Flour Power

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

Chicago's pasta game keeps getting stronger and it may have taken it's biggest jump yet with the opening of Flour Power on Chicago avenue. It's the latest Ukrainian Village restaurant to gather some serious steam pre-opening. Partly bc it's the project of two former Schwa vets and then also due to a crowd sourced kickstarter that allowed Flour Power to open amid the middle of a pandemic and such. It was pretty well covered by the small local food press before opening it's doors with Schwa being a Michelin star holder and all. Chef/Owner Wilson Bauer also worked at former Michelin starred Grace. He met his partner Alice Richter at Schwa and Flour Power is their "baby". They also have a cute 2 year old boy (da boss) and a relative of Alice's helps out. So it's truly a mom and pop type spot.

Newly Opened in Ukrainian Village

I've been to Flour Power more than a few times already. For me good pasta is one of those things I can pretty much always eat and Flour Power makes for a great pickup when I'm not really sure what I want to eat. That's bc I'll usually see their menu at some point of the day while browsing instagram and place an order for pickup later in the day. It's quick, it's easy, and it's quickly become some of the best pasta in the city. If you've ever been to the legendary but no longer open Il Corvo in Seattle than you will most likely be reminded of it on your first trip to Flour Power. I had asked the chef if he'd ever been to Il Corvo which I was wondering bc Flour Power had reminded me so much of it. He was happy I asked bc this is indeed an homage to what many considered the best pasta restaurant in the country. Bauer is from Seattle (or maybe it was spent time there I forget) but either way he's going for what Il Corvo was in a casual spot to grab a really good pasta dish that you likely wont find anywhere else. From the menu which offers three choices a day to the long and narrow inside it has all the feels of Il Corvo. Except the crazy line. You order online through Tock for now. Meals kits are also available.

Daily Menu (9/4)

Though the menu is best viewed online in the days of Corona they still have the daily menu written out on a big piece of butcher paper or whatever. Hopefully we can soon see the day when folks can pop in which I believe you can still do but your best bet is to order online and pick a time. It's already popular and that's easy to understand. Pastas range from well known (linguine) to lesser seen shapes such as lumache (snails) and creste de gallo (rooster) the latter of which can be seen below mixed with creamed corn, red peppers, and basil. That was a summertime stunner in case you were wondering. Though we may never see it again or at least not until next year as the daily pastas on offer are always rotating. Most of the time there's three to choose from and one seems to be vegetarian if not meat free and what not. Great pastas dont need meat but it sure can make a great pasta. That was the case with an order of "Casarecce Lunghe" made with Nduja, heirloom tomato, garlic confit, Pecorino, pine nuts. The pasta itself is cooked al dente every time and always well balanced.

Creste De Gallo at Flour Power

Casarecce Lunghe at Flour Power 

So far there's been quite a few offerings using Mojama which is a Mediterranean way of salt curing tuna. Some people call it 'ham of the sea' and that's a great nickname. I wasn't sure about this delicacy at first but I tried it again in the form of linguini with chile peppers and oil as seen below. Again this is what I loved about Il Corvo. These aren't pastas you see regularly unless maybe you live in Italy where they're making something similar. Even then the produce and everything else here is locally sourced so it's just like a neighborhood pasta spot over there. Heck I already ordered up some lasagna before writing this. I'm going to pick it up shortly. I saw the pic and couldn't resist. Big fan.

Linguine with Corno di Torno Rouille, Mojama, Carabinero Oil at Flour Power

Flour Power
1642 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 363-3066
Website

The Best of 2020*

- Memorable Bites from the past Calendar Year

Nothing was normal this year and neither is my annual year end best of list hence the asterisk in the title. Like everyone else I’m ready for 2020 to take a hike. But the reality is covid won’t be going away forever with it. Dining indoors is still likely to be a no go and even if it’s allowed it’ll take time for people to get comfortable doing so. It’s going to be a long winter. So let’s do our best to continue to get takeout from our favorite spots no matter how sick of it we are. Truth is I’m sick of doing takeout and I’m sick of cooking so I’m planning on taking a sabbatical of sorts for the upcoming colder months. I don't really have a choice bc 1) I cant go out and eat and 2) most people aren't going out to eat so there's no point in encouraging others to do so. Plus takeout just doesn't photograph well nor should it be the only way one experiences a restaurant. The food is never going to be better taking it to go. 

2020 was no 2019 for me

But we still need to provide our favorite restaurants with enough business to survive on. So my first round-up of the past dining year will be a shoutout to the spots that have kept me well fed during the pandemic. Usually I only list places that I posted about in the past calendar year but nothing is normal this year. So it was nice to have some reliable go-to's as far as food. Spots you can always count on. 

The Best of 2020*

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For the second straight year (and maybe longer than that) the dry chili fish filet from New China Station was likely my most ordered item. It's my go-to dish when I'm not really sure what I want. It's location (5 min drive) makes it easily accessible which is part of the reason I get it often but at the same time I don't eat anything I don't want. It seems I find myself wanting this dish more than most others. It's basically comfort food for me at this point and we've all needed extra solace in 2020. 

Quite a few weekends this year have included a 1-2-3 punch that consists of a drive over to Tamales La Bendicion where I pick-up what are maybe my favorite traditional Mexican style of tamales in the city. From there I scoot over to Tacos El Tio where the weekend special consomme con carne remains my favorite prep of birria de res in town. From there it's over to Tacos de Canasta Rossy where they make arguably the best specialty tacos in town. Take a weekend to try this trio in 2021. 

One of the best stories of the past year or so was the return of In-On-Thai now in Uptown. Originally they opened in Lakeview but the building they were renting in was sold to condo developers and almost two years later they re-appeared in Uptown. We went a few times before any of us even knew what covid was and then it came and so did the indoor dining restrictions. There's no outdoor space so they've only been able to do takeout for most of what was supposed to be their return to the top. Well covid didn't stop that from happening completely. They've gained some regular customers myself included as it's become clearer with each takeout they really dont have anything not worth ordering. It's got to be one of the best menus in the city just bc of this. Seriously if it sounds good it probably is. Especially anything that includes fish and all curries. This place is a gem. I thought I posted about it but I guess not. I will in 2021 but read this Mike Sula feature from the Reader in the meantime. 

I was asked to name the best restaurant opening of the year over at Eater (they should be sharing the survey this week). Because of the circumstances I named Flour Power in Ukrainian Village as the years best new restaurant. I didn't get a chance to try as many new spots as I normally would have without a pandemic but this opening was pretty much geared for it whether they knew so or not. Even before covid places like Flour Power were popping up. They make a few fresh pastas a day and that's about it. If you've ever been to the now defunct Il Corvo in Seattle you'd be reminded of it at Flour Power and that's by design. Check their instagram for daily offerings. Every day brings a new menu. 

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Some Chicagoland favorites from this past calendar year that were featured here include the following:

- Tan Tan Men at Menya Goku

- Peruvian Sandwiches at Sanguche 

- American Sandwiches at JT's Genuine Sandwich Shop 

- Hong Kong / Cantonese Food at My Place  

- Sinaloan Seafood at El Rodeo (they recently moved to Melrose Park) 

- Quarantine Food Highlights

- Mariscos at Coco Loco Cevicheria

- Japanese Bar Food at Gaijin 

- Quesabirria at Different Spots (2020's hottest food trend)

- Street Tacos in the Back of the Yards 

- Filipino Food / Pastries at Kasama

- Italian-American Food at Cucina 3 

- Charcoal Grilled Meats at Ed's Kitchen 

- Brazilian Pastries at PiniPico Coffee Co. 

- Exploring the City's West Side Food Culture 

- Tsukemen at Chicago Ramen

- Middle Eastern Food in the South Suburbs 

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Readers can normally count on monthly posts from places beyond the Chicagoland area but 2020 was the year less traveled for many of us. That said I still got the chance to add a few destinations to the 'Chowing Travel Guide' this year: 

Palm Springs isn't exactly a world class dining destination but the burger at Tyler's worth seeking out. The date shakes are also really good as is the Mexican food which has a heavy Mexicali presence. 

Summer in Michigan is always a popular destination for Chicagoan's and that was especially so this past summer. Roadtrips were the main source of travel or so it seemed. We spent some time in Western Michigan which I firmly believe has some of the best beaches (and blueberries) anywhere. We made Grand Rapids our base and I was pretty impressed with Michigan's second largest metro area. There's an amazing beer scene and the food options aren't bad at all. Eat a Wet Burrito or check out Chez Olga if you like spice and Yesterdog if you enjoy Roadfood type hot dog stands. 

We wont call it a travel destination but if you're ever in or around the Peoria area there's always interesting places in towns such as this. If timing allows you to check out Susie's Hot Dogs in Morton it's worth the stop. My pick for '2020 Roadfood Stop of the Year'. 

Omaha Nebraska is one of those cities that doesn't make most peoples top spots they want to visit. But most people don't have a bucketlist that consists of the entire United States. I'd always thought that Omaha had what seemed to be a ton of Roadfood type dining destinations and that they do. Bc we were just passing through I didn't get to eat through it like I would've liked but I enjoyed all three stops I picked which give you an idea of the local food scene. It's a mom and pop type city. 

Another spot checked off my regional American food bucketlist was Denver Colorado. We drove out in October since there was never a better time to go to a spot where there's lots of stuff to do outdoors. But aside from all the great trails and hikes we took - this trip (for me) was also about indulging in the city's signature style of regional American-Mexican food called Den-Mex. I'd always wanted to get my fix of crispy tacos, chile rellenos, and the almighty Mexican Hamburger. Lots of green chile too. 

Lastly I got a chance to add another Mexico destination as we visited the Riviera Nayarit way back in February before the world turned upside down (America still hasn't been turned right-side up). We made Sayulita our base for five days of seafood and sun. I'd go every winter if I could somehow make that happen. For a town of just 3000 people there's some good food to be found. 

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I'd originally thought of making 2020 the final year of S'C'&C but then came corona which has paused the posting twice now in the last year. So I don't want to call it quits while there's a ton of stuff I have yet to post about going as far back as a piece of I've been working on for over five years. So you can expect to see us again in 2021 but probably not for a couple months. But when it's back on - it's on!

See ya next time @chibbqking

Veg-Mex Fajitas

-Redeye Chicago Virtual Kitchen Stadium

Here we are a week later in round 3 of Redeye's virtual kitchen stadium competition. Last week both sets of brackets were given fruits (cherries and Tamarind) as the secret ingredient and chibbqking advanced with a vote from Rick Bayless-so four remain of the eight total. This week the chairwoman threw what looked to be a 82 mph fast ball with no movement whatsoever right over the plate when she announced the secret ingredient over the redeye munchtime twitter page was...alcohol. But upon further review it was a nasty curveball when she announced it had to be a vegetarian dish. Dairy, eggs and cheese were allowed but no red meat, seafood, chicken etc...no animal/crustacean flesh whatsoever. I think that I at least made contact and might of hit a double with warning track power with her pitch so let me know what you think.

Redeye Virtual Kitchen Stadium Cookoff

Secret Ingredient: alcohol (vegetarian dish)

When I first read the secret ingredient I was oh so very excited...my head started dancing with ideas, I thought about Caribbean rum glazed barrel cooked chicken, shrimp de jonghe, hell I could of entered my award winning chili since I use beer in it. I was ready to do something BIG. I was so excited that at first I didn't even read on and then when I looked at my twitter page and saw that my opponent had posted that he loved the secret ingredient but wanted to know what was up with it being veggie only? So then I knew it was too good to be true...I need to cook a veg-head dish? no red meat?!?!? no seafood? no chicken? no animals at all?

You read the site! its rare that when a recipe is posted that it includes only one meat and not two or three of them.

I needed to put something together that I know I would eat. I rarely eat a meal without meat-hell I dont ever eat a snack without meat and so I decided to do a rendition of one of the only all veggie meals I can stand to eat...fajitas. Just like everything else vegetables taste better when grilled and fire is used in cooking them. Add in some refried beans, sour cream, salsa and whatever else floats your boat and throw it all on a fresh grilled tortilla and it becomes edible. The best part about this recipe is you can use your favorite veggies or whatever is fresh and in season at your local farmers market.

A popular marinade for chicken fajitas is anything lime and tequila based so for my marinade I decided to whisk together both lime juice, tequila for the alcohol, salsa verde for kick, cilantro and some shallots, spices and marinate my assortment of fresh vegetables in it. I then would char grill the veggies place them on a tortilla layered in bean spread and serve it with a fried egg, rice and a light corn salad, rum glazed fruit kebabs and a Michelada to soak it all down.

Rum Glazed fruit Kebabs

medium sized diced assortment of fruit

-mangos, watermelon, pineapple, strawberries

cinnamon sugar

soaked skewers

for the glaze combine one part water, one part sugar and boil until sugar dissolves. Cool down and add one part rum.



^Load skewers with fruit and brush with glaze and grill immediately until charred edges show. Make these immediately after charring veggies for fajitas. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.

KingT's Veg-Mex Fajitas

assortment of fresh bell peppers (red, orange, green, yellow) Cut in strips

jalapeno peppers- cut in strips

zucchini- cut in coins

green onions- cut in 4 inch pieces

white mushrooms-quartered

poblano peppers-roasted over charcoal, peeled and cut in strips

few ears of shucked sweet corn

flour tortillas

refried bean spread

Mexican crema

Fire-Teq-Lime-Cilantro Marinade

1/2 cup salsa verde

2 oz. tequila
2 oz lime juice
1 shallot-finely minced

5 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp fajita seasoning

^Whisk everything together and set aside.

^Place all chopped veggies, whole poblanos and shucked ears of corn in a bowl and pour marinade over top and toss to coat.

Let sit for anywhere from an hour to two hours. About 45 minutes before you want to put them on the grill set the grill and make sure you use a vegetable basket to char the veggies so the pieces dont fall thru the grates.

^First thing to go onto the grill when ready are your whole pieces of sweet corn and poblano peppers-roast both until done. Place poblano in a paper bag and seal it so no air gets out and let sit for 30-45 minutes.



^After sitting-take out poblano, scrape off the skin and cut into strips. Stand corn on one end and with a knife top to bottom scrape off the kernels and throw them in a bowl with poblano strips.

^Grill your veggies until nice and charred about 15-20 minutes-and place them in the bowl with poblano strips and corn kernels and mix everything together.

Take a grilled warm tortilla and layer it with refried beans and place veggies on top and serve with salsa or hot sauce and crema as fajita toppings. Mexican rice and corn salad a sides. Place your fruit kebabs on the side.

Fried egg optional-I had to get something manly in there.

Any Mexican beer with a lime or a nice Michelada (Mexican bloody Mary) will do for a nice beverage to go with your meal.

^Enjoy on a nice summer day.

Get over to this link HERE and vote for me thru Thursday morning. The contestant eliminated by Chef Bayless with the most votes gets to come back Leave votes for Titus/chibbqking in the comments section. Holladay.

Eating BIG in Minneapolis

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Local Eats of the Twin Cities

I hadn't been to the Twin Cities since my last post from back in 2012. So when my fiancee told me she wanted to drive there to check out wedding dresses I obliged. To me a six hour drive is nothing and I'd heard nothing but good things about the food scene since my last visit so I was down to spend a weekend eating and drinking. Luckily for us the weather had just started warming up so it was in the low 50's which is basically sandal weather for the people in these parts. I have no interest in visiting during the winter. But when it's warm, or not freezing, Minneapolis is very nice.

Fika

First stop I found thru this thread, thanks to those that posted the positive info. I love this trend of hip and happening restaurants opening up inside of museums and cultural centers. Located inside the American Swedish Institute, FIKA is a Swedish focused cafe putting out great plates of food as well as house infused Aquavit. Usually I take a picture of the menu so I can remember exactly what we ate but I forgot to here nonetheless I never forget to take a pic of whats on the plate.

Brussels Sprouts - I prefer my sprouts crisp and these were roasted until soft but still good with a creamy sauce and some chopped nuts did a little add crunch.

Potato Dumplings were as soft as can be without totally falling apart and that was impressive. The combination of slivered apples and roasted peanuts is usually something I find at Thai spots but as this dish showed it works great in all forms of food.

Smørbrød of Seared Salmon over Rye was fantastic even though I'm not a big cooked salmon fan. The Dijon Mustard sauce really made the salmon shine in my mind.

Bachelor Farmer Cafe

I didn't get a chance to try the Bachelor Farmer on this trip but I did shoot over to their new cafe showcasing coffee and all sorts of baked goods with a Nordic influence. Not a coffee drinker, nor a big sweets in the morning guy. That said they also have a Smørbrød (open faced sandwich) section and the smoked salmon with pickled veggies, dill and mustard was calling my name. I love the combo of smoked salmon and dill which I just mentioned it in the Seattle thread. This was good enough to get another but alas there's always another spot coming.

Scandinavian Style Open Faced Sandwich

When it comes to regional eats Minneapolis has some interesting options. Aside from all the Norwegian eating options there's also quite a few Somali spots. This would be due to Minnesota having what might be the most Somalian refugees of any US state. I read somewhere that 1/3 of US born Somalis live in Minnesota so that would make sense.

Afro Deli & Catering

This place too is part of a cultural/developmental center designed to help the well being of newly arrived refugees. The Somali restaurateur and the center split the profits so you're helping a good cause when you eat here. Two good things come of one as the food is pretty damn good. There was a steady mix of college kids and local Somali people and never were they not taking orders. I got an excellent steak sandwich made with thin/tender beef spiced up with African seasoning and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and Swiss. The soft but stable focaccia was perfect for this tasty concoction. A Samosa was also enjoyed.

Somali Steak Sandwich and a Samosa

Strip Mall dining time. I took an early morning ride to the suburb of Burnsville to get my day started with a Somali style breakfast.

Tawakal Restaurant

Early Sunday morning so a few locals and their young sons were in there watching some soccer. I decided to go with the beef suqaar which is a popular breakfast made with cubes of meat mixed with veggies. It's comes served with injera which is a flat pancake to scoop up the meat and eat. Tender well spiced beef and veggies with a tangy sauce served on the side was a great way to start my day.

Beef Suqaar with Injera

Continuing on with the International regional eats offerings I was surprised to find a handful of Tibetan and or Nepali restaurants and as regular readers know I love me some momo. So I had myself a little momo-off. Aside from Jackson Heights in Queens I'm not sure there's anywhere with a higher concentration of momo options. There's actually a Nepalese tea spot coming to Chicago in Logan Square and the family behind it owns a joint in Minneapolis but I didn't make it to that spot. I did get to three others though.

Gorkha Palace

I had wanted to eat an entire meal at this spot featuring Nepali, Tibetan, and Indian food made with local ingredients but it wouldn't happen. I can only go so far when it's basically just me so I stuck with a half order of momo made with local bison meat. This was probably my favorite of the trio I tried as the meat itself was very clean tasting. I've ate my fair share of Nepalese Dumplings and a common characteristic new to me at all these spots was big chunks of green onion as opposed to finely diced-in with the meat which is what I prefer. Nonetheless I love the combination of fresh herbs spices used including cilantro, coriander, and Turmeric. The commonly served on the side dipping sauce is usually a mild tomato and cilantro blend as was the case here.

Bison Momo

Moving onto the next spot I just so happened to be driving by and it was on my hit list so I stopped in for an order of momo to go.

Himalayan Restaurant

This place just smelled great with all the smells coming from the kitchen and what not. Again another spot I would've liked to further explore the menu but a half order of lamb momo was all I was good for. Another nice example, though I'll always prefer beef over lamb when it comes to these dumplings. Like the first stop the insides of these had nice sized chunks of greens to go alongside the meat. The tomato-cilantro sauce really is the perfect compliment to an order of momo.

Lamb Momo

Last dumpling stop up was a place that was open late and doubles as a bar so that made it within reach. When I stopped in there were quite a few drinkers on what was a pretty mild weathered Saturday night.

Tibet Kitchen

Even though these ones here were made with beef they were my least liked of the three. The wrapper itself was too rubbery while the beef was just a ball that often fell out after first bite. I wasn't asked about any preferred style of sauce but ended up with a damn spicy dip that pretty much took over the flavor profile when used.

Beef Momo

Then there's the American style regional eats. Cant do a trip to the Twin Cities and not stop for a Jucy Lucy and since I never had never been to Matt's now was my time.

Matt's Bar & Grill

I've had a Lucy at The Nook over in St. Paul years ago but never one from Matt's (Since 1954) which many say is the original. Many also say it's the best and there's been good word spoken here about it so I wanted to make sure I got in. Good thing I had a couple days because on Saturday when I stopped by sometime mid-afternoon the place had a line to the point where there were a few people waiting outside. Popular spot so plan according, I got there around 11:30a on Sunday and scored a seat at the bar.

The Grill at the end of the bar

Wisconsin tavern setup with the grill being in visible sight at the bar but there's to much traffic to make the bartender the grillmaster so each one held is held down by someone. I wanted as the grill guy remove and then reload the grill as many burgers as he could with each passing round. He was a natural. After a few rounds my wave came up and I had plenty of time to get a pic as you'll burn the shit out of your mouth if you don't wait for the cheese inside to cool down. The Jucy Lucy seems like such a simple burger, and it pretty much is, yet none of the imitators come close to the ones I've tried in the Twin Cities which is weird because you'd think it'd be pretty easy. Great bar burger. Make sure to go grilled with the onions, don't think it'd be the same without 'em.

Jucy Lucy

The Twin Cities also has a little bit of a roast beef sandwich culture and when out in da burbs I spied a place specializing in it.

Penn Lake Roast Beef

Turns out the owner from here used to work at another local spot called Wally's which was closed so I was never able to try it and see how they compare to here and also Maverick's which I stopped into last trip upthread. Special deals on the day I was in so I got two for $5. Considering the price this was a pretty good sandwich. Real, red at that, roast beef sliced to order and served with bbq and horseradish sauce on a lightly toasted burger bun. I can get down with that.

Roast Beef Sandwich

I like the old school roast beef spots but if you want one of the best roast beef sandwiches you'll have head to this new school butcher.

Clancey's Meat & Fish

Clancey's is pretty much like all the other new-school butchers and I mean that in a positive way. They got everything from custom cuts to duck fat and all the other good stuff I was hoping to find some walleye to throw in the cooler and take home but none this trip in. They also make sandwiches with house roasted meats and the roast beef gets lots of love online. I'm clapping with the rest of the applause as this was a masterpiece. Thinly shaved rare roast beef dressed to my liking in a fantastic locally baked bread roll. Deli sandwiches from your local butcher don't get much better.

Roast Beef Sandwich

MSP also has a good pasta culture going on and Italian is heavily enjoyed by both of us so we went around and checked some spots out. Though in hindsight I wish we returned to that which we knew because I didn't think either was on the same level as Bar La Grassa.

ie Italian Eatery

Stopped in here upon arriving in town on Friday night. It was packed and they pack them in so there were tables and chairs everywhere. In some cases good (near the open air kitchen) and in other cases not so much (near the bathroom). We were squeezed in at a small table amongst the bar area, the size of the tale made it somewhat hard to eat. Food was ok. Like I said it just didn't wow like Bar La Grassa did on a past trip.

Pan Fried Artichoke Ravioli - Housemade Ravioli with artichoke, ricotta, lemon, white truffle oil

Mushroom Cappelletti with Crème Fraîche, whiskey barrel-aged shoyu, roasted mushrooms, thyme

Bucatini with Housemade Fennel Sausage, Smoked Paprika, White Wine, Pecorino

Scena Tavern

Popular spot for food and booze here and it was Happy Hour so we were there. Drinks were good as was an order of bucatini that we ate up off the Happy Hour menu.

Bucatini with 'nduja, egg yolk, garlic, herb, breadcrumbs

We also stopped for Happy Hour at a locally liked taco and margarita spot as I always try and doc a taco stop or two on each trip away.

Sonora Grill

The menu features a bunch of options but I could only muster up the appetite for one and settled on the hot shrimp tempura and made sure to ask for housemade flour as opposed to the standard store bought corn tortilla. Not sure why they even bother with the corn when taking the time to make flour in house. This was a massive taco and couldn't be ate as was which was fine since I just nibbled on a few pieces of the fried shrimp until it could all be folded over and ate like a taco. It was enjoyed but the margarita was not.

Hot Shrimp Tempura Taco

I had Spoon & Stable as an option for cocktails and then when we saw they do a Saturday night taco special after 10pm we decided to to head over.

Spoon & Stable

Really nice and thus very popular. We were lucky to snag some seats at the bar around 9:45p but the place quickly filled to the point where it was at capacity. Even with the crazy crowds the bartenders were on point with the drinks. All four scored A's on my report card. The Saturday night taco special changes weekly and this week was a mix of Midwest and Mexican. Modern Chef flavors on homemade tortillas are what these were and they were delicious.

Duck Carnitas Tacos with red mole, ramp salsa & fried cheese curds

Last stop up was on the way out in St. Paul. Lots of good words out there spoken on Saint Dinette the Upscale style diner ala Au Cheval.

Saint Dinette

Luckily for us there were no crazy lines or anything, plenty of people dining in but still room at a few tables and the bar where we took ourselves a seat. I ate a Jucy Lucy earlier in the day and just didn't have it in me to try their lauded double cheeseburger which looked absolutely delicious. If I hadn't had a 6 hour ride home upcoming I would've dove in without hesitation. So we split a few things that sounded good to here, all of it good to both us. The made in-house bologna sandwich was super sandwich material while the crispy smelts were terrific and the fresh crinkle cut fries pretty much a Superdawg replica. A place I'll probably make it back to, hopefully with enough eating power to get both the burger and that bologna. See ya next time.

Fresh Crinkle Cut Fries

Fried Smelt with Remoulade

House Bologna Sandwich with a Fried Egg added on

The Insides

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Fika
2600 Park Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 871-4907

Bachelor Farmer Cafe
200 N First St
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 206-3923

Afro Deli & Catering
1931 S 5th St
Minneapolis, MN 55454
(612) 871-5555

Tawakal Restaurant
12609 Nicollet Ave
Burnsville, MN 55337
(952) 500-8954

Gorkha Palace
23 4th St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
(612) 886-3451

Himalayan Restaurant
2910 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 332-0880

Tibet Kitchen
1833 Nicollet Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 872-8663

Matt's Bar & Grill
3500 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 722-7072

Penn Lake Roast Beef
8911 Penn Ave S
Bloomington, MN 55431
(952) 681-7430

Clancey's Meat & Fish
4307 S Upton Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55410
(612) 926-0222

ie Italian Eatery
4724 Cedar Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 223-8504

Scena Tavern
2943 Girard Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 200-8641

Sonora Grill
3300 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 722-2500

Spoon & Stable
211 N 1st St
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(612) 224-9850

Saint Dinette
261 East 5th Street
St Paul, MN 55101
(651) 800-1415