Reetsy Reviews: Broder's Pasta Bar

I don't think a lot needs to be said about Broder's Pasta Bar in Minneapolis. It seems everyone loves it. Everyone wants to eat there. On the off chance that you've missed Broder's, or weren't aware of their commitment to local foods, here's a little nibble for you.

To start with, you can learn about Broder's and their commitment to local foods on their web page:

"Executive Chef Michael Rostance and Broders' are project partners with City Fresh Produce, a youth program in the Phillips neighborhood, sponsored by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Kaleidoscope that introduces young people to organic gardening, sales, and marketing."

"Mr. Rostance has been a member of the Slow Food Society since 1999. He has combined his love for authentic Italian regional cuisine with a dedication to the use of seasonal, local and sustainably grown products. Riverbend Farms, Thousand Hills Cattle, Hill and Vale Farms and Star Prairie Trout Farm are just a few of his regular suppliers."

As for the dinner we had recently? It was awesome, as usual. And a GREAT date night deal at a mere $26.00. They've got an amazing "After 8" special at Broder's:

"After 8pm" Sundays through Thursdays

two choices of the following pasta:

• penne rosa al rosmarino
• penne puttanesca
• spaghetti carbonara
• stringozzi spoletina
• fettuccine alfredo
• tagliatelle bolognese

add: Italian sausage (hot or mild) or mixed vegetables $2.50
add: chicken $3.50
add: proscuitto di parma $4.00
add: shrimp $5.50

Olive appetizer
Seasonal Salad for two
1/2 bottle of daily selected Italian wine (red or white)

$26.00

The olive appetizer is a simple presentation of assorted olives in a bowl with assorted bread on the side.

Our salad was a delightful blend of mache and arugula with blood orange, pomegranate seeds, shaved Parmesan, and olive oil dressing.

We couldn't resist the clam appetizer (not included with the special): little neck clams soaking in a white garlic-y brine. Here's the thing about the clam sauce at Broder's: I want to eat it with a spoon. It's that good. Seriously. I enjoyed my clams with a glass of Carpene Malvolte prosecco.

I opted for the penne puttanesca with hot Italian sausage for my entree. Spicy, with salty anchovy and caper goodness, this puttanesca aims to please! *wink* It's a Neapolitan blend of macerated plum tomatoes, hot red pepper, anchovy paste, sliced kalamata olives and plump capers. And the sausage does pack a bit of heat.

Gerg ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. The surprising element to this dish was the copious amount of lemon used in the preparation. A truly surprising element in the rather traditional Alfredo.

We topped off our dinner with two small cannoli for dessert (also not included with the special): one filled with gianduia cream with hazelnuts and the other filled with sweet ricotta with pistachios.

Vive bene, Spesso L'amore, di risata molto!

Broders' Pasta Bar
5000 Penn Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55419-1035
612.925.9202

ps - no reservations. Call an hour in advance to add your name to the waiting list.

[where: 55419, Local Foods, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Reetsy Reviews: The Strip Club

St. Paul has something new to offer from the capable hands of the Town Talk Diner dandies, Tim Nivers and Aaron Johnson: The Strip Club.

Boasting "meat & fish" on the windows, you can expect the delivery of said items over and over again inside.

Nivers greeted us warmly as we made our way in from the cold, and we were pleased to see bartender Dan, previously of the Longfellow Grill, behind the bar.

As we sipped wine and waited for our table, we sized up the dinner menu (click on the menu to view a larger JPG):


























Aside from the offerings on the menu, each night features a specialty small plate and a specialty entree. The "grilled meat on a stick" changes nightly as well.

Gerg and I opted for 2 small plates, 2 entrees, tasty wine, and espresso.

The small plates:

If you know anything about gerg, you know we had to order the Ploughman’s Lunch - a good portion of port wine cheese and crackers, French olives, pickled scallions, and grapes. The highlight of this plate had to be the pickled scallions - tangy and salty with a little heat and crunch from the scallion itself. Although we skipped the brandy old fashioned, it would have been a perfect pairing with this plate.

We also ordered a fantastic fried oyster small plate, one of their nightly specials. 4 tantalizing fried oysters served on skewers over a crunchy bed of frisee and seaweed and a creamy pepper sauce. Plump and juicy, the oysters made my eyes grow wide with delight.

The entrees:

Gerg ordered the Thousand Hills Cattle Co. New York Strip with grilled lemon and carrots. For a sauce accompaniment he selected the “Bleu Movie” Northern Lights bleu cheese and scallion sauce. Are you familiar with the concept of destiny? When you think of slices of grilled steak steak nestled under a melty pile of Northern Lights bleu and scallions, think destiny. It was un-%$*#ing-believable.

Gerg paired his steak with a sensational glass of Dusted Valley “Stomp” Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla, WA. Our server, Bill, explained that Aaron Johnson's brother makes this wine out in Washington. It was oaky and dry...right up gerg's alley.

I ordered the Arctic Char, a cousin of trout and salmon. A thick slab of pink fish, similar to a piece of salmon in size, but with a much more delicate flavor than salmon. In my opinion, it is preferable to salmon. The fish was served over a generous portion of lentils, cabbage, spaetzle, and mustard broth. Just the perfect amount of salty and savoury, I thought this dish was interesting. I explained to co-owner Tim Nivers that I'd never tasted anything like that before....a truly unique dish for our neck of the non-woods. He asked if that meant that I didn't like it. I explained that I did like it...that it was a totally new flavor combo to me.

As for wine, I started with the Punto Final Malbec from Argentina - full bodied, but not fruity. I paired my dinner with the fruitier Rojo Mojo Shiraz from Spain, recommended by our amazing server, Bill. When that glass was gone, Nivers brought out some Wente Merlot from Sandstone, CA. I was suspicious, but the merlot came through for me.

Plenty of on-street parking and no actual strippers makes this place appealing for a weekend date. Fortunately for us, gerg made a reservation. Nivers told us the wait could be as much as 2 hours on a Friday or Saturday night without a reservation. Fortunately, they have a bar, and in the tradition of the Town Talk Diner, the bartenders are very good at what they do. The dimly lit dining room is perfect for a date, and the second floor dining area offers an impressive view of the skyline.

Chef J.D. Fratzke, previously of Muffuletta, greeted us as we wrapped up our meal, and we had the opportunity to talk about his passion for local foods and sustainable agriculture. He's pleased that all of their beef is grass fed and hormone-free, supplied by Thousand Hills Cattle Company. Fratzke was glowing as we talked about his new gig and what a more sustainable steak offering meant for the Twin Cities.

"The day this place opened was the happiest day of my life, next to the day when my daughter was born," said Fratzke. "I'm working with people here who are like family to me."

Sparkly skyline + amazing steak + red wine + low lights + hugs from Nivers + smiling chef= dining awesomeness.

The Strip Club
378 Maria Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55106
651-793-6247

ps - the night couldn't have been complete without a nightcap at the Town Talk Diner. We stopped in to say howdy. If you haven't stopped in the Town Talk for cocktails lately, you ought to try their French mulled wine while it's still cold outside.



[where: Local Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota, The Strip Club]

Reetsy Reviews: Seward Co-op Hummus

Most people who know me know I love to dip. If I can dip a chip, veggie, or hunk a bread into a colorful bowl of something or other, I'm a happy gal.

Needless to say, I've tried a lot of dips, and not surprisingly, I'm a hummus lover. Relatively healthful, and definitely satisfying, hummus is great slathered on a sandwich, or perfect for a dip (especially with veggies).

What's hummus? Essentially: chickpeas or garbanzo beans, lemon juice (depending on taste), tahini (optional), salt, and olive oil all blended into a smooth spread/dip. Common flavor additions include: garlic, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomato, kalamata olive, spinach, and eggplant.

Hummus is a staple in our refrigerator. As in, you'll always find it there. And it's gotten to the point where about 100% of the time, it's Seward Co-op's hummus. We've never had a container go bad; it somehow always disappears into our tummies first.

Made on-site with all natural and organic ingredients, the Seward Co-op hummus is the epitome, the quintessence, the EMBODIMENT of the sublime dip. It is thick and creamy, but not blended to the point of puree. It lacks bitterness, a noticeable quality in lesser hummuses. Also, their flavoring is spot on, from garlic and cilantro to roasted red pepper.

Yes, I've tried many, from Holy Land's varieties, to even that Athenos stuff sold at your local supermarket, but Seward Co-op's hummus reigns supreme.

This one time, we tried to try to rip off their recipe (they list their ingredients on the packaging) in an attempt to imitate it. We made a gigantic batch, and then kind of looked at each other with the whole BUMMER expression on our faces. It just fell flat compared to the original at the Seward Co-op.

Hummus Among Us at the Seward Co-op!

Seward Co-op
2111 East Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-338-2465

Reetsy Reviews: The Modern Cafe

On a chilly January night, gerg and I had to drive across town to take my car to the shop. Apparently, my car seems to think I don't need heat in the winter, and that's just wrong.

The good part about taking my car to the shop is that the drive led us directly past the Modern Cafe, so on our way back to the south side, we decided to stop.

The Modern Cafe has a great reputation, and has a commitment to sustainable foods. "The talented cooks at the Modern Cafe use local organic or sustainable food when possible, such as Fischer Farms, Riverbend Organic Farms, Donnay Dairy Farms, Meyer Ranch, Garden Farms [I'm assuming they meant Axdahl's], and Creekstone Farms."

Gerg said one thing that sealed the deal, "mmmmmmm.....pot roast."

Pot roast? What's so great about pot roast? Everything is great about pot roast at the Modern Cafe.

As we were seated, a table of young foxy gals were sitting sipping wine and gabbing as they flipped their hair. I'm being totally serious when I say the server came out with 4 orders of pot roast for their table. In fact, as I glanced around the dining room, at least half of the patrons were eating pot roast.

Gerg said, "I'm having the pot roast, and you're having the squash ravioli?"
I said, "Oh really?"
Gerg said, "Yep."
With that, we ordered.

The pot roast at the Modern is served up on a pile of mashed potatoes, roasted vegetable, caramelized onion au jus, and topped off with a dollop of creamy horseradish sauce. The meat is unbelievably tender and flavorful, and as it's nestled in a bed of comfort food, it's practically the perfect cold weather dish.

The squash ravioli was savory and sweet. It's served up with sage butter, walnuts, and bread crumbs/croutons. It, too, is a great cold weather dish. The walnuts soaked in sage butter are slightly sinful, but so tasty.

Naturally, we had to order one of their side plates. We selected the grilled broccoli with anchovy butter, but the yams with peppers and orange marmalade were not easy to pass up. There's no need to turn your nose up at anchovy butter. It's more salty than fishy, and if you don't try it, you're really missing out.

The Modern offers just enough variety, splitting the menu into soups, salads, "hearty" entrees, and small plates.

Gerg tried to eat only half of his pot roast, so as to save the rest for lunch the following day. That attempt proved to be futile, as he scraped his plate clean.

Go scrape your plate clean.

The Modern Cafe
337 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 378-9882

Good News for Sustainable Agriculture!

Greetings!

I'm happy to pass on the message below from Margaret Krome, who coordinates the National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture's appropriations campaign.

********************************

"Hi friends,

I want to end 2007 by sharing the happy news of the results of your many phone calls, letters and visits on the Fiscal Year 2008 sustainable agriculture appropriations agenda. As you may have read in the paper, last night the House of Representatives signed off on a compromise omnibus appropriations bill for FY08 federal spending.

If you didn't happen to be in a state with a key agricultural appropriator, you can't imagine just hard your brethren in those states really poured on the action this year, with phone calls, letters and congressional visits. The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and our partner advocates want you to know that it made all the difference in the world. In a year with extremely tight budgets, several of our top priority programs got increases.

For example, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program finally got the increase that's been so long overdue, from $16.3 million in Fiscal Year 2007 to $19.0 million in FY08.

The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program had been wrongly treated as an earmark and slashed by 63% in FY07. For FY08 it will be funded at $2.6 million, which is a slight increase over the $2.5 million at which it had been funded for the six previous fiscal years before its funding was cut last year.

The Outreach and Technical Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (the "2501" program) will be funded at $6.4 million, up from $5.9 million last year.

And the funding caps that had been placed on the Conservation Security Program for so long were removed for FY08!

You know that the federal budget is under tremendous pressure. The sustainable agriculture movement is fortunate to have superb lobbyists in Washington. But they would be the first to say that the only way we could achieve gains like these in this budget climate is thanks to your contacting key members of Congress when we ask you to.

So thank you! If you made a call or wrote a letter or signed a sign-on letter when we asked you to do so regarding FY08 appropriations, you can end your year knowing that sustainable agriculture initiatives all over the nation will be better served next year thanks to your action.

Appreciatively,

Margaret Krome, Coordinator
Sustainable Agriculture Grassroots Appropriations Campaign"

Reetsy Reviews: Ristorante Luci

St. Nick stopped by our house in early December and left some spending money for us, so gerg and I treated ourselves to a romantic night out at Ristorante Luci in St. Paul, MN.

Chef Stephen Smith has an approach to food that I haven't found in many Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities:

"We work with local farmers who organically grow fruits, vegetables, produce and meat. Our collaboration goes beyond buyer-seller; we discuss our needs with the farmers and they set out to prepare ingredients that will complement the other flavors in our kitchen.

Everything is made on-site daily at Lucis, including the pasta, bread, and pastries. We make what we need when we need it to ensure that our guests are always getting the best and freshest taste in town."

Organic, local, AND Italian??? cin cin!

We made a reservation for two on a Friday night around 8pm. When we arrived the candlelit dining room was full. This is a perfect date night place. Linens and candles and coziness.

After a brief wait, we were seated and shortly thereafter, homemade breads, Hope Creamery butter, and Col Vetoraz "Valdobbiandene" Prosecco arrived at our table. Cheers!

For an appetizer, we ordered grilled Berkshire pork over polenta with pork au jus. A simple and hearty dish, perhaps lacking in seasoning, but pure in flavor.

The insalta caesar was typcial in terms of presentation, just romaine lettuce tossed in caesar anchovy dressing with homemade croutons. But the dressing was awesome. Packed with anchovy saltiness, it is perhaps my favorite caesar dressing the the Twin Cities.

For an entree, I ordered homemade spaghetti with divers scallops and shrimp. The sauce was tangy and full of cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and white wine. The fresh pasta was top notch.

gerg ordered the 10oz ranch steak. It was served up with a risotto of shitakke mushrooms and fontina val d'aosta. He loved it the risotto. Unlike risottos concocted with asiago or parmigiano reggiano, it wasn't salty at all. Nor was it overcooked.

I paired my meal with a glass of La Rendola Chianti. I have a thing for chianti. It's a love affair. Nuff said. And there is no shortage of chiantis at Ristorante Luci. A nice wine list is always an adventure.

Gerg ordered creme brulee for dessert. It was extremely custardy, which I like. And the sugary topping was thick and perfectly sweet.

Somethings you should know about Luci:

• Make a reservation for weekends. People love this small and romantic dining room.

• 2 For Tuesdays For $40.00: On Tuesdays The Four Course Tasters Dinner is Featured at $20.00 Per Person with the purchase of 2 Four Course Taster’s Dinners (2 For $40.00)

I'm thrilled to have cozy dining room in the Twin Cities serving up top notch Italian with sustainable and local offerings.

Ristorante Luci
470 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 699-825

Reetsy Reviews: The Red Stag

Pardon the lag in posts! We did a bit of traveling and I've really been enjoying home-cooking lately. I've got some clam chowder brewing in the slow cooker as I type this!

I was fortunate enough to have an invitation extended to attend the soft opening of The Red Stag Supperclub in November. And I look forward to returning the favor!

The Red Stag is seated in NE Minneapolis. There's a gigantic red deer head affixed atop the door, which makes sense. It's right next to the place where we bought our bubbler (wink), City Salvage.

And I've got to tell you, local food and sustainability lovers are in for a real treat because The Red Stag is taking it to the next level.

The Red Stag will be the first Minnesota restaurant that not only serves local foods, but is built to meet the standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the national standard for green building.

Their booths are constructed using high performance vinyls made from recycled tape!! You know I go wild for recycling.

ONTO THE FOOD.

Three companions and I sampled 1 appetizer, 3 small plates, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts.

Appetizer!

A daily flat bread appetizer will be featured on the menu. Ours was piled with chopped bratwurst and cheddar.

Small Plates!

The truffle seasoned macaroni and cheese was subtle, tangy, and creamy. True comfort.

The tempura vegetables were served with an out of sight plum sauce.

The Triple Cooked French fries were hearty, but not crispy. More like fork food than finger food.

Entrees!!

I ordered the cioppino. This popular italian fish stew was deeply satisfying, and the broth was a tangy taste sensation. I was bummed that it wasn't served with a soup spoon. I couldn't get the last of the broth out of the bowl!

Gerg ordered the steak. A small but flavorful morsel of 1000 Hills grass fed beef.

Deedot ordered a butternut squash ravioli with duck. I'll admit I'm not a fan of duck...YET. But the ravioli was tasty and tender. I'll add that Deedot had similar issues with the plating choice for his entree, but this is a minor wrinkle.

Dre ordered the chicken. Tender, moist, and savory. It was everything home-cooked chicken should be...except it was at a restaurant.

For dessert?
Crème brûlée and cookies, of course!

We also noticed a stroganoff served with venison rather than beef, called Red Stag Stroganoff. It's sure to be a staple.

And also, if you're a marrow lover, and I know you're out there somewhere, The Red Stag has marrow for you. Lots and lots of marrow.

Overall, we were VERY pleased with the abundance of local foods served that evening. We were also pleased with the libations menu. A sweet old fashioned graces the top of the drink menu...just another nod to our beloved Midwest.

Cheers and welcome, Red Stag!

The Red Stag
509 1st Ave Ne
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 767-7766