A restaurant in our neck of the non-woods has gone out of business. Clicquot Club Cafe has closed its doors.
This was the restaurant housed in the Seward neighborhood's "Orange Crush" building.
It was a cozy, happy little cafe with a smart outdoor seating area and an extensive menu featuring handmade pizzas, paninis, sandwiches, soups, and salads. They offered some organic products including field greens, peanut butter, and coffee. I will miss their giant Dagwood sandwich and their salami/mozzarella panini.
I bought my bulk tea there on more than one occasion - they had an awesome mango green tea that I bought by the jarful.
From their website:
It is with sadness and regret that we have decided to close our doors, effective January 12th, 2009.
After 3 wonderful years we find ourselves in a situation where sales have fallen to unsustainable levels and we have no other choice but to cease operations.
We’d like to thank everyone that has supported us and want our loyal customers to know how much we have truly appreciated you over the last years. It’s been an incredible experience, and serving this community has been the greatest reward anyone could imagine.
Although these are challenging times, we know that there are other opportunities ahead, and we thank you for supporting us through both the best, and worst, of times.
We’re honored to have been part of your lives!
Thank You…
[where: St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Seward Co-op Grand Opening This Week
On this blog I write a lot about restaurants and their intersection with sustainable food.
I suppose I assumed that it went without saying that I am also a home cook. I adore cooking at home, and am enjoying it more than ever now that we received so many rad wedding gifts for our kitchen.
As for scoring food for cooking at home, we shop for our groceries primarily at the Seward Co-op in Minneapolis. It is the closest co-op to our home, and their quality of food has been on point.
At Seward Co-op, they are committed to offering healthful, locally/regionally grown and organic foods. From their Christmas trees to their CSA fair in the summertime, Seward Co-op is more than just a place to buy food though - it's a place fully engaged in building a community.
Our weekly grocery purchases at Seward include Cedar Summit Farm bottled milk, organic eggs from Larry Schultz of Owatonna, pork products from Pastures A' Plenty, all kinds of local and regional cheese, local buffalo and lamb meat, bulk Peace Coffee, and fresh free-range chicken and beef from Kadejan, Beaver Creek Farm, and Thousand Hills Cattle Company. We divide our local (mostly organic) produce purchases between Seward Co-op and the Cornercopia organic farm at the University of Minnesota, St Paul campus.
We are pumped for grand opening of the new Seward Co-op store on Franklin Avenue this week on Thursday, January 8th. We are especially excited for the expanded meat department that will be a part of the new Seward Co-op location.
Highlights/interesting talk we've heard about the new Seward Co-op expansion:
- expanded departments across the board means greater variety across the board, (especially meat!)
- the Deli also will be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the week, as well as a brunch buffet on the weekends
- Coastal Seafoods is assisting in the training of their Meat Department staff
- Bill Baskins, formerly of the Red Stag will be making sausage behind the counter
- Chris Dick, Seward Co-op’s new Meat and Seafood Manager, will be heading the expanded meat department (all fresh meats - except certain
fish - will be locally sourced, Grass-fed and organic meats will be available, as will fish caught using sustainable methods)
- a self-service/grab-n-go case nearly double the size of the current one
- a new Cheese Department, currently featuring 175 varieties of cheese (100 of
which are local!) will see a 40-percent size percent increase in the new store
- a full-service, fresh meat case. The same goes for fresh seafood. Freshly made
sausage and sliced lunch meats will also be available.
- building systems were designed to improve efficiency 17 percent above code requirements
- site will capture and retain at least 90 percent of stormwater for its ample green space
- the new building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified
- money for some form(s) of public art is included in the architectural plan to
maximize the opportunities for including public art
- daylight harvesting equipment
- a rotisserie chicken roaster
- the new space will offer community cooking classes, nutritional education, and education on cooperative structures
- more than 20 percent of the site’s construction materials are made of recycled materials
- green space and greenery are maximized within the constraints of the design
- high efficiency refrigeration and low VOC paint throughout
- this is the first official project under the "Great Streets" program banner in Minneapolis
- while they may need to destroy the current public art project currently on site, Seward Co-op is planning for mosaics to be incorporated into the exterior plan
( For all kinds of information on the expansion, check out their latest newsletter)
------------------------------------------------------
With all the new groceries that I'll be bringing home from the new Seward Co-op, I'm glad I got two new cookbooks from my mom that are aimed at folks interested in sustainable home cooking:
Food to Live By....Myra Goodman offers tempting recipes that combine casual style with the best ingredients in appealing recipes such as Sweet Corn Chowder, Merlot-Braised Short Ribs with Cipollini Onions, Ginger Lime Salmon, Cherry Panna Cotta, and Farm Stand Carrot Cake, to name a few. And woven through it all are Myra’s own fascinating family stories, from the birth of Earthbound Farm and the opening of the Farm Stand and Organic Kitchen, to her thoughts about personal food choices and the way even small choices can make a big difference.
From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce.....was originally created in 1996 by the Madison, WI Area CSA Coalition to help CSA members make the most of the wide variety of produce they received from their farms each week. 17,000 copies later this book has become an indispensable tool for CSA members, farmers, market enthusiasts, and gardeners across the U.S. and beyond. The A-Z Food Book is much more than a conventional cookbook. It includes essays that address the "larger picture" of sustainable agriculture by describing how food choices fit into our economy, environment, and communities as well as information about home food preservation
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
I suppose I assumed that it went without saying that I am also a home cook. I adore cooking at home, and am enjoying it more than ever now that we received so many rad wedding gifts for our kitchen.
As for scoring food for cooking at home, we shop for our groceries primarily at the Seward Co-op in Minneapolis. It is the closest co-op to our home, and their quality of food has been on point.
At Seward Co-op, they are committed to offering healthful, locally/regionally grown and organic foods. From their Christmas trees to their CSA fair in the summertime, Seward Co-op is more than just a place to buy food though - it's a place fully engaged in building a community.
Our weekly grocery purchases at Seward include Cedar Summit Farm bottled milk, organic eggs from Larry Schultz of Owatonna, pork products from Pastures A' Plenty, all kinds of local and regional cheese, local buffalo and lamb meat, bulk Peace Coffee, and fresh free-range chicken and beef from Kadejan, Beaver Creek Farm, and Thousand Hills Cattle Company. We divide our local (mostly organic) produce purchases between Seward Co-op and the Cornercopia organic farm at the University of Minnesota, St Paul campus.
We are pumped for grand opening of the new Seward Co-op store on Franklin Avenue this week on Thursday, January 8th. We are especially excited for the expanded meat department that will be a part of the new Seward Co-op location.
Highlights/interesting talk we've heard about the new Seward Co-op expansion:
- expanded departments across the board means greater variety across the board, (especially meat!)
- the Deli also will be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the week, as well as a brunch buffet on the weekends
- Coastal Seafoods is assisting in the training of their Meat Department staff
- Bill Baskins, formerly of the Red Stag will be making sausage behind the counter
- Chris Dick, Seward Co-op’s new Meat and Seafood Manager, will be heading the expanded meat department (all fresh meats - except certain
fish - will be locally sourced, Grass-fed and organic meats will be available, as will fish caught using sustainable methods)
- a self-service/grab-n-go case nearly double the size of the current one
- a new Cheese Department, currently featuring 175 varieties of cheese (100 of
which are local!) will see a 40-percent size percent increase in the new store
- a full-service, fresh meat case. The same goes for fresh seafood. Freshly made
sausage and sliced lunch meats will also be available.
- building systems were designed to improve efficiency 17 percent above code requirements
- site will capture and retain at least 90 percent of stormwater for its ample green space
- the new building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified
- money for some form(s) of public art is included in the architectural plan to
maximize the opportunities for including public art
- daylight harvesting equipment
- a rotisserie chicken roaster
- the new space will offer community cooking classes, nutritional education, and education on cooperative structures
- more than 20 percent of the site’s construction materials are made of recycled materials
- green space and greenery are maximized within the constraints of the design
- high efficiency refrigeration and low VOC paint throughout
- this is the first official project under the "Great Streets" program banner in Minneapolis
- while they may need to destroy the current public art project currently on site, Seward Co-op is planning for mosaics to be incorporated into the exterior plan
( For all kinds of information on the expansion, check out their latest newsletter)
------------------------------------------------------
With all the new groceries that I'll be bringing home from the new Seward Co-op, I'm glad I got two new cookbooks from my mom that are aimed at folks interested in sustainable home cooking:
Food to Live By....Myra Goodman offers tempting recipes that combine casual style with the best ingredients in appealing recipes such as Sweet Corn Chowder, Merlot-Braised Short Ribs with Cipollini Onions, Ginger Lime Salmon, Cherry Panna Cotta, and Farm Stand Carrot Cake, to name a few. And woven through it all are Myra’s own fascinating family stories, from the birth of Earthbound Farm and the opening of the Farm Stand and Organic Kitchen, to her thoughts about personal food choices and the way even small choices can make a big difference.From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce.....was originally created in 1996 by the Madison, WI Area CSA Coalition to help CSA members make the most of the wide variety of produce they received from their farms each week. 17,000 copies later this book has become an indispensable tool for CSA members, farmers, market enthusiasts, and gardeners across the U.S. and beyond. The A-Z Food Book is much more than a conventional cookbook. It includes essays that address the "larger picture" of sustainable agriculture by describing how food choices fit into our economy, environment, and communities as well as information about home food preservation
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
Monday, December 22, 2008
Tully and Marie's - local foods in Middlebury, VT
On a recent trip out East, my husband and I took advantage of the local foods movement in Vermont to taste some of the best that Vermont has to offer.
On an icy drive through Vermont on Highway 7 in December, we decided to stop in Middlebury, VT. The shire town of Addison County, Middlebury was chartered in 1761. It was settled just after the Revolutionary War. In Middlebury, you can visit a monument to John Deere and his invention of the "the plow that broke the plains." Word.
Charming is an adequate word for Middlebury - especially during the holiday season, when the historic buildings were capped with snow, the fireplaces were roaring, the snow-covered pines were twinkling with lights, and the hand-crafted wines and beers were pouring.
The Vermont Fresh Network helps Vermont farms and restaurants partner to provide the freshest local food at restaurants. We scoped the scene and discovered one such restaurant in Middlebury. We stopped for dinner at Tully and Marie's located on Bakery Lane (isn't that an adorable name for a lane?).
(photo from Mid Vermont Dining)
Tully and Marie's has a bonafied MISSION regarding sustainable foods, and by gosh, they want to share it! Their mission is printed on the backside of the menu, and takes up the entire page. Highlights from the mission include: "Processed foods are shunned....We do not support the Asian farmed (black tiger) shrimp industry which utilizes pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides and ruins good farm land with flooded salt water......We never serve standard commercial salmon because it is raised by unsound methods using overcrowded pens, antibiotics, pesticides, fungicides and even dyed food to make the salmon pink."
We all know sustainable seafood is next to impossible for many species, but Tully and Marie's goes out of their way to do the best they can with what's available, and that was appealing to me.
We selected a cozy diner-style table overlooking the river, and spent some time puzzling over the architecture and decor. Not surprisingly, we started our meal with a large plate of steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels served with scallions & cilantro in a red curry broth. They were perfectly tender, and the tangy red curry broth was tasty, but not overwhelming.
Taking advantage of the sustainable seafood available, I ordered the nightly grilled seafood risotto - Tully and Marie's offers a nightly selection of grilled seafood served over saffron-infused risotto, oven roasted tomatoes & spinach.
My dish consisted of scallops, Prince Edward island mussels, ocean-caught shrimp from Mexico, and organic salmon raised in Scotland using sound aquaculture methods. The roasted tomatoes & spinach nestled underneath the risotto was perfectly paired with the tender mussels and shrimp. The scallops neither added nor detracted from the dish. They were tender, but not particularly flavorful. I could have done without the salmon, as I'm simply not a fan of salmon - no matter how much I try. The salmon flavor was slightly overpowering in the dish, for me, but I believe a salmon lover would like this dish. A seafood craver would find this dish adequate enough to satiate that craving for several months. I paired it with a Raptor Ridge Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, 2005.
gerg ordered the Laplatte Farm’s black angus, naturally raised, hormone & antibiotic free London broil (now that's a mouthful). It was plated with asiago and mushroom risotto and local roasted root vegetables. The beef was tenderized appropriately and prepared nicely. The risotto on gerg's plate was superior to the risotto on my plate. The sharpness of the asiago gave it a blast of flavor that my saffron infused risotto lacked.
We didn't get to try their house made chorizo, which sounded tasty. There was also a Vermont apple crumble pie that was calling our names, but I had a belly so full of seafood that I felt like a shark for the rest of the night.
Tully and Marie's: new American chow meets Art Deco on the river. Fresh, seasonal, sustainable, local food zealots.
7 Bakery Lane
Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-4182
tully@tullyandmaries.com
www.tullyandmaries.com
[where: Sustainable Food, Middlebury, VY]
On an icy drive through Vermont on Highway 7 in December, we decided to stop in Middlebury, VT. The shire town of Addison County, Middlebury was chartered in 1761. It was settled just after the Revolutionary War. In Middlebury, you can visit a monument to John Deere and his invention of the "the plow that broke the plains." Word.
Charming is an adequate word for Middlebury - especially during the holiday season, when the historic buildings were capped with snow, the fireplaces were roaring, the snow-covered pines were twinkling with lights, and the hand-crafted wines and beers were pouring.
The Vermont Fresh Network helps Vermont farms and restaurants partner to provide the freshest local food at restaurants. We scoped the scene and discovered one such restaurant in Middlebury. We stopped for dinner at Tully and Marie's located on Bakery Lane (isn't that an adorable name for a lane?).
(photo from Mid Vermont Dining)Tully and Marie's has a bonafied MISSION regarding sustainable foods, and by gosh, they want to share it! Their mission is printed on the backside of the menu, and takes up the entire page. Highlights from the mission include: "Processed foods are shunned....We do not support the Asian farmed (black tiger) shrimp industry which utilizes pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides and ruins good farm land with flooded salt water......We never serve standard commercial salmon because it is raised by unsound methods using overcrowded pens, antibiotics, pesticides, fungicides and even dyed food to make the salmon pink."
We all know sustainable seafood is next to impossible for many species, but Tully and Marie's goes out of their way to do the best they can with what's available, and that was appealing to me.
We selected a cozy diner-style table overlooking the river, and spent some time puzzling over the architecture and decor. Not surprisingly, we started our meal with a large plate of steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels served with scallions & cilantro in a red curry broth. They were perfectly tender, and the tangy red curry broth was tasty, but not overwhelming.
Taking advantage of the sustainable seafood available, I ordered the nightly grilled seafood risotto - Tully and Marie's offers a nightly selection of grilled seafood served over saffron-infused risotto, oven roasted tomatoes & spinach.
My dish consisted of scallops, Prince Edward island mussels, ocean-caught shrimp from Mexico, and organic salmon raised in Scotland using sound aquaculture methods. The roasted tomatoes & spinach nestled underneath the risotto was perfectly paired with the tender mussels and shrimp. The scallops neither added nor detracted from the dish. They were tender, but not particularly flavorful. I could have done without the salmon, as I'm simply not a fan of salmon - no matter how much I try. The salmon flavor was slightly overpowering in the dish, for me, but I believe a salmon lover would like this dish. A seafood craver would find this dish adequate enough to satiate that craving for several months. I paired it with a Raptor Ridge Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, 2005.gerg ordered the Laplatte Farm’s black angus, naturally raised, hormone & antibiotic free London broil (now that's a mouthful). It was plated with asiago and mushroom risotto and local roasted root vegetables. The beef was tenderized appropriately and prepared nicely. The risotto on gerg's plate was superior to the risotto on my plate. The sharpness of the asiago gave it a blast of flavor that my saffron infused risotto lacked.
We didn't get to try their house made chorizo, which sounded tasty. There was also a Vermont apple crumble pie that was calling our names, but I had a belly so full of seafood that I felt like a shark for the rest of the night.
Tully and Marie's: new American chow meets Art Deco on the river. Fresh, seasonal, sustainable, local food zealots.
7 Bakery Lane
Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-4182
tully@tullyandmaries.com
www.tullyandmaries.com
[where: Sustainable Food, Middlebury, VY]
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sage Student Bistro - a Highlight in Omaha
A recent trip for my day job landed me in Omaha, Nebraska.
There, I had the opporunity to enjoy a dinner a Sage Bistro at Metropolitan Community College.
College cafeteria food? What's so special about that?
Our dinner at MCC was prepared by students enrolled the the culinary arts program. The students prepared local foods dinner for myself and my colleagues, and we were treated to some of the finest grub that Omaha producers have to offer.
On our menu, the chef listed the sources of the ingredients, a rare treat on a menu, and something I truly appreciate.
Our entree was a roasted lamb rack. The lamb was overcooked, sadly. It was still edible, but the star of the dish was the mix of red beans paired with it, which were chock full of slices of amazing Loukanika sausage from Bluff Valley Farms. Loukanika is a greek sausage. Ours was made with ground pork and lamb, and seasoned with orange rind. It was my first time trying Loukanika sausage, and it certainly won't be my last - that's some darn fine sausage! No booze was served during our meal, but guests can carry in their own bottle of wine.
The squash confit was a delight, and something I've never tasted before. The butternut squash was smooth, with a depth of flavor that was charged by the confit technique.
The pear and cranberry crisp was done up right with a brandy-cider flambe that was prepared in the dining room. Pyrotechnics during a meal? Why not? It's a bunch of college kids, afterall. The crisp was served with a creamy french-style ice cream, made with eggs, that was speckled with vanilla bean.
After dinner, the chef offered entertaining stories while we sipped coffee, and it was great to hear about his experiences and relationships with each of the producers featured on the menu.
Details: MCC is the only educational institution in the country to offer a program in Culinology™. Culinology blends traditional culinary arts with food science. MCC ranks in the top thirteen culinary schools in the United States, and the cost of the entire program is only about $3500.
Worth noting: The students at Sage Bistro offer a menu degustation for four people for $145 in their dining room.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
And just in case you're wondering, yes, I did indulge in some Omaha steak while in Omaha. I'm not a steak person, but when in Rome....
I had a 8oz. fillet at Omaha Prime. Located in Omaha's Old Market district, Omaha Prime is one of the few restaurants in the country to serve exclusively USDA prime grade beef. Our group of six was escorted to a beautiful table on the second floor. I was one of two women in the dining room. They do it right at Omaha Prime - white jackets, family style sides, and a spectacle of raw beef presented before you place your order.
I topped my steak with some locally made Maytag bleu cheese and I opted for a Fat Tire Amber Ale instead of wine. It was delicious.
[where: Sustainable Food, Omaha,]
There, I had the opporunity to enjoy a dinner a Sage Bistro at Metropolitan Community College.
College cafeteria food? What's so special about that?
Our dinner at MCC was prepared by students enrolled the the culinary arts program. The students prepared local foods dinner for myself and my colleagues, and we were treated to some of the finest grub that Omaha producers have to offer.
(click on the image to enlarge it)
On our menu, the chef listed the sources of the ingredients, a rare treat on a menu, and something I truly appreciate.Our entree was a roasted lamb rack. The lamb was overcooked, sadly. It was still edible, but the star of the dish was the mix of red beans paired with it, which were chock full of slices of amazing Loukanika sausage from Bluff Valley Farms. Loukanika is a greek sausage. Ours was made with ground pork and lamb, and seasoned with orange rind. It was my first time trying Loukanika sausage, and it certainly won't be my last - that's some darn fine sausage! No booze was served during our meal, but guests can carry in their own bottle of wine.
The squash confit was a delight, and something I've never tasted before. The butternut squash was smooth, with a depth of flavor that was charged by the confit technique.
The pear and cranberry crisp was done up right with a brandy-cider flambe that was prepared in the dining room. Pyrotechnics during a meal? Why not? It's a bunch of college kids, afterall. The crisp was served with a creamy french-style ice cream, made with eggs, that was speckled with vanilla bean.
After dinner, the chef offered entertaining stories while we sipped coffee, and it was great to hear about his experiences and relationships with each of the producers featured on the menu.
Details: MCC is the only educational institution in the country to offer a program in Culinology™. Culinology blends traditional culinary arts with food science. MCC ranks in the top thirteen culinary schools in the United States, and the cost of the entire program is only about $3500.
Worth noting: The students at Sage Bistro offer a menu degustation for four people for $145 in their dining room.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
And just in case you're wondering, yes, I did indulge in some Omaha steak while in Omaha. I'm not a steak person, but when in Rome....
I had a 8oz. fillet at Omaha Prime. Located in Omaha's Old Market district, Omaha Prime is one of the few restaurants in the country to serve exclusively USDA prime grade beef. Our group of six was escorted to a beautiful table on the second floor. I was one of two women in the dining room. They do it right at Omaha Prime - white jackets, family style sides, and a spectacle of raw beef presented before you place your order.
I topped my steak with some locally made Maytag bleu cheese and I opted for a Fat Tire Amber Ale instead of wine. It was delicious.
[where: Sustainable Food, Omaha,]
Monday, December 8, 2008
Kick and Ye Shall Receive: The Himalayan
I've been kicked by Girl Friday!
Grad school, day job, and a tiny food budget have been keeping me out of restaurants and in the kitchen lately, but not so much that I couldn't make it out and around the block to try the new Himalayan restaurant in Seward.
The Himalayan proclaims on their web site: "With a desire to bring authentic Nepalese cuisine to the heart of the Twin Cities, we have now opened Himalayan just across the river in Minneapolis. Come experience the flavors of Nepal, Tibet and India at the Himalayan restaurant with a beautiful view of the Himalayan mountain range. " Himalayan mountain range? In Minneapolis?? Nah. It's just a giant photo of Mt. Everest.
If there's one thing I know about Himalayan restaurants, it's that there's gonna be dumplings, and if there's one thing I know about me, it's that I ADORE all dumplings.
So on a late Sunday evening, gerg and I headed to The Himalayan for one purpose - to eat momos. What are momos? They're steamed dumplings, and at the Himalayan, they're served with "your choice of meat or vegetarian or chicken or yak."
Grad school, day job, and a tiny food budget have been keeping me out of restaurants and in the kitchen lately, but not so much that I couldn't make it out and around the block to try the new Himalayan restaurant in Seward.
The Himalayan proclaims on their web site: "With a desire to bring authentic Nepalese cuisine to the heart of the Twin Cities, we have now opened Himalayan just across the river in Minneapolis. Come experience the flavors of Nepal, Tibet and India at the Himalayan restaurant with a beautiful view of the Himalayan mountain range. " Himalayan mountain range? In Minneapolis?? Nah. It's just a giant photo of Mt. Everest.
If there's one thing I know about Himalayan restaurants, it's that there's gonna be dumplings, and if there's one thing I know about me, it's that I ADORE all dumplings.
So on a late Sunday evening, gerg and I headed to The Himalayan for one purpose - to eat momos. What are momos? They're steamed dumplings, and at the Himalayan, they're served with "your choice of meat or vegetarian or chicken or yak."
We settled at the only open table and scanned the menus. I was conflicted, but after tapping into my love for fried dumplings, we settled on the kothe. What are kothe? They're fried momos! Genius!
The yak kothe are yummy at The Himalyan. They source the yak from a farm in St. Cloud - I'm guessing it's sourced from Hooper's Yak Ranch . Yak are native to the Tibetan Plateau of the Himalayan Mountains, but apparently also like Minnesota. The yak meat at The Himalayan is tender, juicy, and flavorful. Seriously, try the yak kothe...unless you don't eat meat.
While I could have eaten only dumplings for dinner, I noted a Palak Paneer dish on the menu. Palak Paneer is spinach and cheese cubes suspended in a creamy sauce with spices, and it's one of my favorite comfort foods. Now, the paneer ain't like cheese curds, y'all - paneer is a fresh and delicate cottage cheese made from whole milk. The Palak Paneer at The Himalayan was different from others I've had. It was much creamier than others I've had - mouthcoating, rich, flavorful, very comforting on the comfort food scale. I ordered medium spiciness in my Palak Paneer, and it definitely had some heat. I also ordered some garlic naan bread to go with the Palak Paneer, and it was some of the best nan bread I've had in years. These two big pieces of unleavened bread were soft and nicely blistered, and piping hot.
To drink, I ordered a mango lassi. The mango lassi was interesting at The Himalayan. A lassi is a sweet yogurt based drink made with mango in most cases. The Himalayan's version seemed to have a higher yogurt ratio than others I've had, which is ok if you like yogurt, and I do. It was less sweet than others I've had. The yogurty lassi definitely did the job cooling my mouth, which was feeling pretty firey after the Palak Paneer.
The night we were there, they were hosting an event, and they had one table to spare for us. Our service was prompt, despite the crowd.
I'll definitely go back. I want to try the yak momos, the kwati (lentil soup) and the bheda ko masu (lamb curry).
2401 E. Franklin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-332-0880
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Cooqi's Gluten Free Pizza Crusts on Tuesdays at Pizza Lucé St. Paul
From Pizza Luce:
It's true! Due to overwhelming customer demand we're happy to announce that we're now offering a gluten free menu available only on Tuesdays only at our St. Paul location. Beginning Tuesday, October 14th our Gluten Free menu will be offered alongside our regular menu every Tuesday. We're proud to offer Gluten Free pizza crust from Cooqi Bakery in St. Paul. This menu will contain nearly all of our speciality pizzas and toppings as well as some delicious new items such as our gluten free stuffed shells and pasta and Redbridge Gluten free beer.
At Pizza Lucé it is very important part of our culture to serve all of our customers, regardless of whether they're celiac, lactose intolerent, vegan, vegetarian or none of the above. We're proud to offer this new menu! Free free to join us and if you'd like to be updated with information about this special new menu or you know others who might be interested, please rvsp for our gluten free newsletter by emailing us at glutenfree@pizzaluce.com.
Cooqi will be supplying the crusts. At cooqi, "[They] espouse a radical and uncompromising food philosophy, that 'we are what we eat,' and we need to eat great things for our bodies: whole grains, organic, no trans fats, no refined sugars, real ingredients, freshly milled-not just not bad for you, but good for you."[where: Gluten Free Pizza, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Crosspost: jP American Bistro - Closed
I was saddened when I read this today, and I blogged about it on my other blog:
JP’s American Bistro Closed. Tragic.
I don't know anyone who ate there and DIDN'T enjoy it.
JP Samuelson has a fancy for local ingredients and always featured fabulous seasonal dishes. I, for one, wanted to kiss him the last time we were there.
It wasn't the food that caused jP to close. It couldn't have been the food. The food was so darn tasty.
In Dara's blog, JP is quoted saying:
The construction [endless, at Lake and Lyndale] finally got to us. With the economy, the construction, Minneapolis property taxes—after our first year, because the property had been redone, our taxes went up by three-thousand dollars a month. Nobody had budgeted for that. The construction was supposed to happen in one year, but they came back and started on Lake Street, and at some point you have to cut your losses.
----------------
You can read the following statement on the jP website:
We are sorry we have to announce the closing of jP American Bistro after 5 and 1/2 years of serving our community. We want to thank all of the countless people who graced our doors and gave us a chance to serve them. It was a privilege and an honor.
Please stay tuned to our website for future updates. We are sorry we won't be able to serve you this holiday season but for those looking for holiday gatherings contact JP directly.
Once again, from all of staff past and present, thank you for sharing all of your memories, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, engagements, hopes and dreams. With the deepest repsect, Namaste.
jP, Cheryl and Evie
-----------------
BOO! I say, BOO!
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
JP’s American Bistro Closed. Tragic.
I don't know anyone who ate there and DIDN'T enjoy it.
JP Samuelson has a fancy for local ingredients and always featured fabulous seasonal dishes. I, for one, wanted to kiss him the last time we were there.
It wasn't the food that caused jP to close. It couldn't have been the food. The food was so darn tasty.
In Dara's blog, JP is quoted saying:
The construction [endless, at Lake and Lyndale] finally got to us. With the economy, the construction, Minneapolis property taxes—after our first year, because the property had been redone, our taxes went up by three-thousand dollars a month. Nobody had budgeted for that. The construction was supposed to happen in one year, but they came back and started on Lake Street, and at some point you have to cut your losses.
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You can read the following statement on the jP website:
We are sorry we have to announce the closing of jP American Bistro after 5 and 1/2 years of serving our community. We want to thank all of the countless people who graced our doors and gave us a chance to serve them. It was a privilege and an honor.
Please stay tuned to our website for future updates. We are sorry we won't be able to serve you this holiday season but for those looking for holiday gatherings contact JP directly.
Once again, from all of staff past and present, thank you for sharing all of your memories, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, engagements, hopes and dreams. With the deepest repsect, Namaste.
jP, Cheryl and Evie
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BOO! I say, BOO!
[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]
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