Minnesota - Where to Eat?

This discussion has great ideas for the twin cities area and I can't wait to try some of these places, they sound wonderful... Not many ideas for the rochester area or SE minnesota.
As for Rochester, the restaurants options are slim pickins (my opinion only).  I do like the burgers at Newt's.  They never disappoint and are served with a mountain of fries.  Newt's variety of beers to choose from is also a welcome change, you can only have so many Mich golden lights :)
El carambas is a mexican food place that is close to cub foods in Rochester and is worth recommending.  This place is a typical Taquería, wonderful tacos, enchiladas, and during world cup they had soccer on everyday... Have taken recommendations from the staff on what types of meat to try in tacos (i.e. barbacoa) and have never been led astray.
Nupas is a greek restaurant that has wonderful gyros and falafel...

A thread is only as good as its contributors. I live in the Twin Cities thus that is mostly what I report on. You can find other threads posted by me that concentrate more on out state eateries but mainly up on the North Shore. I have also contributed heavily to La Crosse, WI and the Great River Road between the Twin Cities and La Crosse. I go through southeast Minnesota and Rochester frequently traveling to La Crosse but seldom ever stop. The timing just isn't right.

If you travel out I-394 from Minneapolis to Wayzata there are a couple of new places to check out. The first is the BLVD Kitchen & Bar that took over the old Don Pablos space in the shopping center where Dick's Sporting Goods and Trader Joe's is located east of Ridgedale. BLVD is a creation from Dean Vlahos who in previous startups created Champps and Redstone Grill. It seems like a place the "in" crowd might want to be starting with happy hour and the food an accessory. Nonetheless it was OK but not great or must have.
 
BLVD Kitchen & Bar

 
Sides include items like Sweet Frizzled Leaks

 
The Bread Service is not exactly a customary starter but has an ample selection of 5 different kinds for $2.75 if you order it

 
Sandwiches are interesting. This was the Shaved Ribeye

 
This was the Gold Coast Club Sandwich with a fried egg. Different and tasty in my opinion.

 
Traveling on out the highway is Bukhara Indian Bistro in a strip center on the frontage road east of the car dealerships in Wayzata. This spot has been a series of restaurants over the years. Previously it was the Istanbul. As an Indian restaurant they had an extensive menu. They also have a buffet lunch and takeout.
 
We started out with Vegetable Samosas

 
Our dinner selections included this Chicken Tikka Marsala

 
...and this Lamb Biryani

Just spent the past three weeks in Redwood Falls, & New Ulm. In Redwood Falls the only places that I could recommend would be Chumleys for Burgers & Brew and The Valley Supper Club.  Try the Kaiserhoff in New Ulm, they have a unique take on BBQ ribs along with some good German food and something called Sauerkraut Balls. We also tried the the Lamplighter for some good burgers and Georges' for some good Steaks.

I just tried Ray's Mediterranean on West 7th in St. Paul! That may be the best pizza crust I've eaten in my life. Crackly, bubbly crisp on the outside and soft inside. We had our pie topped with gyro meat and artichokes and it was divine! I think it's going to become a regular stop for us. 

Great thread.  I had been absent from Roadfood (at least the signing in and posting part) for a couple years.  But I figured out my password and am back.
 
Many great ones have been listed already:  The Convention Grill.  Wagner's (never been but hear great things from people I trust).  The Jucy Lucys over in St. Paul.
 
Here are a few to add:
 
Hams Sandwich Shop, in a little strip mall near 394 and 494.  Excellent meatball sandwich, and the other gourmet sandwiches are excellent, too.
 
Deli By the Bay, Excelsior.  Just posted this on another forum.  This guy gets it.  A 1-man-show and he knows how to make a hot sandwich.  Get the Chicken Philly, Chicago Beef, or hit him up on Gumbo Day.
 
The Walleye Sandwich at Tavern on Grand in St. Paul.  As good as it gets.
 
Snuffys, a local burger joint, doesn't have the burgers of the standard of convention grill, but they have the best onion rings in the entire area.
 
Bakers Ribs, Eden Prairie.  Best ribs in town, bar none.  I usually preface Minnesota BBQ with "for Minnesota" as in "For Minnesota, it is good."  Not bakers.  it is the real deal.
 
Al's Breakfast, MInneapolis Dinkytown.  Anything on the menu is great.  Great.  Great.  Cash only, and a tiny place so there might be a line.

All I have to say, is besides absolutely loving all your suggestions, is wanderingjew, in his report on the states, showed some beautiful choices in Minnesota.So much that I may cross the line!Check out his post...although I cant find it right now!!!

Hazelmn

Here are a few to add:
Deli By the Bay, Excelsior.  Just posted this on another forum.  This guy gets it.  A 1-man-show and he knows how to make a hot sandwich.  Get the Chicken Philly, Chicago Beef, or hit him up on Gumbo Day.

I didn't realize this place existed. It is located in the back off the street facing a parking lot that I generally don't park in. We stopped by after going to the Art in the Park show. I opted for the Chicago Style Hot Dog they were serving up outside that day. It was very good.
 

 

On the previous page I highlighted some Minnesota State Fair fare from 2010. We will be going to the fair again Monday. So stay tuned.
 
Meanwhile we went out today to the Sovereign Estates Vineyard & Winery on the north side of Lake Waconia just west of our house on the fringe of the Twin Cities. This winery opened in July and started selling their first harvest from 2010 after planting in 2007. So it is very new. The wines are excellent and everything they do is first class. The first time we stopped was by accident just a week after they opened when we walked the newly completed extension of the Dakota Bike and Walking trail that extends about 16 miles back to Wayzata, MN. It is right off that trail. Since we walked 3 miles we couldn't or didn't desire to taste or buy. So we walked 3 miles back to our car and drove back and just bought one bottle without going through their wine tasting. As it turned out the bottle of Tenuta di Sovrano Red Wine turned out to be excellent.
 
Today we were going to walk again after but we ended up just spending a lazy couple of hours enjoying the weather on their outdoor patio, sharing a bottle of that Tenuta di Sovrano again and partaking of two personal wood-fired pizzas. Feeling the wine we finished with coffee and biscottis from the Strip in Pittsburgh (according to the owner). They serve cafe style foods and have a wine tasting room. We bought a few bottles to take home.
 

Pannekoeken has closed the Broadway location, but the downtown location is still open.  The Ranch has been replaced by Whiskey Creek, a franchise, but pretty good.
 
Cheap Charlies, just north of down town is worth a visit, as is Grandma's kitchen. 
 
For BBQ, Rochester is quite lucky, with John Hardy's, Roscoe's, and Bob's Smoke Stack.
 
As you said, Victoria's is quite good.  Mr Pizza is also very good.
Newt's is always rated best burger. 
 
To the west, in Mantorville, the Hubble House is popular.  North in Frontenac, Alton Brown stopped there at the Whistle Stop.  Fan of Spring Grove pop?  the Blue Moose has it, in Spring Grove, MN, a ways southeast.  East in Dover is RoadTrip. 
In Lake City, we like The Galley.
Wabasha has Slippery's, featured in Grumpy Old Men
Lanesboro has Chat N Chew.
Chatfield has JW's SilverGrill.
Stewartville has DownUnder.
Byron has Bear's Den
Kasson has Daniels
Zumbrota has CoffeeMill
ZumbroFalls has a nice little pizza place, and the ZF golf course has a good clubhouse
Sort of out in the middle, between Oronoco/Mazeppa/Plainview is Sandy Point.
 
Could go on and on.....can you tell I've lived here a while?  :)

One of Wandering Jew's favorite places has new life, but no food...
 
For those interested, the Anderson House in Wabasha MN is now under new ownership, having been purchased by a couple that already owns a couple other businesses in town.
 
They will operate it as a hotel and museum/point of historical interest, and hopefully will enjoy some business from the new Eagle Center that is drawing many to the area.
 
But it will no longer be a restaurant.  Although they have restaurant experience, they will not do it here, does not look like the right venture, in their opinion.
 
I'm having some computer issues, so hope this link works.  If not, can just google Winona Daily News (Winona MN), and the article is dated today.
 
www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_7871a44c-17df-11e1-a7fd-001cc4co3286.html
 
I know there is probably a better thread to post this, but the search function returned more threads than I am willing to work through, so here it is.

The link looks good, but I think it's broken, so do the google.
 
As more info about Wabasha, their other claim to fame is Slippery's Bar, made famous by the Grumpy Old Men movies.  You could go there just to do it, I guess, but we went once and don't need to go back.  Dirty place, floors filthy, tables not wiped, flies all over the windows, menus all greasy and spotted,  service lackadaisical, and food memorably forgettable.  The management just does not care!
 
But they would love to sell you a Slippery's tee shirt in the gift shop next door. 
 
They are riding on their fame, big billboards in the area, but this is the kind of place roadfooders would disdain.
 

easydoesit


One of Wandering Jew's favorite places has new life, but no food...

For those interested, the Anderson House in Wabasha MN is now under new ownership, having been purchased by a couple that already owns a couple other businesses in town.

They will operate it as a hotel and museum/point of historical interest, and hopefully will enjoy some business from the new Eagle Center that is drawing many to the area.

But it will no longer be a restaurant.  Although they have restaurant experience, they will not do it here, does not look like the right venture, in their opinion.

I'm having some computer issues, so hope this link works.  If not, can just google Winona Daily News (Winona MN), and the article is dated today.

www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_7871a44c-17df-11e1-a7fd-001cc4co3286.html

I know there is probably a better thread to post this, but the search function returned more threads than I am willing to work through, so here it is.

 
 
 
Anderson House was one of my favorite Roadfood Restaurants in Minnesota- along with the long gone Crabtree's Kitchen in  Marine on St Croix, both having been in the first Roadfood Book I purchased back in 1990.
 
I'm glad the new owners will turn it into something and wish them success, hopefully they will reconsider and add a restaurant too-