659133 Tue Oct 13 09:32:10 -0700 2009 27 8 Midwest 0 5099634 Minneapolis- your favorite downtown restaurant,$65 per person please- thanks-any cuisine Tue Oct 13 09:32:10 -0700 2009 11476 intrepid 1 5099697 Does the $65 include food, bev, tax and tip? Tue Oct 13 09:53:07 -0700 2009 5099634 38964 mitch cumstein 2 5099744 no excluding that Tue Oct 13 10:06:54 -0700 2009 5099697 11476 intrepid 1 5099863 5 course tasting menu at La Belle Vie. $65 per person exactly. Tue Oct 13 10:39:57 -0700 2009 5099634 11110 MSPD 2 5099919 hi thnaks for la belle vie, im looking for something more rustic pls-thanks Tue Oct 13 10:56:31 -0700 2009 5099863 11476 intrepid 1 5099964 have dinner in the bar at Belle Vie. Not "rustic," but more casual. Beyond that 112 eatery is the logical choice. A little loud, but great food and fun atmosphere right in that price range. Tue Oct 13 11:08:15 -0700 2009 5099634 18727 Michael Florey 1 5100394 if lbv is a no-go, i'll second 112 eatery, or saffron. they are across the street from each other. you should have change left over from $65/pp excluding drinks & tip, and they are the best restaurants downtown imo, and are less formal than lbv. Tue Oct 13 13:18:17 -0700 2009 5099634 46030 soupkitten 2 5100639 http://www.restaurantalma.com/menu.aspx Alma is a good option as well Tue Oct 13 14:36:24 -0700 2009 5100394 18536 St Paul Susie 3 5101321 totally! is it downtown though?-- it's just over the river. also a favorite. Tue Oct 13 19:41:04 -0700 2009 5100639 46030 soupkitten 1 5101358 Alma would be jfood's choice Tue Oct 13 20:01:29 -0700 2009 5099634 11290 jfood 2 5102058 thanks Wed Oct 14 07:06:21 -0700 2009 5101358 11476 intrepid 1 5103018 I'll add a third vote for the 112 Eatery. The most expensive entree on the menu is $28. Food is creative and fantastic. Wed Oct 14 12:42:51 -0700 2009 5099634 1114375 Gr8Marlys 2 5103302 Just in case the OP doesn't do their own research, while the most expensive "main" at 112 isnt over 30 bucks, the portion sizes are definitely geared more towards ordering multiple plates per person - not that this should dissuade her/him, but i think if you just ordered one plate of food you could end up quite hungry. Wed Oct 14 14:18:06 -0700 2009 5103018 108056 tex.s.toast 2 5111713 hi did 112, it was darn good, thanks to all Sun Oct 18 04:37:00 -0700 2009 5103018 11476 intrepid 1 5103131 112 Eatery. ~TDQ Wed Oct 14 13:20:39 -0700 2009 5099634 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 5111662 Saffron. Sun Oct 18 01:15:41 -0700 2009 5099634 85422 clepro 1 5118949 My 3 favorites (disclaimer, I haven't been in at least 6 months...In this down economy, I'm surviving on $6 burritos and $2.75 Bahn Mi so $65 is my meal budget for like a week): #1 Alma #2 Vincent #3 La Belle Vie (finer dining than either #1 or #2, but I don't enjoy formality so much). Alma and Vincent both do well thought out food and they deliver it consistently over the years. La Belle Vie is a huge step up from what at that address previously and McKee was doing it well in Stillwater for years. I think 112 is fun and their wine selection is good and reasonable. Their food is definitely out there. Sometimes the food is very good, but sometimes they swing for the fences and miss and sometimes they just plain miss. I had some horrible mussels there one night and another dish was a clear loser. In my experience it's been clearly a step below the three restaurants listed above in terms of food, if not fun. Tue Oct 20 21:32:33 -0700 2009 5099634 27956 JimGrinsfelder 2 5123188 Heidi's, Alma or 112. Thu Oct 22 12:38:01 -0700 2009 5118949 116315 Latinpig 3 5125112 Note for those (including the OP) who are looking for downtown restaurants, Heidi's is nowhere near downtown. Also, as previously noted, Alma is near downtown but is on the other side of the river. Fri Oct 23 08:34:58 -0700 2009 5123188 12826 bob s 2 5125124 Could you share your burrito and bahn mi choices, please? thank you! Fri Oct 23 08:38:12 -0700 2009 5118949 1118525 stepawayfromthetable 3 5125608 MSP isn't much of a burrito town, but Manana restaurant in St. Paul makes a darn good burrito. The best thing at Manana, though, is their pupusas. It would be shame to not get one while you're there. Also, if you're willing to steer away from burritos, I love the huaraches at Taqueria Los Ocampo, locations in both St. Paul & Minneapolis. You can't go wrong, really. For banh mi, Saigon on University Avenue in St. Paul is my pick. ~TDQ Fri Oct 23 11:24:44 -0700 2009 5125124 12005 The Dairy Queen 4 5125781 There is another dish at Manana that jfood still dreams about. Their fish soup with tons of calamari, crab, shrimp, etc. in a red broth. For $12 it is a meal itself. Of course it also goes real well with the Papusas TDQ mentioned. Fri Oct 23 12:23:47 -0700 2009 5125608 11290 jfood 5 5125791 jfood, is that dish available on weekdays, too, or is that the one that is only available on weekends? ~TDQ Fri Oct 23 12:27:09 -0700 2009 5125781 12005 The Dairy Queen 6 5125806 must be during the week as jfood never in town on the weekend. Fri Oct 23 12:34:01 -0700 2009 5125791 11290 jfood 7 5125812 That's what I thought. I had heard of this seafood stew or soup or something that was a speciality of theirs, but I thought it was weekends only. Now I'm wondering if they are two separate things or if I was completely mistaken on the weekend-only thing. Sounds like a trip to Manana, which is never a bad thing, is in order. ~TDQ Fri Oct 23 12:35:56 -0700 2009 5125806 12005 The Dairy Queen 8 5126273 I'm partial to Solera and Masa, but agree with those who mention 112 and Saffron. If you're willing to go to Minneapolis (47th & Chicago) , but not downtown, I just ate at Cafe Levain this week and thought it was wonderful and very good prices. It's a nice room as well. I think this meets the "rustic" criterion as well. Fri Oct 23 15:42:58 -0700 2009 5125812 1093327 RRobertaR 9 5126630 jfood is a BIG fan of Cafe Levain. From Burger to Hangar to Short Ribs, all perfect. The corn chowder as well. He was not a big fan of the Adam-Onion Soup or the Gnocchi post-Adam. Well worth the trip. Fri Oct 23 19:21:49 -0700 2009 5126273 11290 jfood 3 5126558 I second TDQ on Saigon. I really like their Bahn Mi the best. The takeout counter. They make them right there in front of you. I think I need to go to Manana. For burritos, I've been going to El Taco Riendo on Central, just south of Sen Yak Sen Lai. Fri Oct 23 18:35:16 -0700 2009 5125124 27956 JimGrinsfelder