Duluth Restaurant / Bar Reviews (houses, neighborhood, buy)

[tvdxer]

Let's start a thread in which local bars, bars & grills, watering holes, restaurants, cafes, diners, teahouses, taquerias, and pho stands are reviewed.

I ate with my mother at the Duluth Grill (27th Ave W & Michigan Ave) in the Lincoln Park area last night, after finding a closed Randy's Cafe. The amount of their menu options was exhausting and I had a hard time choosing what to order. Eventually, I decided on the Braised Lamb Shank in Curry and Tomato Stew ($16.99); my mother, the Everything Omelet (about $11), which came with a free side of your choosing (pancakes, french toast, cinnamon roll, etc.) She chose pancakes. Service was good, although a bit intrusive at the start and end as they were going to close at 9 (we got there at about 7:40); the food came out impressively soon after ordering. The Braised Lamb was amazing, with a definite Indian influence mixed in with fresh cilantro. The Everything Omelet was also very good, and the pancake was as you would expect a pancake to be. I was anticipating the bill with foreboding until I received it and was delighted to see that our meal was only $33. My mother and I proceeded to leave, and were very impressed at their parking lot garden...these people are truly committed to "local ingredients" - it's not just something they put on their menu to be stylish! After that we took a brief walk in the surrounding neighborhood, which has certainly seen better days.

This was not my first time at the Duluth Grill. I ate there a few times when they were affiliated with the Ember's chain, as my mother had a few $100 gift cards at the time. The food was much cheaper then but the menu and quality inferior. Nevertheless, I have good memories of us all eating in their private dining room, which was then enclosed. Later I tried it again on my own, and was very delighted at the change. They now have some truly innovative menu items, like the "besan-illa quesa-dilla", which is a nod to besan or chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, a traditional ingredient in some regions of India. I never even knew other people here knew what besan was!

[tvdxer]

Tonight was my 26th birthday, and since I was thirteen or so I have had the almost constant tradition of dining out for my birthday at various restaurants ranging from the Old Country Buffet to Bellisio's. Tonight I went for the first time to Osaka Sushi Hibachi Steakhouse. The restaurant dates back to late 2010, with a van driving around advertising the joint the summer before they opened. I have always wanted to eat there, having eaten at the Zen House and Hanibi several times, but due to personal circumstances I have not been able to go. Tonight I was able to go for the first time with my mother and grandparents.

Osaka is situated in the Burning Tree Plaza, the strip mall anchored by Best Buy and also containing TJ Maxx, Dunham's, Dollar Tree, and other stores (so you can go shopping after you eat). The entrance wall is covered with pictures of parties. I spotted one girl in three of them.

Upon entering, my mother asked about the reservations she had made two nights ago, which were apparently lost. As a result, we waited roughly ten minutes to be seated - a small trifle for us (in fact an advantage, as I had to run to the ATM machine some 300 yards away should unexpected expenses have arisen), but possibly a major inconvenience for some.

We were seated in the hibachi area by a young waitress who was apparently still mastering English. This area consisted of communal seating around a demonstration table, where the chef prepares your meal in front of you (provided you order off the hibachi menu) and performs stunts. Some of these involved large flames, throwing food at people, and squirting sake into the mouths of spectators, so be prepared. It was quite a show, even though I refused the sake to the protest of the chef, and overall, an entertaining way to dine.

Departing from the hibachi, I ordered my standard sushi joint testing menu: a Philadelphia roll and a spicy tuna roll. Some may object to these choices, preferring plainer rolls that better reflect the quality of fish, but I feel that those are the best rolls to try for all but the higher-end establishments. I also ordered the curiously-named "Burning Tree roll". Sushi restaurants tend to have locally-themed items; for example, Ichiban in Tampa had the "Tampa roll", which contained grouper. As the Burning Tree Plaza is a rather low-rent strip mall, I was curious what it could possibly be.

The Philadelphia Roll seemed larger than Hanabi's equivalent but smaller than Zen House's Zen Roll (basically the same thing). It was good, but then again, almost all Philly rolls are, and I prefer the Zen House's version. As for the Spicy Tuna roll, it was not at all spicy; I really wonder if the waitress correctly took down my order. If she indeed did, I would definitely rate it in the worse portion of all the spicy tuna rolls I have had, right above a rendition I had between flights in an airport. The Burning Tree Roll was gigantic, as a roll costing $11.99 should be. Stuffing it all in my mouth at once was a chore, so I chose to eat some of the six pieces they brought me in multiple bites. The roll consisted of deep fried tuna, crab meat, avocado, and three "special sauces", and the dry outside made it easy to pick up with my fingers. It was not exactly to my taste, although I could see some having about it.

Mediocre sushi aside, what Osaka seems to specialize in are the hibachi items. I tried some - well, a lot - of my mother's hibachi steak, and it was excellent. The steak, chopped into bite-size pieces, was extremely tender and flavorful, and went well with the egg-fried rice and noodles that accompanied it.

Although I initially was opposed, my mother revealed my birthday to the staff. To celebrate your birthday, they turn on a disco ball and upbeat music while all the table sings "Happy Birthday" to you. Making things even better, the waitstaff brings out mochi ice cream and whipped cream. It was my first time having mochi ice cream, which I found to be decent.

Our bill came to a total of $125, if my glance at the bill (my grandpa volunteered to pay) was right. Not too cheap, but not too expensive for a night out for four people. To work off part of the meal, I walked around T.J. Maxx afterwards, and bought two pairs of khakis.

All in all, it was a good night at a good restaurant. Go there for the ambiance, and the food if you get an item from the hibachi grill (but only secondarily if you order sushi).