Great place to eat in Eden Prairie

[Rheta]

Hubby is going to be in Eden Prairie on business tomorrow night. He needs a great place to have dinner. Open to any cuisine. No chains please. He's staying around 494 & 212. Thanks!

[stymie]

Right there is Baker's Ribs. Casual, Texas style, my fav is the pulled pork sandwich, beans, and potato salad. No alcohol. Nice greek place close is Santorini,

-----
Baker's Ribs
8019 Glen Ln, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Santorini
13000 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

[bob s]

I recommend Campiello. If he goes there, I highly (!) recommend the balsamic-glazed short ribs - one of my all-time favorite dishes from any restaurant.

-----
Campiello
6411 City West Pkwy, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

[WeZeL27]

I'll second both of stymie's recs, and raise with these:

-----
Redstone American Grill
8000 Eden Rd., Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Lions Tap
16180 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55347

[Rheta]

Thanks everyone for your recommendations! bob s, we were trying to remember last night the place we went to often when we lived in the cities. It was Campiello! I also really enjoyed Redstone. Never went to Bakers or Lions Tap. Went to Santorini's when it was in SLP. Thanks again for all the great choices!

-----
Campiello
6411 City West Pkwy, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Santorini
13000 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Lions Tap
16180 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55347

[kriminalrat]

Try the Prairie ale house.

[Db Cooper]

I heard the EP Ale House is out of business? Can anyone confirm?

[kriminalrat]

interesting...Last time I was there they pulled all craft beer tap lines...probably vendors not getting paid. Wouldn't surprise me if they closed. Too bad.

[suburban_mom]

According to their Facebook page they are currently closed but are reopening on Friday. Here is the quote: "It has been a difficult last few months for us. We appreciate everybody that us stuck by us during this time and look forward to starting the new year with the lessons we have learned and a shiny NEW BEER MENU. Stop in as we hit the deep chill and see what's new. New Year's reflection: Remember what you have learned and enjoy the what's to come."

[Db Cooper]

Unless they paid their back taxes, they aren't getting anything according to the State Liquor postings. The only other thing I could see them doing is opening under new ownership (and possibly new name) which would allow deliveries to start again.

Let's see what Friday brings....

[suburban_mom]

So you are saying that the lesson they learned is that they need to pay their taxes? LOL

[mdg]

Thanks to Chowhounds here and in other topics, I ate quite nicely in Eden Prairie last week.

Punch Pizza had a nice Neapolitan-style pizza, though a bit smaller than I recall from Naples. Next time I'll try a starter as well. Baker's Ribs had tasty Texan-style brisket, sausage, and beans; the dirty rice was a notch below those. I had my mandatory walleye at Prairie Ale House, which had an interesting pecan-crusted rendition. India Spice House had a fine goat curry; I hope they have the goat biryani available next time.

I was able to get into Minneapolis a couple of times on this visit. We had a group dinner at Nye's Polonaise Room which was tremendous fun. The Polish specialties there were quite tasty. On Saturday I headed to Hamdi for lunch, never having had Somali food before. The roasted goat made for a very good lunch. This was followed by a walk through the Midtown Global Market, stopping for a delicious coconut macaroon at Salty Tart.

I was able to sample Summit's beers in depth here due to the choices available at each place - a delicious Black Ale at Punch, lovely ESB's at Nye's and MSP, and a warming Winter Ale at Prairie Ale House. Next time I hope to try a wider range of brewers.

Now that I'm more familiar with the Eden Prairie area, I might want to expand my geographic range a bit next time. Are there recommendations for the surrounding towns? I'm staying in the hotel cluster off 494 near the Eden Prairie Center mall. Ideal choices would be foods like lake fish, northern / central / eastern European, and Somali that aren't easy to come by in the San Francisco Bay area. Sometime I'll have to get to Heartland; the online menu looks just wonderful.

Thanks,
Michael

-----
Baker's Ribs
8019 Glen Ln, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Punch Pizza
8353 Crystal View Rd Ste 101, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Prairie Ale House
16396 Wagner Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

India Spice House
8445 Joiner Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

[mdg]

I was able to revisit some of my favorites and try further Chowhound recommendations on my return visit to Eden Prairie this week.

I went out with friends to Campiello and they sure know what they're doing with delicious Italian food. My papardelle with wild boar ragu was outstanding, and the Venetian seafood salad and mussel appetizers that we split were very good as well. Santorini was OK - I had the kotopita with orzo plus a side horiatiki salad. All decent, but nothing they particularly made me want to return.

Where I definitely will return is Kabuki Sushi. I had bypassed this - living on the West Coast, sushi wasn't on the top of my list for a Minnesota visit - until a coworker let me know they had a Korean menu too. Usually at Korean places I like the kimchee better than my entree, so I fixed that by getting the Kimchee Chigae soup. This was so perfect on the coldest night of the week. The spice level was just right for me - delicious kimchee, rice cake, tofu, and greens in a tasty red sauce. The panchan were delicious too. I may sample the non-sushi part of the Japanese menu next time, but it will be hard to resist exploring more of the Korean side.

For lunch my co-workers took me Biryani in Edina as well as Eden. Both are definitely worth return visits. The green masala dish on the Biryani lunch buffet was a particular highlight. I was told this was a Bangladesh dish, and we don't have much food from that area at home.

Follow-up visits to India Spice House, Baker's Ribs, and Punch Pizza were as good as before. The goat biryani was available at India Spice House this time and very tasty. The ribs at Baker's were good but the brisket and sausage from last time were even better. Ordering the pizza "neo" style at Punch brought the amount of tomato sauce into better balance for my taste, and getting it unsliced definitely adds to the Italian feel as well. The toppings on the Palermo were as high-quality as my previous visit.

My one meal in Minneapolis was at Hell's Kitchen for a Saturday brunch before returning home. The lemon ricotta hotcakes are as great as everyone said.

Thanks again for all the help in eating well in the suburbs on these business trips!

Michael

-----
Baker's Ribs
8019 Glen Ln, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Punch Pizza
8353 Crystal View Rd Ste 101, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Campiello
6411 City West Pkwy, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Kabuki Restaurant
6534 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Eden Vietnamese Restaurant
7130 Shady Oak Rd, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Santorini
13000 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

India Spice House
8445 Joiner Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Biryani
7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439

[justalex]

I love India Spice House and I'm happy you had some great chow in the Twin Cities' suburbs.

Too often the 'burbs are dissed on this board as a culinary wasteland. I find that way of thinking very narrow, said as a Minneapolis inner-city dweller for 25 years.

Great food is where you find it. I was bummed at first but once I opened my mind, the options are endless.

[kriminalrat]

Is india spice house in the same league as some of the better Indian restaurants in the cities? There is a large Indian population in EP.

[ibew292]

I have only had the Buffet and I believe it is one of the best I have had. Goat Curry is often on the buffet.

[justalex]

Last time I was there it was packed. My friend, who is Chinese, and I appeared to be the only non-Indians in the restaurant. I take that as a very positive sign as to its' authenticity. I'm no expert on Indian food I'll admit, but I was impressed with the freshness, spice and variety. We had the buffet that day and one offering was a roasted cauliflower dish in red curry sauce. I couldn't get enough of it and used their warm naan to sop up every bit of the sauce.

The attached grocery has quite an extensive selection of goods that are otherwise hard to find in the west metro. Fun place.

[soupkitten]

um, i never really go to eden prairie, but if ep has great indian restaurants, this will have to change! please keep talking about india spice house, biryani, and any other indian restaurants of note in the area. how about a south indian joint with (true, long-cooked, not cooked to order) biryani. any halal places? any info is much appreciated, tia.

[ibew292]

I hardly go to Eden Prairie but when I do it's lunch and Buffet time. I don't do Buffets except there and Gorkha. Check their website http://www.indiaspicehouseep.com/inde.... It is close to Costco, another one of those places I hate to go to.......

-----
India Spice House
8445 Joiner Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

[WonderDog]

Just a little bit further north of E.P. I had an outstanding lamb biryani on Friday night at Curry N Noodles in downtown Hopkins. Everything else we ordered was still good, but the biryani was the dish that has us trying to figure when we can go back. They do use halal meat.

[soupkitten]

now i do get out to hopkins occasionally, and had wondered if that place was any good. thanks for the heads up.

[mdg]

I eat Indian food a lot at home in Silicon Valley - we have a large Indian population and many excellent Indian restaurants. India Spice House definitely holds its own with the places back home, and is in a similar style. Biryani is even more exciting to me since I haven't had their Bangladeshi dishes before.

Michael

[scottieb]

You sir, are a godsend. I've been on on a case in the area for two months and will undoubtedly continue spending every week out there for months. Yelp has been useless but this list will save many many meals.

[suburban_mom]

Well, Prairie Ale House is officially closed. They are "rebranding" and "remodeling".

I would like to add another restaurant to the Eden Prairie list. Aurelia's Mexican. It is next door to the Prairie Ale House. Fresh Mexican food prepared to order. Nothing fancy - counter service and they deliver it to your table. I've had tortas, flautas, and their guacamole chicken wrap. Everything is tasty.

[kriminalrat]

That stinks...I hope it remains a gastrpub with a good beer list but unfortunately it will probably be a crappy chain.

[chantastemaker]

Campiello is great, but may be a little hard to find...If your hubby is on biz, try Wildfire (great food, atmosphere for a business dinner) or Redstone (good food, a little more casual than Wildfire). Neither are dressy, this is Minnesota. These are closer to the EP Mall and hotels. Note- if you stay too late at Redstone, it turns into a meat market. Tell him to go to the Original Pancake House for breakfast! GREAT food. (Lots of biz people meet there too).

[mdg]

Wildfire, Redstone, and Original Pancake House are all national chains, and the original poster requested "No chains please." I'm from out of town and had no problem finding Campiello.

Michael

[chocolatemint]

Greek Grill and Fry in Eden Prairie is a great casual place for gyros, absolutely delicious and always very fresh. Fries are excellent.

My husband discovered the place, and whenever we can we stop by. I don't think a lot of people know about it, it's a simple place, not fancy, but the quality of the food is great every single time we go.

[discus]

As I'm read this thread, my wife decides we should go to Costco in Eden Prairie. So I gave her a choice of various recommendations and she chose Kabuki.

We had the following Japanese items off the menu:

green tea
miso soup
salad
vegetable tempura
sashimi
sushi

all of which were distinguished by having no discernible flavor at all. Even the wasabi that came with the raw fish seems bland. Can't comment on their Korean dishes at all, but my wife probably made a bad choice. In their defense, the sushi and sashimi were very artfully displayed. But I can't forgive them for serving long grain rice.

Next time, we'll try the India Spice place.

-----
Kabuki Restaurant
6534 Flying Cloud Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

[mdg]

Sorry to hear about that. I haven't tried any of the Japanese dishes here, but the Korean dishes haven't suffered from blandness! On my last visit I tried the Soonduboo Chigae which was probably the best rendition of this tofu soup that I've had yet. The Kimchee Chigae is still my favorite though.

Michael