News

Hello my little feasters and welcome to this weeks edition of Friday Feast. This week we made the agonizing journey over University Ave to try our first falafel courtesy of Foxy Falafel, located on Raymond Ave in St. Paul. When walking in the door I became stunned for there was multiple people eating, waiting, talking....evidently there are multiple people who seek out dining experiences regardless of the construction. Imagine that. After reading the chalkboard menu and the eclectic crowd...we made our stomach driven decisions....

 

Foxy Falafel : Traditional falafel. Crispy and crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.

Curry Falafel : Indian curry spices mixed in with falafel mix.

Beet Falafel : Ground Beets mixed with falafel mix. Topped with special preserved lemon and goat cheese sauce.

Having never experienced a falafel before, I thought it important to have a diverse array of choices. Not only are there 3 different choices Foxy offers but also 3 different sauces( green tahini, cucumber mint, and) and 3 different ways to enjoy them (samich, platter, or salad). We had the samich version and platter version, along with all 3 sauces, and put the salad version in the toilet.

Now, I realize I am a newcomer to the world of falafels but I found it hard to determine which flavor each falafel was. Not a ton of flavor to help us out either. They are deep fried balls that taste like deep fried balls. When dipping them in sauce they take on the flavor of the sauce, which can be good or bad. I guess I am not a fan. The hummus was fantastic, though, and redeemed the platters. 2.5 out of 5 forks.

Turkey Shawarma : Thinly sliced local Wild Acres turkey marinated over night and
pan seared served with grilled onions and peppers.

My first date with shawarma went a lot better. The turkey had great flavor and MOISTure along with the salty crunch of the peppers and onions. Dump a bit of cucumber sauce and siracha and.....ahhhh yeaaah. 3.5 out of 5 forks.

Lamb Burger : lamb, cabbage, tomato, hummus, cucumber.

Love me some lamb. The lamb patty was served in a pita with the fixins. Tasty, juicy, well seasoned patty with fresh veggies. Goes well with the spicy harissa sauce and my mouth. 3 out 5 forks

Foxy Falafel offered homemade food with fresh ingredients. Wasn't a huge fan of the falafels but the fun atmoshere and tasty samiches made it worth the trip. Good price point and friendly service.

Welcome back Feasters. This week we made the annoying journey to 50th and France to have lunch where the pretty people eat. I was a little nervous driving there considering my car is only a 2006 but I seemed to have snuck in undetected amongst the Range Rovers, Taurus' and Mercedes. Lucky for me it didn't matter because I was about to feast on some Mozza Mia, another creation from the beloved restaurant family of Parasole Restaurant Holdings. Lets see how it goes....
 
Mozza Tasting
Housemaid fresh mozzarella, smoked bufala mozzarella fresh ricotta, buratta and rollatini served with grilled crostini, serves 2-4, HOMEMADE FRESH DAILY

Fresh is definetly the word to describe the mozzarella. Drizzled in olive oil and accompanied with some of the best grilled bread I have had. Fun way to start a meal getting to try these cheeses. The smoke mozzarella gave me naughty dreams. A must try if dining at Mozza Mia. 4 out of 5 forks

 

 

Grilled Chicken Panini: roasted red pepper pesto, provolone, arugula

 

My being a panini /food lover I was excited to try this samich and was not disappointed. Picture perfect panini. Warm, crispy bread and chicken was cooked to perfection. The best part was dipping it in the roasted red pepper pesto sauce. I lika da sauce. Very good if your in da mood. 3.5 out of 5 forks.


Margherita Pizza
Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil

To me a Margherita Pizza is all about the sauce and I think Mozza Mia may too. The sauce was extremely fresh tasting and almost as good as mine. Add there homemade mozzarella and basil and you have one damn good Za. I could have used a little more basil but then again, I always could. 4 out of 5 forks.

Calabrese Pizza
Calbrian peppers and sausage, swiss chard a fresh Mozzarella

The waiter recommended this pizza and evidently it is not on the menu. He said this is what he eats here so we obliged. The pizza was amazing. Had a bit of spice, tasty sausage, the famous mozzarella and swiss chard which makes it a salad. It is a win-won for all and you won't be disappointed. 4.5 out of 5 forks.


Mozza Mia ia a great addition to Parasole Holdings. They had a great menu, theatrical wait staff, fresh ingredients and fun decor...as if that matters. Give them a try, just be sure not to stare at the stay at homes moms.

Hello Feasters and thank you for joining us for this week's edition of Friday Feast. This week I bring to a place that I have driven by a hundred times and wondered what it was like. Well, no more, for this week we went to Moscow on the Hill on Selby Ave in St. Paul. In addition to an extensive vodka list Moscow on the Hill also offers traditional Russian comfort food using locally produced ingredients. My being locally produced as well, I thought I might fit right in.

Borsht- Classic Russian beet, cabbage and potato soup garnished with sour cream and fresh dill

Didn't know what to expect but I was surprised. Very fresh tasting soup. The beet and dill flavors were dominant and the sour cream was nice making it creamy. 3 out of 5 forks


Lamb Cheboureki- Ground lamb stuffed pastries puffed in hot oil, served with tomato-garlic relish

A deep fried lamb pastry. The best part was the tomato-garlic relish. The lamb had great flavor. 3 out of 5 forks.


Boujenina Sandwich- Garlic pork roast, grilled squash, tomato, lettuce with ajika aioli, served with house pickles and fried potatoes and Russian slaw

What a great samich. Unique flavors. The park was great but the green tomato and aioli combination along with the cold pork and squash made this a great samich. 4 out of 5 forks


Siberian Pelmeni- Beef and Pork filed dumplings brushed with butter, garnished with sour cream and served with vinegar.

Very simple meal but well worth it. Bowl full of dumplings with sour cream. Add a couple hits of vinegar and you're in business. I could eat those all day. 4 out of 5 forks.

Moscow on the Hill was a pleasant surprise. Russian food is usually not known for their crazy flavors and overly seasoned cuisine. I have to say I was impressed with the recommendations, the service, the food and we have yet to try the vodkas... If you haven't given Moscow a try...let me know and I will meet you there.

Hello Feasters and welcome to this week's edition of the one and only Friday Feast. In our never ending quest for heavenly cuisine we have come across a place that many of you probably did't know exists. The Hmongtown Market on Como in St. Paul is anything but mundane and offers much more than mind blowing cuisine and authenticity. The Hmongtown market offers everything from DVD's and toys to clothing, hygiene product, and most importantly, food! Hmong cuisine can vary greatly but almost always includes white rice, vegetables and some sort of meat. The meat varies from chicken and pork to cow tendon and pork intestine. They use a wide array of fresh herbs such as lemongrass, green onion, ginger, mint, cilantro and garlic. One thing they are not used to is a large German jumping in excitement to try beef tendon....


Curry Noodles- large bowl of noodles in a curry broth with onion and cilantro. The herbs were fresh and the noodles plentiful. The broth was tasty but didn't stick to the noodles. When eating the noodles you had to be sure to include some broth. The quantity of the noodles made this dish a steal. 3.0 out of 5 forks.

Beef Tendon- think of a thick piece of licorice and you will have the texture of the this dish. Extremely chewy but had a good beef flavor. If you have texture issues you should not try this. Probably not something you want to get full on but great if you would like to try something different. 3.5 out of 5 forks.

Steamed Catfish- steamed in banana leaves this catfish may be some of the best I have had. Perfectly cooked and extremely moist. Tons of fresh flavor with dill being the most prevalent. I would order this again, great piece of fish. 4 out of 5 forks.

Pork Stomach- yes, I said pork stomach. Having had tripe before I felt prepared. The abundance of herbs and what seemed like a citrusy sauce made the flavor wonderful. The texture is a bit chewy and the appearance looks like pork intestine, so beware. I enjoyed it but again probably not something you want to chow down on. 3.5 out of 5 forks.

Hmong Sausage- great salty, sausagey flavor. It is a huge link of sausage they cut for you when ordered. Alone it may get a bit boring after eating half of it but when eaten with the rest of the cuisine it offered up something new. A must try when eating there. 3.0 out of 5 forks.

The Hmongtown Market was an extremely fun find. You are thrown right in the Hmong culture and would never know you were in St. Paul. The people were friendly and the food was fun, fresh and exciting. I love learning about new cultures and what better way than eating their food. The cost was low and the portions were perfect. Give this place a try.

Hello Feasters and welcome back to another sweet edition to Friday Feast brought to you by my insatiable appetite.  This week we bring you to the up and coming and investor friendly neighborhood of North Minneapolis and the intelligent and foodie friendly menu of Victory 44 located on 2203 44th Ave N in Minneapolis. Lets see what how they do..

Devils on Horseback- blue cheese filled dates then wrapped in bacon and served with a blue cheese foam

This appetizer set the tone for the meal.. It had everything. It was sweet, salty, creamy, innovative and delicious. the blue cheese foam was was the best part, light and creamy. I recommend ordering your own. 4.5 out of 5 forks

Ham and cheese croquettes- ham and cheese filled croquettes served with a cheese foam

These croquettes were crammed with ham and cheese goodness. Flaky, crispy outer and gooey cheesy salty inner. The cheese foam was light and fluffy and was a nice complement. Great gourmet bar food. 4 out of 5 forks

Reuben- homemade corned beef with a cabbage slaw and Russian dressing served with bacon fries.

Deliciously moist, chewy , salty corned beef with a slightly sweet Russian dressing and a tangy cabbage slaw. Good twist on the reuben. I am a purist when it comes to reubens but this was fun. The bread was a bit chewy for me but the flavors were great together. 3.5 out of 5 forks.

The Perfect Burger- Beef burger with homemade pickles, cheese, homemade dijon mayo served with bacon fries.

This really was a perfect burger. The flavor was all about the beef which was cooked perfectly. Along with cheese, they had homemade pickles and dijon mayo all atop a flaky bun. It was perfect. 4.5 out of 5 forks.

Victory 44 was an amazing find. The food is unique and prepared and cooked using gourmet technique. The flavor is abundant, the price is affordable and the bacon fries served with a homemade ketchup are an example of Victory 44s attention to detail. It is a little out of the way but you wont be disappointed.

Good afternoon feasters and thank you for gracing us with your presence at this weeks Friday Feast. Just when you think you have tackled all the grub hubs in St. Paul, someone gos and opens LuLu's on Selby in St. Paul. After reading all the rave reviews I thought it a tragedy we have not been there yet.... I apologize LULU.

Chicken Gyro - Seasoned diced chicken, smothered in our feisty feta spread, topped with tomato and cucumber. Baskets are served with Lulu's saffron fries. Platters are served with rice and chopped salad.

Not the best start for a place I had high hopes for. The chicken seemed hidden, the pita was cold and the feisty feta spread was more of subdued spread. 1.5 out of 5 forks

The Fair- A classic Juicy Lucy full of molten cheese, on top of fried onions and pickles but cause we love 'em so much we toss some cheese curds in there too! Baskets are served with Lulu's saffron fires. Platters are served with rice and chopped salad.

 

This is more like it. Nice flavor, gooing abundant cheese. Would have liked more onion...my opinion. oh....yeah..and the put cheese curds in it. Not bad LuLu...not bad. 3.5 out of 5 forks

Lulu's Saffron Fries- Hand cut and perfectly seasoned with our own saffron spice blend. Served with our delicious pink sauce.(A creamy, tangy blend of spices, tomato and lime.)

May be the best fries I have had in years. Crispy, fresh, tons of flavor, long strips. The pink sauce taste a bit like 1000 island....but I'm down. 4.5 out of 5 forks.

Fish Tacos- Fried seasoned tilapia, pico de gallo, chipotle sauce in a flour tortilla

The Tilapia was plentiful, crispy, well seasoned, and moist. The pico added some cool freshness and the chipotle gave it a kick. Well balanced flavors and texture and was all stuffed in a warm tortilla...NICE! 4 out of 5 forks


Gyro Lucy- Ground beef and lamb lucy stuffed with feta, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs and topped with a fresh yogurt sauce.

 

Worlds are colliding......beef, lamb was maybe a bit over seasoned. The feta, tomato and herbs were nice and the cool yogurt sauce was a fun touch. It has big Gyro flavor which went well with my large mouth. Nice twist on the Juicy. 3.5 out of 5 forks.


Have already told my wife we need to go here. Outdoor seating, good grub and friendly service. I would go back for the fries alone, but you might as well have burger while your are there!!

Welcome back feasters to yet another life changing edition of Friday Feast. We thought this week, in honor of Anahi Gonzales, we would feast on some Peruvian cuisine... and what better spot to do so than at Uchu Peruvian Cuisine located in Plymouth on Berkshire Lane. Peruvian cuisine, like their models, are traditionally awesome and contain 3 staples..corn, potatoes and ajies (chili). Their cuisine has been influenced from Japan, China, and Spain to Italy and West Africa...and is about to be influenced by me....

Papa a la Huancaina- potatoes topped with Uchu Amarillo and queso fresco sauce

Uchu amarillo means yellow pepper. This is a very simple appetizer that contains cold chunks of potato drenched in what appeared to be a peruvian version of cheese whiz. You can interpret that any way you would like...some may think cheese whiz is good and for those people I would say stick to Apple Bees. I was a little suprised that this was offered with such enthusiasm. 1.5 out of 5 forks.


Ceviche Mariscos- shrimp, calamari, octopus, scallops marinated in lime juice, cilantro and onion

Generous chunks of seafood. The lime and onion were the dominant flavors in this dish. Could have had more cilantro. Extremely fresh, seafood was in large chunks as to not overcook them. Different than the Mexican version you are probably used to. Daddy enjoyed. 3.5 out of 5 forks

Lomo Saltado- Peruvian stir fry with tenderloin strips or chicken sauteed onions, tomatoes, soy sauce served with french fries

We enjoyed the beef version of the Peruvian Stir Fry. Extremely deep intense flavors. Beef was cooked nicley and the fries soaked up the juice which in this case was a good thing. Fun and different. 3.5 out of 5 forks

Aji de Gallinna- shredded chicken with uchu amarillo, parmesan cheese cream sauce

Probably the best dish we experienced at Uchu. The chicken and extremely creamy and rich sauce was tossed with white rice. Think of it as a fancy Peruvian hot dish that you can't stop eating..t'was delicious. 4 out of 5 forks.

I must say I truly enjoy eating different ethnic food and find in truly amazing how they come up with so many tasty dishes with so little ingredients. The service was exceptional, the ambience fun, and the food good. Give Uchu a try if you're in the mood for something different.

Welcome back Feasters! Hope you are ready for yet another awesome edition of Friday Feast. This week, like most weeks, we had a bit of a craving for a hotdog. After a little investigating and a lot of hard work we came up with BJ's Hotdog Shoppe on Suburban Ave in St. Paul. BJ's serves hot dogs, hot beefs, a polish, chili, tamales and even some nachos.....let's see how they did.


Chili Dog

We told him to make our chili dog how he eats it. It came fully dressed with chili, tomato, cucumber, celery salt. Dog was a jumbo red hot. The chili was creamy and thick, perfect for a hot dog. The dressings were a great addition giving it some different texture and some added crunch. The chili had a bit of heat and had me thinking how good it would be in my mouth. This dog was a pleasant suprise. 3.5 out of 5 forks

Italian Beef

Very Nice. I have had many hot beefs in Chicago and Bj's version could compete with the likes of Al's, Portillos and Mr. Beefs. There beef is just as good and their giardiniera may be better. The role was perfect! It was still chewy even after being dipped. This samich was made with love........and was eatin with complete adoration. 4 out of 5 forks
.
Polish

Damn I love me a good polish. This didn't disappoint. The lovely lady behind the counter recommended it with some mustatrd and grilled onions and I did not discourage from doing so. Was a good size polish with a tangy mustard and onions that had a home made blend of italian seasonings. The onions made it unique. 3 out of 5 forks

Italian Combo

This guy put a frickin Italian sausage inside the already delicious Italian beef. So...in other words meat, inside of meat. Which is why I ate it in the bathroom. This samich had the juicy italian beef, an italian sausage link, chewy, yet juicy dipped roll, and the amazingly fresh and spicy giardiniera. You put all of that together in my mouth and you get me coming back today for lunch...seriously. 4.5 out of 5 forks.


Bj's Hotdog Shoppe is just great windy city grub, great friendly service and a great price. Not sure you can ask for more.

Good afternoon feasters..I've missed you. I was out for a bit completing by continuing food education in Chicago....and if anyone ever needs good places to eat down in Chicago, I will try and keep in under 10 recommendations. Anyways, one of our fans asked if we could review the famous establishment Snuffy's Malt Shop. Snuffy's has locations in St. Paul, Roseville, Edina, and Minnetonka. Considering I love burgers, malts and eating I thought I could oblige one of our fans by visiting the Roseville location....here we go.

Plaza Burger- swiss cheese, sour cream, chives,and grilled onions on a rye bun.

With 3 of my favorite ingredients, grilled onion, swiss and beef, included this burger, it had me excited.....until I tried it. The best thing about this burger was the rye bun..and that was a bit cold. The burger, which could have been an 1/8th of a pound, did not do much for my beef craving. The sour cream was what I tasted the most. In an era where just about everything has been done to a burger the least Snuffys could do is actually include the burger. 2.5 out of 5 forks


Bison Burger - served with lettuce, tomato, and whatever damn cheese you want.

Not much different here. The bison was not dry, which isn't easy to do. The meat had nice flavor but was buried in bread. No juice dripping down my chin, no ingredients squishing out the side, and nothing special. 2 out of 5 forks


Snuffy's Lindy- BACON, lettuce, tomato, and egg salad.

This was a good samich. It was a good twist on the usually boring egg salad samich. Good amount of crispy bacon gave this samich texture, flavor and a little something different. Had eggs and bacon which makes this a great breakfast samich as well. 3 out of 5 forks.

Chocolate Malt

In my opinion this is why you go to Snuffy's, for the Malts. Rich, creamy and abundant. Nice work! 3.5 out of 5 forks



Snuffys has been around for years and I believe it is for the Malts and the price point. We had 3 samiches, onion rings and a malt for $27 and for the price it is worth it. If you're comparing Snuffy's to one of the many burger joints in the Twin Cities, it will not stand up. The service is incredibly friendly and the decor will bring you back to your childhood. I would make sure that a good malt is top priority when visiting though.

Hello Feasters, it's time for some weiners. I am very excited to tell you about this weeks feast. It is all about the weiner. If you have ever driven down Cedar just off of highway 94 you have probably driven past it numerous times. It is none other than The Weinery. The decor and ambience is that of a New York diners storage closet and may have the same square footage but I was not there to redecorate, I was there to crush some hot dogs like I normally do on a Thursday afternoon.

Tasmanian Devil - hottest chili dog - as hot as you want it
They are not kidding when they say hot as you want it. Had substantial heat, great flavor. The perfect chili dog. Should maybe toast the bun quick so it doesn't get soggy while I am eating my other 2 dogs. 3.5 out of 5 forks

Hairy Brain - mayonnaise, cheese & sauerkraut

The hairy brain sounds like something you would hear on South Park.....put that with mayo and sauerkraut sounding awful together...I had to try one. Again, good dog and I was correct, mayo and sauerkraut do not go together. It had 2 huge things going for it though, it had cheese and its a hot dog.  2.5 out of 5 forks

 

Picnic Dog - baked beans, cheese & coleslaw

3 great american toppings all on one dog, how can you go wrong. Well, you can't..it's delicious. This may have been my favorite. Crunchy slaw, sweet creamy beans and cheese. Boom goes the dynamite. 4 out of 5 forks.

 

Upsetter - bacon, egg any style & cheese

Breakfast dog!!! This was awesome. Make sure you order the eggs runny. The bacon was crispy and awesome and cheese was present which makes this dog simple yet mind blowing. 4.5 out of 5 forks.

The Weinery lacks creative toppings and cutting edge culinary technique but does have a pretty damn good hot dog. They do offer weiner-wiches and burgers. Last time I had a weiner-wich was when I was growing up and we had hot dogs , but no hot dog buns. It was devastating and I have never forgot it. The guy who served us in the cut-off jean shorts who looks like George Michael from Wham! was friendly and was serious when he asked me if I really wanted 3 hot dogs. If you have never tried a weiner from The Weiner you should try it.....it's an experience.