SOUL DADDY - Minneapolis (Mall of America)

Soul Daddy is a new restaurant owned by Jamawn Woods - winner of NBC's "America's Next Great Restaurant". Soul Daddy is a funky space of polished plywood tables, benches & booths, cement wall tiles, large chalkboard graffiti walls and an open kitchen gleaming with shiny stainless steel. Jamawn also has his signature purple on one wall and his staff's T-shirts. The staff is super fast and very friendly. Tonight, Jamawn was on premise meeting and greeting his diners and fans that followed him on the TV show.

The short menu offers "new home cookin'." Your choices include 5 meals and sandwiches, 8 side dishes, and either a whole wheat biscuit or corn bread waffle.

I ordered the baked herb chicken meal. This meal included a large juicy chicken breast with crispy skin (just the way it should be!), braised kale in a very light creamy sauce and sweet potato salad - perfectly cooked al dente & tossed in a bit of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar. The accompanying whole wheat biscuit was a flaky, warm handful of heaven. The meal was scrumptious and an incredible value at $8.95. Almost too good to be true.

Soul Daddy creates 3 signature sauces: Sweet Molasses Mustard, Soul Daddy BBQ and Jamawn's Hot Sauce. My favorite pairings were the Soul Daddy BBQ sauce on the baked chicken and Jamawn's Hot Sauce on the kale.

This has become a new fast, casual favorite of mine!

Mmm... Mmm... Mmm...

$

++++

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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!”

SUBO - Minneapolis

Subo has closed its doors. I spoke with the manager earlier in the week; he confirmed they served their last plate of mouthwatering Pork Candy on Sunday. It is sad to see one brightest stars on the Minneapolis culinary horizon fade away. You will be missed!

BALI - Minneapolis

I have heard several rumors; the only fact I know to be true - Bali is closed. I will miss this casual eatery.

I have noticed 'new' restaurant activity behind the papered windows. I am anxious for the paper to come down & the doors to open!

PICNIC Restaurant & Bar - Puerto Vallarta

Luis told me the sad news during this visit to Puerto Vallarta. He would be closing Picnic. Over the past 2 ½ years, my friends and I enjoyed countless hours eating and drinking at his eatery. I am saddened to see it be another to close due to the difficult economic conditions in my spot of paradise. Picnic & Luis, you will be missed!

I received this email from Luis today.


To each and every one of our clients and friends:

I just want to thank you for all your support on this incredible experience at Picnic, all of my love and best wishes.

I also want to apologize for the late notice of Picnic’s closure. My staff and I leave with the great satisfaction of meeting such good friends as all of you.

Many hugs. Thank you.
Luis Alonso
.. .. ..

A todos nuestros clientes y amigos:

Quiero agradecerles el apoyo que siempre me dieron para vivir la increible experiencia de Picnic. Todo mi agradecimiento y mis buenos deseos para el futuro.

Y por supuesto tambien una disculpa por no haber avisado con tiempo la clausura de Picnic. Todo el staff y yo nos vamos con satisfaccion enorme de quedarnos con buenos amigos y muy buenos deseos de todos ustedes.

Aabrazos para todos y nuevamente mil gracias por todo.
Luis Alonso

BITE ME! BEACH CLUB - Puerto Vallarta

Bite Me! Beach Club’s indoor/outdoor café is located on the beach about 4 blocks south of the wooden pier in the Zona Romantica area – the older charming Puerto Vallarta. The casual, relaxing space of flowing drapes, dark woods, comfortable tables & chairs on an elevated outdoor dining area and yards & yards of glass if you choose to dine inside – and nothing to obstruct your views of the beach & the bay.

This casual beach club eatery recently came under new management. I believe Grant is the new manager. His unending energy has successfully re-energized the beach club.

Jaime and I spent the afternoon enjoying tall, perfectly tart vodka lemonades and all of the beach eye candy!

We started with a “flower” of angular chips and a mound of fantastic guacamole and a side of pico de gallo that had just a bit of heat. The beautiful presentation was accented with bits of red & yellow peppers. Salvador made certain we did not run out of warm chips!

For lunch, I had the “Mein Herr” sandwich – a stack of Black Forest Ham, Swiss cheese, tomato and mayo on a toasted pumpernickel sub-like roll (baked fresh daily). A side of hot and crispy fries came as a side. A salad of baby greens and carrot slivers were tossed in a balsamic vinegar and wine reduction dressing. This crisp salad was creatively served in a radicchio cup. Delicious! This reincarnation is a huge improvement over its past life.

Grant’s smile, personality and ‘biting’ humor kept the tables filled with guests. He has retained the same sexy & very friendly staff. Julio, Frederico and Salvador are quick to accommodate!

I will most certainly be returning to Bite Me! on my next visit in November.

Mmm, 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!”

ROBERTO'S - Puerto Vallarta

Roberto's is a 2-level open space located on Basilio Badillo in Zona Romantica area of Vallarta - the most energized area of PV with the south side's beach, restaurants, bars, lounges and beachside cafes. It is a couple of blocks east of one of my favorites, Joe Jack's Fish Shack. The upper level is not open during breakfast.

Grab a table near the large open windows to the sidewalk - too many interesting characters!

I met my very good friend, Jaime, for breakfast. He went with a traditional American breakfast of pancakes, eggs over-easy and sausage. He really enjoyed his breakfast platter.

I chose the chicken stuffed crepes topped with a chipotle sauce. The three crepes were filled with chunked chicken breast, diced white onion, tomato, and minced jalapeno. The very light, creamy chipotle sauce added a nice bit of heat. The fantastic crepes sprinkled with white cheese, came with 2 small wedges of watermelon.

The crepes and the bottomless cup of strong dark coffee were an incredible breakfast combination for $75p or $6USD.

Mmm, Mmm...

http://www.robertospuertonuevo.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!”

CAFE OLIVER - Minneapolis

Cafe Oliver recently took over Acadia Cafe's former space near downtown. Cafe Oliver has a lot of charm for a small neighborhood cafe - exposed brick, high ceilings, lots of seating, a small stage, and works of local artists on the walls. The menu is fairly short featuring salads, sandwiches, sweets and fair trade coffee. You will also find a nice list of fair trade wines by the glass and bottle. On Sundays & Mondays, bottles of wine are half priced!

Neil and I needed a late dinner so we chose the "new kid on the block." We started off with chips 'n salsa, described as "homemade salsa with the crispiest chips". The homemade salsa tasted very similar to bottled Pace & tortilla chips that were a day beyond crispy.

I had the turkey club sandwich on grilled Tuscan bread. The 2 slices of turkey had the texture of pressed turkey breast, the 2 translucent slices of bacon missed their mark, the slice of Swiss cheese was too small for the bread, and finally it needed more of the herbed mayo. Very disappointing. A handful of crumbled BBQ kettle potato chips came with the sandwich. BBQ chips... why? This was an odd match.

When the music is playing, it provides a nice background to conversation. While we were eating, there were 2 periods of 5-7 minutes of no music. I found this to be odd during our 1 hour visit.

Cafe Oliver has potential. Until the sandwiches become something to brag about, I recommend stopping at Jimmy John's (across the street) for your sandwich where you get 3 times the meat and fixings for about $6. Take your sandwich over to Cafe Oliver's and uncork a good wine at a great price!

$
++++
✦✦

$ 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!”

BAI SRI - Puerto Vallarta

Bai Sri is located in the Zona Romantica area of Vallarta - the older, charming Puerto Vallarta. Bai Sri is one of a handful of fine dining selections in Puerto Vallarta. Bai Sri is a higher end Thai & Vietnamese restaurant at the intersection of Rudolfo Gomez & Pulpito. Any cabbie can easily get you there.

The numerous gardens, fountains, ponds and the open dining room (no windows here) create a relaxing, seductive, dining experience.

The authentic Thai and Vietnamese cuisine is superb. Bai Sri proudly serves homegrown organic herbs and vegetables. The ambiance, the high quality & freshness of their food, and the very attentive, professional service (2 waiters per table) all make the extra pesos you pay so worth it.

My friends – Mandy, Carol, & Rene – and I had a glorious evening at Bai Sri. We started with a round of their signature Thai Basil Martinis. This incredible libation is Absolut Citron shaken with a few pieces of Thai basil & garnished with whole basil leaves. Simply divine! OK, I'll admit that we did not stop at just one round…

For a starter, I selected the Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup). This delectable combination of coconut milk, lemongrass, a hint of lime juice, fish sauce, and thin slices of chicken breast left you wanting more.

I could not decide on an entrée so I chose two. I had the Shaking Beef – a mouthwatering dish of tidbits of filet mignon, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, watercress, and scallions. Perfectly stir-fried and served with white rice. My friends & I agreed that this dish was our favorite of the evening.

The second must have entrée for me was the Green Curry Chicken with mushrooms. This soup-like entrée was made with chunks of chicken breast, coconut milk, green curry, lemongrass, mushrooms, and lime juice; I believe I detected a hint of fish sauce. For me, this dish was a very close second. Yumm! This Green Curry Chicken was a first for me. I look forward to “2nds” when I return to Vallarta in the coming months.

Order several entrées & share with your dinner companions. This is a feast you won’t soon forget!

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm…

http://www.baisri.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!”

PICOSA - Minneapolis

Picosa is located along the Mississippi River in a historic building within the St Anthony Main area of Minneapolis. The restaurant wraps you in warm comfortable colors. The tables in the dining area actually have space between them! The floor-to-ceiling windows offer incredible views of downtown Minneapolis and the river. The large patio will be very popular in the summer. The menu is a tantalizing blend of Caribbean, Central American & Latin American flavors.

Our busy schedules did not allow my friends, Joel & Michelle, and I to connect for dinner. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to chat, we went for Happy Hour. Picosa has fantastic Happy Hour specials: 2-4-1 cocktails, beer or wine by the glass and delectable $1 tacos with your choice of beef, chicken or pork. Two or 3 soft tacos and a libation or 2 and you have an excellent early evening meal. The taco meats are each flavored differently; I had all 3; I thought the beef was a bit dry. The chicken and the pork were fantastic.

The restaurant did not offer the standard “chips ‘n salsa”. Instead, you can order a basket of made-to-order plantain strips and a side of the incredible smoky/spicy salsa. We went through 2 baskets. Yumm.

David’s very friendly and attentive service made for a relaxing time with good friends.

Reading their dinner menu made my mouth water. I will most certainly return for a full meal.

Mmm, Mmm…

http://picosarestaurant.com/home.asp

$$
++++
✦✦✦

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!”

TALENTO - Puerto Vallarta

Talento is located on the malecon in downtown zone. Talento is a beautiful contemporary space. You enter this colorful eatery by walking up a couple flights of stairs off the sidewalk entrance. This interesting restaurant is a wonderful surprise. From the outside, you have no clue that it has 30+ foot ceilings, a glass-walled private event space, an elevated bar on the “third level” looking into the main dining area, a glass-walled wine tasting room and market, huge Thai lanterns and numerous aquariums of miniature jelly fish!

Be amazed with the house magician’s slight of hand. Giovanni comes to your table and performs 4 “how did he do that” illusions. All heads turn in the bar and up from the dining room to watch the very sexy, sensual belly dancer perform on the bar level of the room. Both artists were very entertaining.

My friend, Leo, and I began with the Shrimp Rolls. These crispy, delicate nibbles were stuffed with whole savory shrimp. The shrimp rolls were served on a banana leaf sprinkled with colorful bits of peppers. The tamarind dipping sauce was divine.

Our second starter was the Sea Scallop Carpaccio. The thinly sliced, very fresh scallops were served in a mildly spicy citrus sauce with paper-thin slices of cucumbers. Superb!

Leo had the grilled salmon. The salmon served with an herb infused butter sauce came plated with garlic mashed potatoes and crispy shredded beets. He devoured his dinner; I was only able to sneak a taste of the crispy beets. I was surprised at how sweet they were, reminding me of sweet potato fries.

I ordered the Tiger Shrimp entrée. The 4 large shrimp were exquisitely wrapped with spirals of phyllo dough and then deep fried. The shrimp were sweet – absolutely delicious. The beautiful, but excessive, spirals of phyllo held too much oil for my taste. I would prefer one thin piece of dough to hold the seasonings with the shrimp while cooking. The phyllo was easily removed and I continued to enjoy my meal. The shrimp was served with a fantastic tangerine, soy and ginger sauce. A generous side of sticky rice and crispy spinach leaves accompanied the shrimp. The crispy spinach leaves were sprinkled with spicy soy. Unusual and very good.

Our libation of choice for the evening was the Mango Martini. Our server indicated the bar was known for their special martinis – so true! Tropically refreshing.

The service was somewhat lax but the ambiance, dining entertainment and a good friend made for a wonderful evening.

Mmm, Mmm...

http://talentorest.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!”

NEW YORK DELI STATION - Minneapolis

New York Deli Station is located in the Loring Park neighborhood. Nancy, the very friendly owner, has created a casual, comfortable restaurant – with a limited full bar. Free pool, a large flat screen TV and a relaxing sitting area furnished with leather furniture near a fireplace make NY Deli all the more inviting.

I began with the house salad – a mound of crispy mixed greens, purple onion, sliced cucumber and tomato. I chose the tangy Greek dressing accented with lemon, vinegar and herbs. The dressing was fantastic.

For dinner, I ordered the Red Pasta. Their Red Pasta is a very generous serving of angel hair pasta topped with Tim's fantastic marinara sauce. This zesty sauce is loaded with chopped roasted vegetables including carrots, squash, zucchini and garlic. Hard to believe this thick sauce is meatless. Yumm. Two wedges of garlic bread rested on the pasta. The garlic mixture contains fresh minced garlic. I would have preferred a roasted garlic generously spread over the fresh bread. As is, it was too intense for me.

If you are looking for a new casual restaurant where they quickly come to know you name, you will find it at the NY Deli.

Ryan, the waiter, and Linda, the bartender, are “full of smiles” and willing to assist any way they are able!

NY Deli is located at 1301 Harmon Place (ph 612-216-4196).

Website is under construction.

Mmm, Mmm…

$$
++++
✦✦✦✦

$ 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!”

BRAZIL BY THE HILL – San Diego

Brazil by the Hill is a casual, inviting restaurant serving delicious Brazilian food. The menu is short but filled with tempting plates from a country I long to visit. Maybe I will be landing in Rio one day soon…

A priced fixed promotion offered my entire meal for $10 excluding my libations, of course. This is the tastiest meal in Hillcrest for less than $10! Period.

It seemed appropriate on this warm summer evening to order a (OK, 2) Sakerinha; a substitute for the infamous Brazilian Caipirinha (lime with cachca – a liquor similar to vodka). Brazil by the Hill uses mild sake in lieu of vodka; they serve only beer and wine, no hard liquor. Very tropical & very refreshing.

I had a Coxinha as a starter. This pastry puff is stuffed with chicken, tomato, and onion; all finely minced and blended with cream cheese. The puff is rolled in corn meal and deep fried. The chipotle mayo dipping sauce adds a nice bit of heat to this starter. Very tasty but I would prefer the pastry dough to be thinner. My taste buds tell me it should be more about the filling and less about the pastry.

The house salad of chopped romaine lettuce, tomato and celery was topped with a traditional Brazilian dressing of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt. Delicious!

Prato Feito (PF) refers to the traditional Brazilian dinner combinations. I had the Prato Feito platter with an 8 ounce grilled chicken breast and the trio of sides found at most Brazilian meals – white rice with a bit of onion, red beans in a thin red sauce with bay leaves, and farofa. The beans and rice should be eaten together.

The key ingredient of all farofas is either yuca (mandioca) or corn flour. The consistency of farofa can range from large grains the size of couscous down to a table salt-sized powder. My farofa resembled the powder. Farofas generally have a very smoky and slightly salty taste – generally used to accentuate the taste of grilled meat and stews. Most Brazilian recipes for this dish require that the raw flour be blended with butter, salt, & bacon, and toasted until golden brown. Farofa is served alongside the main course as either a condiment or as a side dish, as rice is often consumed. I was told to blend it with my rice & sprinkle on my grilled chicken. Yumm!

A Bridagdeiro – a soft ball of Brazilian chocolate and caramel rolled in chocolate sprinkles – was dessert. This sweet sensation is nestled between mounds of whipped cream. A drizzle of tart raspberry puree provides a great contrast to the chocolate and caramel.

The friendly, sexy Brazilian staff adds to a tasty dining out experience. You won’t be disappointed.

Mmm, Mmm...

http://www.brazilbythebay.com/BBTH.html

$$
++++
✦✦✦✦

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!”

ROSSI'S STEAKHOUSE - Minneapolis

Rossi's Steakhouse is located in the lower level of a new multi-purpose building in downtown Minneapolis. Upon entering Rossi's, you feel like you have entered a private club - well appointed and quiet.

For lunch, I had the Martini Burger. It is a very large burger of high quality beef with vermouth sautéed green olives wrapped in a blanket of Swiss cheese on a pumpernickel rye bun. The burger was perfectly cooked, slightly charred on the edges. The green olives provided an interesting contrast to the thick slice of Swiss. The overly buttered bun was too small for the burger and toppings, making this finger food somewhat cumbersome to eat. The golden brown french fries served on the side were piping hot. Lukewarm fries can easily ruin a meal; this won't happen at Rossi's! The small side of cole slaw had a nice chunky texture, but was too sweet for my taste buds.

Rossi's Steak Seasoning (dry) found on each table adds a fantastic zing to both the fries and burger! Serving tiny bottles of soda (approx 6 oz) is a bit pretentious for me. Order the ice water with lemon - free refills.

The service was adequate and friendly. The dining room was 60% occupied at 12:30; once the order for our table of six was placed, it took 26 minutes for the food to arrive. The food was hot - the wait was not.

Mmm...

www.rossissteakhouse.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!”