Travail - Robbinsdale, MN

Omg. I don't know how else to sum this place up. What a fantastic spot, and in Robbinsdale no less. Since they don't take reservations, two girlfriends and I headed down pretty early so we wouldn't have to wait and good thing we did. We sat down right away at the bar, but maybe 10 minutes after we were nose deep in a glass of wine the list at the door was at least five or six parties long. The service at this place is awesome. Just a bunch of hipster dudes who obviously love food running their own joint which is clearly their dream come true. The chalkboard menus were lengthy in desireable treats, and I think we sampled a good deal of them. We shared a bunch of plates, including the Figlets (bacon wrapped figs - just try to go wrong with that), Bleu Cheese Tots (seriously), Scallops (not my favorite, but only because I wasn't expecting the mushies in the bowl), and Pork Belly with this amazing carrot puree with honey dijon mustard. Now that was pretty amazing. The plating here is phenomenal - you just don't even want to eat anything because it's all so playful and thought out. One of the girls ordered a bowl of the soup de jour, black bean with a cream based sauce and a butter-poached onion ring. YUUUUUM. So creamy and delicious, this soup was so comfy and flavorful that it was really hard not to steal the bowl from my girlfriend. She also ordered Fish and Chips, which were to die for. The fish was so delicate and perfectly prepared, with a light batter that was perfectly done, slices of potatoes and a fried egg on top. There was also a delicious little pile of pickled onions off to the side to act as a cole slaw accompaniment. Tasty. We felt the need for more, and ordered the Italian Sausage Pate Melt. Holy SHIT is all I can say. I was a little hesitant about this one, but the server suggested it so we went with it. It came with some home cut fries which were fried in some delicious meatty fat. But that sandwich, oh man. The perfect pretzel roll with a briny mix of olives or gardiniera or some kind of pickled heaven topped the sausage. This thing was amazing, I have to tell you. Probably the best sandwich I've had in a while, and certainly one I'll crave. Oh but then the desserts. Oh the desserts! We ordered the tasting menu, which was this circus of the most perfect little bites and pieces of sweet and tart goodness. The first was a spoonful of Peanut Butter Sugar Cookie. Need I say more? It was cookie dough, people. Another was a plate of peanut and cherry concoctions, served in multiple ways, oh and of course there was chocolate. Another plate came out in a bowl and the pastry dude poured liquid nitrogen in the Pineapple Fruit Bowl. It looked like a tiny tropical garden, with pineapple and other tropical fruits served a few different ways. The last was the Apple oh god what did they call it, something like Apple Madness or something cute that described it perfectly. Raw apples, apple tart with caramel, apple sorbet, apple and celery foam, baked apple with caramel. Go here. Go to Robbinsdale and just eat here, for the love of God. It will be worth the wait. Every bite was scrumptuous.

Nectar Wine Bar & Bistro - Osseo, MN

Last night I entertained some clients out in Osseo near the office, and we took a group of 10 to Nectar Wine Bar & Bistro. It's a small, local spot that was a bit flustered when we called for a same day reservation for a party of 10 - the place only seats 50. The place was super cute and pretty quaint, located on the main drag in "downtown" Osseo. The decor was a little outdated. Dark curtains and upholstered chairs allows for a darker environment, but the service was friendly and they did a great job with a larger table for such a small place. They have a great selection of wines by the glass, and at decent prices. The specialty cocktail menu looked pretty interesting as well - nothing that jumped out at my taste, but those in our party that tried one enjoyed it. I shared the Hawaiian Poke "Tostada" with one of my coworkers, and we both really enjoyed it. The chunks of tuna were generous and fresh, with a small cabbage salad on a crisp homemade tostada and a little drizzle of a yummy Asian inspired sauce. The serving comes with two decent sized tostadas, and I thought it was perfect to share with my friend. For an entree, I ordered the Hoison-glazed quail with butternut squash risotto. I have to admit, this seemed a bit too autumn-ish for mid-April, but it sounded good so I gave it a try. The quail was okay - the sauce was good, but it wasn't anything I'd order again. The risotta was flavored well but wasn't cooked to perfection. Had a few tough little pieces here and there. The presentation of the meals left something to be desired of a place with a relatively epicurean menu. My neighbor ordered the cioppino which looked pretty tasty, and she really enjoyed it. The spare ribs also looked great (I can't believe I was able to resist ordering that one) but the portions were pretty hefty. We ordered a couple dishes of ice cream to share, and they were okay. Definitely not something I'd write home about or recommend having. All in all though, the atmosphere was very pleasant and comfortable, and it was a nice little find out in the burbs. Off the main dining room there is a tiny little bar that I'm a lot more interested in coming back to visit. Super cute, tiny little spot and with a nice wine menu I would definitely stop by again for cocktails after work.

Urban Eatery - Lake Calhoun

I met up with a few girls at Urban Eatery for happy hour last Thursday. Located in the Calhoun Beach Club, this place has a great vibe and is a perfect spot for an evening drink and nibble. The crowd is definitely an affluent one, not surprising considering the location inside the CBC. There's parking in the building (enter on the East side of the building) and it's only $1 to validate with your server. Huge plus considering the busy locale, and in the summer I have a hard time imagining any available street parking. I had (two) Margarita Locos, a mango jalapeno margarita. This new spicy/infused tequila margarita trend is definitely a no brainer for me, and this cocktail was awesome. Totally refreshing, and the mango jalapeno combo is a great spring or summer drink. The menu was restrained, but had some tasty sounding options. I ordered the steamed pork buns (treats I quickly came to love after traveling to Asia earlier this year). They were pretty good, nothing crazy exciting, but I would absolutely hit this place up again for appetizers and drinks.

Fusion - Uptown Minneapolis

Oh it's been a while. I've definitely explored a few new spots but haven't written in much too long! Two weeks ago I ventured to Fusion in Uptown with a few friends. Not entirely impressive from the outside (the place could do with some more upscale signage, especially considering the $$ we spent), when you enter Fusion it's a pleasant, Asian inspired hot spot. It was cold enough for a few of us to take advantage of the coat check at the door, which is always a nice value-add in the Midwest. I ordered a specialty cocktail with ginger and champagne (youzers...$$$!), which I enjoyed but certainly wasn't about to order another one at those prices. Definitely not worth the price. Our service was great - the server was always there at the right time, but didn't hover too often like some can. The place was bustling, and the lighting was pretty dim so the scene was set for romantic, trendy date night for Uptowners. We ordered a few sushi rolls - spicy tuna (the old stand by) and the Copacetic roll, which has the little crunchies you just love. I thought both were fantastic - I'd definitely go back to try more sushi. The side of edamame was a bit oversalted for my taste. Then we ordered the spinach artichoke dip which is upscaled with truffle oil. Deeelicious! The bread was like this toasted ciabatta type bread that was crunchy and buttery on the outside and soft inside. The menu definitely had a random mix - hence the "Fusion" title. Luckily one of my friends had a Groupon that cut our bill down, but even after the $50 off it was still a pretty steep bill, especially considering we didn't order more than two beverages each and only had a few plates to share. I'd love to go back, but might want to wait for the next Groupon deal.