Taste of Minneapolis!

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AllianceCHI

Exemplar
This is a split off from the food discussion on the ride thread. I asked what Minnesotan food specialties that don't involve fish or seafood are.

To give an example: Everyone who's come to Chicago to hang with us for a few days has eaten an Italian Beef, Chicago Style Dog, or Deep Dish Pizza... For Andrew it was all 3.

So, time to shout your favorites out so we can try one of them next week.

Paul
 
AllianceCHI said:
This is a split off from the food discussion on the ride thread. I asked what Minnesotan food specialties that don't involve fish or seafood are.

To give an example: Everyone who's come to Chicago to hang with us for a few days has eaten an Italian Beef, Chicago Style Dog, or Deep Dish Pizza... For Andrew it was all 3.

So, time to shout your favorites out so we can try one of them next week.

Paul
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We could do two, ya know. We have all day Thurs, plus Friday until like 4...
 
The sad state of affairs for minneapolis is that the only food that is truly a local cuisine is hotdish. Seafood and fish are about as far from real local cuisine as you can get really :-). I guess one may argue that the Jucy Lucy (a burger filled with rather than topped with american cheese) is a local star (there is one of those restaurant wars or some such about it)

On the other hand, being that you'll be in uptown we have quite the variety of food to choose from, the area is famous for restaurants and even has a mile strip known as eat street. So while we might not be able to offer anything of local fame, there is a lot of great eating to do.

Well that's what I have to say, though it's very generic, there's lots to eat, just depends what your crowd is in the mood for :-)
 
I had read about the juicy lucy sorta like a stuffed burger. What is this "hotdish" you speak of, where can it be found, and as an outsider yourself, would you recommend it to our humble midwestern taste buds?
 
While we're up there, can we see where the Mighty Ducks played? Come on, you guys have to have a monument or something, its like the only major movie I can ever remember being based in the Twin Cities... I figure if Philadelphia has a Rocky statue... you guys have to have SOMETHING.... Paul totally agrees, too.

:)
 
Well not in the eating arena, but the twin cities is one of the top 5 gaming cities in the US.

And when it comes to food, if you remove the walleye from the table....idk, granite city has great beer and great food, and is a chain that started in st cloud
 
If you are a Mary Tyler Moore fan there is the apartments that they used for the external shots, and there is the statue of her throwing her hat.

The spoon and cherries sculpture is also iconic, its in the sculptor garden across from the walker art museum.

The Mississippi is an important part of MN, there are lots of parks in the cities along the river.

Wabasha Cave are pretty cool. its where all the gangsters and rum runners used to stash liquor, they do swing dancing and tutors and there is a cafe.
 
Well, MN's heritage is commonly referred to as swedish and/or german. Hotdish is a casserole. I don't know of any restaurants that serve it but you'll find various hotdishes in home dining rooms across the state.

Otherwise MN isn't known for a specific food beyond that. We have a good selection of cuisine, don't get me wrong, but there isn't a recognized state dish for you to find in a restaurant.

Really you're better off looking for recognized eateries and working off the recommendations of others.
 
Hotdishes aren't really found in any restaurants... they're a very homey dish. Minneapolis has many wonderful places to eat, though there's not really anything I can think of as a "minnesotan foods specialty place"... mostly because nobody really wants to order hotdish and lutefisk in a restaurant.
 
Be lazy and just take them all to the Mall of America. They have everything there.
 
The Happy Gnome in Saint Paul has the best burger around. It's pricey, for a burger, but delicous. Also they have a huge beer selection for anyone who likes good beer.
 
Speaking of big burgers... I wanna go to Sioux City Iowa just so I can eat at Black Bear diner ._.
 
Meh, it's a chain. You need to find a good greasy spoon somewhere. I'm partial to the Waveland Diner here in Des Moines. Little holes in the wall are the best.
 
satsukirebel said:
Well, MN's heritage is commonly referred to as swedish and/or german.
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Krystals correct on this one. Those are the only two things Minnesota is known for. But that being said, If you got a hankering for some German Schnitzels then a place I know of near my old stomping ground is the Gasthaus (here's a link to their menu & prices -> http://www.gasthausbavarianhunter.com/menu.html). Their pretty iconic for that "old time german" feel.

Now if your looking for a smorgasbord, particularly swedish, that's tougher. Because in my experience, swedish stuff is getting harder to find. And I've been told that ingebretsens deli (over on 1601 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis) is good. But I haven't been there myself.

Now, me personally, I like the all you can eat lunch deal at Akita Sushi & Hibachi over on 779 Bielenberg Dr in Woodbury. And think that the cook it in front of you experience is kind of nice at Osaka Sushi Bar & Hibachi Steakhouse on 1675 County Road C W in Roseville. But knowing Paul isn't into the fish makes these two places sorta problematical, unfortunately.
 
Let me also chime in here being a "recent" transplant from Chicago.

Unlike Chicago, there is no local Minnesotan food that is really iconic (like the hotdog, italian beef, giordanos pizza, etc.). Yes there is lutdefisk, hot dish (think casserole), and other swedish/norwegian "delicacies", but they arn't something I would spend any money on.

However, that does not mean that there arn't any places to get really good food. People in Minneapolis regulary go out to eat (because its so darn cold, eating makes us feel better).

At least that is what I like to spend my money/time doing :)

This is why I asked the leading question in a different post with regards to what kind of food you like, because you can find a restaurant that will make it here.

The Happy Gnome, Muddy Pig, and my personal favorite The Bulldog (located in St. Paul) all serve awesome beers (their beer menus are books to page through) and server good gourmet burgers; the Bulldog has AMAZING tater tots (e.g., wasabi tots, truffle tots, caijun tots).

Outside of that type of food, Chino Latino (Mpls) is a fusion restaurant of Chinese and Mexican food, and is a fun place to go to.

I am also a fan of Barbette (Mpls), it is a french bistro (not 5-star but 5-star food), their eggs benedict and bloody marys are fantastic!

If you want to spend the money, Murrays is my top recommendation. Expect to spend a good chunck, but Murrays is a classic americana steakhouse/restaurant where they serve you meals on china, think going to grandma's for sunday dinner but getting 5-star food (sorry grandma), it is truely an experience worth doing at least once.

There is sushi, vietamese, chinese, ethiopian, italian, french, fusion, fish, steak, burgers, and general "american" restaurants to pick from.

Of course there are tons of chains (applebees, etc.), but there are also so many more options for good food that won't necessarily break the bank. It really depends on what you are in the mood for, and which city you want to hang out in.

If you want more info, or if something catches your eye let me know. The wife and I go out regularly, and while we haven't eaten our way across the cities, we have been around the block once or twice. :)

-Ryan
 
Yeah Murrays sounds awesome ive read about their signature steaks but might be outside of some folks price range.

Paul
 
AllianceCHI said:
Yeah Murrays sounds awesome ive read about their signature steaks but might be outside of some folks price range.

Paul
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If its just the two of you, go for it! It is something one either throws on a credit card, or saves up (think 40-50 dollar steak). As such it is out of my price range right now too, heh.

Another great steak restaurant is Wildfire (but you guys have those in Chicago as well).

-Ryan
 
if you want good meat, catching lunch at Fogo de Chao is amazing. All you can eat Brazilian meat on a stick = win. The house special is bacon wrapped amazingness.
http://www.fogodechao.com/
I recommend lunch for the reasonable price of 25$ all you can eat.

I will also second Chino Latino, amazing amounts of all sorts of food in a fun atmosphere, it's also literally around the corner from the building Stephen, Em, Sam and I all live in.

As for the best burger in town, I'm still going to have to say the Lions Tap in Eden Prarie. It's in the seeming middle of nowhere but is just somehow amazing. They also brew their own root beer which is particularly tasty.

As to hotdish, i believe the Uptown Cafeteria (http://www.uptowncafeteria.com/) occasionally servers it. That place has fun atmosphere and cotton candy!
 
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