You know that saying about pizza? “Pizza is like sex. When it’s good it’s really good. And when it’s bad it’s still pretty good.”Well, that’s the way I feel about dim sum.I had a chance to try the dim sum at Umami by Travail last night, and I the dim sum at Wanderer’s Garden in Minnetonka last weekend. I have never had authentic dim sum at a tea house in Guangzhou, which … [Read more...]
The Pig Ate My Pizza—and I ate the pig
Did you ever wonder what would happen if the wild and crazy guys behind Travail Kitchen & Amusements opened a pizzeria? Would they, like, create a foie gras pizza? Or a Mussels from Brussels pizza, as a tribute to Jean Claude Van Damme, topped with mussels, brussel sprouts, and chorizo? Or maybe an appetizer made from pig feet and cheeks, and call it … [Read more...]
Borough: a cure for the jaded palate
I can’t say that I was really looking forward to the arrival of Burough and Parlour, the new restaurant and cocktail bar In the North Loop, with very much enthusiasm. Maybe I am just getting jaded, or bored, but it seems like every week, some new hipster hangout opens up somewhere in Minneapolis (why so seldom in St. Paul?), and they mostly seem to follow a familiar formula – … [Read more...]
Travail is terrific! My excellent birthday dinner
For my birthday, Carol offered to take me out to dinner anywhere I wanted to go, and I chose Travail Kitchen and Amusements, the new restaurant and wine bar in Robbinsdale. I had been to the little storefront on Broadway once before by myself, and only sampled a few dishes, but was intrigued enough by what I tasted that I wanted to return.This is no-frills dining … [Read more...]