The Lexington - St. Paul

We didn't have any Minnesota Twins tickets for the big game vs. the White Sox so we decided to grab some dinner and watch the game at The Lexington, or "The Lex" if you live in Saint Paul. We were looking for a step up from the usual bar fare. Walking in the front door of The Lexington is like stepping into a time machine and taking a trip back 30-40 years back to an era when the supper club was king. The bar at The Lexington is the perfect spot to grab a bite and a drink while watching the game. There is only one TV, but it is large enough for viewing anywhere in the bar area. Don't let the fancy surroundings intimidate you. They will treat you like the Mayor whether you're in a suit and tie or shorts and a t-shirt. This is Saint Paul after all. The menu is upscale supper club. They feature steaks, seafood, pasta and some great comfort food. All the soups are home made and I have yet to try one I did not care for. They offer a wide selection of appetizers, but my favorites are the coconut shrimp and The Lexington green beans, which consists of Fresh green beans blanched in oil then tossed with minced garlic, crushed red pepper, onion. It's hard to play favorites with the entree selections, but the Walleye Almondine is always great on it's own or paired with a steak. I'm not sure if it's on the dinner menu, but I'm a big fan of the 1/2 pound Lex Burger. Order some Bearnaise Sauce on the side to dip your fries. The Lexington is located on the corner of Grand Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Saint Paul. They are open 11am-10pm Monday - Thursday, 11am-11pm Friday and Saturday, and 9am-9pm Sunday.

Maxwell's American Pub - Minneapolis

I found out some great news today. Maxwell's American Pub is opening this Saturday after being closed after a devastating fire in February. Anyone lucky enough to have Minnesota Vikings tickets or Minnesota Gophers Football tickets for the games this weekend should stop by, grab a beer and one of their awesome sandwiches and welcome Maxwell's back! For anyone not familiar, Maxwell's is located at 1201 Washington Avenue South, just blocks from the Metrodome in Minneapolis. They offer a wide selection of tap beer and a great menu. Their phone number is 612-354-7085.

azuki Japanese Restaurant - Minneapolis

My business partner had to run to Minneapolis to pick up tickets for the Minnesota Vikings game this Sunday at the Metrodome. On his way he stopped to pick up lunch for the office. He happened across azuki Japanese Restaurant, a little hole in the wall on the University of Minnesota campus. I'm a huge sushi fan, but always a bit leery of raw fish from somewhere I've never heard of. Well, this may be one of the restaurant finds of the year. The sushi rolls were awesome. The crowd favorite had to be their New Orleans roll which consisted of craw fish, avocado, 'crunchy inside', snow crab, spicy tuna & wasabi tobiko on top. This was one giant sushi roll. All the fish was incredibly fresh. My second favorite was the Crunchy Spicy Tuna roll. We did not try any of the Sushimi or A La Carte sushi, but I have to go back now that I know the quality of fish is so high.

For a tiny little restaurant, azuki has a fairly extensive menu. They offer three different soups daily and five unique salads. You will find most of your favorite Japanese appetizers, including Edamame, Shumai, Gyoza, Negimaki, Tempura, Yakitori & Tuna Tataki, just to name a few. There is also a decent list of Japanese Entrees. The prices seem extremely fair. On average, $4-$6 for appetisers, $8-$12 for special rolls, $3-$6 for regular rolls and a la carte sushi and sashimi, and $10-$15 for entrees.

I noticed on their menu they offer delivery, which I plan on trying in the very near future. Azuki is located at 307 Oak Street SE on the University of Minnesota campus blocks away from Mariucci Arena. It is tucked in between Chipotle and the Oak Street Cinema. They are open Monday - Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday - Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 1pm-10pm. The phone number is 612-331-9551.