Good Beef Stroganoff in MSP?

[AnneInMpls]

I'm looking for good restaurant beef stroganoff for a friend. We've heard that Murray's has it on their lunch menu - has anyone tried it? Any other places that we should check out?

Thanks,
Anne

[jrnorton23]

If you're willing to sample from the "pretty damned close" department, the red deer venison stroganoff at The Red Stag Supper Club is surprisingly light and delicate, yet extremely rich. House-made pasta, if memory serves. (If it doesn't, my apologies; but the dish is delicious, regardless.)

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Red Stag Supper Club
509 1st Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

[Db Cooper]

You're correct jrnorton23. The pasta is house made.

One little caveat to that suggestion. Red Stag includes a lot of little diced pickles in their stroganoff. Personally, I felt they overwhelmed the entire dish. I asked my server why they were on there as they weren't listed on the menu. She said it was a way for the chefs to put their own signature on the dish. You can ask for them without them if you'd like. I did the next time and it was much, much better.

I'd also second the nomination of Moscow on the Hill. That is really a traditional version and one of my favorites in town, outside of my Mom's. My grandparent were from the Ukraine and have a killer. My Mom refuses to give it to me until she passes away, but if I ever get my hands on it, I'll share.

[alteza]

Mairin's Table in NE Minneapolis. I was really wowed with the beef stroganoff the first time I had it. It had a good amount of red wine in it, which is how I like it, and they served it over mash potatoes instead of egg noodles at my request. It was a dream. Unfortunately, the second time I ordered it, I had to ask for extra sauce b/c it came with hardly any and it wasn't quite as flavorful. But I know I will give it another chance because it was just so amazing the first time around.

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Mairin's Table
23 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413

[Danny]

St. Petersburg in Robbinsdale has it on their menu, although I haven't had it. What I have had there has been pretty good.

On the weekends, the place is usually pretty busy hosting parties for the local Russian community. Between the decor and the parties, you'll end up feeling like you're at a 1980s wedding. But the food is good, and if one of the parties paid for a band, you might get to hear Fields of Gold sung with a Russian accent. (One of my most amusing restaurant experiences ever)

During the week, there are FAR fewer people, and dinner is generally served in the bar rather than the dining/banquet room. The food is the same, but the atmosphere is much quieter then.

http://www.myvodkabar.com

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St Petersburg Restaurant
3610 France Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55422

[soupkitten]

st. petersburg is such a weird restaurant :) it's a window into russian expat culture through the lens of karaoke though, which can be entertaining and interesting too (i used to live with some russian expats so it's fun for me).

i have had the stroganoff there, but it was years ago. i thought it was only okay then. the menu is reasonably authentic and it focuses on more of the rich dishes-- chicken kiev etc. i have not had the food recently, so my impression is outdated and i defer to Danny's impressions of how the food is currently. his description of the decor as "1980's wedding" is very accurate. lol.

[The Dairy Queen]

I haven't tried it, but both Glockenspiel on West 7th in St. Paul and Black Forest Inn on Eat Street in Minneapolis have it on their dinner menus.

~TDQ

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Black Forest Inn
1 E 26th St, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Glockenspiel
605 7th St W, Saint Paul, MN 55102

[soupkitten]

imo black forest's rendition is not so memorable.

[jenniegirl]

Don't eat it at the Glockenspiel-I had it for my graduation dinner from grad school, and it was a huge disappointment. The Glockenspiel (despite one really good burger I had-seemingly never to be repeated) has been a huge disappointment to me in general.

[Chris Mitra]

Occasionally, Lucia's To-Go (counter service) has beef stroganoff as one of their (two?) daily entrees. It's classic... thin strips of tender beef, wide egg noodles, creamy yet somehow not-too-heavy sauce with a tinge of *something* (alcoholic?) that gives it a depth well beyond cream of mushroom soup.

After considering it now, I think Lucia's was the best I have ever had. My previous favorite was a Russian deli that we used to go to in the Bay Area; I have not tried the local Russian establishments (other than their drinks), so maybe their stroganoffs are comparable.

You can probably call ahead to see if Lucia's has it this week. Note that it is written on the chalkboard, *not* displayed in the sample case.

[dahlsk]

I usually get my Stroganoff fix at Moscow on the Hill, too. But I have noticed it often on the menu at the Lexington in St. Paul. Moscow serves it with mashed potatoes usually, but the Lex has it with noodles. I haven't ordered it, because I always get the turkey dinner for my comfort food fix, but has anyone else had it?

[bob s]

I will second the recommendation of Lucia's Bakery for beef Stroganoff. Some of the best I've had. Call or check their website.

[HuaGung]

Salut in Edina has an excellent traditional stroganoff as its Sunday special each week.

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Salut Bar Americain
5034 France Avenue South, Edina, MN 55410

[saseeland]

No, go to Moscow on the Hill! They have the best - with strips of beef.

[AnneInMpls]

Good idea! I don't think I've tried the beef stroganoff at Moscow on the Hill (I always get the salmon or the lamb dish).

Anne

P.S. Time for more places links.

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Moscow On the Hill
371 Selby Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55102

Russian Tea House
1758 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Murray's Restaurant & Cocktail
24 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402

[The Dairy Queen]

They offer it as a Friday-only lunch-only special at the Russian Tea House on University Avenue in St. Paul. More ravioli-like than noodle-y, but lovely all the same.

~TDQ

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Russian Tea House
1758 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104

[AnneInMpls]

Curse you - the Russian Tea House just closed for the day, and now I'm desperately craving this dish! It's wonderful on a chilly fall day.

But my friend wouldn't consider it to be beef stroganoff, as there aren't any strips of beef in it. Instead, it's really potato dumplings with a creamy sauce that contains ground beef. Delicious, but not the "classic" dish. And worse, it's only available for a few precious hours each week.

Anne

[The Dairy Queen]

Correct---it's not the classic; it's varaniki (potato-filled ravioli-like dumplings) with a creamy (but not too heavy) ground beef sauce instead of wide noodles with strips of beef and cream sauce, but still very good and craveworthy. And worth putting on your internal chow calendar. Make a note, also, to pick up some of their piroshki (which are baked, instead of deep fried, and include just a bit of cheddar cheese inside in addition to the ground beef) to have in your freezer at home for piroshki emergencies. Their hours are so limited: Tues-Fri, 11am-3pm only. I wish they were open just one day of the weekend so that we could pop in for a bite en route to Menards on house project days.

~TDQ

[cayjohan]

Isn't the classic served not over noodles but over "straw" potatoes (i.e., julienned fried pots)? I really, really hate (<grin>) having to make this rendition at home(um, mess), so I'd love to hear of any Rusian restaurant that uses the straw potatoes, to get my real Stroganov fix.

[Enso]

TDQ, do they sell them frozen, or do you just let them cool, wrap 'em well, and freeze yourself?

[The Dairy Queen]

They sell them frozen--she'll give you specific tips on how to re-heat them for maximum deliciousness.

~TDQ