573682 Wed Nov 19 16:39:33 -0800 2008 24 8 Midwest 0 4187369 Hi everyone! Newbie here, I've been lurking for a while, I like what I see! I'll be visiting my brother in the cities in a couple weeks and I would like to take him and and his family out for a nice supper. There will be 5 of us and I'd like to do it for 150.00 or less if its possible. We will also have our 2 kids (10 and 13) along so it should be kid friendly. The kind of food doesn't matter, just looking for something GOOD! This will be on saturday if that makes a differance. Many thanks in advance !!!! Wed Nov 19 16:39:33 -0800 2008 241672 meatbeast 1 4187499 What part of town? Wed Nov 19 17:38:16 -0800 2008 4187369 11110 MSPD 2 4188913 My brother lives in White Bear Lake. But a little drive is no big deal. Thanks!!! Thu Nov 20 08:47:52 -0800 2008 4187499 241672 meatbeast 1 4189582 My two cents: Brasa- Relatively inexpensive, locally sourced pork and chicken, made southern style, delicious and kid friendly, located on East Hennepin in Minneapolis. Loring Pasta Bar- Very good atmosphere, often live music, fresh pasta, located in Dinkytown. Thu Nov 20 11:58:33 -0800 2008 4187369 234845 KyleThomas 1 4189830 I 2nd Brasa, but i dont think they take reservations and the place is very small... but the food is amazing. I've personally not had the best of experiences at loring, good atmosphere but I've had some really sub par food there, in fact, it was the only dish I have ever sent back. There was also a place featured on Diners drive in and dives called something like victors 1959, has anyone ever been there? Thu Nov 20 13:14:17 -0800 2008 4187369 240449 saintfirky 2 4190484 I went to Victors 1959 a couple weeks ago for lunch. Fun place - very small. I had a breakfast dish, friend had a cubano sandwich. Both good for a diner place - very reasonable prices - tab for 2, no alcohol, $18. don't think i recommend it for a nice place. Thu Nov 20 17:48:53 -0800 2008 4189830 171150 rp1760 1 4190231 If you ordered moderately, you could probably stay within your limit at the Strip Club in St. Paul. It's the first place I think of when the criteria are good food, friendly (to kids and all), and fun for a big group (could share a bunch of small plates). Check out the website and see what you think: http://www.domeats.com Thu Nov 20 15:44:41 -0800 2008 4187369 149892 mtullius 1 4190493 I recommend Axel's in Mendota Heights. You'll be towards the top of your budget, but the food is wonderful, great menu selection, salads always fresh, soups homemade (try the french onion - my favorite place for it), service superb, popovers to die for, steak and walleye are specialties. Must have order of onion rings - we call them Donuts. Fireplaces in both great rooms, children are very welcome. http://www.axelsrestaurants.com/menus Thu Nov 20 17:52:26 -0800 2008 4187369 171150 rp1760 2 4229292 In the spirit of "hate the chow, love the chowhound" I felt a need to reply to this in case anyone else is reading this posting after the fact. I have eaten at Axel's only when forced to by relatives. The food is maybe a step better than a Chili's or Applebee's, but it is the same quality--large portions of bland food, cooked adequately, but not well. Mon Dec 08 09:39:29 -0800 2008 4190493 246691 Reluctant Foodie 3 4229695 I agree with you completely, RF. There are such better places here. Mon Dec 08 11:10:53 -0800 2008 4229292 161840 cheeseguysgirl 3 4229906 I will admit that I have affection for their popovers, although, I don't think I'd ever had popovers before that, so, I didn't really have a point of comparison. ~TDQ Mon Dec 08 12:15:34 -0800 2008 4229292 12005 The Dairy Queen 4 4230745 I am going out on a limb here, I suppose. I think most of you will be cool with that. I am going on the record as strongly recommending this restaurant. To be fair, all I ever order is the walleye or the steak The sides are beautiful - crispy green beans, potatoes any way you want. My nephew and nieces loved it. My foodies from Cincinnati loved it. My chef sister from San Francisco loved it. It's a classic. Like Mancini's, but in our family's opinion, better. Note: All other Axel's I feel are sub-par. Go to the one in Mendota Heihgts. Mon Dec 08 16:50:34 -0800 2008 4229906 171150 rp1760 5 4232045 I will codify my objection with the fact that I've only ever eaten at the Axel's Charhouse attached to the hotel in Roseville. Tue Dec 09 07:49:31 -0800 2008 4230745 161840 cheeseguysgirl 1 4192618 I'd recommend La Gran Colombia on Central Ave. NE in Minneapolis, which I recently went to. My review here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/570843 Great food, good service, in your price range, and your brother will be happy with all the leftovers. Also very friendly to families with kids - lots of kids when I was there, big families with extension tables. Fri Nov 21 14:08:15 -0800 2008 4187369 105609 tvdxer 1 4194214 with a 10 and 13 year old I might be tempted to take everyone to Ngon Bistro. Downtowner woodfire grill is a kid friendly option (pizzas, other good stuff) Is it $150 with drinks? if so then you might be heading to more of a bar place - Shamrocks would work. Very reasonable. Its a good spot, a great neighborhood burger joint......- but I don't know if I'd consider it "drive in from white bear good" Sat Nov 22 11:00:00 -0800 2008 4187369 18536 St Paul Susie 2 4194601 Exactly the three that I would respond, though I might also add Boca Chica for good Mexican. www.bocachicarestaurant.com Sat Nov 22 14:36:42 -0800 2008 4194214 215919 Grandview 3 4196343 Oh yeah, mexican, I have had some really amazing meals at Pancho Villa, Portions and menu are huge and prices are cheap. They also have a big family style meal for like 40 dollars which looks like enough to feed 5 by itself. Super kid friendly too. Sun Nov 23 14:57:43 -0800 2008 4194601 240449 saintfirky 1 4198067 There are tons of great places all over the Twin Cities, but I think I'd recommend heading towards downtown St. Paul (or a bit beyond). Here are a few casual, moderately-priced places that I like: - Tanpopo: Home-style Japanese food in a sleek and stylish atmosphere. - Bon Xai: Asian-influenced and American dishes - great value for the money (perhaps because the restaurant is in a slightly scruffy neighborhood). The coconut soup is fabulous, and I love the delicious pork chops. - Cossetta's: Cafeteria-style Italian food. It's not knock-your-socks-off great, but it's good and is a fun, casual place to eat. - Punch Neapolitan Pizza (the sit-down place in Highland Park): Great European-style pizza and affordable wine (assuming that the kids would be OK with European-style pizza, which is quite different from the classic American style). And I second the recommendation for Ngon - it's a little more upscale and the food is a wee bit fancy. Very tasty, too. I haven't had good food at Boca Chica, though - instead, I'd go down the street to El Burrito Mercado (super-casual cafeteria in a grocery store) or head to Minneapolis. For more ideas, see the recent topic "Money's tight - Any cheap date suggs? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/569547 Hope you have a good time here! Anne Mon Nov 24 09:51:11 -0800 2008 4187369 12541 AnneInMpls 2 4256111 Cossetta's pizza IS "knock your socks off" great. Truly excellent pizza without being trendy. Try it if you want to know why pizza became popular in the US. Thu Dec 18 05:30:35 -0800 2008 4198067 227202 vtnewbie 3 4256984 I've never had Cossetta's pizza - sounds like I need to give it a try! If I can resist the spicy Cossetta's salad and the comfort-food pasta, that is... Anne Thu Dec 18 10:32:36 -0800 2008 4256111 12541 AnneInMpls 4 4259172 You HAVE to try the pizza. It is a little...check that, a lot on the greasy side, but it's worth it. Pick up a slice next time you're in there. Their Italian sausage is so good...I normally pick up a pound from the market after I have my meal. Fri Dec 19 06:54:26 -0800 2008 4256984 150060 BigE 4 4259214 In the "bubbly, chewy, oversized slice" pizza category (think Fat Lorenzo's and Sbarro style), it's good. One hint...if you're just going there for pizza and nothing else, you can skip the ridiculously long line and go to the right hand side of the counter (by the registers). It will save you at least 15 minutes during their busy times. Fri Dec 19 07:18:04 -0800 2008 4256984 11110 MSPD 5 4268363 I think you'll like it. As served in the restaurant, the crust is chewy and thin, sort of New York style foldable. But you can buy the pizza dough there (in a lump) and make your own pizza using your own choice of sauce, cheese, etc., however thick or thin you prefer. Their sausage is really great. Kind of surprising because it is fairly lean. Tue Dec 23 06:18:21 -0800 2008 4259214 227202 vtnewbie 5 4268696 ditto on MSPD's tip to go to the other end of the line for cossetta's pizza slices. they usually have a pepperoni, a sausage, and a "special"-- usually with either too many olives, or too many green peppers on it :) when the pizza is fresh, it's good pizza by the slice, but not mindblowing imo, & not any better than the BTS pizza at the pizza luces around town (i used to work at the "luch" downtown). dh loves the cossetta's sausage too, so we often would pick up a slice as a fast meal when blowing in or out of downtown st paul. i did order a whole pie at cossetta's once, & remember it being really good-- the pizza places will sometimes cook the BTS pizzas that will sit under heat lamps a little underdone, and i like my pizza crust a little more done, so i guess i might be hard to please ;) but i feel it's important to support pizza places that sell BTS pizza in msp, since there are not a lot of them. i *do not* want to live somewhere where there is whole-pie pizza only!!! Tue Dec 23 08:20:40 -0800 2008 4259214 46030 soupkitten 4 4271560 With all due respect to vtnewbie, in twenty-two years of living here, Cossetta's pizza has never once knocked my socks off. In fact, I would have to be very, very hungry before I'd even consider eating a slice of their mediocre-at-best pizza. That being said, until Punch opened, Cossetta's was one of the two best places for pizza in the Twin Cities. The other was Broder's, provided they listened very closely to the numerous instructions and sub-instructions contained in my order. Cossetta's macaroni and red sauce is even worse than their pizza. It's almost Olive Garden bad. It makes me ashamed to be part Italian. I do, however, agree with BigE and vtnewbie that Cossetta's has very good sausage -- excellent on the grill come summer-time. For meatbeast, I'd suggest taking your brother and family to Murray's for lunch. Order a nice, rare Luncheon Steak or New York Strip plus some fries or the au gratin potatoes. Order from the rest of the menu (e.g., appetizers, salad, dessert) at your own risk. Wed Dec 24 11:18:26 -0800 2008 4256984 251103 Mister Brown