Punch Pizza - Saint Paul

If I ask my kids where they want to go to dinner their answer nine times out of ten is Punch. If you are looking for the best Neapolitan style pizza in the the Twin Cities then Punch is where you want to go. They take their pizza very serious here. From the 800 degree wood fired oven to the authentic dough and ingredients Punch will make you feel like you are in Naples Italy. You can choose your own toppings or pick from one of their 18 classic pizzas. If you're extra hungry try the excellent artichoke dip or fresh salad. You can get their pizza to take out, but I think it is so much better when it comes right out of the oven. They offer several interesting affordable wines by the glass, carafe and bottle. Punch is family friendly, but I've seen it get very busy. If you are in a hurry try the restaurant on Grand Avenue. You give up the table service, but you get your food much quicker. At the moment there are six Punch locations. Highland Park, Eden Prairie, Lake Calhoun, Northeast, Wayzata and Grand Avenue. A seventh punch location is opening on the University of Minnesota campus at Stadium Village. I can't think of a better place to start the evening if you are holding Minnesota Gophers Hockey tickets.

Spill the Wine; Minneapolis

On the other side of town, Willie’s wine bar shuts down because of no business. That was in the Laurel Village neighborhood next to the behemoth University of St. Thomas Minneapolis campus. Come on, we all know that college kids don’t drink wine. Meanwhile, Spill the Wine is birthed on Washington Avenue next to the Metrodome. Will Twins fans come? Ha, try Guthrie Theatre goers. Spill the Wine will give it a go at its East Downtown location, with two separate spaces for dining and drinking. The bar has televisions and a wall displayed with regional wine. The dining room features an open kitchen.

Get $5 appetizers from 4-7 p.m. or even $15 bottles of wine. Grilled asparagus sounds pretty darn good with a nice sauvignon blanc, no? At dinner, order the beef tenderloin and another bottle of wine, this time a crisp pinot noir. Besides, there’s no rule about switching colors midway through, just make sure to clean the palette. If you want to make a real night out of it, come for one of the five-course Italian Wine Dinners. The next one is September 27. At $59 a pop, it presents a real opportunity at reeling in your biology class crush (if you’re one of those special college kids who like wine).

Spill the Wine is in a great spot to sweep up Guthrie fans and Metrodome fans alike and don't forget the weekday lunch rush of business people - this is in a booming business district with fresh new office buildings including the one on the corner of Washington and Chicago that belongs to local Minnesota ticket broker, Ticket King.

La Grolla - Saint Paul, MN

This past Saturday was our first outdoor eating experience of the season. One of my favorite Saint Paul outdoor spots is La Grolla on Selby Avenue. La Grolla was opened in the summer of 2002 by Chef Antonio Tettamanzi. His vision of an inviting, upscale restaurant where patrons felt embraced by the Italian cuisine, surroundings, and staff has led to La Grolla's success. La Grolla has everything you're looking for in an upscale neighborhood Italian restaurant. For those who like to bring their own wine when they dine out, La Grolla is BYOB friendly and charges a $15 corkage. We brought a bottle of 2001 Azienda Agricola Montevetrano which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Aglianico. The wine was excellent and more characteristic of a Bordeaux than an Italian. Everytime I go to La Grolla I have to start out with the Cepansante which is Mexican diver scallops wrapped in angel hair pasta, lightly deep fried served with lobster sauce and basil oil. We also shared one of the appetizer specials, duck pot stickers, which we've had before and were great. For Dinner we shared cheese tortellini with prosciutto and peas in a cream sauce and crouton encrusted baked halibut with fresh vegetables. We finished up with some delicious tiramisu and cheese cake. La Grolla is located at 425 Selby Avenue in Saint Paul. Reservations are recommended.

2003 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay

Tonight we stayed home and watched the Big Ticket and the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Houston Rockets. I decided to open a bottle of 2003 Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay to go along with some Thai left-overs. Medium straw in color, the Shafer Chardonnay has a beautiful nose of citrus and floral elements. This wine has a great mouth feel with the crisp, abundant fruit balanced nicely with the oak. The mineral finish goes on forever. Overall, a great bottle of wine and a nice treat for a Tuesday night. 92 points. Now if only the Timberwolves can come back and beat the Rockets.

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.