Toast Wine Bar & Café is fairly new restaurant (opened 12/06) in the revitalized warehouse district near the Mississippi River. Toast is a cozy, friendly neighborhood café nestled among high-end lofts, condos and apartments. The space has an artsy loft feel with its black walls and the vibrant pieces of hanging art.
My friend, Joel, recently returned to live in Minneapolis; we often look for the “neighborhood gems”. We both agree that Toast is definitely a hidden gem. The focus of Toast’s short menu is the crostinis and pizzas. Their wine list is far more extensive – something for most palates. I began with a delicious Malbec from Argentina. This wonderful medium bodied red paired perfectly with both my starters and dinner.
I needed a quick nibble before I ordered. I started with a small bowl olives; they were nothing extraordinary. Wanting something else, I chose a crostini topped with mound of white beans, sun-dried tomatoes and a hint of garlic. Scrumptious! Just what I needed until my dinner and second glass of Malbec arrived. My recommendation would be to skip the olives and order another of the 8 crostinis on the menu.
This evening I ordered the pizza with wild mushrooms, provolone, leeks and white truffle oil. A bit too much truffle oil, but definitely not enough to keep me from ordering it again. Next time, I will request less oil. The cracker thin crust & the decadently simple toppings were sensational!
Erin, the owner, and the friendly staff made all their dinner guests feel very welcomed.
I can honestly say I do not know the last time I ate more than one small slice of pizza or for that matter - an entire personal sized pizza by myself. Toast has changed my mind. Fantastico!
Mmm, Mmm…
$
++++
✦✦✦
Entrée
$ 10
$$ 20
$$$ 30
$$$$ 40+
Staff
+ Stop bothering me!
++ Anyone here?
+++ Stopped when in the area.
++++ As needed and friendly.
+++++ Invisibly perfect!
Overall
✦ “One visit too many!”
✦✦ “Convince me!”
✦✦✦ “I’ll be back!”
✦✦✦✦ “Same table next week!”
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
PIROGUE GRILLE – Bismarck
The Pirogue Grille is a very comfortable space finished with exposed brick, woods, and metalwork. Artwork adds a splash of color to the neutral, welcoming color palate.
My evening was off to a good start when I found 20 creative choices on the martini list. I chose one of my favorites - the Grey Goose dirty martini. I sipped my libation as I perused the eclectic menu featuring duck, bison, homemade venison sausage, rabbit & walleye. I was disappointed to find inexpensive olives in, my otherwise, perfect martini. For my second, I requested olive juice only. The rest of the evening was flawless.
My start to this incredible meal was the homemade venison sausage with grainy mustard and a sweet potato relish/salad. The course ground sausage was delicious. The side of diced sweet potato relish was an unexpected, interesting treat.
Throughout the meal our fantastic server, Kristina, ensured our bread basket was filled with warm, wheat rolls with flax seeds. Soft butter is served with the homemade rolls at Pirogue. This, alone, is a huge satisfier for me! There is nothing more disappointing than attempting to spread cold butter across a warm roll.
For my entrée, I selected the North Dakota raised NY strip steak. The strip was grilled to perfection – slightly charred with a pink center… so tender you could use your butter knife. On the menu, the steak was offered with a sauce. I prefer my steak without a sauce. A side of creamy, buttermilk mashed potatoes with a hint of dill arrived with the steak. Yumm!
The Chocolate Pate with fresh raspberry sauce was my choice for dessert. The smooth, rich slices of deep dark chocolate drizzled with a slightly tart raspberry sauce was decadence at its best.
A treat arrives with your dinner check... a small bowl of homemade caramel popcorn. There are seconds for those who ask; I did. Sweet, crunchy and delicious!
Pirogue has been around for 2 short years, but it has made its mark. Gourmet Magazine (October 2007) named Pirogue Grille as one of “The 100 Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants in America.” Pirogue is probably the best fine dining experience in Bismarck. I never expected to find such a wonderful surprise hiding in the middle of North Dakota!
Link to additional Priogue Grill post
Mmm, Mmm, Mmm…
PirogueGrille.com
$$$$
+++++
✦✦✦✦
Entrée
$ 10
$$ 20
$$$ 30
$$$$ 40+
Staff
+ Stop bothering me!
++ Anyone here?
+++ Stopped when in the area.
++++ As needed and friendly.
+++++ Invisibly perfect!
Overall
✦ “One visit too many!”
✦✦ “Convince me!”
✦✦✦ “I’ll be back!”
✦✦✦✦ “Same table next week!”
My evening was off to a good start when I found 20 creative choices on the martini list. I chose one of my favorites - the Grey Goose dirty martini. I sipped my libation as I perused the eclectic menu featuring duck, bison, homemade venison sausage, rabbit & walleye. I was disappointed to find inexpensive olives in, my otherwise, perfect martini. For my second, I requested olive juice only. The rest of the evening was flawless.
My start to this incredible meal was the homemade venison sausage with grainy mustard and a sweet potato relish/salad. The course ground sausage was delicious. The side of diced sweet potato relish was an unexpected, interesting treat.
Throughout the meal our fantastic server, Kristina, ensured our bread basket was filled with warm, wheat rolls with flax seeds. Soft butter is served with the homemade rolls at Pirogue. This, alone, is a huge satisfier for me! There is nothing more disappointing than attempting to spread cold butter across a warm roll.
For my entrée, I selected the North Dakota raised NY strip steak. The strip was grilled to perfection – slightly charred with a pink center… so tender you could use your butter knife. On the menu, the steak was offered with a sauce. I prefer my steak without a sauce. A side of creamy, buttermilk mashed potatoes with a hint of dill arrived with the steak. Yumm!
The Chocolate Pate with fresh raspberry sauce was my choice for dessert. The smooth, rich slices of deep dark chocolate drizzled with a slightly tart raspberry sauce was decadence at its best.
A treat arrives with your dinner check... a small bowl of homemade caramel popcorn. There are seconds for those who ask; I did. Sweet, crunchy and delicious!
Pirogue has been around for 2 short years, but it has made its mark. Gourmet Magazine (October 2007) named Pirogue Grille as one of “The 100 Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants in America.” Pirogue is probably the best fine dining experience in Bismarck. I never expected to find such a wonderful surprise hiding in the middle of North Dakota!
Link to additional Priogue Grill post
Mmm, Mmm, Mmm…
PirogueGrille.com
$$$$
+++++
✦✦✦✦
Entrée
$ 10
$$ 20
$$$ 30
$$$$ 40+
Staff
+ Stop bothering me!
++ Anyone here?
+++ Stopped when in the area.
++++ As needed and friendly.
+++++ Invisibly perfect!
Overall
✦ “One visit too many!”
✦✦ “Convince me!”
✦✦✦ “I’ll be back!”
✦✦✦✦ “Same table next week!”
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