Pip's Plate

The original Food Quest: mussels in Minneapolis.

Last summer, my boyfriend and I decided to search the Twin Cities for the best mussels. It all started at Barbette early in the summer when we ordered the mussels and realized how much we both enjoy them. We decided to order mussels off every menu we saw them on for the next few months (we still order mussels to see if any beat Barbette’s).

The mussels we had at Barbette that day are still the best. They were spicy with a white wine broth filled with chunks of chorizo. Damn they were good.

Also on the list were Bacio, Zander Cafe, French Meadow, and a different preparation at Barbette at the end of summer.

Bacio was by far the worst. The mussels were sketchy at best. I’m surprised I ever ate mussels again after that night. They were served with a tomato saffron broth which was very good. It was the mussels that were scary – every other one was potential food poisoning.

Zander Cafe – the only St. Paul representative in this quest – has excellent mussels and deserves a solid second place to Barbette’s chorizo mussels. Zander Cafe serves their mussels in a delicate coconut curry sauce. They were delicious.

French Meadow serves up a decent plate of mussels, but nothing special. A basic white wine broth with scallions. The mussels were fresh and tasty, but a little boring.

Barbette’s second offering of mussels were very good, although not as good as the chorizo version. This version was served with a white wine, shallot & lemon sauce. The freshness of the sauce was very good with the mussels. I see that they have a tomato saffron option on their menu now as well. Perhaps I’ll be back to try them.

After discovering the merriment of reading tk’s exploration of the Twin Cities’ gyros offerings, I’ve decided to create a new category called “Food Quest.” I also discovered that I’ve been meaning to do this since last summer with the quest to find the best mussels in the Twin Cities (that would be Barbette).

My intention for it is to create a quest to find something you love. For example, I have several Food Quests of my own that I will be and have been on in the next few months.

• Friends Food Quest: to have people over for dinner at least once a week (so far so good for 2 weeks) – it’s been a blast so far. Daniel and I love cooking so why not cook for those we enjoy ALL the time!
• Quest for the best Fries: I’ve been thinking about this one for a while now. I have a couple places in mind that are dueling it out for 1st place as of now but there are a few more places I need to try first.
• Quest for the best Mussels: Since we did this last year, I have to post about it. Look for it soon.

Anyway, you get the idea. Please start using this category as your own!  And please come back to share your quest.

I’ve recently added some new links to my sidebar. Check them out – you’ll enjoy yourself:

Ladies Love TK – a hilarious blog of storytelling, food and life

Delicious:Days – a German blog (in English) about delicious food and some serious photography

Smitten Kitchen – a food blog with enticing photographs and wonderful recipes

My friend sent me over to a blog that a friend of hers writes – ladieslovetk – and I have to tell you, I enjoyed reading about TK’s latest adventures in eating gyros for a week from a different place each day.

Some of my favorite lines so far:

Day 4 – Greek Grill: “I don’t know why Greek Grill has to get jiggy with their rice.”

Day 4 – Greek Grill: “Denture-wearers would be all over this gyro.”

Day 3 – Holy Land: “The flavors in this gyros meal will not be frickin denied.”

Day 1 – Dino’s: “I think they have formulated a special recipe for odorless gyros designed to prevent people from getting BO. So essentially, Dino’s gyros are like the hairless cat of the gyros world. They’re less of a hassle, but also kind of freaky.”

Thanks for the laughs TK – I look forward to reading about Days 5-7!

If you’re wondering what a “not dog” is, it is a vegetarian hot dog. And the Bulldog Restaurant (btw – what’s up with the MySpace profile for bars?) in Minneapolis, MN has THE BEST not dog around. I am one for good hot dogs, but man, I would order that not dog over any hot dog any day.

Now that I’m no longer a vegetarian – even though when I was I was really bad at it – I still crave that not dog! Can it be like a drug? I know sushi is like drugs, but no-dogs? They typically suck.

The not dog on their menu comes with all the fixin’ options that their hot dogs do – any assortment of chicago style, beans & onions, jalapenos, etc. Pretty much anything you want on your dog you can get. It must be the texture – it’s very meatlike. I think it could fool any meat-eater.

Not to mention, the Bulldog does have an excellent assortment of beers on tap – Bell’s 2 Hearted (my alltime fave), Rush River Beers (a local Wisconsin brewery w/a good red), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Hoegaarden, etc.

Do yourself a favor and check it out. You will be mighty satisfied with your choice of not dog.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve been to Chiang Mai Thai in Calhoun Square in Uptown or Minneapolis, MN. It’s one of my default take out restaurants. I’ve come to prefer to order take out rather than to sit at their restaurant, but a couple weeks ago I did eat there and I had the best service I’ve ever had there.

I apologize that I can’t remember my server’s name, but he was very attentive and very likeable. Few of the servers and bartenders there have left this impression on me – I think in the past 1 bartender was exceptional as well.

The food at Chiang Mai Thai is always good. Although the spice level can vary depending upon the chef, that’s ok with me! Some of my favorite things to order are the Stir Fry Ginger Curry – this is served with rice and lots of vegetables with a delicate curry flavor. I can’t decide if I prefer their Paneang Curry to the Sweet Green Curry because it’s so close. The flavors are very different, but I like each of the dishes equally.

For appetizers, the chicken wings are delicious. I also enjoy their version of Thom Yom soup – my favorite appetizer. They create the perfect proportion of mushrooms to vegetables to broth – everytime.

Thanks for being a dependable restaurant, Chiang Mai Thai.