4 nights in Minneapolis--got the basics, looking for input

[passing thru]

Hi all,

Coming to town for four nights later this week, staying at the Hilton downtown. It's a conference thing, so I'm thinking breakfasts at Hell's Kitchen mainly and area lunches at La Loma Tamales/My Burger/Brothers Deli and while I guess it's sadly too early for the food trucks maybe I'll scope out a turkey sandwich from the Turkey To Go guy if he's set up in the food court near La Loma. That all seems to fill breakfast/lunch downtown comfortably, but if I'm missing something basic let me know.

For dinners, one day I want to get out and do the Mercado Central/Midtown Global markets thing and I'll probably eat at Los Ocampo and maybe grab an octopus taco or two from La Sirena Gorda. I also managed to stumble over the fact that I can get the local Spring Grove soda at some place in Midtown Global--any other specialties I maybe should look out for here?

One other early night is probably a trip to M.I.A. and then it seems like the Vietnamese spots for dinner, probably Pho Tau Bay or Quang's. I do love Vietnamese food too and this seems a real strength of your city, so I may even decide to go to both these places on separate nights. Seems to be good other options nearby, too.

I also feel like one day I'll go slightly north and eat at maybe 112 Eatery or bar Legrassa or some such slightly more upscale option. Those seem like good dinner choices fairly nearby. Or I may even cheap out and venture to sub in a fish fry dinner for this instead--I haven't done enough research yet to see if there's one of these near enough downtown to make that an attractive choice, but it seems like the time of year to check out this tradition.

Anyway, that's what I've got as basics so I think I've got myself in good shape. (and thanks for all the pointers--as always I found plenty of solid information here on chowhound to get me started). What I'm looking for is just any additional hints as to anything that's near to the area I've mentioned that's special enough to make it worth a side trip. I love anything local or classic, and though I'm mostly interested in less expensive options I'm open to anything from road food to haute cuisine. I also think maybe I'm weakest here in bakery/dessert, so if anything stands out as a glaring omission on my part please just clue me in.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

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Hell's Kitchen
80 South 9th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402

La Sirena Gorda
920 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

112 Eatery
112 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Pho Tau Bay
2837 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408

[TonyO]

In my visits to MPLS., I have enjoyed:

Bar La Grassa: high energy, great food, excellent service
Piccolo: An experience unlike any other, incredible preparation, great wine list, great service
Restaurant Alma: solid cuisine, creative choices, excellent service
112 Eatery: worth a stop just for the Foie Gras Meatballs.......

Truly a great culinary city (now let's get that football team fixed..........................)

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Restaurant Alma
528 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

112 Eatery
112 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

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

[mtullius]

I know you're going to a conference so it may be a bit tough, but if local/classic is what you're into, I'd make the time to have breakfast at Al's in the Dinkytown neighborhood (near the U. of Minnesota). It's a teeny tiny space, but the food is quite amazing, and the atmosphere is unique.

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Al's Breakfast
413 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

[soupkitten]

note to visitors: al's is excellent, and cash only, and not for leisurely brunches, and best for a weekday early morning visit, and not for parties of larger than 2-3, unless you are willing to be split up at the counter. and excellent.

[Delucacheesemonger]

If a steakhouse is in the cards, had a great meal at Murray's when l was passing thru.

[Quince]

In terms of dessert, I would also like to add that the Twin Cities has some really good ice cream shops, although the weather isn't quite optimal for that sort of thing at the moment. Specifically, Izzy's and Sebastian Joe's are the two best I have tried. Izzy's is better for exotic flavors, Sebastian Joe's ice cream is a bit richer tasting. Crema Cafe is also up there, now that I think about it.

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Crema Cafe
3403 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Sebastian Joe's
4321 Upton Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55410

[soupkitten]

+1 on outstanding ice cream in msp-- i would put crema far above sebastian joe's in terms of quality, creativity/small batch/seasonal, and ambiance. izzy's in st paul is wonderful, and can be a nuthouse, esp on weekend evenings. mspers go out for ice cream even in subzero january, can't miss it!

[mtullius]

For my money, Pumphouse Creamery is the best ice cream in MSP (really extraordinary emphasis on local sourcing, really high quality ingredients). But I agree that Izzy's is up there.

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Pumphouse Creamery
4754 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[fendel]

Stopped in last week and got a quart of Pumphouse Creamery's sea salt caramel praline. Devoured it in a couple days. It's my favorite local ice cream.

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Pumphouse Creamery
4754 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[mtullius]

FYI, the local co-ops now have quarts of Pumphouse Sea Salt-Caramel for sale...

[kevin47]

Salty Tart is outstanding, and since you'll already be at MGM, a great choice. If you are interested in a fish fry, the Red Stag supper club has one on Friday nights that is very good. They are in NE, not far from downtown by cab.

Not sure I would pass up 112 Eatery for that, though.

Of PTB or Quang, I prefer the latter. Not sure they are sufficiently distinct to merit separate visits.

I'd throw a recommendation in for Heidi's. That or Saffron would be my top two recommendations in the city.

If you enjoy adult beverages, go to Bradstreet for a cocktail.

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112 Eatery
112 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Salty Tart
920 E Lake St Ste 158, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[Quince]

I recommend Patisserie 46, Rustica, and Patrick's Bakery for fancy baked goods, and A Baker's Wife for more standard fare. Salty Tart in Midtown Global Market is good too, especially their cheesecake and pastry cream filled brioches. If I had to choose one, I would choose Patisserie 46. Are these the best around? I think so...I would have a different list for St Paul, but I think Patisserie 46 is probably the best bakery in the whole metro.

The rest of the spots in your post looks pretty solid. Jasmine Deli and Quang are my favorites for Vietnamese food, and I usually end up there or at Evergreen Taiwanese after a visit to the MIA. I think Jasmine Deli is just a little bit better than Quang, but it is harder to get a table there so I usually end up at Quang.

Personally, I would choose Bar La Grassa over 112. My last visit to 112 was a bit too salty.

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Midtown Global Market
920 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Patrick's Bakery & Cafe
2928 W 66th St, Minneapolis, MN 55423

Salty Tart
920 E Lake St Ste 158, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[nsxtasy]

Thanks for the info on the pastry shops!

I see from their website at www.patricksbakerycafe.com that Patrick's has two locations: 2928 West 66th St. and 6010 Lyndale Ave. I assume they both have the same stuff...?

>> ...I would have a different list for St Paul

May I ask what those are, and how they compare? There's a possibility I may include St Paul in my trip. Thanks!

[suburban_mom]

Patrick's main location is the 66th Street location. The one on Lyndale is part of Bachman's garden center and has limited hours/menu.

[Quince]

For St Paul: Sweets Bakeshop (there's now one open in Minneapolis too, but I haven't been to that location), Bread and Chocolate, A Piece of Cake and Bars Bakery. Cafe Latte is also worth considering, although I find their cakes to be a little too much for me.

St Paul doesn't have any high end French pastry shops to my knowledge, it's pretty much standard American bakery treats at the places I've listed with the exception of macarons at Sweets. Bars and Sweets Bakeshop are like bakery boutiques, with a small but delicious selection.

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Cafe Latte
850 Grand Ave Ste 1, Saint Paul, MN 55105

A Piece of Cake
485 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN

Bars Bakery
612 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102

[semanticantics]

I noticed a place at Snelling / Randolph this weekend called "La Patisserie", but I know nothing about it.

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Snelling Cafe
638 Snelling Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55104

[nsxtasy]

Well, it can't be all that new, because it was mentioned in a post four years ago at http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3995... :)

[sandylc]

La Patisserie on Randolph? Not very good.

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La Patisserie
1570 Randolph Ave, St Paul, MN

[The Dairy Queen]

Not good at all. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

~TDQ

[rp1760]

You have a great list going. If you are interested in sampling a bit of night life, I'd like to recommend Nye's. A blast from the past, very unique, great (and cheap) martini's, Minnesota Nice, fun!, though food is just OK. Just thought I'd throw this out there as a response to you liking "classic." Have a nice trip!

http://nyespolonaise.com/

[passing thru]

oh hey, that's perfect--I hadn't seen this spot at all. Thanks!

[baa]

I think you've got some excellent plans For downtown lunches, La Loma is a great quick and (relatively) cheap option. The Turkey To Go cart definitely is in the same food court, kind of tucked back a little bit. Super tasty sandwiches. I personally think My Burger is awful. Right next door to My Burger there's a Japanese place called Zen Box that's pretty good (I like the gyoza especially). A better burger option downtown would be Ike's, although that's a sit-down spot, not takeout.

[nsxtasy]

>> I also think maybe I'm weakest here in bakery/dessert, so if anything stands out as a glaring omission on my part please just clue me in.

I've been putting together my own itinerary for an upcoming trip to the Cities, and I will post it here some time in the next few weeks. I looked for a topic recommending the very best pastry shops, but couldn't find one. If there is already one, maybe someone could post a link to it? I've seen mentions of Salty Tart Bakery (which is in the Midtown Global Market that the OP here is already planning to visit), Rustica, and Patisserie 46, but I don't know whether or not those are the best around. So I too would appreciate any direction regarding bakeries for sweets.

[BigE]

The bakery question depends on what you're looking for. Patisserie 46 is excellent, so is Salty Tart (though that will get some argument around here). For a plain cake donut, A Baker's Wife is as good as it gets. Right next store, Buster's on 28th is a great neighborhood pub. Outstanding beer selection and above average grub. It can be pretty busy during prime time, however.

BTW, you've been an incredible amount of help in the CHI board...I'll be sure to help the best I can when you visit our fair town. :)

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Buster's on 28th
4204 28th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55406

Salty Tart
920 E Lake St Ste 158, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[nsxtasy]

Thanks!

What I love is European pastry – stuff like croissants, French macaroons, entremets (mousse cakes), bostok, éclairs, etc. I’m not looking for “comfort food” type baked goods – no cookies, no lemon bars, and for heaven’s sake enough already with the cupcakes! :) It sounds like my top choices are Patisserie 46, Rustica, Patrick's, and Salty Tart. A quick check of websites leads me to believe that the places mentioned for St Paul (Sweets Bakeshop, Bread and Chocolate, A Piece of Cake, and Bars) all lean towards the conventional stuff that I'm not interested in.

I'm holding off on posting about my upcoming trip to MSP because it's over three months away, and things can change between now and then. I'll probably post about it 6-8 weeks beforehand. (But in case you're curious, the places I've already got on my tentative itinerary are La Belle Vie and Restaurant Alma for dinners, and Hell's Kitchen for breakfast/brunch.)

[soupkitten]

id. . . honestly. . . skip patrick's, it's just the same damn mass-produced opera cakes for 20 years, all showy presentation and no spark anymore. other places with less showy offerings have moved past patricks in terms of using high quality ingredients. doesn't take *me* back to paris, and i'd bet my garters you have access to far better in chicago.

rustica is brilliant, but they are primarily an artisan bread bakery. they have some croissants and small pastries which are fine, but, simple and "rustic," an afterthought to the fine breads, imo.

patisserie 46 and salty tart are better bets with more technique and contemporary flavor innovations going on. i can't stress enough--please go to the actual salty tart location in midtown global market to get good, fresh selections. some of the stuff she sends out to local restaurants is frustratingly uneven, but i've had some really sublime things at the actual counter, there's a reason she gets put up for the james beard award. and yes, several of the crew at salty tart can be quite grouchy. hell, downright bitchy. that's coming from *me*! so be prepared-- they can also be sweet as pumpkin custard. loopy bakers, heh ;-P

looking forward to having you in town, your advice on the chicago board is always **so** thorough and helpful to visitors!

[sandylc]

Yeah, skip Patrick's - everything looks dazzling in the case, but lacks flavor and quality. Patisserie 46 is very very good. Rustica does get more attention for its breads, but I think their fine pastries are often overlooked. Their bostocks are very good, as are their coconut tarts, gougeres, lemon tarts, etc. They just don't offer the more frou-frou French pastries. I haven't hit Salty Tart when they have had much left yet. Seems like everytime I'm able to get there, they're out of everything.

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Salty Tart
920 E Lake St Ste 158, Minneapolis, MN 55407

[jfood]

Add Bar La Grassa and book it now.

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

[Seige]

I love European pastry too and I get it, really I do, but please don't poo poo conventional quite yet. Bars Bakery uses local ingredients and really - you won't find such Minnesotan baked goods anywhere else. I suspect you're drowning in European pastry in Chicago, but do you really have to die for lemon bars and molasses cookies and caramel rolls that I'd pretty much sell a limb for? That said, Patisserie 46 is on my list of go to places as well. Oh and Sweets Bakeshop, while it does make cupcakes, it also makes some kick ass macarons - I suggest the salted caramel. :)

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Bars Bakery
612 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102

[nsxtasy]

Actually, yes, in Chicago we also have plenty of those "comfort food" type baked goods as well as European pastry. (For example, the cinnamon swirl rolls at Fox & Obel here are pretty darn awesome.) Nothing wrong with that - it's "different strokes for different folks". It's just my personal preference towards the more European type pastries. Between the mentions I've seen for the pastry cream brioche at Salty Tart, and the bostok and frangipane at Rustica, and that photo of the entremets in the Heavy Table review of Patisserie 46, I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for!

[soupkitten]

maybe not for Nsxtasy, but for the op, some of the other bakeries in town would make good recs. bravo! bakery comes to mind as a unique place for cake and confections.

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Bravo Bakery
1106 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

[sandylc]

I very much appreciate what Bars Bakery is all about. That said, I have been there three times, at different times of day, and the available choices were very sparse. The display area is very small, and I wonder how they can survive with such low volume. Also, although I do like both European and American baked goods, I don't like either one to be excessively sugary. Bars is VERY sweet - just too much for us. When you use good quality ingredients, you shouldn't have to rely upon sugar so heavily.

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Bars Bakery
612 Selby Ave, St Paul, MN 55102