JOIN MENUISM
Chong, THIS MEANS YOU!
-BananaWoo
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Roat Osha is trying to make the grade
After a few months in business are they doing it? We went for a visit after being ejected from Burger Jones. Just kidding, there was just a 45 minute wait. I like hamburgers as much as the next fellow, but...It looked like there was patio seating too and they were just making people wait. I'm sure that wasn't the case, but still, what the hell?
Anyways, our plans shifted from burgers to Thai food. Lucky us because we were close to Uptown which they might as well rename 'Thaitown'. We chose Roat Osha for the parking and the patio which had available tables (Dave called ahead, good work!). When we got there the place looked dead inside. There were a couple people sitting at the bar and the rest of us were outside. Still, the patio was not packed by any means. Good for us, bad for Roat Osha.
Since Mr. B and I had already eaten at Punch, we had time to sip some drinks and take in the sunshine. I was also preoccupied with the table next to us who seemed to be having an awful lot of trouble. I wouldn't usually have noticed, but out waitress spent most of her time talking with them and not so much attending to us. No big deal today, but I saw a flash of things that might come to be. Would the service at Roat turn as bad as the service Tum Rup? I hope not.
The Sister and the Dave partook in their regular spicy pad Thai with no egg. Everything was pretty normal and overall satisfying. Mr. B and I shared the mango with sticky rice dessert. The mango was fresh and delicious, but the rice was in a square, kind of bland and not impressive on a plate. I would recommend the mango sticky rice dessert from Amazing Thailand over the one served at Roat.
I think Roat Osha has the ability to be long lasting, but it needs to keep its service standards up. Don't worry, we will probably be back.
-BananaWoo
Anyways, our plans shifted from burgers to Thai food. Lucky us because we were close to Uptown which they might as well rename 'Thaitown'. We chose Roat Osha for the parking and the patio which had available tables (Dave called ahead, good work!). When we got there the place looked dead inside. There were a couple people sitting at the bar and the rest of us were outside. Still, the patio was not packed by any means. Good for us, bad for Roat Osha.
Since Mr. B and I had already eaten at Punch, we had time to sip some drinks and take in the sunshine. I was also preoccupied with the table next to us who seemed to be having an awful lot of trouble. I wouldn't usually have noticed, but out waitress spent most of her time talking with them and not so much attending to us. No big deal today, but I saw a flash of things that might come to be. Would the service at Roat turn as bad as the service Tum Rup? I hope not.
The Sister and the Dave partook in their regular spicy pad Thai with no egg. Everything was pretty normal and overall satisfying. Mr. B and I shared the mango with sticky rice dessert. The mango was fresh and delicious, but the rice was in a square, kind of bland and not impressive on a plate. I would recommend the mango sticky rice dessert from Amazing Thailand over the one served at Roat.
I think Roat Osha has the ability to be long lasting, but it needs to keep its service standards up. Don't worry, we will probably be back.
-BananaWoo
Ciao Bella
Ciao Bella
3501 Minnesota Drive
Bloomington, MN 55435
952-841-1000
Menu
According to their website Ciao Bella is a 'contemporary Italian restaurant', 'dramatic, comfortable, welcoming and delicious.' I would agree with most of that. Technically located in Bloomington, this on the outskirt of Edina dining and drink establishment has been around for over a decade. The inside is sleek and classy, dimly lit and very intimate. There is also a small bar area with large glass doors that open all the way up to the reveal the patio and the nice weather the 2 months of the year Minnesota has it. Ciao Bella is owned by the same peeps as Bacio of Plymouth and Zelo of Minneapolis.
They have a lunch and dinner menu as well as fresh fish, dessert and wine. The wine list is fairly extensive and I saw a few that I like (Smoking Loon cabernet sauvignon and the Robert Modavi pinot noir). On our most recent visit we just went for a short lunch. On my usual visit I most often sit on the patio and enjoy a beer or two.
The salads my sister and I chose for lunch were good, but nothing super special. The Ciao Baby feature organic greens, goat cheese and pine nuts tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. Basic, yet refreshing. My sister had wished there were a few more dimensions to the salad. As a side it would be great, as a lunch entree I would suggest something a little more interesting.
I went with the small chopped salad which included crispy prosciutto, chicken, tomato, onion and blue cheese crumbles with a spicy-sweet dressing. I did highly enjoy the dressing, a bit different from your average chopped salad dressing. The rest of the salad I could take of leave. The tomatoes were few and the ones I did find were at the bottom of the bowl and smushed. The crispy prosciutto looks almost like bacon bits and not the thinly sliced salty goodness I was expecting. Lastly, the chicken appeared to be boiled or something. It was not grilled, just wilty and almost too pink. I ate it though and I'm still here, so guess it was okay. The other thing I noticed is my friend who ordered the large chopped salad had a few more additions including fresh parmesian cheese on top. Her's looked better than mine, so maybe I was just unlucky.
Although Ciao Bella and the Cheesecake Factory are totally different dining experiences I would rather go to the Cheesecake Factory for their cobb salad than do another chopped salad at Ciao. For less than $8.50 (the amount for a small salad at Ciao) you get a huge 'lunch sized' portion at Cheesecake Factory and it has always been crispy and satisfying. While I do enjoy Ciao Bella for the atmosphere and wonderful patio, I will most likely pass on dining there anytime in the near future. In Ciao's defense many of my co-workers swear by this place. Plus, some of the menu items intregue me like the chicken and wild mushroom risotto does sound delicious. Nothing against you Ciao, but high class restuarant establishment does not always mean out of this world food.
-BananaWoo
3501 Minnesota Drive
Bloomington, MN 55435
952-841-1000
Menu
According to their website Ciao Bella is a 'contemporary Italian restaurant', 'dramatic, comfortable, welcoming and delicious.' I would agree with most of that. Technically located in Bloomington, this on the outskirt of Edina dining and drink establishment has been around for over a decade. The inside is sleek and classy, dimly lit and very intimate. There is also a small bar area with large glass doors that open all the way up to the reveal the patio and the nice weather the 2 months of the year Minnesota has it. Ciao Bella is owned by the same peeps as Bacio of Plymouth and Zelo of Minneapolis.
They have a lunch and dinner menu as well as fresh fish, dessert and wine. The wine list is fairly extensive and I saw a few that I like (Smoking Loon cabernet sauvignon and the Robert Modavi pinot noir). On our most recent visit we just went for a short lunch. On my usual visit I most often sit on the patio and enjoy a beer or two.
The salads my sister and I chose for lunch were good, but nothing super special. The Ciao Baby feature organic greens, goat cheese and pine nuts tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. Basic, yet refreshing. My sister had wished there were a few more dimensions to the salad. As a side it would be great, as a lunch entree I would suggest something a little more interesting.
I went with the small chopped salad which included crispy prosciutto, chicken, tomato, onion and blue cheese crumbles with a spicy-sweet dressing. I did highly enjoy the dressing, a bit different from your average chopped salad dressing. The rest of the salad I could take of leave. The tomatoes were few and the ones I did find were at the bottom of the bowl and smushed. The crispy prosciutto looks almost like bacon bits and not the thinly sliced salty goodness I was expecting. Lastly, the chicken appeared to be boiled or something. It was not grilled, just wilty and almost too pink. I ate it though and I'm still here, so guess it was okay. The other thing I noticed is my friend who ordered the large chopped salad had a few more additions including fresh parmesian cheese on top. Her's looked better than mine, so maybe I was just unlucky.
Although Ciao Bella and the Cheesecake Factory are totally different dining experiences I would rather go to the Cheesecake Factory for their cobb salad than do another chopped salad at Ciao. For less than $8.50 (the amount for a small salad at Ciao) you get a huge 'lunch sized' portion at Cheesecake Factory and it has always been crispy and satisfying. While I do enjoy Ciao Bella for the atmosphere and wonderful patio, I will most likely pass on dining there anytime in the near future. In Ciao's defense many of my co-workers swear by this place. Plus, some of the menu items intregue me like the chicken and wild mushroom risotto does sound delicious. Nothing against you Ciao, but high class restuarant establishment does not always mean out of this world food.
-BananaWoo
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Ricotta Gnocchi
 |  |
These dumplings turned out fluffy and velvety just like deliciousdays said. I forked them (this is not necessary) and made a simple red sauce with spicy Italian sausage to go on top. I served the gnocchi with a spinach and arugula salad with a light olive oil, black pepper, salt and crushed red pepper dressing. This dish looks hearty, but because of the delicate texture of the gnocchi it didn't feel like you just ate a rock. I can't wait to make this recipe again and try some different variations with herbs or other seasonings!
-BananaWoo
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Is the Sushi Trend Endangering our Fish?
The simple answer is 'yes', but there is a lot more going on here.
It has been projected that we will deplete the Mediterranean bluefin population by 2012 if we keep our consumption levels at where they are today. With the fishing season open, now is the time to start making people aware of these issues. Fishermen have already noticed that the catch this year is looking smaller both in size of each fish and size of the schools. Please read the following to learn more about overfishing and what we can do.
It has been projected that we will deplete the Mediterranean bluefin population by 2012 if we keep our consumption levels at where they are today. With the fishing season open, now is the time to start making people aware of these issues. Fishermen have already noticed that the catch this year is looking smaller both in size of each fish and size of the schools. Please read the following to learn more about overfishing and what we can do.
Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks collapsing now as fishing season opens
Some good news: There are people aware of this problem and they are taking steps to find solutions. I was glad to hear from the waiter during my recent visit to Fuji Ya that the restaurant is serving bluefin that are bred in a captivity.
Bluefin tuna successfully bred in captivity
Clean seas raise $24 million for breeding bluefin
I love tuna, I love it enough to help save it even though, if it had the chance, would probably eat me in the wild. Time to start moving towards sustainable food solutions.
-BananaWoo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)