tasted like some miraculous combination of tomato-basil and curry powder. Maybe it was crack. I don't know. But I could not stop eating them.
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| Darin, the owner / chef, who regularly visits with patrons. |
So, to summarize: While the :D Spot admittedly has some cons (terrible parking, limited seating, and the wait can get a little long), the food is truly, truly phenomenal. Worth it, we swear.
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RowStein Rated - Best Ambiance, Best Place to Eat Outside.
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| Oh, that Tiki charm. |
Now, I know what you're thinking... "Best ambiance? Best place to eat outside?" But, it's true. While we love the food (and we do), the real reason we go back to Psycho Suzi's is for the fun, relaxed, gloriously tasteless atmosphere. The carpet is patterned with cartoonish wood-planking, the walls are covered in woven grass, there are masks and giant wooden utensils hanging everywhere, the restrooms are labelled "Chicks" and "Dicks" (and the handicapped bathrooms are "Chicks & Dicks on Wheels"), and there's a smoke-spewing waterfall just inside the front door. "Tiki Chic," let's call it. And we love it.
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| Inside view, part of the dining area and one (of three) of the bars. |
If the inside isn't fun enough for you, Psycho Suzi's has one of the best patios around. It's a deck that's easily as big as the inner dining area, with dozens of grass huts, statues, and tiki torches.
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| A daytime view of the river, from Suzi's patio. |
Not to mention the thing looks right out over the Mississippi river. The place even has a dedicated dock, so you can motor on over in your fishing boat and grab some eats. How cool is that?!
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RowStein Rated - Best Light Breakfast.
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| Our adorable little Lucia's To Go. |
This place is a sentimental favorite for Dan and I, as it's right in the heart of our old neighborhood in Minneapolis. We'd spend just about every Sunday morning here, having coffee, sharing some baked good or other, talking about our weeks, and watching people walk to and from the shops or the lakes. Lovely memories.
But, Lucia's To Go is great place to grab a light meal, fond memories or no. They use mostly (maybe even all) organics and local ingredients, and the menu changes both weekly and seasonally. There are options for vegetarians, as well as vegans, and everything is fresh and made daily. There isn't much seating, as you can see in the photo above, but cute, cozy restaurants often have that problem.
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| Coffee and baked goods. The very best breakfast. |
It should be noted, for the sake of anyone that might try to find the place, that Lucia's To Go is part of a three-restaurant group that's all connected together (literally, they're all right next door to each other). There's "Lucia's To Go," which is the bakery, cafe, quick lunch-and-breakfast sort of place, then there's "Lucia's Wine Bar," which is... well, a wine bar, and lastly there's just plain "Lucia's," which is a more high-end, organic and seasonal, full scale restaurant. We like Lucia's, too, but the "To Go" side of things really captured our hearts (and our stomachs).
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RowStein Rated - Best Juicy Lucy, Best Cheese Curds.
The picture above may look a little... well, gross... but believe me... this burger is killer. It's called the "Breakfast Blucy" and it's main components are as follows: 1.) A generously sized, fresh-made beef patty filled with melted cheddar. 2.) Thick-cut, smoked bacon. 3.) A fried egg.
I mean, damn. That's a burger, right? Right.
Our Favorite Dishes = The "Breakfast Blucy," the "Merriam Park Blucy," and the oh-so-delicious fried cheese curds.
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| The Blue Door... in all it's burgery glory. |
Like many of the restaurants on the RowStein favorites list, this one is small. It's rare (very rare) that you don't have to stand around and wait a while for your seat. But, a basket full of fried cheese curds, a fresh made Juicy Lucy (or "Blucy," as they say), and a cold local brew make it all worthwhile.
What's a Juicy Lucy, you ask? It's a Twin City favorite: a burger patty, stuffed with cheese. Think of it like a molten chocolate lava cake, only with meat and cheese! Delicious! The stories vary, but most locals agree that the Juicy Lucy originated at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis. It was soon picked up by other burger joints, including the famous Casper's and Runyon's Nook in St. Paul. I've tried the burgers at all three and, while all have tasty food and their own brand of bar-centric charm, for my money and stomach-space... it's the Blue Door all the way.
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| Gooey awesomeness.... |
The picture above may look a little... well, gross... but believe me... this burger is killer. It's called the "Breakfast Blucy" and it's main components are as follows: 1.) A generously sized, fresh-made beef patty filled with melted cheddar. 2.) Thick-cut, smoked bacon. 3.) A fried egg.
I mean, damn. That's a burger, right? Right.
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RowStein Rated - Best Vietnamese.
Our Favorite Dishes = The Cha Gio (pork & veggie fried egg rolls), the Pho Tai (a simple, classic Pho), and Bun Bo Hue (super spicy pork hock & noodle soup).
This "Eat Street" institution is one of our regular wintertime stops. A steaming bowl of Pho (pronounced like "fuh") is the perfect way to warm up on those cold Minnesota nights. This was the first Vietnamese place we'd ever been to, so I can't vouch for it's authenticity from my own personal experience. But if packed-in crowds of smiling, convivial Vietnamese families are any indication... Quang is pretty darn authentic.
Now, if you've never been to a place like this, I'd start with the standard Pho. It's (usually) a savory, herby clear broth which is poured, while still boiling, over a pile of rice vermicelli noodles and thinly sliced beef. Then it's topped with onions and sprouts and other green things. The meat actually cooks in the broth as the bowl is brought to your table, so it arrives at this wonderful medium-rare consistency (note the hints of pink in the picture above). It's usually served with a small platter of flavor-enhancing sides. At Quang, these are bean sprouts, jalapenos, lime, and Thai basil. There's also the standard tabletop accouterments of soy sauce, hoisin, sriracha, and garlic-chili paste.
If you're brave, you can try Dan's favorite... the "511" or the Bun Bo Hue, which is a super spicy soup that has thick cuts of meat, pork hock (with the bone), and is flavored with pork blood. Not for everyone, I'm sure... but Dan swears by the stuff.
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RowStein Rated - Best Tots.
Our Favorite Dishes = The "Stilton" burger, the "Togarashi' tots, and the "Truffled" tots.
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| A shot of the bar & dining area. |
As you can see, it's a bar. A little noisy, a little slow on the service, sports on every TV... but it's a great place to grab a burger, a hot dog, a beer and... of course, some tater tots. Who'd have thought that an elementary school lunchroom classic, like tater tots, would fuel a restaurant up to the top of my favorites list? But, truly, the Bulldog's tots are worth punching a baby for. Hard, even.
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| Sorry, baby. It has to be done. |
They come in a variety of flavors and are often accompanied by a complimentary dipping aioli (and I use that term in two senses, as the aioli is free AND the flavor changes to compliment the tot). You can order them as a stand-alone appetizer or as a side for your burger or hot dog. Dan and I each ordered some as a side for our burgers, with the intention of sharing. We... well... let's just say... good luck to you, if you try to share.
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RowStein Rated - Best Fast & Fresh Meal.
Our Favorite Dishes = The "Cortina" and the "Vesuvio."
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| Our local Punch Pizza, on Grand Ave in St. Paul. |
I'll end the blog today with the first Twin City restaurant we ever went to, Punch Pizza. It's a small, local chain of Neapolitan pizza restaurants and it's still a regular stop for us. The pizzas are made with made-from-scratch dough, freshly chopped ingredients, and cooked in a flaming oven for about 90 seconds. Since the cooking time is so short, every person's pizza is individually made to order and baked right away. So, you order at the counter, have a seat, and your pizza is brought to you a few minutes later.
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| The Punch oven, flames and all. |
Seriously, it's some of the best thin crust pizza I've ever had, and it's a great alternative to a greasy fast food joint.
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Longest post ever at the Compendium, but certainly the most mouth-watering.
Thanks for reading!
WR
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