Downtown St Paul Restaurants?Abundant bland food in metro (Minneapolis: school, live)
Minneapolis - St. PaulTwin Cities
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Dunno if its still there I assume so as it always did good business whenever i was there. I have been out of the area for 4 years or so, so I am not sure if it is the same quality still
Christo's Greek Restaurant
214 Fourth St East, (Union Depot), St. Paul, MN
Mediteranean (Greek) Food - Has a lunch buffet as well but I found the quality of the made to order food far superior. Had fairly reasonable prices not cheap not expensive. Somewhat upscale but still comfortable.
Makes me wish I didn't temporarily live all the way over in Chaska its so far to go visit all my favorite places I knew and loved when I lived in St Paul.
I've travelled in the South extensively and love Southern food. IMHO, Dixie's is pretty authentic. Take your husband, then post his comments here. I'd be interested in hearing them.
PS: OP, Dixie's isn't downtown, but its very close to it.
We have a standing "lunch date" on Tuesdays... I just told him we need to go check out Dixie's tomorrow, and he agreed to give it a try. When I read him the menu and mentioned "sweet tea" he said "Is it REAL sweet tea or that stuff they try to call sweet tea up here?" Let's just say he's skeptical.
Once I promised him it was not a ploy to try and get him to stay in Minnesota indefinitely, he agreed to give it a try.
A note to the OP... "bland" is also my husband's favorite word for describing most Minnesota food. I seriously had to learn to spice up my cooking when I met and married him - which was 18 years ago, so I must have succeeded at least somewhat! I used to have Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning sent up to me from Louisiana for my red beans & rice recipe. Eventually I found Tony Chachere's at Byerly's, now it's carried by CUB Foods. So maybe Minnesota is making progress in the bland foods department... don't get my husband started on "tater tot hotdish", he thinks that's the stupidest meal ever!
Last edited by StPaulEastSider; 05-12-2009 at 12:38 AM..
FYI: This restaurant is no longer open. UrbanSpoon
That does seem to happen periodically on that website. I'm not sure how often they update it but they go through and review them all and give out awards once a year so it may be last year's data.
I've travelled in the South extensively and love Southern food. IMHO, Dixie's is pretty authentic. Take your husband, then post his comments here. I'd be interested in hearing them.
PS: OP, Dixie's isn't downtown, but its very close to it.
Prequel:
About eight years ago, my husband was with a co-worker who told him she knew of a place in St. Paul that had the best-ever chicken wings. My husband was skeptical, as he always is when it comes to any restaurant food in Minnesota. His friend called ahead, ordered take out, and together they stopped to pick up the chicken wings - he agreed they were the best!
Unfortunately, the co-worker left that job shortly thereafter, and he never knew the name of the restaurant. At that time we had lived in Minneapolis and a couple suburbs and we were not yet familiar with St. Paul - he wasn't even sure where in St. Paul the restaurant had been located. It was night time and he wasn't driving.
Since we moved to St. Paul a few years ago, and have gotten acquainted with St. Paul, my husband has often said, "I wish I could find that place where Julie got those chicken wings that time."
So today, when we entered Dixie's on Grand, once he got inside and saw the decor, he exclaimed "This is it! This is the place where Julie and I got the chicken wings that time!"
[He was kicking himself for not figuring it out earlier, we have one kid at Ramsey Junior High and another at Capitol Hill Magnet School, we drive down Grand Avenue regularly, but he didn't recognize the place until he got inside. Well, now he knows where to find the best chicken wings he's every tasted north of the Mason-Dixie line.]
REVIEW:
We had a nice lunch @ Dixie's today.My husband had a blackened bleu burger with southern fries and I had red beans and rice with corn bread and a side of succotash. Everything was very tasty - not bland. The red beans and rice were tastier than my own recipe. The corn bread was fresh from the oven.
My husband thought the heat was down a notch or two from the spiciness of traditional soul food, but he still thought it was really good.
We were disappointed they didn't have sweet tea after all... I had looked at the menus of several places listed in this thread, I guess I saw sweet tea on one of the other menus. I'll have to go back and figure that out.
Our waiter at Dixie's, a guy from Mississippi with an authentic southern drawl, said Famous Dave's has sweet tea on their menu. We make sweet tea at home, but it would be fun to be able to order it when going out for a meal. Not having sweet tea on the menu seems almost sacrilegious for a "southern" restaurant, but we survived - I ordered a lemonade and my husband had a beer.
We did have a conversation of what was missing from the menu. For example, Dixie's didn't have any greens on the menu - no collard, mustard, or turnip greens - no greens whatsoever. Unless you count "salad greens" - we don't. We are talking about greens cooked down until they are wilted and soggy and well-seasoned with ham hocks, salt, pepper, onions, garlic and perhaps some chili pepper. Real, authentic, southern greens.
We then got to talking about one of our favorite restaurant's in Atlanta, Manuel's Tavern, and we were feeling homesick for Atlanta in no time. [Here is Manuel's Menu in pdf format] Note, Manuel's Tavern has both greens and GRITS on their menu. I didn't even see grits listed on Dixie's Sunday Champagne Brunch menu - say it ain't so! Nonetheless, the brunch menu looks good.
For what it does offers, Dixie's on Grand is an authentic taste of the south. Everything we ordered was very good. We'll have to go back to try other menu items, such as Fried Okra,Fried Green Tomatoes, Carolina Crab Cakes, Louisiana Gumbo, Blackened Catfish, and Jambalaya
A portion of the menu rotates each month, offering a small selection of specialty menu selections for the featured state of the month. May's featured state is Kentucky and menu items include: Burgoo- Traditonally made with wild game (squirrel and rabbit), Dixie's toned it down with beef, pork and chicken and a garden of vegetables; andStrawberry Chicken Salad - Mixed baby greens, broiled marinated chicken breast and gorgonzola cheese. Garnishedwith homemade preserves and strawberries dusted with cracked pepper. Served with a side of vinaigrette.
[My husband had squirrel regularly as a child, he claims it delicious! Fortunately for me, he's not a hunter!]
We had a late lunch, on our way out we were able to take advantage of the 1/2 price happy hour appetizers special... we ordered two orders of chicken wings - to go! My husband is sharing the wings with our kids as I write this, and they are all proclaiming the excellence of Dixie's chicken wings!
+++++
OP, they have live bands @ Dixies' on the weekends. The outdoor deck features a fireplace. I suspect it will be a hoppin' place the weekend of the Jazz Festival. Enjoy!
Thank you, Ben Around, for the recommendation.
Last edited by StPaulEastSider; 05-12-2009 at 04:27 PM..
About eight years ago, my husband was with a co-worker who told him she knew of a place in St. Paul that had the best-ever chicken wings. My husband was skeptical, as he always is when it comes to any restaurant food in Minnesota. His friend called ahead, ordered take out, and together they stopped to pick up the chicken wings - he agreed they were the best!
Unfortunately, the co-worker left that job shortly thereafter, and he never knew the name of the restaurant. At that time we had lived in Minneapolis and a couple suburbs and we were not yet familiar with St. Paul - he wasn't even sure where in St. Paul the restaurant had been located. It was night time and he wasn't driving.
Since we moved to St. Paul a few years ago, and have gotten acquainted with St. Paul, my husband has often said, "I wish I could find that place where Julie got those chicken wings that time."
So today, when we entered Dixie's on Grand, once he got inside and saw the decor, he exclaimed "This is it! This is the place where Julie and I got the chicken wings that time!"
[He was kicking himself for not figuring it out earlier, we have one kid at Ramsey Junior High and another at Capitol Hill Magnet School, we drive down Grand Avenue regularly, but he didn't recognize the place until he got inside. Well, now he knows where to find the best chicken wings he's every tasted north of the Mason-Dixie line.]
REVIEW:
We had a nice lunch @ Dixie's today.My husband had a blackened bleu burger with southern fries and I had red beans and rice with corn bread and a side of succotash. Everything was very tasty - not bland. The red beans and rice were tastier than my own recipe. The corn bread was fresh from the oven.
My husband thought the heat was down a notch or two from the spiciness of traditional soul food, but he still thought it was really good.
We were disappointed they didn't have sweet tea after all... I had looked at the menus of several places listed in this thread, I guess I saw sweet tea on one of the other menus. I'll have to go back and figure that out.
Our waiter at Dixie's, a guy from Mississippi with an authentic southern drawl, said Famous Dave's has sweet tea on their menu. We make sweet tea at home, but it would be fun to be able to order it when going out for a meal. Not having sweet tea on the menu seems almost sacrilegious for a "southern" restaurant, but we survived - I ordered a lemonade and my husband had a beer.
We did have a conversation of what was missing from the menu. For example, Dixie's didn't have any greens on the menu - no collard, mustard, or turnip greens - no greens whatsoever. Unless you count "salad greens" - we don't. We are talking about greens cooked down until they are wilted and soggy and well-seasoned with ham hocks, salt, pepper, onions, garlic and perhaps some chili pepper. Real, authentic, southern greens.
We then got to talking about one of our favorite restaurant's in Atlanta, Manuel's Tavern, and we were feeling homesick for Atlanta in no time. [Here is Manuel's Menu in pdf format] Note, Manuel's Tavern has both greens and GRITS on their menu. I didn't even see grits listed on Dixie's Sunday Champagne Brunch menu - say it ain't so! Nonetheless, the brunch menu looks good.
For what it does offers, Dixie's on Grand is an authentic taste of the south. Everything we ordered was very good. We'll have to go back to try other menu items, such as Fried Okra,Fried Green Tomatoes, Carolina Crab Cakes, Louisiana Gumbo, Blackened Catfish, and Jambalaya
A portion of the menu rotates each month, offering a small selection of specialty menu selections for the featured state of the month. May's featured state is Kentucky and menu items include: Burgoo- Traditonally made with wild game (squirrel and rabbit), Dixie's toned it down with beef, pork and chicken and a garden of vegetables; andStrawberry Chicken Salad - Mixed baby greens, broiled marinated chicken breast and gorgonzola cheese. Garnishedwith homemade preserves and strawberries dusted with cracked pepper. Served with a side of vinaigrette.
[My husband had squirrel regularly as a child, he claims it delicious! Fortunately for me, he's not a hunter!]
We had a late lunch, on our way out we were able to take advantage of the 1/2 price happy hour appetizers special... we ordered two orders of chicken wings - to go! My husband is sharing the wings with our kids as I write this, and they are all proclaiming the excellence of Dixie's chicken wings!
+++++
OP, they have live bands @ Dixies' on the weekends. The outdoor deck features a fireplace. I suspect it will be a hoppin' place the weekend of the Jazz Festival. Enjoy!
Thank you, Ben Around, for the recommendation.
You are welcome! Glad you both enjoyed it, and I am gratified that a true Southerner like your husband agrees with this Yankee boy that Dixie's serves good Southern food.
[That link is to their website, they do have "mexican" fare, but the owners are El Salvadorian and it's their El Salvadorian Pupusa's which I really love!}
Manana Restaurant - 828 7th Street E, Saint Paul, MN 55106-4516 Apparently they have a second location in Burnsville ? [Edit: They have sold the Burnsville location.]
Manana is one of my favorite restaurants, it's a hole-in-the-wall, for sure... but the food is AWESOME.
We went to Manana Restaurant tonight, the food was delicious, as always. I said to my husband, "this has to be the best kept secret in St. Paul." To which is replied, "Let's hope it's not too much of a secret, because I want it to stay open!"
It's a neighborhood, hole-in-the-wall, joint, and the service is on hispanic time... which is totally authentic, in my mind at least! The food is made to order, and they have fantastic REAL FRUIT juices. I saw someone at another table had ordered a fried platanos platter - it looked really good.
Actually, I want to added the note regarding the Burnsville location having been sold.
Since we're talking about southern style restaurants I would like some information. Over the last 23 years as an Executive Chef who have work in Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Jersey, Washington, DC, Denver and now North Carolina I have always dream of opening an upscale Southern, Cajun, Creole and Carribean restaurant that features Jazz, Blue and Gospel in Minneapolis. A romantic restaurant that has class and a place where customers are truly treated as guest. The same customer service that one would receive at a Four Seasons Hotel.
Here is a few things I would like to serve: Honey Grilled Chicken with Waffles, Turkey Meatloaf with Marsala Sauce, St. Louis Backyard BBQ Beef Ribs, Island Grilled pork Loin, St. Charles Jambalaya, Jerk Chicken, Curry Pork & Vegetables, Bourbon Street Pork Chops, Smothered Turkey Wings, BBQ Mixed Grilled (Breast of Chicken, Smoked Sausage and Beff Shot ribs), North Carolina Style BBQ Pork and BBQ Turkey, Potato Crusted Salmon with Lemon Sauce, Pan Seared Rainbow Trout with Corn Relish, Grilled Jerk Red Snapper, Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cajun Dirty Rice, Three Cheese Macaroni, Seasoned Butter BeansCheddar-Bacon Mashed Potatoes, Country Corn Pudding, Hoppin John (Black Eye Peas and Rice), Cornbread Pudding, Smoked Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing, Island Yellow Rice & Peas, Sweet Potato Praline Casserole, Sausage & Herb Mashed Potatoes, Yams and Friends (Yams, Pineapples and Apples), Basil Oven Roasted Potatoes, Saute Mixed Greens (Collard, Turnip & Mustard Greens), Curry Vegetables, Country Garlic Roasted Fresh Green Beans, Oven Fried Cabbage and Grilled Asparagus.
For Salads: Harlem Fried Chicken Salad, Black Eye peas Salad, Cajun Caesar Salad, Creole Tuscan Salad,Blackened Shrimp Salad, Grilled Chicken Kabob over Spinach Salad, Club Jazz Salad and Jerk Chicken Kabob over Fresh Field Greens.
For Desserts: Louisiana Rm Bread Pudding, Peach Cobbler, Granny Apple Cobbler, Mississippi Mud Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Pecan Sweet Potato Pie and Banana Pudding.
This is just a few items I would serve in my restaurant. Somebody please tell me would a place like this make it in Minneapolis?
Since we're talking about southern style restaurants I would like some information. Over the last 23 years as an Executive Chef who have work in Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Jersey, Washington, DC, Denver and now North Carolina I have always dream of opening an upscale Southern, Cajun, Creole and Carribean restaurant that features Jazz, Blue and Gospel in Minneapolis. A romantic restaurant that has class and a place where customers are truly treated as guest. The same customer service that one would receive at a Four Seasons Hotel.
Here is a few things I would like to serve: Honey Grilled Chicken with Waffles, Turkey Meatloaf with Marsala Sauce, St. Louis Backyard BBQ Beef Ribs, Island Grilled pork Loin, St. Charles Jambalaya, Jerk Chicken, Curry Pork & Vegetables, Bourbon Street Pork Chops, Smothered Turkey Wings, BBQ Mixed Grilled (Breast of Chicken, Smoked Sausage and Beff Shot ribs), North Carolina Style BBQ Pork and BBQ Turkey, Potato Crusted Salmon with Lemon Sauce, Pan Seared Rainbow Trout with Corn Relish, Grilled Jerk Red Snapper, Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cajun Dirty Rice, Three Cheese Macaroni, Seasoned Butter BeansCheddar-Bacon Mashed Potatoes, Country Corn Pudding, Hoppin John (Black Eye Peas and Rice), Cornbread Pudding, Smoked Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing, Island Yellow Rice & Peas, Sweet Potato Praline Casserole, Sausage & Herb Mashed Potatoes, Yams and Friends (Yams, Pineapples and Apples), Basil Oven Roasted Potatoes, Saute Mixed Greens (Collard, Turnip & Mustard Greens), Curry Vegetables, Country Garlic Roasted Fresh Green Beans, Oven Fried Cabbage and Grilled Asparagus.
For Salads: Harlem Fried Chicken Salad, Black Eye peas Salad, Cajun Caesar Salad, Creole Tuscan Salad,Blackened Shrimp Salad, Grilled Chicken Kabob over Spinach Salad, Club Jazz Salad and Jerk Chicken Kabob over Fresh Field Greens.
For Desserts: Louisiana Rm Bread Pudding, Peach Cobbler, Granny Apple Cobbler, Mississippi Mud Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Pecan Sweet Potato Pie and Banana Pudding.
This is just a few items I would serve in my restaurant. Somebody please tell me would a place like this make it in Minneapolis?
Just reading your menu is making me salivate... damn, it looks good!
I hope you can make it here, but from my experience, too many Minnesotans don't like trying new things. That's why the food here is so damn BLAND. But maybe it's time to shake that up???
For a location, I think I'd suggest looking to Downtown Minneapolis, or just over the River in Nordeast Minneapolis. Or perhaps near the MOA.
There are some really good restaurants in the Twin Cities, and plenty of non-bland options, but unfortunately too many (not all, but many) of the popular, mainstream places tend to be on the boring side. I notice it most when I go to an "ethnic" restaurant with a large percentage of their customers coming from outside of whatever cuisine it is that they're offering. Or maybe I'm just bitter because I got a burrito the other night and was surprised when my bean and cheese burrito came out the other day stuffed with a bunch of other stuff besides beans and cheese, and was accompanied by a huge knife. Yeah, I know there are differing views on how to eat burritos, as well as what should go into it, but let's just say that this "Mexican" restaurant (while still a fun place to go) was aiming for pleasing the largest number of people possible, leading to adequate but not exciting food. Also, while my ability to handle (pepper) heat is pretty low, I can go up the ladder at most MN restaurants. IN any case, good places are out there, but you'll have to ask around and experiment before you find your core group of favorites.
It doesn't surprise me that it's tough to find sweet tea around here, though - I admit that I hadn't even heard of it before we moved to Virginia (grew up in Mpls), just south of what my Southern friends called the "sweet tea line".
I would definitely embrace an upscale southern-style restaurant.
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