Downtown St Paul Restaurants?Abundant bland food in metro

[StPaulEastSider]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

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".

"Sweet-tea line." that's good. I'll have to use that one. I'm not talking about just any restaurant not having Sweet Tea, I am talking about a restaurant named "Dixies" which purports to serve an authentic southern cuisine. They do fairly well at that, for Minnesota, at least, but the lack of Sweet Tea on the menu... that just kills the authenticity to some extent. At least in my view in does.

I forgot to add to my review of Dixies, aparantly they do offer a Sweet Tea Alcoholic Beverage which supposedly tastes just like sweet tea. I didn't order it because I wasn't looking to drink an alcoholic beverate at a late-afternoon lunch. Especially not when we had school conferences scheduled later that same day!

[StPaulEastSider]

So last night we did something we rarely do these days - we went to McDonalds. Imagine my surprise, after all my talk in the thread about sweet tea this past week, to find "sweet tea" on the menu?

I also saw "southern chicken sandwich" on the menu. It seemed to fit with the Sweet Tea, so I ordered that as well. I had no idea...

One bite into the chicken sandwich, and I was flooded with memories of my favorite southern fast-food joint - Chick-Fil-A - wow, I had not tasted Chick-Fil-A since our last trip "home" to Georgia.

Thinking I was imagining things, without saying why, I gave my husband the sandwich, "Take a bite and tell me what it tastes like." Skeptical, he took a bit. The look on his face shifted to delightfully surprised, "Chick-Fil-A"!

Okay, good, my memory was not play tricks on me. So we have sweet tea and chicken sandwiches which remind us of Chick-Fil-A right here at our neighborhood Mikky D's - probably just for a limited time. We'll have to enjoy it while it lasts.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by OIT2GOD

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?

I would love to see something like this. My wife is from Florida and makes me some stuff that I really love including the Red Velvet Cake, Pulled Pork, Corn Bread.

There was a place called Chez Bananna in the warehouse district. It has been gone for awhile now, but it was mostly carribian. I miss that place. Odd decor in a Peewee Herman sorta way, but food was good.

Pickled Parrot was also a carribian place downtown that went under as well. They opened up another in Eden Prairie, which is also closed. I remember a big stink from Eden Prairie over the palm trees not being on the approved landscape plan and they did not want any miami looking spot in town. They seemed to be concerned that it would bring in hookers and drugs if you can believe that. Before the Eden Prairie debacle the downtown location was almost always packed.

There was also one other place downtown that was here only a year or so before it closed. I believe it was named Copeland's. It had the look, but the food and service were bad. Same building is now a Fogo de Choa, which is a carnivore's dream.

The only remaining place that I know of that comes 1/2 way close to what you describe is Famous Daves in Uptown Square. Not the little shack variety, but a full sized place with live blues music.

If you can find a way to bring in a mixed crowd, you probably have a winner.

[LawoftheLand]

There was a place called Chez Bananna in the warehouse district. It has been gone for awhile now, but it was mostly carribian. I miss that place. Odd decor in a Peewee Herman sorta way, but food was good.

Ohhh, Chez Banana! My fondest food memories in the Twin Cities - I still mourn it to this day. It was always packed in its heyday.

[uptown_urbanist]

Sweet tea at McDonald's? I would have never guessed! Thanks for passing on that tip - will have to check it out!

[ChadE]

You gotta check out the Bulldog in Lowertown on Mears Park. Granted it's kinda your typical sports bar feel but there are a ton of beer on tap (not sure how many kinds, but its what there know for). If that's your thing? There are also of couple of other great little places on Mears Park. Loto and some Italian place.