Help a Bermuda Chowhound visiting Minnesota!!

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

I will be visiting the Champlin area in September and have absolutely no clue of any restaurants / food specialty stores/butchers to visit.

I don’t want to say price is not a concern, but for a normal dinner for two can run $250 and up, in Bermuda, so somewhere around the same. Also some suggestions for local hangouts/diners/cheap eats....

As for cuisine, I am open, there is pretty much I won’t eat or at least try.

[soupkitten]

i don't really know where champlin is. can't speak to local food choices i'm aware of in that area. . . that's including farmstands. i'd head into town. if one night only i'd go to 1)piccolo or 2)alma. i think you'll be. . . missing out, big time, if you were to stick to suburban strip mall offerings the whole time while in the area, particularly since you seem to have a great budget for msp dining-- you could easily feed 6 people, with drinks, tax & tip, at almost any good restaurant in town for $250, or a little more.

[shadowfax]

Travail in Robbinsdale. It's one of the best places in the Midwest right now. $70 gets you a two person 10+ course tasting menu. Go for that. You won't regret it.

They open at 5 and do not take reservations. Get there early.

[semanticantics]

Travail was recently named #4 Best New Restaurant in America by Bon Appetit. The line (prior to opening) has gotten worse. Check them out via Facebook under Travail Kitchen & Amusements. I believe Robbinsdale would also be closer to your locale.

[BigE]

I love Travail and have been following the guys since their days at Victory. BUT to me, that whole experience is almost as much anxiety and it is enjoyment...and I go by myself. The overall wait just isn't worth it sometimes. If you're going to go, try to go late (~9pm).

I know this is the canned answer, but I'd recommend Victory 44 as an alternative. Same setup with (usually) less people in a less frantic atmosphere. The food is just as good, in my opinion. To channel my inner Zimmern, Erick and the gang are killing it right now.

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Victory 44
2203 44th Ave N, Minneapolis, MN

[semanticantics]

I will never put myself on the list. I'll either be at Travail for open or not go at all. Kind of a bummer there is no lunch service anymore, Saturday lunch was the best experience.

[Ummm]

We went there for the first time a couple of Saturdays ago. Was planning to get there before 5pm but got delayed. Got there at 5:40pm, and we didn't get seated until 7:30pm. Good thing it was a nice evening! Kinda fun to get to watch the chefs plating food through the window (but prob not for almost 2 hours... ) We live almost 2 hours away, and don't go to the cities often so we decided to wait since I'd been wanting to try them for a long time and don't know when we'd be back.

We had the tasting menu (fun experience! My fav were the agnolotti and soup) and didn't get done until 9:45pm and there was still a long waiting list. If we ever go there again, I'd definitely get there before 5pm. Some things ran out by the time we we served (we saw them making this other dessert earlier, but they ran out when it was our time...)

[kevin47]

Yes, V-44 and get the bone marrow and whatever soup they happen to have. It's close enough to Champlain you probably don't need to count it as your downtown night.

[BigE]

Champlin is a good bit out of the downtown areas, so I hope you have a car. In the vicinity of Champlin, I would recommend:

1) Q Fanatic - Some people aren't fond of it, but I think they make some really good BBQ. Ribs and brisket are my favorites. If you're lucky, you might catch some of their house smoked bacon. http://qfanatic.com/

2) Broncos - Certainly not fancy, just simple, good roast beef or turkey sandwiches. Just north of Champlin. http://broncossandwiches.com/

3) Nectar - I've heard good things about this place (just south of Champlin, in Osseo), but admittedly haven't been there myself.

4) Osseo Meats - You mentioned butchers. It just so happens that my favorite butcher in the area is only a few miles south of Champlin. I wouldn't call them 'specialty' necessarily, but they are a big shop with friendly people will to do whatever they can to help. http://osseomeats.com/

Beyond that, I am not too familiar with the NW suburbs and will defer to others for recommendations. My other favorites would be dependent on how far you are willing/able to drive. Let me know and I'll certainly help!

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Oh yes will have a car and one night we plan on a "downtown" night (or at least that is what I have been told!

[BigE]

Yikes...one downtown night makes it tough. If I only had one meal in/near downtown, it would probably be Restaurant Alma. It's just north of downtown, technically, but I think it fits the bill quite nicely.

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Restaurant Alma
528 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

[Diana_mn]

If I were planning only one "downtown" night, personally it would be a choice between Restaurant Alma, Bar La Grassa, Saffron, and La Belle Vie. All of them should fit nicely within your price range. And I'd probably lean toward Alma.

For "cheap eats," I'd try to catch one of the many local food trucks. SO much good food, for so little money! You'll probably have to venture into one of the downtowns around lunch time to catch them though. If you do, my faves (in no particular order) are Hola Arepa, Dandelion Kitchen, World Street Kitchen, Vellee Deli, and Smack Shack.

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Restaurant Alma
528 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

La Belle Vie
510 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405

Saffron Restaurant & Lounge
123 N 3rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401

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

[ibew292]

Do not miss Gorkha Palace great food. Dinner for two and a good bottle of wine for under $100. Also a good buffet for lunch under $10.

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Gorkha Palace
23 4th St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55414