Blue Door Pub - Saint Paul

I've been to the Blue Door Pub three times since it opened a few months back and each time it has been great. Located just off the corner of Selby and Fairview in the Merriam Park / Lexington - Hamline neighborhood, it's the perfect spot to grab a casual bite to eat or a great micro brew. It is a cozy little restaurant and it's been packed every time I've been there. But don't let the crowds discourage you. There is a small bar and plenty of great beer on tap. It's definitely worth the wait and the kids will love the chalk board walls in the booths. This would be a great spot before or after the game if have Minnesota Wild tickets.

My favorite appetizer has to be the Spam Bites. Spam, cream cheese, pickles rolled up into generous sized balls, breaded and deep fried. They are served with a spicy chili lime sauce and are out of this world. They also offer some the best fried green beans I've ever had. You can get them as an appetizer or on the side with your sandwich as an alternative to fries or tater tots. The tots are also excellent. Either plain, my preference, or Cajun.

I usually prefer a proper burger over the stuffed 'juicy lucy' style or 'Blucy' as they are called here, but the Blue Door Pub does a really nice job with theirs. On my last visit I tried the Frenchie, which was the burger of the day. Stuffed with Swiss cheese and caramelized onion on a toasted, buttered, super fresh bun and served with a side of au jus. This was incredible and I can't wait to satisfy my craving for another on my next visit. Another favorite of mine is the Pub Sandwich, which is basically a BLT with pepper jack cheese and a fried egg. I have also tried the Blucy, their specialty burger stuffed with blue cheese and garlic, and their straight up cheese burger. Both are worth coming back for.

The Blue Door Pub is located at 1811 Selby Avenue. They are open Monday - Sunday 11am - 1am. The phone number is 651-493-1865.

azuki sushi open and delivers to downtown Minneapolis

Azuki sushi is open!!! I had lunch delivered this week and it was great. My office is close to the Metrodome downtown Minneapolis. I'm not sure how extensive their delivery area is, but if you live or work downtown, it is definitely worth checking out.

azuki sushi open December 1st!!!

Great news for azuki sushi fans! Jenny from azuki sent me a message to let everyone know they plan on being open December 1st after they are finished remodeling.

azuki sushi closed ???!!!

My buddy scored us some Minnesota Gophers hockey tickets for the game today. I offered to buy lunch at my favorite sushi spot, azuki in Dinkytown on the University of Minnesota campus. To my horror it was closed up. There is a note on the door saying 'closed for remodeling'. It did not appear there was any work going on inside. A passer-by noticed us peering in the window and told us they've been closed for over a week or two. I really hope they are only closed for remodeling and not closed for good. If anyone out there has the inside scoop please post a comment.

Cantina #1 - Bloomington

I went to check out the new Cantina #1 at the Mall of America on a recommendation from a friend of mine. Usually, I try and avoid the chain restaurants, but on this occasion I was pleasantly surprised. I was totally expecting a super-cheesy Jimmy Buffet cheeseburger in Paradise type joint serving uninspiring mall food. Luckily Cantina #1 blew my low expectations out of the water. The restaurant design will make you feel more like you are in a swank downtown Latin restaurant than the largest indoor mall in America. Don't get me wrong, you still won't forget you are in a Corona owned restaurant, but it is by no means over the top. I ate in one of the hip booths the dining room but next time would opt for a spot at the more cozy tiki bar area. With plenty of large flat-screen TVs this would be an ideal spot to have a cold Corona Extra and watch the game if you don't have Minnesota Timberwolves tickets.

Like most Mexican restaurants we were immediately brought a basket of chips and salsa. The fresh salsa was very good with plenty of cilantro. The chips themselves were a bit average but the salsa made up for it. My favorite part of the meal was the shrimp ceviche appetiser. I would come back just for this. It ended up being a huge portion of shrimp ceviche spilling out of a coconut bowl served with chips. I can't think of a better way to break up a day of shopping than an ice cold margarita and this very satisfying snack. For the main course I went with the fajita platter with a trifecta of shrimp, steak and chicken. I washed it all down with a very tasty margarita on the rocks. Next time I think I will try one of the many tropical drinks on the menu.

Corona's Cantina # 1 is located on the 4th floor on the East side of the Mall of America.

Shish - Saint Paul

Shish on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul, near the Macalester campus, has some of the best gyros I've found in the Twin Cities. I just grabbed some lunch while running around and picking up some Minnesota Wild tickets.

I had my first gyro while attending school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison Wisconsin. At the time, there were two incredible gyro joints on State Street. The only downside to having world class gyros so easily accessible, is I'm now spoiled and expect only the best. Shish definitely delivers the goods. Their gyros start out with a full grilled pita. I hate it when places try and stuff everything in a cold pita cut in half. That is not good gyro. Then Shish piles on the lettuce, tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce and more gyro meat than a human could ever fold up in a pita. This is good gyro.

I also picked up a chicken shawarma sandwich. Most places would call this a chicken gyro. The shawarma sandwich is just like their gyro sandwich just substitute the beef & lamb with sliced seasoned marinated chicken. I should also add Shish offers excellent hummus and soup as well as a nice little coffee bar and delicious cakes and pastries.

Shish is located at 1668 Grand Avenue between Snelling and Cambridge. Shish is open 7am - 11pm daily.

Pop - Saint Paul

I have Minnesota Wild tickets and I can't wait until the next game so I can go back to my latest hot spot find which is Pop!! downtown Saint Paul. Pop!! is the sister restaurant to the original Pop! in Northeast Minneapolis. I'm guessing this is the story behind the double exclamation marks. I have yet to visit the first Pop!, but I have heard nothing but good reviews. Pop!! Saint Paul is located in the old Fhima space on the corner of Sixth and Wabasha. I always liked Fhima and it's nice to see a new restaurant in this space. The space looks very much the same with a few slight cosmetic changes. If anything, feels more fun and casual. I think it would be a great place to take the kids for something different.

We decided to start out with the Pop!! fritters ($6.25) and the ... ($7.50) off the small plate menu. Both were great and the portions are very generous. We could have easily made a meal of just the appetizers. The signature fritters consisted of black beans, shrimp, cornmeal and served with a chipotle and a quasaca (Venezuelan avocado condiment) dipping sauces. The spicy fondue was served with grilled vegetables, cumin bruschetta, flat bread and plantain chips. I would not recommend ordering this unless you bring two or three friends to share with.

For entrees we went with the Swedish Meatballs and a Spicy BBQ Sandwich. Again, all the portions were very generous and we could have easily split either between the two of us. The meatballs were great, but tasted a little plain against all the other spicy food.

For desert we went with the Dulce De Leche filled crepes with candied hazelnuts and vanilla bean ice cream. For carmel lovers this is a must. It was awesome and I will definitely return just for the desert.

Pop!! has a decent wine & beer list with selections that compliment their menu nicely. It's definitely a great place to stop before or after a show if you have Ordway Theatre tickets or tickets to a Minnesota Wild game at Xcel Energy Center.