Heartland Contemporary Midwestern Restaurant; St Paul, MN

Lenny Russo and Mega Hoehn’ Heartland: A Contemporary Midwestern Restaurant was such a food critic success that Russo was stolen away from his executive chef work at his own restaurant to the Guthrie Theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Now that Russo is back home in St. Paul’s Macalester-Groveland neighborhood, Heartland patrons couldn’t be happier. Everything Russo touches turns to gold, and regulars at the Heartland want their eating quarters to be golden for some time to come.

Heartland, located at 1806 St. Clair Ave., uses only indigenous ingredients from the American and Canadian Midwest. The restaurant includes a pastry kitchen where breads and pastries are made daily. Heartland prepares two fixed priced menus per night, one “flora” and one “fauna.” If the fixed priced menus don’t suit your tastes for the evening, choose from an a la carte menu that ranges from $6 yellow wax beans with walnut vinegar butter to $36 Minnesota elk chop with glazed organic fennel. The dining room has an even 50 seats, with décor dedicated to the early Twentieth Century Arts & Crafts movement. A highly elegant wine and beer bar is located adjacent to the restaurant, a good place for non-reservation holders to enjoy some of Heartland’s superlative aura.

Bombay Bistro; Minneapolis, MN

The search for exceptional Indian food in the Twin Cities can end with a visit to Bombay Bistro on Marquette Ave. and Eighth St. in downtown Minneapolis. Voted best Twin Cities Indian restaurant in 2007 by City Pages, Bombay Bistro presents an exhaustive menu that includes beef, chicken, vegetarian and seafood Indian dishes. Quickly becoming Britain’s national dish, the chicken tikka masala is always a safe choice for Indian food newbies. Once treasured as a fine-dining experience, masala is becoming Americanized in a fast-food fashion; something for the masses to pick up over their lunch hour for a quick bite. That said, if you’re going for lunch, expect to be able to get the chicken tikka masala or some other popular Indian delicacy on Bombay Bistro’s bountiful buffet line. Get white or lemon rice, spiced potatoes and green beans or the most flavored meatballs and sauce you can imagine on a single plate and don’t be shy to try a second. Being accustomed to burgers and fries will make Bombay Bistro’s flavors and spices take your taste buds on a trip to Valleyfair. Or better yet, try getting Jimmy John’s subs for lunch on Monday and then visiting the Bombay Bistro lunch buffet on Tuesday and be prepared to be knocked out. And if you’re a lowly Target intern, never fear, Bombay Bistro’s lunch buffet is reasonably priced at $9.50.

La Cucaracha, Saint Paul, MN

With Chevy’s Fresh Mex restaurants dropping like flies in urban locations and Don Pablo’s forever banished to the ‘burbs, La Cucaracha in St. Paul has never been more essential to the Grand and Summit neighborhood. La Cucaracha is a mere hop and a skip away from downtown at 36 Dale St. S. It has a fine selection of Mexican delicacies not to mention one mean mojito. Choose from two sections of dining room seating, both of which provide quiet corners aplenty for conversation. The bar has pinball and a happy hour from 3-6 which includes 2-for-1s on margaritas in all their salty glory. If you’re a guacamole fan, don’t pass up on the guac tostada, a crunchy delight that does the chip dipping work for you – the guacamole is already smothered on top. One word of warning: Be prepared to wait a while outside of the single-person bathroom doors if the dining room is hopping.

Al Vento, Minneapolis,MN

Al Vento's dining room has tables squeezed together making for a more cozy than cafeteria style atmosphere. The Southern Italian menu offers an extensive wine selection and various pasta and entrée style dishes. Don't pass up on the artichoke walnut bruschetta for starters, even though it might be tempting to ask for more of the complementary bread and butter oil.

Order a bottle of wine on the friendly and helpful staff's recommendation. A busy dinner hour makes for a cacophony of quiet chatter that will bring out conversation from the most introverted date. Wine bargain hunters can come to drink all day Monday on half-priced bottles and from 4:30-5:30 on every other day the rest of the week. Impress your significant other's parents by ordering the three seafood antipasti. Or just come one night by yourself and sit at the unassuming bar for a beer or a wine. Al Vento is located at 5001 34th Ave. S in Minneapolis.

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.

The Craftsman Restaurant - Minneapolis, MN

It had been a couple years since we last ate at the Craftsman Restaurant on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Recently, the new chef Mike Phillips has been getting a lot of press so my wife and I decided to see what all the hype was about. We would not be disappointed. Chef Phillips and his wife Michelle opened and ran Chet's Taverna, a popular neighborhood restaurant that was committed to working with regional and organic ingredients. After operating Chet's for 6 years, Mike closed Chet's in 2004. His interest in sustainable living, organic quality, and European cooking techniques are an integral part of The Craftsman. We started out with the Pork Rillettes and Artisan Cheese Plate. The Pork Rillettes is basically a seasoned pork pate served with crostini and spicy mustard. It was delicious and a very generous serving. Four people could have easily shared this. We picked two of the many artisan cheeses offered for our plate. First we tried the 'Winnimere' from Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont. It's made from Ayrshire cow's milk and is similar to a Brie and very creamy. We also tried the Uplands Cheese 'Pleasant Ridge Reserve' which is a Gruyere made from cow's milk in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Both were great.

For the main course I tried the Grilled Fisher Farms pork chop with new potato and cipollini onion gratin and grilled maple sausage. The pork chop was good but a little bland paired with the excellent potatoes and sausage. The gratin potatoes were some of the best I've ever had. The sausage, like the chop, also came from Fisher Farms in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. I'm going to try and track down this sausage. My wife tried the Grilled grass fed Flat Iron Steak with fries and Bearnaise sauce. It was great and I especially enjoyed the super thick Bearnaise. Like the appetizer the portions for both entrees were very generous.

For desert we decided to try the Heirloom Apple Crisp and Brioche Bread Pudding. A lot of restaurants serve apple crisp but the Craftsman's version is a cut above the rest served with a scoop of Izzy's cinnamon ice cream. Even better was the Bread pudding. I can't really describe how good it was but it was close to eating a baked stick of butter. To wash it down we shared a glass of the Saint Croix Vineyards Raspberry Infusion which paired perfectly with the bread pudding.

The Craftsman restaurant is located at 4300 Lake Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota just across the Marshall/Lake Street bridge from Saint Paul. You can go to Open Table to make reservations.

Ichiban Japanese Steak House

Last week, I dressed the family up and headed out to Ichiban Japanese Steak House on the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. Ichiban’s has been open in Minneapolis since 1979 and I have been there a few times before, but this was the first time I took the kids. The beautiful, pagoda-style building is very elegant and the comfortable indoor garden atmosphere with the waterfall and the stream offers a unique and fun backdrop for dining. My kids loved walking over the little wooden bridge to get to our table and the running water sound is so relaxing after a rough week at work.

Our kimono-clad waitress offered us oshibori (traditional hot, moist towels) and we all selected a dinner sampler that included Lobster, Filet Mignon and Chicken. The food was good and the show was great. Ichiban is pure theater. Seated in a horseshoe formation around a huge griddle, my family oohed and ahhed as the chef demonstrates the art of teppanyaki (griddle cooking). The chef chopped, sliced and set ablaze our dinner. My kids were truly amazed with his quick chopping skills, ability to play with fire and witty jokes. My daughter whispered over to me that it was the best steak she had ever had! Now, she doesn’t get out too much, but I do agree the Mignon was phenomenal that night and we got so much food! We were all stuffed as we shuffled back to the car (parking is a breeze there, another plus!)

Ichibans is definitely famous for the grill side cooking show, but they also have an award winning sushi bar and a great bar and lounge area. The delicious food and entertaining show have made Ichiban a favorite dinner destination in the Minneapolis area for years – if you haven’t been there, get out and give it a try! The food can be made mild enough for wimpy palates or spicy enough for the more brave! The bill is not cheap, but you also get entertainment with your meal. I would say the price is comparable to a Dinner Show, but the food is much better!

Reservations for teppanyaki are recommended and can be made by calling 612.339.0540 after 10:30 am weekdays and after noon on Saturday & Sunday. The sushi bar is available on a first come first served basis. The restaurant is open Sunday to Thursday, 4:30 pm - 9:30 pm and Friday to Saturday, 4:30 pm - 10:00 pm.

Thank you to the Ichiban’s staff for making our family’s night out a special one!