Secrets of the City

A couple of those were contrary to my experiences. I always thought Leaning Tower pizza was pretty good (and it was never cut square for me?), and that the Herkimer was the only brew pub I’d ever been to where the food was better than the beer. Their beers are all lagers, bland and malty – supposedly a German theme but nothing with the nice bite of a Pauliner.

Why is it, by the way, that all amateur food critics seem to order burgers? I mean, the Herkimer isn’t a swanky place but they have a few decent things a step above burgers on their menu, and if I was going to review the place I’d try them.

One more comment on the Herkimer: it’s the only place I’m aware of in town where a person can get a table for a decent brunch at 11am on a weekend.

is that beer @ the Herkimer? I guess that explains why their water was so brown last time I was there.

Note to Andrew Eklund…We Got Served calls Bulldog NE “charmless”. just thought you should know.

“Charmless” isn’t too far off the mark, I would say. However, the Bulldog is light-years ahead of Whitey’s across the street.

The TV’s in Whitey’s look so old, they probably pick up the Dumont Network.

The review on Herkimer is why i stopped reading amateur food blogs. Bad photo’s, no detail, and if you only hit the place once you are not qualified to review it.

Disclaimer – I happen to like both Herkimers food and beer so I guess that makes me an elitist or something…

@spells

Bulldog is in the old location of Boom – an upscale gay bar that closed several years ago – which explains why its light-years ahead of Whitey’s.

If a restaurant can do a hamburger right, then they generally get the rest of their menu right too, so I’m for ordering a burger.

We went to Common Roots last Thursday for a burger. It was done as ordered (medium rare), very juicy and very flavorful. The bun didn’t overwhelm the burger, but complimented it. It was a very good burger, so I assume the rest of the food is good there too. Burgers done correctly are few and far between.

I was sad to see Boom go Bust, yoshi, as they, like at most gay bars, knew how to make a good Martini.

So many places/bartenders don’t.

However, the Bulldog is light-years ahead of Whitey’s across the street.

That out to bring the rat out swinging.

Has anybody tried opentable.com? Online reservations for ~170 restaurants in the Twin Cities, plus other cities.

Ah, yes…I had been to Boom! once, actually. Really crowded in there…I wonder why it closed.

That said, I really do like the Bulldog (both Mpls locations). The one in NE is pretty much just a big square (rectangular, I suppose) room. Perhaps charmless is the wrong word, as the menu and beer list are pretty good.

I’m with KC. The downtown restaurant who correctly seasons and gently hand forms a hamburger patty, cooks it medium rare on a flat top griddle, serves it on a bun that’s not dried out and stale and gives a nice side of crispy fresh fries gets my $10 for lunch every other Friday. Still waiting.

Also, I have been curious about Leaning Tower’s food, and have read varying reviews, none of which have settled the issue for me. Guess I’ll just have to try it myself.

In my informal survey, 9 out of 10 downtown bars / restaurants serve a thawed then overcooked hamburger on a stale bun.

Speaking of downtown burgers, how is the food at Eli’s? I have always wanted to stop there, and have made plans to do so when I visit Mpls this spring.

mnblrmkr- I use open table whenever I make a reservation at one of the places they serve. I guess you get rewards after awhile, but I’m still waiting. What I like is that I don’t have to talk on the phone since I HATE the phone. You can make reservations 60 minutes ahead of time and they get them.

Eli’s has great wings.

grote- doesn’t Vincent’s have a good burger? I haven’t had it, but I have heard good things. Maybe more than $10 with fries?

Yeah, the non-phone bit is what is attractive to me. I still find relay awkward after all these years.

What you are waiting for, g_rote, is a Steak & Shake.

God, I miss their Chili 3-Way…

The Pickled Parrot did all the things g rote requires, but they’re no longer downtown.

KC — Vincent has an awesome burger. Though it’s somewhat over the top. Braised short ribs and cheese (gouda, I think) stuffed inside. It’s like an elitist Jucy Lucy.

Mnblrmkr, I use Open Table all the time – very convenient. I actually love the pizza at Leaning Tower (and the 2-for-1 drinks at happy hour). I do get mine without cheese though, so I can speak to the cheese aspect. The crust is awesome though.

I also think the food at the Herk is pretty decent for a bar, especially the sweet potato fries.

Vincent burger is delicious. I think they have a late-afternoon happy hour deal where it’s 1/2 price.

Murray’s has an in-house meat-cutter, and I think burgers are fresh and hand-patted. I’ll confirm that.

Eli’s has a great lemon caper pasta. The 1/2 order is usually too much.

LTOP has great pizza and okay food. Nothing special, but somehow satisfying. Deep-fried cauliflower, yum.

God, I miss their Chili 3-Way…

Is it freaky?

“Minnesota squares” ?? I wish! Hardly anybody does square cuts. As far as I know, you can only find square cut pizza Jakeeno’s in S. Mpls, and at my house.

Way freaky, spells, even if enjoyed away from the Circle Bed.

Totino’s, now in Mounds View, still cuts their pies in squares, jane.

Old school.

The may do the same at Mama’s on Rice Street. It’s been awhile since I was there.

Square cuts and a chili 3-way on the circle bed?

Freakiest!

the carbone’s on randolph in st. paul cuts their pizza in squares. . . as does Mama’s on Rice Street
as for blue door, I live near there. tried it and think it’s a bit overrated.

I stopped by blue door on Sunday but they were closed for employee appreciation party. Are they really overrated? I heard they were awesome.,,

Square cuts and a chili 3-way on the circle bed?

I like where this discussion is going.

I’m probably not blue door’s target demographic. . . and I liked puerta azul

paper cuts and a chili-sauce 3-way?

I stopped by blue door on Sunday but they were closed for employee appreciation party. Are they really overrated? I heard they were awesome.,,

Blargh.  What we have here is a circular self-sustaining argument.

Dulono’s also does square cut. Galactic will do it, but you have to ask.

I like my pizza square cut. cjc like the crusts and I like the middle so we both get what we like. That’s why we are perfect for each other.

The Savoy does square cuts, Dino’s Gourmet Pizza does square cuts… East Side Represent. Square cut pizza in Saint Paul!

Broadway Pizza cuts square too.

Just a clarification from g-rote’s first comment. We Got Served did not call Bulldog charmless, that was TC Breakfast Club that reviewed them.

We’ve been to the NE bulldog and we both like it a lot, haven’t made it to the new St. Paul location yet.

I knew there would be an outpouring of square-cut pizza joints. Thanks!

Now, can anyone confirm this is a Minnesota thing? If so, we’ll have to let the non-natives know, so they can commence teasing us for yet another inane thing. Like how Minnesotas are teased for saying “casserol” and “pop” and “come with.”

I don’t quite know how to describe this little clip  on “sexy foods” that Alexis just posted on Twitter.

LTOP has great pizza. I love their hamburger and salami, not many places you can get those toppings (and little balls of hamburger not a bunch of scattered tiny nasty pieces of ground beef/sausage).

OpenTable is great, wish all restaurants used it.

Most places that have Heggie’s pizza also do a nice square cut. Golden Valley Chesterbird American Legion does a nice job.

Have eaten at Eli’s twice in the last couple years, most recently two weekends ago and it was great. My wife had one of the best walleye’s she’s had, and I had a great burger. The previous time my maple something pork chop with some kind of sweet potatoes (it was awhile ago) was also amazing.

Speaking of good food I finally tried the jerk chicken roti at Harry Singh’s, and it blew me away! Its going to become a regular on the take out cycle.

Jane, everything you ever wanted to know about square cut pizza.

Square-cut pizza also available at Carbone’s and Parkway Pizza.  Maybe it is primarily a south Mpls. thing…

Growing up (Fargo), the only time I got square cut pizza was when we went to visit grandparents in Chicago.

Great, now I have a craving for the square-cut pizza of my Iron Range youth. Every local place or local chain cut their pizzas into tiny squares. My only exposure to wedge-cut pizza was through Godfather’s and other chains.

People, if square cut pizza is what you desire, ask for it. I’m sure most places would be happy to cut it that way.

Also, since the Rat is conspicuous by his absence today. I’ll throw my .02 in to defend Whitey’s. Sometimes you need to hang out in an old-time saloon with food. Nothing pretentious, nothing hip. The antithesis of what’s hot and happening. Whitey’s fits the bill, and they won’t be closing their doors anytime soon.

I like the Bulldog, too, FWIW.

spells – would that be Dave’s Pizza?

Re: Blue Door…
Are they really overrated? I heard they were awesome.,,

The antithesis of what’s hot and happening

Are you talking about The Rat, or Whitey’s?

Whitey’s makes a very good meatloaf, I’ll give them that.

Grampa Tony’s on Snelling in St. Paul also cuts it square.

exciting news on the square cut pizza front: Latuff’s in Plymouth is moving across HWY 55 to a new (for them) free-standing building.

Jakeeno’s at 36th and Chicago cuts it square, has kick ass pizza and a righteous chocolate cake for dessert.

Also, Whitey’s, what’s to hate? There’s a giant wooden woman hanging on the wall, the shredded roast beef sammy is pretty durn good. I will say, the last few times we’ve been there, the attitudinal types were a little intense.

the smokey tillmook cheddar burger at bulldog NE is fantastic. however, i’m disappointed by almost everything else on the menu. (the hot dogs are are good.) the service is always solid. charmless? i don’t agree with that. a bit sports-bar-ish, sure…but not charmless.

i’ve given up on whitey’s. terrible service and the food is hit-and-miss.

I must admit it’s been a while since we’ve been to Whitey’s. Like, huh, years.

spells – would that be Dave’s Pizza?

Miller, you got it, though I grew up in Eveleth, so it was more Poor Gary’s.  Same stuff, though.

Dave’s was the default stop after the bars for the subs, though.  In fact, I got some last summer up there…ridiculously low price, still, and the taste hasn’t changed one bit.  For a brief moment, I was 20 years old again!

Interesting story about Dave’s Pizza.

Only in Northern Minnesota would you see a curling stone in an ad for a restaurant.

Pete Fenson – who own’s Dave’s Pizza in Bemidji – was the skip on the Olympic Curling team that won the bronze medal in 2006.

Ah, that’s where I’ve heard that name. I know one of the other members of that Olympic curling team.

I always assumed the one in Virginia, MN was the only Dave’s…sounds like it’s an offshoot of the Bemidji/Baxter ones.