A Long Time Coming: Tilia

I seriously love holiday weeks. A couple days off - add in a few vacation days - and suddenly you're catching up on projects, making your own meals, meeting up with friends and family and maybe even blogging a bit. ;)

It's true. I've spent some time de-cluttering and hung a few new pictures on the walls, made two scrumptious dinners, had lunch with two good friends, saw a movie with some of my favorite gals, spent enough time with my mom that she'll be glad to see me go home tomorrow (kidding, I hope), out-played (but didn't win against) my sister in Monopoly Deal, hung out with my favorite rugrats and am now on to blog post number two: recapping Tilia.

Tilia has been on my list so long I was practically itching to go. I've heard so many great things about the menu that when my friend and I were picking lunch destinations, it was a shoo-in.

Located right in the middle of Minneapolis' Linden Hills neighborhood, Tilia is just down the street from children's bookstore perfection Wild Rumpus. It's a quaint, adorable little spot.

And on the inside, it's equally adorable. The place was also packed with lunch-goers on a Tuesday afternoon.

We ordered the french fries with an accompanying fry sauce to share. They were salty and crispy and easily devour-able.

I also went with the fish taco torta, a fantastic little sandwich on a chewy bun with a peppadew pepper slaw and cilantro. So big, you almost can't fit it in your mouth. The sauce had a fun, addictive kick that keeps you coming back for more, and the slaw added a delightful crunchy texture.

I've heard great things about Tilia's brunch and dinner too. I can't wait to go back :)

Tonight, I spend some QT with grandma and tomorrow, I help a two-year-old celebrate her birthday. Life is good.

Annual Tradition: Art in Bloom

Spring is in the air! Well, at least that's what my allergies tell me... With the season change also comes my favorite springtime activity (and now an annual tradition): Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

The last Sunday in April, I spent part of the afternoon with a friend taking in all of the wonderful floral interpretations throughout the museum. This is now my third year in attendance (and my third time sharing highlights here), and each time I'm struck by how Art in Bloom makes me take a second look at so many pieces that I normally just glance over. Also for the third time, my favorite of the floral arrangements has taken me by surprise. This year, more than others, I had a hard time actually picking a favorite. But in the end, it came down to this one:

Normally, I just breeze right through the contemporary galleries, but this one stopped me in my tracks. I love how the lips and the shawl are captured so vividly, and how the floral arrangement really seems to bring the person aspect of it to life.

The two others I was really wowed by were:

Seriously. How awesome are these? And, of course, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few of my other favorites in no particular order:

You know what I love even more than Art in Bloom? Wandering around, getting lost and making completely new discoveries at MIA. I seriously could not stop staring at this... :)

Dinner at Masu

I definitely let way too much time pass before sharing this treasure. Hopefully, I can still do it justice :) I had my first Masu Sushi & Robata (NE Minneapolis) experience with some of my favorite colleagues last month, and all I can say is that this definitely shouldn't have been my first time. It's fantastic.

From the very start with some of my favorite restaurant decor to-date...

(Seriously, aren't these guys sweet-looking?!)

To a spread that was overwhelmingly good. I kicked it all off with a fancy martini, called "Alive with Pleasure." It's a sparkling yuzu ginger gin martini with cherry pimms. Pleasure indeed. I'm not a major gin fan, but that didn't stop me from savoring every last sip.

And, of course, we had snacks all around. The required edamame (look at those salt crystals!).

The ah-mazing beef jerky. It's no joke when I say I would come back just for this. Tender. Chewy. Flavorful. Goodness.

Potstickers. Again, basically required.

Pork belly steam buns. With Masu pickles and hoisin.

Crispy pork kara-age with a sesame soy dipping sauce.

Oh, and even bacon-wrapped quail eggs. One of my more adventurous friends convinced me to try one of these. In all sincerity, it really wasn't that bad. Highlight of dinner? No. Would I eat it again? Sure.

After all the delicious small plates we shared, I almost couldn't imagine digging in for more. But that thought really only lasted a hot minute...before I knew it, my pork belly ramen was staring right up at me. Ramen noodles with pork belly, slow-roasted pork shoulder, a soft poached egg, fish cake and flavorful broth.

This isn't something I'd normally order, so I didn't really have strong expectations. I love that I tried something out of my norm. I love that I tried (though maybe didn't really love) fish cake. And I love that I got to eat it all with chopsticks.

So many times I say I want to go back to a place but then spend most of my time in search of something new. I think Masu's menu is diverse enough that it could feel like a new experience all over again next time. Plus, my sushi-loving friends would jump at it :)

Juicy Blucys at the Blue Door Pub

I FINALLY made my way to the Blue Door Pub on Selby Avenue in Saint Paul for an early-ish dinner after having it on my list for the last couple of years. I've had several failed attempts due to its sheer popularity and not offering reservations.

The odds were in my favor with my sister, her fiance and my little niece in town wanting to meet up for an early dinner, so I figured we'd beat the normal dinner rush. After a quick look at the BDP's menu, it seemed like it had potential to be family-friendly, and so it became our destination.

Despite arriving just a little after 5 p.m., there was already an hour-long wait. Since I was the first to arrive, I decided we could wait it out. It was a beautiful day, so we took turns walking my niece up and down the sidewalk to kill time and just enjoyed each other's company.

Once we finally made our way inside, it was quite overwhelming with people in every nook and cranny. And, as luck would have it, we were put at a high-top table - one of just two and totally not well-suited for the little tyke. I was too busy feeling angst about our seating arrangement to take an inside photo. Probably because I'm normally child-less, I was extra sensitive about the situation. But, my sister and her little fam took it in stride, reminding me that they gave us the first available table.

Thankfully, our server was awesome, and she quickly put the Blue Door back in my good graces. She brought over little cups as play toys and some crackers for a snack. My niece didn't seem to mind the seating sitch except when we tried to put her in the high chair and she was a solid three or four feet shorter than the rest of us :)

Also working in the Blue Door's favor? The fact that our food came out in no time. And. It. Was. Crazy. Delicious. I ordered the Blucy, BDP's signature take on Minneapolis' iconic juicy lucy, stuffed with bleu cheese and finely chopped garlic, along with some tots. My sister had a french dip-inspired version and proclaimed it the best burger she'd ever had.

Yummers. I love juicy lucys, and I will now go on record saying that both of my two favorites come from Saint Paul (The Nook is home to my reigning champion). Now that I'm a Minneapolis dweller, that statement seems almost blasphemous... ;)

Dinner at the Herkimer

This weekend actually marked my first dining experience at The Herkimer Pub & Brewery, a Minneapolis staple on the corner of Lake and Lyndale. It's best known for its hand-crafted beers and a pretty fantastic happy hour menu. Oh, and pretty city art (photo snapped above with a little Instagram TLC).

Given its prime location on the bustling intersection, it's also a great spot for people-watching if you snag a spot at one of the few tables out front. Which is where Friday night found us with 68-degree temps. It may have felt more like 48 but as far as our fellow Minnesotans were concerned, shorts season was in full swing. :) 

In a rare move for me, I selected both of the appetizers for the group to share. First up: deep-fried pickles. I absolutely love fried pickles (as you may remember from my Pat's Tap excursion). Something about the combination of salty pickles fried in batter and creamy Ranch dressing just gets me every time. The Herkimer's were very good, though budding fried pickle connoisseur that I am, I would rank a couple of other local options slightly higher. 

For our second starter, we had the sweet potato fries. One of my friends loves all things sweet potato so this seemed like another easy crowd-pleaser. Served with a tasty chipotle ketchup, these were pipin' hot, salty and addicting.

For my entree, I was impressed to see quite a few meatless/seafood menu options that all sounded quite good. I was quickly swayed by the crab melt special, which came served open-faced in a creamy artichoke sauce on ciabatta, along with tater tots (in place of fries, with an upcharge). The sandwich itself was pretty good, though I poked around from time to time to make sure it actually came with some crab. And the tots? Well, the tots were get-in-my-belly awesome.

I think I might set my sights on a return visit for the happy hour in the very near future. And, my intrigue with several of the menu items will likely bring me back for dinner/lunch again soon.

Dinner at Victory 44

I've had Victory 44 on my list since it first opened. But, it wasn't until I read We Got Served's review of it that I moved it to the tippy-top of my list. Not long after, I was looking for a new place to try for dinner with friends, and the choice was a no-brainer.

Nestled within an unassuming spot in north Minneapolis (I swear the only other thing I remember seeing on the same corner was a Domino's), the vibe at Victory 44 is awesome. The space was jam-packed with a nice, low-key atmosphere on our visit. And even with a bunch of people all around us, the tables were spaced well enough that you didn't feel like you were part of everyone else's conversations.

Even the light fixtures were cool...

And, cooler yet - Victory 44's menu is ever-changing. The chalkboard serves as your guide. During our visit, we opted for the tasting menu - five courses for $30. Two notes: 1. if you pair it with wine for $50, you get a fairly generous half pour with each course, and 2. it's requested that the entire table participate if you get the tasting menu (that's right...even the finicky eaters...ha).

The first course was the beet in textures. I'm not a major fan of beets, so the beet-driven menu almost made me reconsider the tasting menu option (remember though: all for one and one for all). In the end, even I had to admit that this dish packed a lot of flavor. Beets of varying degrees with a tasty sauce and crumble.

Then came the scallops. I cannot even begin to describe how fantastic these were. SO rich. SO melt-in-your-mouth awesome.

And then, the main event: hanger steak with a bleu cheese butter and...wait for it...more beets. :) Actually, this was so incredibly well prepared and well-paired together that it was my favorite part of the whole meal. I'm still day-dreaming about this amazing steak.

Next up was a composed cheese plate with soft cheeses, a tangy jam and more crumble. This was a great follow-up to the steak and transition from dinner to dessert.

And lastly, the dessert course: coffee, peanut butter banana. If I could think of a critique for our meal, this would be it. Overall, it was pretty good. I don't like coffee, but it was barely noticeable. It did however seem to add to the crunchiness, which I wasn't crazy about. And the filo dough was a mixed bag for me. The ice cream and puree were delish.

It certainly wouldn't be a stretch to say that Victory 44 is the best restaurant I've eaten at so far in 2012. The whole meal was fantastic. The ambiance perfect. And while maybe a bit off the beaten path, well worth the trip.

Lunch at Wise Acre Eatery

I'm not sure whether I should be excited about this or worried, but I've been eating at a lot of good restaurants lately. Apparently so much so that I'm backed up in posting about them. (And maybe just a tad bit worried that I'll forget about eating at home altogether.)

One of the best recent examples is Wise Acre Eatery on Nicollet in south Minneapolis. This is probably our finest local example of farm-to-table (as you can read in this City Pages review from last summer). Even just spending two seconds on the restaurant's website will prove it with the colorful farm-meets-food photos and the Gone Farmin' rationalization for being closed on Mondays.

Located in a former oil station - and still featuring the garage door that opens onto an outdoor patio - the space is adorable.

It's quaint and small and lovely. At the counter you can purchase items ranging from pastries to eggs, and the bar at the back makes everything from sustainable coffee to homemade sodas.

Greenery is strategically placed around the space, making it feel even more natural and homegrown. It's also incredibly complimentary to the overall ambiance.

I'd heard good things about their housemade sparkling sodas, so I tried a lemon verbena version. While it was quite refreshing, I think the combination of its sugary sweetness and it taking a little while to get to me (it seemed our server forgot about it) made me wish I would've just stuck with water.

For my rural dinner/urban lunch selection, I ordered a full meal of beef roast, cranberry macaroni and cheese and brussels sprouts. Ooh la la :)

Oh, you know I totally ate all of this! Because I'm a brussels sprouts fanatic. Because I love grass-fed, tender beef roast. And because there probably is no better pairing than creamy mac n cheese with cranberries. 

What a delightfully satisfying lunch. And with so many seasonally-changing menu items, I'm excited to go back for breakfast or "urban dinner." :)