Reetsy Reviews: Jay's Cafe

gerg and I ate a late breakfast at Jay's Cafe in St. Paul in August.

I drive past Jay's Cafe almost everyday and was all about checking it out.

Apparently, Karl Gerstenberger is wild for locally-sourced ingredients, which is a reason for a sustainability gal like me to give myself whiplash every time I drive by Jay's...I'm always trying to peep the menu on the board outside.

On a rainy Saturday, we darted between raindrops and grabbed a little table. Peace coffee (of course) and the Saturday comics were our appetizers as we scanned the brief and reasonably priced breakfast menu. The atmosphere was unremarkable and definitely unpretentious.

We ordered the "Surfer" Burritos - a burrito with eggs, avocados, salsa, cheese, and tomatoes. Savory and acceptable.

But the home run, out of the ballpark dish was the Apple-Carmel French Toast - we're talkin' thickly sliced Ciabatta bread french toast served up with diced apples, drizzled with caramel, and then topped with real whipped cream and maple syrup. A "big up yourself" goes out to the Gods who looked down upon Jay's Cafe when this was served to us. I thank ye.

We made sure to check out the art. Since we spend 1/3 of our free time in hardware stores, the photographs of the local Noll Hardware were pretty interesting to us.

I chatted up our server before we departed, and she indicated that the most locally sourced menu at Jay's was the dinner menu.

You know I'm all about trying the Organic Cantaloupe Soup with ricotta dumpling and scallion oil for $6.

Jay's Cafe

791 Raymond Av
Saint Paul, MN 55115
Phone: (651) 641-1446

[where: 55406]

Reetsy Reviews: Mill City Market

Not too long ago, I read that olive oil was available for sale at the Mill City Market. What's up with that? Olive oil isn't produced locally.

I went to the market to check out the olive oil situation this sping, and sure enough - Valli Dell'etna Olio di Oliva representatives were there slinging 4 varieties of olive oil. Very tasty olive oil, I might add. You might remember Valli Dell’Etna from the Strib's "The Taste 50" this past May.

Not to jump to conclusions, I asked the sales rep, Josephine Mangano, a few questions. The lowdown: Valli Dell'etna Olio di Oliva is, in fact, produced in Sicily by her family. It is then shipped to Minneapolis and distributed and marketed locally by Josephine. That's when I slammed on the brakes.

Perplexed was I because my understanding was that the Mill City Market was distinguishing itself through its mission for local foods: "Our mission is to promote local, sustainable and organic agriculture, increasing economic opportunities for farmers, urban youth, small businesses and food artisans. To offer experiential learning about and access to healthy local foods, and build a vibrant gathering place for Minneapolis residents and visitors." It's a neat little market right next to the Guthrie.

There was no question, for me, about the quality of the Valli Dell'etna olive oil. I just couldn't understand why it was being sold at a "local foods" market. "Perhaps I missed the boat entirely on this one," I thought to myself, "maybe Valli Dell'etna falls under the 'small business/food artisan' aspect of the Mill City Market mission." But I couldn't shake the feeling that Valli Dell'etna somehow didn't fit in with the rest of the local farmers and producers at the market.

I decided to see if Mill City Market had any info on their web site about their definition of local foods, but couldn't find much. I couldn't find Mill City Market's guidelines for farmers and producers on their web site either. "Perhaps the fact that the product is being distributed locally by the same family that produces it in Silicy makes Valli Dell'etna a local, small business," I speculated.

So I took some time to think about the general definition of local foods. My understanding of local foods is the standard: "foods that are produced locally." But what about a small, family operation like Valli Dell'etna? I know it's a small artisan operation, but should it be considered "local" in the scheme of things?

Sure, olive oil can be called organic, and even sustainably produced. But local?

SO...this is where I'm at now: Overall, does Valli Dell'etna's presence at the market broaden or compromise the "local foods" message of the Mill City Market?

This dialog I had (with myself and gerg) reminded me of Pollan's piece about "local" foods, "No Bar Code". He encountered an organic producer who wouldn't ship him a broiler chicken because "shipping meat all around the country" wasn't sustainable. Says Pollan, "By definition, local is a hard thing to sell in a global marketplace. Local food, as opposed to organic, implies a new economy as well as a new agriculture—new social and economic relationships as well as new ecological ones. It’s a lot more complicated."

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07/23/07 UPDATE (in a message from Sandra): "I got the skinny from Marjorie who runs the Mill City Farmer's market: all of the meat and produce is guaranteed to be local but they are making exception on some specialty items, such as the olive oil. No worries on the meat/produce front though."

Reetsy Reviews: Chipotle

Of COURSE I've eaten food purchased at Chipotle.

Of COURSE I've enjoyed said food and appreciated their committment to fresh, natural ingredients.

I've read this on their menu: "Our naturally raised meats are free of antibiotics and added growth hormones, fed a vegetarian diet and humanely raised." I rarely eat "meats," but I appreciate the effort. I've also heard IIII rave about Chipotle more than once. So bascially, Chipotle has a favorable reputation with me.

Until this past summer, I wasn't aware of Chipotle's FOOD WITH INTEGRITY committment, which makes me give Chipotle the ol' doubletake cuz sustainable agriculture activism gets my butter churning.

Naturally raised pork, chicken, and beef are part of their mission to provide natural foods. The hard part is finding enough of it to go 100%, so says Mike Fuller, a marketing consultant with Chipotle: “'We’re really proud to offer naturally raised meats but we can’t get enough of it,'” said Mike Fuller, a marketing consultant with Chipotle. “'We’ve proven there is a demand for this kind of food and funding these research initiatives would make it possible for us to get more of these products locally.'” (quote lifted from the Land Stewardship Project Newsletter)

Fuller testified before the Senate High Ed Finance Committee on the need for more sustainable livestock research at the U of M, along with others, including livestock farmer Paul Sobocinski and Kathy Sheran.

So no, I'm not going to give up the unknown whatnots of the local fair in my neck of the non-woods, despite my uncertainness, but I will give Chipotle a high five and exclaim, "that red chili tomatillo is tasty! I'm coming back for more!"

Reetsy Reviews: Galactic Pizza

I remember when I first moved to Minneapolis, I saw goofballs driving around in wacky 3-wheeled cars wearing capes.

I was all "What's up with that, gerg?!?"
And gerg was all, "Oh, that's the Galactic Pizza delivery driver."

photo swiped from their web site.





















So one night, gerg and I wanted to grab a slice, and we called Dre (our local pizza connoisseur).

Dre recommended Galactic Pizza, which neither of us had tried. We hopped on our Nighthawk, parked by the VFW on Lyndale, and sat inside for some za and a Caesar salad. And let me tell you, we weren't disappointed. Plus, we saw the flying pizza dude come in a from a delivery wearing a cape. SCORE!

From their menu to the methods they use for disposing waste, Galactic Pizza is ahead of the curve when it comes to being green.

Native ingredients are a priority.
THE PAUL BUNYAN PIZZA - "This is a very special pizza. The first of its kind. All of the toppings have been selected based on the fact that they are native to the Minnesota ecosystem, giving it a unique flavor that is truly Minnesotan. It starts with our homemade tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese, morel mushrooms, wild rice, and bison sausage."

Activity within the community is a priority.
SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND PIZZA - "Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, roma tomatoes, garlic, and fresh organic basil. Every time you order this pizza we will donate $1 to Second Harvest Heartland, Minnesota's largest hunger relief organization."

Community supported agriculture is a priority.
THE CSA PIZZA - "We have contracted with the Natural Harvest CSA to buy their fresh seasonal crops for this pizza. The crops rotate so this pizza changes with the output on the farm. Please ask what the current CSA pizza is. Also, if you would like information on what Community Supported Agriculture is, or how you can join the CSA program at Natural Harvest, please ask us and we'll let you know."

This past Friday night, we rode our bikes down to Galactic Pizza for a second visit via the Greenway (it's directly off the Greenway on Lyndale) to meet up with Reed and Sarah. Once again, the pizza was tasty. Their awesome green approach to business, a nice crispy crust, a zesty tomato sauce, the goofy outdoor seating with grass umbrellas, reasonable prices, and the variety of pizza toppings will keep me coming back.

Galactic Pizza - "Pizza with a Conscience"
2917 LYNDALE AVE. S.
UPTOWN MINNEAPOLIS
612-824-9100

Reetsy Reviews: The Craftsman

This past April, gerg and I had the pleasure of an impromptu dinner with good the ever-awesomeIIII and Dre (great hat) after a UW Oshkosh alumni reception.

IIII was interested in heading to our side of town and checking out the Craftsman. Although we've enjoyed cocktails there, gerg and I had never dined there, so the opportunity was very very.

Seated at a gargantuan booth in the back corner of the restaurant, we pored over the menu.

gerg was tempted by the flat iron steak, but opted instead for the Fisher Farms pork chop, served with a surprising grilled maple sausage. He said his favorite part of the dish was the new potato with cipollini onion gratin, and I tried it, and it was tasty, but I was a little concerned about why the best part of his $23 meal was a side item. I had the oven roasted polenta with a fall vegetable ragout made with cauliflower and (perhaps turnip) greens. The ragout was buttery and not particularly seasoned. The polenta was fluffy, creamy, and totally satisfying. Worth $17? Prolly not, but it was delicious. I think IIII and Dre enjoyed their eats, but I didn't beg a critique from them.

"The Craftsman Restaurant uses only the freshest ingredients. Whenever possible, we purchase our products directly from local growers and producers who use responsible and sustainable methods of production." - from the menu.

A good amount of regional fare is on the menu - along with organic and chemical free. They strive to use local, independent growers and producers, and that's evident in their menu. Star Prairie rainbow trout, Fisher Farms pork and bacon, Wild Acres pheasant and duck, Hook's bleu cheese, grass fed lamb and beef, and an emphasis on seasonal produce give a sustainable agriculture girl (that's me) a good feeling.

The interior gives a nod to prairie design, I thought of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin design when regarding their seating and light fixtures. The open space might be a little too open for an intimate dinner. Service was friendly. Our server forgot to water our glasses until after he brought out our drinks, but I forgave him because he cracked a joke about my leftover nametag from the alumni event. Also, he raved about an NA beer, which gerg said wasn't particularly tasty. Then again, good-tasting NA beer isn't easy to find.

4300 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: 612.722.0175