Pip's Plate

I just got back from a lovely, but short, vacation to Miami Beach, FL, with my sister. She brought me along on her Pampered Chef reward trip. Lucky me!

We spent most of our time by the pool in the record-setting-93-degree day last Monday. Yikes, it was blistering hot. We stayed at the Fontainebleau in north beach Miami…it was very luxurious and reminded me a lot of Vegas hotels.

When we made it down to South Beach for some eats, we had some really delicious food at La Ventana – a Colombian restaurant. The place was teeny (maybe 20 people could fit in there) so we had to sit at the bar. It was really good food. My sister had a traditional Colombian meal of beef with tomato-onion sauce, while I had seasoned grilled fish. Yum yum!

We also had lunch at Puerto Sagua, a Cuban restaurant in South Beach, FL. It was also delicious! I had fish veracruz style served with a healthy portion of rice and fried plantains. I’m not a big fan of plantains, but these were quite good. The fish was awesome and reminded me of Thai and Indian style food with a lot of good sauce, veggies, and rice.

Remember Giorgio’s in the Uptown part of Minneapolis? Well, I never made it there (yes, I know, I really should have). There’s a new place in this uptown spot – it’s called Rinata. At first I thought their brand is very trendy and will be outdated in 2-3 years.

I met a friend at Rinata last night for dinner. I hadn’t seen her for awhile and it was very fun to catch up. Rinata has an interesting happy hour: everything on the menu is $2 off (including all drinks and food) that ends at 6pm. Cool!

We had some wine – their house white and red were very decent. We had an appetizer with octopus – we were both hoping it was better. It wasn’t nearly lemony enough, and it was served with saffron potatoes – kind of strange for an appetizer, but I’m sure some people like it.

Now, we hadn’t seen each other for a few months so we had a lot of catching up to do. Not to mention – it was 6pm – a wee bit early for us to be having dinner. Regardless, the over polite server came by about every 5 minutes for the next hour asking us if we were ready to order dinner. Yikes – give it a rest!

When we did order dinner, we were pleasantly surprised. All of the entrees at Rinata are pastas – I wish I had looked at the menu before going there since I’m not a big pasta person. Also, there is only 1 vegetarian friendly entree (unless you count the clams then it’s 2).

I had the papardelle with short rib ragu – it was simply yummy! My friend had the linguine with clams – it was also really good. I could tell that the pasta was store bought and not homemade. That was a disappointment. But the clams were really garlicky so that wins big points! (because we all know about my love affair with garlic)

In the end, I’m not sure if I’ll go back. It was decent, but not a place I would tell people they had to go to.

Rinata

2451 Hennepin Ave

Minneapolis, MN 55405

(612) 374-8998

www.rinatarestaurant.com

If you’re looking for the place in Santa Fe, NM, where locals go for lunch, this is it. Waaaay good green chile sauce! This place is totally a local hangout. It’s fairly small and diner-ish but it’s friendly and beyond everything else delicious.

Did you know there is a difference between New Mexican and Mexican food? I’m told that New Mexican cuisine is a blend of Mexican, Southwestern, and Spanish. Can’t beat that!

At Red Enchilada, I had the combo plate with a beef taco, cheese enchilada, pork tamale, and beans and rice. All topped with an incredibly good and a bit lip-smackin spicy green chile sauce. Everything was just tasty as all heck.

Top it off with a nice refreshing guava juice and you’re all set for lunch!

Oh, and I can’t fail to mention to fresh, delicate donut-like sopapillas. Pour a little honey on and you’re on your way to sweet heaven.

Red Enchilada

1310 Osage Avenue

Santa Fe, NM

505-820-6552

I have heard soooo many things about Sea Salt at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis, MN. This is a perfect place for many things: enjoying nature in a city, listening to live music, book club, playing bocce ball….all while eating a fantastic meal!

Sea Salt gets their fish from local seafood store Coastal Seafood (the best place in Minneapolis to purchase seafood and fish). Sea Salt’s menu features an array of tacos, ‘po boys, appetizers, fresh oysters, etc. And everything is fantastic.

I had the calamari tacos with cole slaw. These tacos were on corn tortillas with fresh, homemade salsa. The calamari was fried perfectly, too. I wish the sauce had been really garlicky, but otherwise I would order these again in a heartbeat. The coleslaw was also quite good.

The last time I was there, I tried the tilapia tacos – also YUMMY. But this time I had it with a side of grilled corn on the cob…my favorite. I threw some lime juice, salt and tabasco sauce on it and it was quite good.

The oysters are extremely fresh and delicious, and you can also order beer and wine there.

Don’t walk. RUN to Bewiched Deli! It’s located in the North Loop area just outside of downtown Minneapolis, MN. I’ve been meaning to get there since they opened. And I fiiiiinally got there the other weekend and have been back once since then. Hee.

Gourmet sandwiches. YUM.

I’ve only tried the Italian Hero so far and it is DE-LIC-IOUS. They put this tangy olive tapenade on it and a huge chunk of fresh mozz. Oh yes, fresh mozz. My favorite cheese.

Aside from that, they layer on the ham, salami, etc. Lettuce, tomato. It doesn’t get much better than that. And they serve it with this incredible olive-pepper relish. I must try to get that recipe. The roasted vegetable couscous served with it was just okay.

And to top it off, they serve some great sodas made with cane sugar. No high fructose corn syrup there! (Including the ever-so-loved Bubble Up)

I should also acknowledge that the staff there is really great too. Very accommodating as a first time visitor and extremely fast take out (how does 5 minutes sound?).

Get there now! And let me know what your favorite sandwiches are from there! (Photo coming soon…)

Bewiched Deli

800 Washington Ave. North

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Telephone: 612.767.4330

Fax: 612.338.2108

HOURS

M-F 8-8

SAT 10-6

SUN CLOSED

Stopped by Jasmine 26 the other day after hearing nonstop raves from friends of mine, claiming it is “their place.” On my way home, me and a friend decided to stop by.

Jasmine 26 is only open for dinner and is located right around the corner from Eat Street on Nicollet Ave and 26th St. The same owners have Jasmine Deli up the street, which is only open for lunch.

Keeping up with the excellent Vietnamese served at the deli, Jasmine 26 has overly delicious food. Well, let’s start with the interior. It’s warm, cozy, and inviting. Fairly contemporary with dark wood and dim lighting, it’s not too dim to see your food or drinks. ‘Nuf said. On to the food.

We started with the Sea Salt & Pepper Tofu – WOW. I really wasn’t expecting much from this, and I like tofu. This was easily the best tofu I’ve had. It was like it had a really light breading on it, was fried, and was still moist and juicy on the inside. That’s right. I’m talking about tofu. I’d order it again in a heart beak. Come to think of it, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

We also had a shrimp crostini fried thing and it was terrible. Don’t order it. It sounded good, but I would like that 30 seconds of ordering in my life back.

On to entrees…I had the Vietnamese ribs served with rice and fresh tomato & cucumber. De-lic-ious! Tender, falling off the bones ribs with a nice lemongrass marinade. Had it for leftovers the next day and it was just as good.

We also had the (can’t remember the name of it now) veggie dish with oyster sauce and ginger. It was pretty good, but there wasn’t enough sauce.

I’m anxious to try the pho and other curries on their menu. I’ll be back soon.

They have a full bar with some fun martinis and the like on the menu. They also serve sake which is always a plus. OH! and it’s affordable. Very affordable for excellent food.

Jasmine 26

8 East 26th St

Minneapolis, MN 55407

(612) 870-3800

I woke up this morning thinking, “Wow. I never thought I’d be turning 27 and be in La Jolla, CA, by myself for some metaphysical science conference.” But you know what? Since I watched the plane land in San Diego last night at sunset, through the misty layer of fog hovering over the mountains, I have felt right at home. Knowing that I am in the right place right now.

So here I am. In La Jolla. Never been here. Ok, so my first thought when I got to my hotel was, of course, “What am I going to do about dinner?”

Lo and behold, I have wireless in my room. Hallelujah! (Thank you, internet for making my life so easy.)  So I ho onto Google maps to check out some restaurants in my area – there are quite a few. But then I head over to chowhound.com and find that there is a delicious Thai restaurant 2 blocks from where I’m staying.

I instantly felt in the mood for Thai. But then again, just like I can always eat, I can always eat Thai.

So I read about Spice & Rice.  Check out their menu online. Confirm that this is the place I will be having dinner from tonight. I ordered takeout. Fried tofu with vegetables and red curry sauce and an order of spring rolls.

I thought the fried tofu sounded good but not too out there. Wow, was I wrong. I haven’t tasted anything quite like this before. The tofu was battered in a light, crispy batter and fried. Oh – it was good. Fried food? Bring it on. Then the sauce was…amazingly light for a coconut cream curry. They had to have used coconut cream and not coconut milk. The sauce was thick yet light, sweet yet tangy. And the best part? It had a hint of lemongrass and kaffir lime. Oh do I love kaffir lime.

It was goooood. The spring rolls were also good, but nothing to really write home about. I think I need to stop ordering spring rolls. The last few times I’ve had them I’ve been somewhat disappointed. Well, not necessarily disappointed more than underwhelmed. Sort of…beige.

Well, I’m off to explore the beaches of La Jolla this morning. I’m sure I’ll come back with some pictures.

Who would’ve thought that Nashville, TN, is full of fantastic food discoveries? Well…I guess not me. But I’m here visiting a friend, and man oh man, we’ve been eating real good.

My sister and I are here visiting a friend, but she didn’t know I was coming. My sister cleverly booked my flight to arrive the same time as hers came in from Syracuse. When Jen came to pick us up Friday morning, we were sure we’d spilled the beans at least 4 times. Somehow, she had no idea and hadn’t picked up on our slips. The look on her face when she saw me was priceless! Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? It looked a little like that followed with a lingering of “I can’t believe you’re here!”

Thankfully, Jen understands the love of food. Our first mission? Drive out to the Loveless Cafe.

This cafe used to be a motel that also served food to travelers. The motel is now a series of little shops, but the cafe is still there and still rocking their delicious trademark biscuits.

Ahhh…..Southern hospitality. We sat down at our table and wahlah! biscuits with homemade jams arrived at our table with our server’s friendly smile.

These biscuits are tender, flaky, warm and a little bit crispy on the tops and bottoms. They’re clearly made with lots and lots of butter – but how else would they get so delicious? Fat is flavor! But the best part of these biscuits is the taste – they have a hint of that cakey buttermilk pancake flavor. Unbelievably good.

The second best part of these biscuits is the homemade jams that come with them. (Note: this picture is our second plate of biscuits – hence the partially eaten jams.) Strawberry, Blackberry, and Peach jams – it’s a toss up for my favorite but if someone put a gun to my head and made me choose, it would be the peach. Little chunks of fresh peach swim in syrupy jamminess. But the blackberry is really good too – it’s easy to forget the seeds in this jam because it’s packed full of ripe berriness.

And then the food – I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork and Eggs. I looooove BBQ pulled pork, but this was out of this world good. Pork and eggs? What an easy way to redo steak and eggs!

The pulled pork was so tender and moist. It had a slight smoky flavor and the sweetness of the BBQ sauce made it taste like a little slice of heaven. I almost forgot where I was when I first took a bite. And mixing it was the eggs? Also delicious. The right way to have breakfast.

This place was a last minute switch-up and I am soooo glad we changed plans. Sushi Groove, located on Union St at Hyde in Russian Hill, was excellent – some of the best sushi I’ve had.

We also had an excellent server- Robin. Ask for him if you go. I think he was a little surprised how much food we ordered, but he did want to sit down with us and eat…we must have good taste.

We ordered a hella sushi. It might’ve had something to do with our lack of eating for a cool 6 or 7 hours. Jamba Juice doesn’t cut it, but it does get you through.

We started with Yaegaki Junmai “Black Bottle” sake – it was dry, smooth, light, delicate and a little floral. It was excellent. I will definitely be looking for this again. Also tried an unfiltered sake which was also good. As Robin put it, “it’s like sake from a cow.” Ew…

As for sushi, we had quite the array, as you can see:

The hamachi was outstanding. I feel better about the quality of hamachi on this trip versus the one last year. Sushi Groove also had an excellent selection of specials, including Hawaiian butterfish – Walu. It was soooo good. This is why I feel like sushi is like a drug – whenever I have it, I have to have more. It is addicting to eat something as good as that walu. It was melt in your mouth delicious.

Also, the ivory salmon was outstanding. We had it nigiri style and I sure felt the burn on that one- the surprise of extra wasabi was quite unexpected but welcome. We also had the aji sashimi (that would be the fish in the picture). It was pretty good with the mashed ginger they served with it.

We tried a few rolls and they were pretty good too- dynamite (which they put dollops of Sri Racha on – LOVED it), eric’s maki (scallops with tobiko and avocado I think), gari saba (ginger and mackerel), and kamikaze (yellowtail, avocado and tobiko). Yummo.

Overall, it was a lot of fun and we enjoyed all of the sushi.

Sushi Groove

1916 Hyde Street

San Francisco, CA

415-440-1905

They are also on open table for reservations.

I finally made it to Brenda Langston’s new restaurant Spoon River. (I’m a big fan of Cafe Brenda- in my opinion they have some of the best fish preparations in Minneapolis.) Has it been open a year already? WHAT is my problem? Seriously.

Well, now that I’ve been, I will be going back regularly. It was most excellent!

My friend and I had the charcuterie plate with an extremely delicious duck and chicken liver pate….mmmmm. It definitely rivals Barbette’s pate. The salami was a little fatty for my taste, but the cheeses were quite good. I’m not very familiar with cheeses on a charcuterie plate, but hey- I won’t say no.

We ordered one of the nightly specials and one entree off the menu, and they were both great. I don’t eat meat very often- I typically do when I know where the meat comes from or eat at a restaurant where I know the owner takes particular care in selecting high quality, local, organic meat. And for some reason I must’ve been feeling really low on iron because the sound of the Steak special made my mouth start watering.

For good reason, too. The steak was incredible. It was cooked perfectly medium rare with a delicious sauce and incredible pureed potatoes.

The fish entree was also quite good- walleye with a cucumber jalapeno tartar sauce. I’m all about the sauces and both of these dishes were up to par for my taste.

Aside from the great food, we had a really nice bottle of wine with dinner- Hess Syrah. I’m familiar with some other Hess wines and for the price I think they’re quite good. I’d never had the syrah before, but it will be a regular purchase from the liquor store from now on.

One more thing about the cocktails- the basil vodka lemonade drink was incredible. It is the perfect summer beverage…I just wish we had been able to enjoy it on the patio.

The space of the restaurant is a little awkward, but I love the red walls and the tables and chairs. I also appreciate the service there. The staff is quite a crew!

Check it out if you haven’t. It’s an excellent Minneapolis restaurant.

Spoon River

750 S. 2nd St.

@ Chicago Ave. S.

Minneapolis, MN 55401

tel. 612 436 2236