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.

Osaka Japanese Steakhouse

I was in Eden Prairie last week for a business meeting and someone suggested Osaka instead of the usual Biaggis. It’s about a mile away from Eden Prairie Center tucked behind a couple of hotels. I would have had no idea it was there if someone hadn’t pointed it out. The Aloha sign above the door was kind of confusing, I found myself wondering why the welcome sign was in Hawaiian instead of Japanese. One of my associates said he has seen some Minnesota Vikings players in there before.

The restaurant wasn’t very decorated, it was pretty plain. There were only a few other tables in the restaurant and one couple at the sushi bar. Our server was attentive but not overly friendly. Our shrimp and vegetable tempura appetizer came moments before our sushi, not really giving us a chance to enjoy it… but that is to be expected at sushi restaurants. I had both the Crazy Roll and the Angel Roll. Both were great. There was a lot of detail on both the rolls and the sauces served with them complimented them nicely. The meal was filling which surprised me because I’m not often full after sushi. I will definitely come back to try their Hibachi cuisine. When it comes to finding Sushi in the suburbs Osaka should not be overlooked.

After the Vikings game Sunday we picked up some Thai food from Pad Thai Restaurant on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul. It is my five year old daughter's favorite restaurant and my favorite for Thai food in Saint Paul. I went with the Gang Masamanh Curry with chicken and fried tofu. It is a red coconut curry with potatoes. We also had cream cheese puffs, which are some of the best anywhere, and deep fried egg rolls. Usually we dine in. The restaurant has a comfortable atmosphere and it's a great spot to bring the kids. I think it's pretty affordable, dishes ranging from $11 - $14. They have a good list of wines that nicely compliment the spicy food.