Day Trip: Northern Minnesota

So, it’s been a long while since I have written my thoughts down. I am back now. So here I go…

To sum up this weekend in one word, it would be, AWESOME!! It combined everything and everyone that I love all in two perfect days. So much happened and in order to keep this post under control, I am going to split the weekend into two posts.

Let’s start with Friday and Saturday, which combines my love for my husband, friends and adventure.

Friday night, Steve and I went out for a date night. It had been a very long while since we went to see a movie in the theater so we decided to venture out and see Furious 7. We enjoyed the previous movies, and its an action, which is always fun to see on the big screen.  Furious 7 was good too! I loved seeing the tie in’s from the previous movies and how they featured Paul Walkers character. Nicely done.

Then we ventured over to REI.  We both are members and its that time of year again, where members get a 20% off coupon to use on practically anything and spend your dividend from last year.

I have been wanting a mountain bike for a few years now, a) since I love to bike b) Steve and I live less than a mile away from some great trails c) Steve has a mountain bike and its not fun to watch him bike off to enjoy the trails without me. We thought it would be a perfect time to use the coupon. To make a story short, I didn’t come home with a bike this weekend because the one bike that I fell in love with (hard) isn’t eligible for coupon use. Of course, my luck. So, instead we bought a tent and panniers for my commuter bike.

Don’t worry, I am going back for the mountain bike. I just need to wait a few weeks. 🙂

On the way over, to REI, we both wanted to go out for a drink after shopping, so instead of just the two of us we asked some friends who live near by if they were interested. And, Steve and I were excited they said yes. We met at Granite City because they have good home brewed beer. We had a couple drinks, light appetizers and great conversation, it was a wonderful cap to the day.

Now for Saturday. Steve and I set out for a day trip up 35 w.

We wanted to get an early start for the day so that we had plenty of time to enjoy everything we wanted to do and to be back in time for dinner plans with our friends.

I woke up at 6, to early to be honest, for a Saturday morning, but I was to excited for the day. We left the house, filled up the gas tank, grabbed coffee and were on the road by 8 am, which was our goal.

Stop #1:Breakfast at Tobies Bakery, Hinckley, MN

We wanted to keep moving so we picked up a few pastries that we could eat on the road. We had their famous caramel roll to share, I had one of my usual choices a raspberry filled Bismark and Steve one of his usual a apple fritter. The pastries were good, but not as good as I remembered. The caramel roll was light and airy with really good caramel sauce, Steve’s apple fritter was good, but lacked apple pieces and the whole roll tasted a little burnt, and my bismark, was good, except for the frosting tasted very commercial and airy. I will always stop at Tobies for pasties because its a must on a trip up north.

Stop #2: Gooseberry Falls, MN State Park

This was our turn around point. The last time Steve and I were at the falls together we were dating and the falls were frozen over, so I was excited to see them flowing. If you are looking a fun place to stop as your drive through MN, definitely put this on your list. It’s free too. To sum up this stop, beautiful! Enjoy a few pictures below.

Stop #3: Betty’s Pies:

We were in charge of bringing dessert for Easter, so we had the brilliant idea to stop at Betty’s pie to bring everyone. If you want to have some terrific pie, in a cute, welcoming setting, this is the place to stop. Steve LOVE’S the strawberry rhubarb pie, so naturally we picked up one and the classic apple pie. It was very hard to not dig into the pies right then and there. To help with that, we shared a piece of the raspberry rhubarb with crumble topping, which was yummmmy!. Not to sweet or tart, good amount of filling, and you can taste the love in every bite.

Stop #4: Canal Park Brewery in Duluth, MN

We both have been to Duluth many times, and always enjoy going for either a day trip or a quick weekend getaway. Recently a brewery opened, so being the foodies and home brewers that we are we had to stop. Plus, we were in the need of a little snack and beverage.

I had:
 which we learned took second place at a beer championship.

Steve had:

I totally wish we would have had more time to enjoy a second beer. I loved my Nut Hatchet Brown beer. As I took a sip of the beer I experienced the lightness and brown nutty flavor, then the little bit of hops tickled my mouth, and as I swallowed I got a nice body with everything pairing together well.

The decor was inviting, with the big growlers behind glass, chalkboards hanging on the walls featuring the variety of beers and large glass windows looking out at Lake Superior. I would love to go back again in the Summer when its warm and sit on the very cute patio breathing in the lake air.

Then we then walked around Duluth for a short time then headed for our final stop.

Stop #5: Gordy’s Hi-Hat, Cloquet, MN

After reading that Gordy’s recently opened again for their 55th season, I was hooked on the idea of going there. Not to mentioned that Guy Fiery host of Diners, Drive-In and Dives had been there. Check out this video talking about Gordy’s.

The food was really good, the service was really friendly and the place decor was charming. I am excited to go back again!

We then rounded out our adventurous day, with a wonderful dinner, games and laughs with our friends at their house.

It was the perfect start to the holiday weekend.

Check back on Thursday to read about Easter and the wonderful food.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Restaurant Review: Nong’s

As I mentioned in my Tuesday post, I am going to tell you about Nong’s Thai.

picture off Nong’s website

My sister Katy texted me Sunday morning asking for a restaurant suggestion to get some paid thai, which she was craving. She wanted to go somewhere different. So, I suggested a bunch of places, with her landing on Nong’s. She invited Steve and I, and my other sister Krissy and her boyfriend to meet up for lunch. How could I turn down lunch a) out with my sisters (who I don’t get to see nearly enough) b) Thai food (my favorite) c) going out = not cooking lunch.

picture off Nong’s website

Nong’s is located in Golden Valley, off Highway 169 and Medicine Lake Road, in a little strip mall. Which don’t be fooled by the outer appearance.  There is a McDonald’s on the corner across from the strip mall and an amazing bakery, Valley Pastries right next door. I will most definitely have to do a post about the bakery!!

Steve and I have been to Nong’s many times and absolutely love the food. The portions are large enough that you can save half for lunch the next day and the prices are perfect so you aren’t breaking the bank.

Whenever Steve and I go there just the two of us, we get four or five off their appitzers and just share them. We seem to like the apps slightly more than the entrees. And, we both like to try a variety of items, this offers us the opportunity to do so. However, this time, we shared an order of spring rolls and each had our own entree.

I am telling you guys, these spring rolls and peanut sauce are the best ever! I have eaten a good amount of spring rolls and I can’t seem to beat these.

The peanut sauce is the perfect combination of slightly sweet with a slight saltiness. And the spring rolls, are just so fresh tasting. It’s the right ratio of veggies, noodles and protein.

Then for my entree I ordered the Bean Thread Vermicelli with Tofu, no heat. Noodles sounded really good, so that narrowed down my choices. And, whenever I eat Thai, I get tofu. I don’t cook tofu at home simply cause I don’t have the experience to make it right and Steve doesn’t like it. This dish was so good! The vegetables were fresh, crispy, but slightly tender; the noodles had a slight sweetness to them, and the tofu, was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

And, of course when eating with my family, it’s round robin with your entree. Loved Katy’s paid thai, but a little to spicy for me (she got HOT- I am a weakling), Krissy got a supper yummy soup, that was super savory and perfect for a cold Minnesota day, lastly, Steve’s was my favorite it was similar to my dish, but a little more savory flavor.

Every time I go to Nong’s I leave completely satisfied with the food, the prices, and restaurant atmosphere. My only complaint is the service. There never seems to be enough staff working both in the front of the house or back of the house. I understand its hard to know how busy a restaurant is going to be at any given time and having people standing around is not good business, but the restaurant has been around for a few years now and I would imagine that they have a good handle on their customer flow. A couple more servers working would make attentiveness to tables better and a couple more cooks in the kitchen might make getting food to the tables quicker and easier all together.

Picture off Nong’s website

Picture off Nong’s website

Have you guys been to Nong’s before? If so, what are your thoughts? Or do you have any other Thai Restaurant recommendations? Would love to hear from you all.

Valentines Day Weekend!

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing and romantic Valentines Day weekend!

My weekend started out relaxing. I went over to my girlfriends Meg (at My Monochromatic Life) house for a little spa day. This was the perfect opportunity for me to try out the DIY at home spa routine I had been dying to try when I read about it on one of my favorite beauty bloggers blog (say that fast 3 times 😉 ) The Beauty Snoop. I was super excited to try it because I had most of the items to execute it,  I am a lover of DIY,  and what girl doesn’t like a little spa pampering at a fraction of the cost.

Between the two of us we had almost everything except for a face mask, so off to one of our favorite stores, Target. After a lot of searching on our part and some help from a wonderful male worker we found a face mask.

That night we executed a relaxing facial, manicure and pedicures, girl talk, wine drinking and enjoyed some red velvet Oreo. It was the perfect start to the weekend.

Saturday, Valentines Day, was romantic.  Steve made breakfast in bed for us, then we were off for a morning date at our local Caribou Coffee. Steve worked on some homework while I played games on my Ipad and read my magazine. It was perfect!

Once home we had started to get ready for our evening out with our friends for Valentines dinner.

dress front

dress back

This is the dress that I was loving for Valentines day. I picked it up at Primp around the holiday’s and saved it cause I thought it would be more appropriate for Valentines Day. It was the perfect amount of classy with the long sleeves and v-neck, but little sexy with the open back and shorter length. I paired it with my favorite shoes that I picked up around Thanksgiving. Even though these shoes have a tall heel, they are so comfortable!

Steve and I have been together for 7 years and this was our first Valentines Day going out. I really wanted to celebrate by going out this year and wanted to celebrate with our friends that we love. I was so happy that everyone accepted going out for a fancy meal and getting dressed up. I made reservations for the six of us at Vincent. I had heard great things about the restaurant, so I was excited to try it.

I had the sea scallops and sweet potato gnocchi. Which was amazing and filling. I choose the dish because I hardly ever prepare scallops at home and its a dish that needs to be prepared just right. And, the gnocchi cause why not, sweet potato and gnocchi are like my two favorite things.

The restaurant ambience was simple, beautiful and romantic and the serves was welcoming and helpful. This restaurant was definitely busy, which was fun to see on such a cold MN night. Since, the food is more on the expensive side, I would go back to Vincent to celebrate a special occasion. I was glad to have the opportunity to try it and happy with my experience.

After the fancy meal, we weren’t ready to go home yet, so we headed over to Brits Pub and The Local for some drinks. We ended the night around midnight, which was perfect.

*I didn’t take any photos of the delicious food, because it wouldn’t have been appropriate in such a nice atmosphere. You will just have to make a trip out to Vincent to see how beautifully presented the food is.

Then Sunday, we went to one of Steve and I’s favorite Thai restaurants to meet up with my sisters and their significant others. Come back Thursday to read about it.

How was your Valentines day? Do anything fun? Would love to hear about it.

The Ultimate Veggie Burger

It’s been a while since I have posted; life has been busy.

I am super excited to share with you all an awesome veggie burger that I made for Steve and I last night. I stumbled upon this recipe while playing on my phone trying to wake up Monday morning.

As soon, as I read that the burger used beets, I clicked away. If you have read some of my previous posts you will know that I have been loving beets this year. Once scrolling through the recipe, I was happy to read that I had most of the ingredients and just a short, quick trip to the store was necessary after work.

The Ultimate Veggie Burger is a recipe created by Ana from The Awesome Green. This was my first time visiting her blog and it is absolutely beautiful! I look forward to scrolling through her beautiful pictures and trying other fabulous recipes.

I followed this recipe to a “t” except for a couple tweaks:

– used Naan (Indian flat bread instead of whole wheat bun); I had Naan that needed to get eaten

-Omitted the coconut oil; didn’t have any on hand and my patties were moist

-instead of wholemeal bread crumbs used panko bread crumbs

-Instead of Himalayan salt used kosher salt

– Substituted 3 tbs chunky peanut butter + 1 tbs sesame seed oil instead of tahini.

– didn’t place the sweet potatoes on the burger; tossed the slices in olive oil, salt and pepper and baked at 350F for about 30 minutes or until tender

The burgers were flavorful just by themselves, but the avocado dressing is out of this world. It was creamy, salty, and fatty all at the same time.

The burgers were tender and moist, but held together nicely. I was a little worried when forming the patties that they were going to fall apart, but the baking process really helped hold them together.  The texture was perfect, the softness from the beets and quinoa matched perfectly with the crunch from the flax seed and onion.

Note: Make sure to spray baking pan generously with cooking spray to avoid sticking. I had some sticking on a couple, but the clean up was really easy.

I was really happy that Steve loved the burger and gave me the thumbs up to make it again. 🙂

This recipe is a definite try! I just wish my pictures were half as beautiful as Ana’s.

Enjoy! Let me know if you make it and what you think.

Laughter is the best medicine

Going into last weekend, I didn’t have any plans, which I was ok with and I knew that I would find something fun to do. And, I did!

Saturday, during the day Steve and I relaxed in preparation of his last semester of school! Then, that evening, Steve had guys night out at our house. So, my friend Meg (at mymonochromaticlife) and I, headed out for girls night out. 🙂

Meg suggested first going to Betty Dangers Country Club for drinks and appetizers and I suggested seeing an act at Acme Comedy Club.

When Meg, suggested Betty Danger Country Club, I was super excited. To be honest, I didn’t know a lot about the resturant, except for, it was the restaurant with a ferris wheel in-front.  Yup, you read that right, ferris wheel, which Betty calls The Danger, her vertically revolving patio (or mechanical tree).

I absolutely loved the restaurants quirkiness! The were different rooms within the restaurant, for example, if you are looking to sit down, you can choose the library, if you want a more casual experience you can choose either the bar or what felt like the garden area. The staff was helpful and prompt.

Once we were settled in the bar, our server presented us with three books, which we were slightly confused about but quickly discovered the books had both the food and drink menu tucked inside.

And, the books were actual books, not just props. So, we had fun flipping through them.

Then on our way out, we made a quick stop at the restroom, which I am glad we did because look how cute it was!

Meg and I both agreed hands down we will be back once the weather is nice to enjoy the outdoor activities. Make sure to put Betty Danger’s on your restaurant to try list.

Next, we were off to Acme Comedy Club to see Jackie Kashian. I suggested this because I hadn’t been to Acme for a very long time and I thought it would be something fun and different to do.

The MC started off the night for about 20 minutes, then followed by 2 comedians, one a young gentleman getting ready to embark on his first national tour, and lastly, a magician comedian from LA.

The whole experience at Acme was about 2 hours. And, the tickets were reasonable at $18 a piece.

Since, we were up chatting the night away till about 3 am, Sunday, Steve and I slept in. I literally did not get out of bed till 11:30, which for me is extremely late! Usually, by 8 am on the weekends, I am at least sitting up in bed.

Steve and I took it easy again, made some cookies, played some cards and we were off to Meg and Derek’s for a Superbowl party. I was present for the game, but didn’t intently watch because I was to distracted by Meg’s ADORABLE niece. She was the perfect baby, she didn’t cry or fuss, and she has the most beautiful eyes that are just mesmerizing to look at. I was lucky enough to sit next to Meg’s mom, who is the baby’s grandma and we talked baby and everything in between. The highlight of my night was getting to hold the baby twice!!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Chobani Love!

As you read in my Tuesday post, I have been loving the Limited Edition flavors Chobani has launched. I have liked Chobani yogurt since it first launched.

When the company came out with the yogurt and oats products I couldn’t wait to try them because it reminded me of what I use to eat in college. I would literally take a packet of instant oatmeal, dump it into a bowl and add a container of yogurt on top and stir together. Let it sit for a couple minutes to soften the oatmeal and wahhhlaaa!

To many, it might sound gross or weird, but if you know me, I kind of like to mix things together that most might not. For example: I love eating baby carrots with peanut butter or better yet, pickle and peanut butter sandwiches, I always mix my breakfast cereals… and we will stop there so I don’t sound completely weird and scare you off.

Back to yogurt… when I was scanning the yogurt aisle, I noticed Chobani’s yogurt and ancient grains product- I instantly grabbed them!

The base of the yogurt flavor (apricot and mixed berry) were really good. Didn’t taste fake or weren’t to sweet. I loved the grain blend. The grains were soft with the perfect ratio mixed in with the yogurt; not to little that I felt like I was eating curdled yogurt, but not to much that it was really chunky. And, every few bites, I would get a soft fruit piece.

The best thing I liked when eating the yogurts were, each one was only about 180 calories each, and accompanied with a small glass of milk would keep me full from about 7:30 till 10:30. On the days that I was really busy at work or extra hungry in the morning, I would have a banana with peanut butter with the yogurt. And, I would make it to my lunch hour at 11:30. Which I was really happy about.

These two products are a definite try if you like yogurt and ancient grains.

Have you tried the new Chobani flavor’s? If so, what do you think? What other breakfast treats are you liking?

Sunshine and Warmth

Hello! Happy Tuesday!

I am happy to report that this weekend the sun finally showed it’s face and warmed Minneapolis creating a beautiful weekend!

Last, weekend, along with yesterday, Steve and I made sure to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, cause as normal it won’t be around for long and we will be back to the frigid cold this weekend.

When looking for our house, we wanted something close to Minneapolis, and surrounded by parks, walking paths and bike trails. We were fortunate enough to get just that. We live off Theodore Wirth Parkway and near Theorde Wirth Golf Course in Minneapolis.

So, after celebrating my favorite day, National Peanut Butter Day, on Saturday with a some peanut butter toast, a grapefruit, and yogurt, we set out for a long walk down the Parkway.

White grapefruit picked in California by my parents

Have you tried the limited batch Chobani Green Tea yogurt? We tried it on Saturday. One vote yes, for me. One vote no, for Steve.

 

To be honest, we didn’t get a whole lot of green tea flavor. I thought it tasted like plain yogurt, just less sour and bitter and slightly sweeter. I don’t love plain yogurt and I think if I ate the green tea on a regular basis, it would help me transition easier to plain yogurt. I would purchase it again.

Next, we laced up our walking shoes, put the sun glasses on and headed for the Parkway.

We have lived in our house for almost three years, walked the same paths many times together and have never known about the rock below until at Christmas when reminiscing with my parents and my dad enlightened us with a cool geography fact.

We live right near the “45th parallel of the latitude, which is midway between the equator and the north pole”. How cool is that! So, naturally, I had to stop and take a picture. This was the best I could do, since the sun was shining right at me, which I was not complaining about.

Then as we contiuned down the path we witnessed a cross country ski event at Theodore Wirth Golf Course. And, this beautiful view of Minneapolis.

Once, we got home, Steve cooked a simple yet delicious chicken lunch, while I picked up the house and got ready to go shopping with my friend Meg (at mymonochromaticlife).

When, I got home after shopping, I didn’t realize how late it was, so I had leftover lunch and topped it off with a home brewed beer. Steve has made many batches of beer, but this one has been my favorite!  It’s a beautiful golden brown color, light flavor, not extremely hoppy and not bitter. Just perfect!!

Sunday, we had errands and dinner with my family. Then Monday, back to work followed by another long walk with Steve on the Parkway and grape yogurt.

This is the other Limited Edition flavor by Chobani. This one got 2 votes yes from Steve and I. I have to say the product was surprisingly good. I wasn’t sure what to think when I first read grape yogurt, but as always my interest was peaked so I had to try it. The yogurt wasn’t to sweet and had a slight fake grape flavor. When I first ate it I thought of grape laffy taffy, which didn’t last long and had a clean after taste. I would definitely buy this flavor again.

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend! Did you get outside and enjoy the warm weather? If so, I would love to hear about it.

Stop by Thursday, to read about the other Chobani Yogurts that I have been loving for breakfast these last couple weeks!

V8 & Cookies

Cheeseburger and fries go together like cereal and milk, but what about V8 and cookies? Yeaaahhhhh… maybe not. Instead, I will tell you about two different, new products that I found while strolling through the grocery store.

Last year, I started drinking V8 Original Tomato Juice as a way to get more vegetables in my diet. It’s not something that I have often, just every now and then. About a month ago, when I was standing in the juice isle looking for some V8, I noticed V8’s new products. See pictures below.

Then, I was flipping through the Sunday paper ad’s, a couple weeks ago and noticed some coupons for more new V8 products. I couldn’t believe it! Whenever I think about V8 I always go straight to tomato juice (even though they have had the fruit fusions for a while now too).  The coupons peaked my interest and I wanted to try them.

However, I didn’t want the big bottles, just in case I didn’t like the products. While at the grocery store on Tuesday, I found small bottles of the new V8 juices, so I was excited and picked them up.

I started with Purple Power. I was excited about this one, but quickly was not a fan. The color was pleasant, for many would probably be a problem. And, when pouring it looked thin, almost watery like. When tasting it, there was no flavor, I thought I was drinking colored water, very thin, and nothing there at all.  I would not buy this product again.

Second, I tried the carrot mango. Again, the product looked thin when pouring and the color was very bright, but not off putting. This product had flavor, unlike the purple power. I tasted the sweetness of the mango followed by the carrot flavor. As, I continued drinking, the carrot aftertaste continued to build and started to get a little bitter, which I didn’t love, but it didn’t stop me from finishing the product. I would give carrot mango another try.

Third, I tried the healthy greens. To be honest, I was nervous about trying this one, but I ended up being ok with it. The product smelled “green” and I could taste the spinach, but it wasn’t offensive. Like, I said about the carrot mango, this flavor would take some getting use to.

And, lastly, golden goodness. This one I did not care for. The sweet potato flavor came through very strongly and the watery texture didn’t help . The product smelled and tasted like baby food.

Overall, I was very disappointed in these products and was hoping to like them a lot more. I feel that V8 could make the juices thicker and optimize the flavors more. I am glad that I found the small bottles, otherwise I would be getting creative on how to use the big bottle of juices.

If I had to choose, two to purchase again, it would be the carrot mango and healthy greens. Both of these would take a little getting use to, but for the health benefits, I think it would be worth it.

Now, on to the cookies. Have you heard of Brownie Brittle? It’s a must try! So good! I will do a blog post about it sometime in the future.

I bring this up because when I saw Cookie Chips, I instantly thought about Brownie Brittle and had to try it. I mean, cookies, chips, what could be wrong?

These cookies reminded me of a gingersnap, only slightly lighter and more tender. The package advertised that they eat like chips, which I wouldn’t completely agree with nor disagree with. They weren’t thick and chewy like a normal cookie. But, not thin and super crunchy like a chip. I was satisfied with the texture. The cookies also had a nice classic cinnamon sugar flavor, that you can’t go wrong with. I would definitely try one of the other 5 flavors that is offered.

Do you have any new products that you are loving right now? If so, leave me a comment, I would love to know.

Restaurant Review: Quang

Do you love fresh ingredients, good portion sizes and easy on the wallet food? Then I have the place just for you!

On Sunday, Steve and I had a few errands to complete and decided we would window shop for a few things for the house. After a while, both of our stomachs started to rumble, so we started contemplating what we were in the mood for and where to go. Whenever, we are deciding what to eat when out, we always try and strive to try either a new restaurant, or eat something ethnic. Not always successful, but we try.

We decided that we both were in the mood for Vietnamese, so without hesitation we agreed on Quang. We have been to Quang multiple times, and everytime we leave satisfied with both our experience and the food.

As you walk into the restaurant the first thing you will notice is the expansive dinning area. There must be at least 80 tables in the dinning room, each one filled. (I tried to secretively capture a picture, but no luck) Then you will witness the hussel and bussel of the servers. You will see the smiles, hear the laughter and chatter of all the patrons. Many speaking Vietnamese, but there is definitely not a lack of English too. Lastly, once you are seated and receive your food, you will be tasting the fresh flavors, quality ingredients and just pure good food.

Whether it be Vietnamese food, Thai food, Chinese food, etc.it’s always a must for Steve and I to start with spring rolls and cream cheese wonton’s. We just love them!!

So, naturally, we ordered (picture 1) spring rolls- shrimp and pork with peanut sauce and (picture 2)  cream cheese wontons, and we also had (picture 1) skewer meatballs marinated in lemongrass and sweet soy with sweet and sour sauce.

All three of the appetizers were delicious!! 1)The spring rolls were so fresh and the meat inside was tender. 2) The meatballs were out of this world!  The meatballs were tender inside with a crispy exterior. The flavor was super simple; good quality meat with a light sweeter flavor. 3) The cream cheese wonton’s had this really nice balance of sweet and savory. The crust was tender and flaky, but thick so it didn’t break apart after the first bite. I loved the subtle sweetness of the crust combined with the creamy, savory mixture in the middle. These are the best cream cheese wonton’s that I have had in a long time.

 

Since Steve and I usually go heavier on the appetizers, we typically share an entree. We have tried all the entree’s at Quang so far, except for the Banh Mi Sandwiches. We choose the Shredded pork skin and julienne roast pork. This sandwich was awesome!

The French baguette was perfectly crusty so that everytime I bit into the sandwich, flakes of crust would go everywhere. The meat was tender, juice and had a delicate sweet flavor. I loved the toppings of pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, jalapenos (Steve had mine), red onion and cucumbers; it made all the flavors pop, elevated the freshness and the sourness balanced out the sweet and fattiness from the meat.

I will definitely be ordering another another sandwich off the the menu!

And, lastly, our beverage. Bubble Tea!!! We were each going to have our own, but then decided to share.

We chose mango green tea with mango jellies and tapioca pearls. This hit the spot! It was cold and refreshing. Not to sweet, but not bitter, which I sometimes find with Green Tea. And, you can’t go wrong with the jellies and tapioca pearls, they are so much fun to drink out of the wide straw.

When going to Quang don’t expect your waiter(s) to be overly friendly and chatty. They are polite, but busy. The restaurant is focused on turning tables quickly, because there are more hungry customers waiting. Also, be patient when looking for parking. You might be lucky and get a space right away in their tiny lot, but if not keep trying or park on the street and walk over,

I give Quang 5 out 5 tables. Excellent food, great prices and food quantity and service polite and fast.

Have you been to Quang? If so, what do you think? Leave me a comment below.

Restaurant Review: The Third Bird

picture off The Third Bird website

Last night, I met up with my dear friend Nancy for dinner. We had been trying to meet up for about a month, but our schedules have been crazy. So, we finally put a date on the calendar and stuck with it.

Since, we both are foodies and work in the food industry, we always want to go to a new and trendy restaurant around the Twin Cities. Yesterday, we were at The Third Bird, located near The Basilica of St. Mary and Loring Park. If you are familiar with where Joe’s Garage use to be by Cafe Lurcat… it’s right there.

We parked our car, paid for parking, and headed to the door… as I opened the door, we read a decoy saying (not exact wording) “we would like you to please use our door in the alley”. I thought to myself, really, it’s cold, I am hungry and halfway into the restaurant and you want me to walk back outside and around the building just to go in another door… I don’t think so, in we went. Maybe when it’s not cold and the sun is shining I would be more willing to walk through the alley, because I am sure there is an aesthetic piece to it.

We were nicely greeted by the hostess, and she showed us to our table for two by the window.  Nancy and I stopped for a second, looked at eachother with the same thought, you want us to sit here? The table was cramped. On one side a couple was eating and the other side a pillar. So, I walked back to the hostess politely asking for the table two down, where there was clearly more room, she happy obliged.

(please forgive the picture quality, the restaurant was really dark and the lighting was making bad shadowing in all my pictures, so I did what I could)

Once seated, we took in the atmosphere and after a while were greeted by a cheerful waiter. The decor was industrial, with modern classic touches. And, we thought it was cool to see there was an upstairs.

On to the food…

We wanted to order a few items off the menu to get a good perspective of the menu, so we decided on an appetizer, two vegetable sides and an entree.

The bacon and cheddar popcorn came out first. I was disappointed by the presentation, but it was popcorn- which I am a huge fan of, so naturally I was excited!

My first bite, I was overwhelmed with smoked bacon fat flavor, which I didn’t care for, but as I kept eating the smoke flavor mellowed and the cheddar started to come through. The flavors built nicely together and I ended up being happy with the dish. The portions size was just the right amount too.

After a long while, our two vegetable sides and entree arrived.

Vanilla, burnt cinnamon, beets, orange,macadamia nuts

I was excited about the beets a)because I have gotten into beets this year, and looking for any excuses to try them b) the flavors sounded good to me- more on the sweet side which I thought would be nice with the bitterness beets can have sometimes.

We both were slightly disappointed. The menu described the dish as having burnt cinnamon, which was a little overwhelming, with the other flavors being underwhelming. The beets were nice and tender and beautifully presented.

roasted carrots, glazed with coffee, buttermilk curd, hazelnuts

This was the dish Nancy was excited about, me not so much because I wasn’t sure what to expect with the coffee glaze, but I am always open to try. I have to tell you, this was my favorite of the three! The carrots were tender, with a light sweetness and a hint of coffee flavor. The glaze wasn’t to thick, just a nice coating. The hazelnuts were a perfect texture crunch with the carrots. I would definitely order this dish again!

roasted mushroom, parsnip tortellini, hibiscus, grapefruit, sage

And, our entree… when the dish was place on our table, I couldn’t believe how small the portion was for a $12 entree. There were only 6 tortellini pieces. I took a tortellini piece and instantly was overwhelmed by salt. My second piece was better. The tortellini was tender and perfect bite size. When we got to the bottom of the plate the beautiful hibiscus color peeked through, which I would have loved to seen drizzled on the plate or on the tortellini themselves. Overall, I didn’t find this dish flavorful.

Yes, Nancy and I were excited about trying a new restaurant with trendy foods and we left slightly disappointed, but the main purpose for our night out, was to catch up and that’s exactly what we got to do.

I would give The Third Bird 3 out of 5 tables. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, company and conversation were great, but the food was ok and service was friendly, but slow.

Have you been to The Third Bird? Comment below and let me know what you thought.