In Praise of "Well-executed, non-dumb food"

[HuaGung]

Thanks to soupkitten for that phrase and the thoughtful post it came from:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/694149

Let's get a list of great "well-executed, non-dumb food" (whether a specific dish, or an entire menu) available around town.

I'm going to offer the Doo Dee Noodle Soup at Bangkok Thai Deli. It's not offered on any other Thai menu in town and it is wholly typical of actual lunch food in Thailand. It's pork three ways, fish, peanuts, cilantro, rice noodles, chilis, in a sour broth. You make it your own by adding table-side condiments as desired.

I love it because it offers a solid alternative to Pad Thai which bores me to death (along with the discussion of whose is better).

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Bangkok Thai Deli & Supermarket
315 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103

[kevin47]

Is it actually on BTD's menu, or is it an under the table thing?

[HuaGung]

It's on the menu. Has been since the first day.

[keithinmpls]

In my opinion, Bar La Grassa epitomizes the concept of "Well-executed, non-dumb food." At the same time, it's remarkable unpretentious.

I know that BLG has been getting more than its share of positive press and discussion here (deservedly so), so it's hard to say any of their dishes are flying under the radar exactly. At the same time, those lovely bruschetta don't seem to be talked about as often as the fantastic pasta.

From an execution standpoint, the soft-cooked egg and lobster bruschetta is a perfect example of why I love restaurants. Seems simple enough, right? Surely, any monkey could cook scrambled eggs and lobster and put it on a piece of toast. I even consider myself above average in egg cookery skills, but there is no way I could make an egg taste/feel like it does at BLG, much less make it work in a dish the way Isaac Becker has. It would be infuriating if it wasn't so damn delicious.

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Bar La Grassa
800 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401

[jfood]

TY to SoupK once again for waving the positive flag for all the GREAT food your town has to offer.

Here's an outlier for the best under the radar dish. The fish soup at Manana. $11 for a big bowl filled with all sort of fish, shell fish and a fantastic broth.

Other places jfood just loves:

BLG - Pastas and gnocchi w cauliflower
Heidis :-((
Cafe Levain - Shank (Adam was still there)
Craftsman - meat platter
Meritage - cassoulet
Alma - All
Corner Table - Check on line menu, sometimes real winners, sometimes a bit too weird for jfood

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Corner Table
4257 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409

Meritage
410 Saint Peter St, Saint Paul, MN 55102

Cafe Levain
4762 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[soupkitten]

oh wow i just saw this thread! erm, sometimes i read what i've written and think that i could use a remedial grammar course. . . but thanks!

the specific restaurant and dish i was speaking of in the other thread was the lamb burger at shish. this could have been just another lame fusion-y flop, but the attention to detail and thoughtful accents on the plate (hummus spread, dab of house-made strained yogurt, frizzle-fried onions, as well as the great execution on the lamb burger patty itself made it a triumph. fresh & thoughtful= non-dumb food for me. for $8 it's a can't miss.

great to read what everybody thinks of on the subject of non-dumb food!

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Shish Mediterranean Grill
1668 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105

[scoopG]

Little Szechuan's Spicy Beef Tendon and Kung Pao Chicken...

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Little Szechuan - West End
5377 16th Street, St. Louis Park, MN 55416