We’re visiting my parents in Minnesota this weekend and trying to keep up our local eating habits. I haven’t lived here since high school and the restaurant scene has come alive since then. Well, also, I have more money and taste now. No more Perkins for this girl! Alright, we did make a late night Perkins run with some friends, but how can you say no to a $3 milkshake at 11 pm?? You can’t.
On Sunday night, our friends Caroline and Mike made a great paella for us. Mike has a beautiful garden and used some of his peppers. He’s a recent culinary school graduate, so we were spoiled. Check out some of Mike’s recipes here.
On Monday, Erik and I headed into Minneapolis for a beer at The Local, which has a decent selection of local beers and a nice outdoor patio on Nicollet Mall. Afterwards, we walked over to Haute Dish, which may be the best new restaurant we’ve been to all year. They focus on what I would call deconstructed Midwestern cusine using local ingredients when possible. The menu totally hides how fantastic these dishes are. I won’t spoil the surprises, but we ate the spring onions (might be the dish I’ve had), mac & cheese (really good), creamed peas on toast (if the spring onions doesn’t win best dish, this does), and tater tot hot dish (I’m still dreaming about the homemade tater tots). If you live in MN, or Wisconsin really, get your tush over to this place. We might go back tonight after our Segway tour!
On Tuesday, my mom and I met my grandparents for lunch at a neighborhood gem, Wise Acre Eatery. The food is very simple and mostly comes from the owners’ farm. I had a perfect egg salad sandwich and cucumber basil soda. They have a takeout window also and some nice seating in their garden.
Yesterday for dinner, Erik and I went to a new restaurant in Stillwater, The Green Room. They aren’t particularly focused on local food, but use local ingredients when they can. We were lucky enough to have a chat with the chef, who recommended the Indian Seafood Congee. I don’t think either Erik or I would have ordered it without his recommendation, but we ended up sharing it and it was delicious! Lots of seafood and veggies…perfect after the crazy eating we’ve been doing this week.
We just got back from having lunch with my other set of grandparents at The Good Earth, which has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid. I’ve never had anything there that isn’t great.
I think we’ll go sit in the backyard and watch the deer for awhile before dinner. Ah, vacation!
