{"id":70,"date":"2011-08-12T01:54:43","date_gmt":"2011-08-12T01:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nj-jme.com\/?page_id=70"},"modified":"2011-08-12T01:54:43","modified_gmt":"2011-08-12T01:54:43","slug":"where-to-eat","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.nj-jme.com\/?page_id=70","title":{"rendered":"Where to eat"},"content":{"rendered":"

I posted a variation of this on my personal blog a few months ago.<\/p>\n

When I first moved to Minneapolis from Southern California I came with a few fears and preconceived notions. Would I have to get my good curry powder from back home? Where would I go for comfort food? (for me: yellow curry, ricesticks and dahl). Little did I know I’d find myself smack dab in the middle of an artistic, immigrant-friendly community complete with a fantastic Indian food store and loads of great restaurants all within walking and biking distance from my home.<\/p>\n

And it’s only getting better.<\/p>\n

While you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re visiting Minnesota, here are some of our favorite places to eat:<\/p>\n

1. Brasa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the restaurant that inspired this post. Amazing chicken and comfort food (in the traditional definition of the word) but all locally sourced, with recipes crafted by an award winning chef. A great blog post about eating at Brasa from Green Your Plate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Masu Sushi & Robata<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Believe it or not, the Midwest is a fantastic place for sushi and Masu is no exception. But not only do they have exquisite sushi, they have fresh tasty ramen AND a robata<\/a>. And they serve locally made Izzy’s<\/a> green tea ice cream.<\/p>\n

3. Jax Cafe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Arguably the best steak in the Twin Cities, but no doubt the classiest. It’s where Nick and I went for our first real date. Where we took Nick’s parent’s for their anniversary. Where my dear friends Noelle and Chris had their wedding reception. Where we go when we want to indulge in amazing service and indulgent fine dining. It’s been a Northeast family tradition for years and years, and now it’s an integral part of ours.<\/p>\n

4. Red Stag<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A menu of sustainable, locally sourced foods (and beer) as beautiful as the location itself. Go here if you’d like a variety of options from pasta to fresh fish, or just a choice selection of brews.<\/p>\n

5. Sen Yai Sen Lek<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Every few weeks I find a new favorite at this amazing, amazing Thai restaurant. They have Thai iced tea (best drink ever) and a yellow curry that is *the* closest thing to my mother’s curry I’ve found anywhere from here to California. I’ve even taken to calling in daily just to see what the curry special is. (Sorry Joe, yes that’s me.) They also always have great local beers on tap.<\/p>\n

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6. The Northeast Social Club<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Like the Red Stag, a fantastic menu of locally sourced foods. Their daily specials change with the market and are always, always awesome. Their french fries are those awesome skinny fries you just can’t eat enough of. Stop by and eat a lunch outside, and you might have a magical snow-white experience just like I did.<\/p>\n

7. The Anchor<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Amazing, award-winning fish and chips. Curry sauce. Gravy. Guinness on tap. Those perfect kind of ice cubes that squish in your teeth when you bite down on them. I want…<\/p>\n

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polenta cakes. MMMM.<\/em><\/p>\n

8. Chowgirls<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chowgirls is a local catering company, owned by two awesome ladies. They wind up catering a lot of events and openings in the area. Why am I putting a catering location on this list? Because it’s amazing.<\/em> <\/p>\n

They are also on this list because they are catering our wedding! Check out some pictures of our tasting and prepare to be hungry, very hungry: nj-jme.com\/?p=50<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I worked at Peace Coffee<\/a> we had our holiday party at the old Psycho Suzi’s. That night I fulfilled a personal dream: we ordered one of every pizza on the menu. I can tell you from my own personal experience they are all awesome. <\/em>Now they have a fancy new location with an incredible tiki bar with live tiki music<\/em> on Friday and Saturday nights. And on Sundays? They have an incredibly yummy brunch menu so you can sip your bloody-mary from the bloody-mary bar while enjoying a cool breeze from the patio overlooking the Mississippi River. Their new location is quite literally stumbling distance from my house, and that’s dangerous, people. Very dangerous.<\/p>\n

10. Gorkha Palace<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

I CAN GET PAPADUMS<\/a> in NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS. Glory glory HALLELUJAH! Nepali, Indian and Tibetan cuisine that blows the Himalayan out of the water. (Sorry folks, it is the way it is.) A reasonably priced lunch buffet of amazing, fresh and tasty curries.<\/p>\n

11. Holy Land<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Families drive from Chicago to go to the Holy Land Deli and Bakery. Co-ops and restaurants all over the Twin Cities use their hummus and breads. The New York Times even wrote an article about Majdi Wadi. <\/a><\/p>\n

12. Crescent Moon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The winner of a slew of awards ranging from Best Pizza, Best Restaurant, and Best Place to Get It To Go. They have amazing gyros but they have even more amazing pizza – but it’s not a traditional pizza. It’s flavorful, unique, and you’ll be craving it again soon if you try it I’m sure!<\/p>\n

13. Sarah Jane’s Bakery<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Last but not least: dessert. Cookies, cakes, donuts, freshly baked to perfection. If they were open now, that’s where I’d be headed because I just went to their website and saw THIS:<\/p>\n

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and I want to go to there.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sarah Jane’s is the Magnolia Bakery<\/a> of Northeast Minneapolis, and we’re a better city because of it.<\/p>\n

So yeah… there you have it. We highly recommend any of the places on this list for you to visit while you’re in town for the wedding. And a handy dandy map is provided, below. If you want other recommendations for places to go to eat, let us know! There are other great places to eat in the Twin Cities – not just in Northeast Minneapolis. (We’re just a little biased. \ud83d\ude42 )<\/p>\n