Tag Archives: Restaurant Review

Date Night in Fargo: Cork’ n Cleaver

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For this weekend’s date night we wanted to try something new. We’ve overheard a couple acquaintances mention the Cork’ n Cleaver, a restaurant that’s been open for 40 years. Also, we recently saw its steak featured in Fargo Monthly’s newest issue, 50 Tasty Eats that provides photos of each dish and ideas for future dining experiences.

We visited Cork’ n Cleaver for an early dinner. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the hostess and seated immediately. The relatively large interior is cozy and dimly lit and we admired the warm fireplaces. We had a hard time getting comfortable because the section in which we were seated was lined by a vent that pumped cold and hot air. The mirror-covered wall by our table was smudged and I smelled Windex mist when a staff member wiped down adjacent tables.A server quickly took our drink orders and carded my husband since he ordered a beer. He willingly obliged. Minutes later, someone from the bar stopped by our table and firmly asked Jake to show her his ID, again, before she would bring him the beer. He began to explain he just showed the server his ID, but shrugged it off and pulled it from his wallet again. I wonder if she didn’t believe the server who originally took his drink order.

Everyone receives this crusty sourdough bread with honey butter. It was freshly baked and pleasantly sour. This is the best bread I’ve tasted in Fargo-Moorhead.

Then, we ordered a whole artichoke to share as an appetizer. For entrees, Jake ordered a sirloin steak with a baked potato and opted for the salad bar while I ordered the evening’s catfish special with wild rice pilaf and the salad bar. I had read in this same Fargo Monthly issue that the Chef enjoys cooking Cajun food and is willing to accommodate requests for spicy food, so I ordered the fish extra spicy.

The salad bar was a fun touch though it wasn’t particularly memorable. I bypassed iceburg lettuce that looked to be discolored around the edges and chose romaine and spinach instead. The bar offered pasta salad, potato salad, and typical toppings like pickled beet slices, shredded cheese, hard boiled egg, peas and baby carrots. The croutons did not appear to be homemade and I passed on what appeared to be processed tropical fruit cocktail. I did enjoy the salad dressings which the restaurant says it makes from scratch.

I’ve always wanted to eat a whole, steamed artichoke and was excited to see it on the menu. Since this was our first one, we have nothing to compare it to. We enjoyed peeling back the leaves and nibbling their fleshy ends. The little ramekin contained what tasted like plain mayonnaise which tasted better when we added juice from the lemon wedge. It provided some needed acidity.

Jake’s steak arrived juicy and cooked to a precise medium-rare. It had a nice beefy flavor and wasn’t gristly, though I felt it lacked seasoning. Jake enjoyed the baked red potato that came with sour cream and butter. The insides were especially creamy since it was of a waxy variety, but I missed the crispy, salted skin I love most about traditional, starchy baked potatoes.


My catfish special consisted of two baked or broiled fillets sprinkled with Cajun seasoning. The fish was cooked through but its texture was waterlogged and I longed for some sort of crust or sear. The seasoning level struck me as just right and the tartar sauce tasted homemade, but the lemon wedge was dried out. The accompanying wild rice pilaf was mushy and tasted like something that would come from an Uncle Ben’s box. All things considered, this special seemed overpriced, not only because it was executed poorly, but because I know catfish isn’t very expensive. Then, we packed up my leftovers to go so we could make a movie showing.

All in all, the service wasn’t unfriendly, but it wasn’t exactly warm and a little inattentive, with the exception of the lovely hostess. The highlight of the meal was the complimentary sourdough bread, though we also enjoyed the artichoke and appreciated they cooked the steak to a perfect medium rare. Considering that we spent nearly the equivalent to a dinner at Mezzaluna, I can’t say we’ll make an effort to return. The meal cost $70, not including tip, for two entrees, an $8 artichoke, one draft beer, and a Shirley Temple. If you want water, you may have to ask for it, as it was not automatically served to us this evening.

Two Twin Cities Bites & A Sysco Food Show: Los Paisanos Taqueria & Sun Street Breads

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This past weekend, Jake and I headed to the Twin Cities for the wedding reception we never had. We had said our vows in October at a small ceremony and were finally able to extend the celebration to family and friends.

Neither Jake or I enjoy planning party details such as color schemes and table decorations, so our family turned the reception into a beautiful, food-filled surprise at the Embassy Suites near the airport where Jake’s uncle manages the food services. Bites from the evening included Rustica’s bittersweet chocolate cookies, absinthe cocktails, crab salad served in tiny, edible spoons, and rosy roast beef with my favorite creamy horseradish sauce. I’ll share more as we collect photos from friends. We are continually humbled by the kindness and generosity of our family and friends and extend our gratitude to everyone who planned and participated in the reception.

We stayed with both of our families, who spoiled with home cooked foods. We also managed to grab a few meals out. Here are a few tastes from the past week:

Los Paisanos Taqueria, East St. Paul, MN
Mexican torta sandwiches are difficult to find in Fargo-Moorhead, so I always find one whenever we stay with my husbands folks in East St. Paul. A reader recommended Los Paisanos Taqueria, noting that it’s his favorite place to grab a torta in East St. Paul. This was my second visit since he left the comment.

The restaurant is located down the road from the Rainbow Foods on Arcade. It’s painted in bright colors and looks a little worn. Those who are concerned about sanitation might notice the current ServSafe Food Handler certification prominently displayed near the register. My typical order of a small horchata and beef milenesa torta costs about $10.

The sandwich is the size of my face. The bottom bun is spread with re-fried beans while the top covers layers of avocado, cheese, shredded lettuce, mayonnaise, and pickled jalapenos. My favorite part is the thin beef cutlet and its crisp breading that’s heated on the griddle. Don’t hesitate to ask for a small cup of the spicy red salsa to dip the sandwich in if it’s not included in your take-out bag. There are tables for customers who want to dine-in, but I find the restaurant smells strongly of fruity air freshener. Service has always been friendly.

Sun Street Breads, South Minneapolis, MN
My husband’s found a friend in Sun Street Bread’s breakfast biscuit sandwiches. He remembered enjoying one earlier this winter and wanted to return for our first post-reception meal. You know it’s good when Andrew Zimmern continues to mention Sun Street as one of his favorite bakeries. He even specifically mentioned the egg biscuit sandwich on his list of “personal bests.”

On this visit, Jake ordered the Southern Fried Biscuit ($7.50) to soak up the beverages from the previous evening.

A tender, toasted biscuit, runny fried egg, bacon, fried chicken and gravy laden with chunks of sausage. I feel my arteries constrict just looking at this photo. My goodness, it was really good. Especially that peppery country gravy.

I’m not sure this side of fruit ($3.50) offset all of the Southern fried, but it was generously portioned and of high quality. I ordered from Sun Street’s lunch menu and tried the Steak & Swiss ($9.75), their version of a cheese steak. Ironically, I wasn’t crazy about the bread because its texture reminded me of Olive Garden breadsticks (thought it was certainly acceptable), but liked the other components. Especially the flavorful beef, spicy pickled banana peppers, and swiss cheese sauce.

Each lunch sandwich comes with one’s choice of fries, salad, fruit or soup ($1 upcharge). I was pleasantly surprised by the large size of my accompanying salad and its freshness. A scoop of beans was a welcome gift of randomness. They tasted of smoked paprika.

Sun Street is very busy during weekend brunches, but during the past few times I’ve dined, there I’ve never had trouble finding a table.

Sysco Food Show
As culinary students, we’re invited to attend Fargo-Moorhead’s food service shows for free. Last semester, we visited US Food’s sprawling show held in the Fargo Dome and this week, we attended Sysco’s show at Scheel’s Arena. I have a mixed feelings about Sysco. Obviously, they make purchasing convenient for restaurants, but also seem to be making efforts in purchasing meats from distributors who raise their animals humanely, supporting sustainable seafood practices, and increasing partnerships with local distributors. On the other hand, I wish more restaurants would more intentionally seek food from local suppliers and farms and make their own foods from scratch instead of relying on pre-made convenience products. But what kind of fool turns down free food? Albeit, most of the food is frozen, canned, jarred, of a mix, or pre-baked, but it’s fun, nevertheless.

Most of the food vendors at these shows are gracious to the roaming pack of hungry students and provide engaging interactions. Some are a little less thrilled. On this visit, I tried to restrain myself to a walleye finger, lemonade, iced tea, a few nachos with self-serve cheese sauce, and a dinner mint. One can certainly go overboard sampling from the platters of most any fried food imaginable, cheeses, and desserts.

As the token Korean, I took it upon myself to try a Korean empanada, a new product from one of Sysco’s internationally-themed lines. I found that it tasted surprisingly. . . Korean. Nicely done. My classmates seemed content to end their tours with ice cream cones dispensed by the Blue Bunny cart.

I Tried Cafe 21′s Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich

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This past week’s spring break was a good example of how even the best laid schemes can go awry.

One morning, I planned to drive to the Twin Cities to visit a some friends. My last solo trip was interrupted by a blizzard and all of the major freeways surrounding Fargo-Moorhead were closed. This happens, here. They actually close the freeways.

I was desperate to go to the Twin Cities. Spring break’s fluctuating weather left me stir crazy. Plus, I felt guilty for mistaking the date of a get-together I initiated. My friends were kind to rearrange their schedules and I wanted to attempt the drive. With nothing more than a soda and a backpack, I drove east on I-94, even though it had been closed earlier. I figured that as a seasoned Midwesterner with new tires, the roads couldn’t possibly be that bad. After all, the MN Department of Transportation traffic map categorized the roads as challenging and I am usually up for a challenge.

The road becomes icy and I witness a frightening car accident when someone pulls around my car to pass me. They whiz past me and I watch as they begin to spin in circles and tumble into the ditch. For the first time in my life, I call 911. I panic and my hands shake so hard I can barely hold the phone. The dispatcher keeps asking me to better describe my location and I can’t. Finally, someone tells me they found my location from my phone. By the time I turn around at the next exit, the police and tow truck are at the scene and it looks like everyone is OK. I drive home going 45 miles an hour, even though a plow has already sanded the road. Cars and semis pass me, clearly frustrated, and I don’t care because they didn’t see what I just saw.

I spent my last weekend of spring break at home. Sitting on and brooding in my wanderlust.

On a nicer day, I returned to Cafe 21 to try the Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches they only serve at lunch. To my knowledge, these are the only regularly offered banh mi sandwiches in Fargo-Moorhead. I have found cold cut banh mi sandwiches at the Asian market but they look like they are imported from the Twin Cities. I’m not a fan of the mysterious deli meats and feel some of the freshness is lost in transit.

We’ve previously enjoyed a couple dinners at Cafe 21, especially liking their fresh spring rolls and spicy ramen. I found their version of pork bulgogi to be less spicy and sweeter than the fiery versions my favorite Twin Cities Korean restaurants serve, but I’d still order it again. On this weekday, I ordered two banh mi sandwiches ($7 each) to go. One for me and one for Jake, who unsuccessfully tried to order one on our first visit. Cafe 21 only offers a roasted pork variety, but this happens to be my favorite. The server kindly brought me a glass of water as I waited for my order and 15 minutes later, I was on my way home.

Each sandwich was packed with a serving of french fries and small cups of ketchup and soy sauce.

I found a lot to like about this sandwich. The pork had a satisfying savory flavor. There were a lot of sweet and sour pickled vegetables. Strands of fresh cilantro and jalapeno. A glistening of mayonnaise and, best of all, a thick smear of pate. It looked like banh mi’s I have loved and tasted like banh mi’s I have loved.

Unfortunately, I felt the size was a little small and the bread was too hard. The bun was overly toasted and crunchy like a crouton. I sustained minor damage to the roof of my mouth. In the Twin Cities, the typical roasted pork banh mi is a slightly larger in size and typically costs around $3.75-$4. This is Fargo, though, and I realize banh mi sandwiches are rarer and the food costs higher.

The flavors were spot on and the fillings were fresh, but that bread. Overall, a good effort.

Saying Farewell To The Green Market: My Ode

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It’s hard saying goodbye to Fargo’s Green Market.

It’s really hard saying goodbye to the Green Market. The restaurant recently announced they would be closing at the end of March and issued the following statement:

We will be closing the restaurant at the end of March. The restaurant has been a consuming passion for the past six years and we are looking forward to new passions in our lives.

I, like many others, am very bummed about this upcoming closure, but wish the staff well on their new pursuits.

Jake and I have enjoyed some of our favorite Fargo meals at the Green Market. This restaurant fills a void in the Fargo-Moorhead dining scene by offering seasonal menus, intentionally made from local foods when possible, and it rotates every day. Its menu items are creative without being overwrought. Nor, does this creativity distract from the quality of its ingredients.

Often, the menu celebrate occasions like the Chinese New Year or Dia de los Muertos. Other times, it celebrates themes like Julia Child. The Green Market has been supportive of local artists and fundraisers, often catering events, donating food or beverages, and offering their restaurant as a space for the function. Last fall, the Green Market partnered with Probstfield Farm, a local, organic farm in Moorhead, MN, and designated a couple weeks towards featuring the farm’s produce.

There are a handful of other restaurants in the area that also strive to utilize local products and rotate their menus, but, to be honest, none do to the same extent that the Green Market has. Especially in terms of menu rotation frequency and most especially in terms of pricing. Somehow, it manages to serve food reflecting the presentation and quality of Fargo’s best, upscale restaurants at the prices one might expect to see at casual chains. Plus, they do so with local, seasonal, and organic ingredients.

I can’t expect all restaurants to duplicate Green Market’s model, nor will I claim it’s pefect, but I would like to see more independent, sit-down restaurants serving, at the very least, scratch-made food. In these regards, I’ll feel the loss of the Green Market the most.

Snapshots from our visit on February 21st, 2013. Dessert first, moving counterclockwise from the top-left: Magical buttery tart shell filled with tangy orange cream and passion fruit jelly ($5). Meatballs in bracing red and green mojo sauces ($13). Snappy shrimp, vegetables, and rice in a sweet, caramelized orange sauce ($14). Gently flavored sesame udon noodles with edamame and silky sheets of sweet pickles ($6). Not pictured: Cup of spicy West African peanut and yam soup ($4), housemade pickle plate ($7). 

During our visits to the Green Market, we haven’t had any contact with the chef, but have enjoyed becoming acquainted with co-owner Peter Kelly and the lovely Kitchen Assistant. They always made us feel at home. Plus, Kelly’s a pro at helping guests choose wines and select cheeses from their case.

The Green Market is closed this week, re-opens after March 6th, and closes after March 30th. It’s only open Wednesday-Saturday meaning you have 15 days left to visit.

Go.

Finally, Maxwells

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It took us a little over a year to get to Maxwells. WF Maxwells, to be exact.

The pricepoint being our main reason. The restaurant’s prices seem to hover a few dollars higher than its fine dining counterparts like The Hodo Restaurant, Mezzaluna, and even The Beefsteak Club (excluding its 28-day, dry-aged prime steaks). Those expecting a grand setting will be surprised to find Maxwells tucked in a humble strip mall in West Fargo.

Earlier this winter, we visited Maxwells’ Max Bar for dirty martinis and the Roasted Chicken and Basil Pesto Flatbread. Both tasted better than average so we saved our return for a special occasion.

We arrived at Maxwells after eight p.m. This Saturday evening the restaurant was extremely busy, but the staff had an opening at a small, empty table. Our original plan had been to arrive much earlier, but it was foiled by Jake’s car which wouldn’t start. Although AAA’s help arrived 20 minute later, they kept calling the wrong phone number. I guess I had accidentally entered the wrong area code when I registered Jake’s membership. The man who arrived was incredibly nice, all things considered. He also looked like Bradley Cooper, albeit a tad shorter and scruffier.

Jake hadn’t eaten all day and ordered the mussels steamed in “white wine and saffron broth, roma tomatoes, pine nuts, & grilled bread” ($14) and the Roasted Chicken and Basil Pesto Flatbread ($10) to begin.

Our server brought us a bread basket with soft butter shortly before our appetizers arrived. I especially liked the salty flat bread coated in Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

The roasted chicken flatbread was as good as our first visit. It’s one of those simple concepts done well. Fresh mozzarella, moist pulled chicken, salty olives, and tart balsamic vinegar.

The portion of mussels was generous. However, they were the smallest I’ve seen and tasted slightly more briny than what I’m used to. A few mussels were closed and a good number were opened just a crack. I refused to eat these. Jake theorizes that if a mussel is only cracked but can be pried open without too much effort, it just means it put up a good fight. Neither of us has ever gotten sick, but I don’t subscribe to this theory. More mussels for Jake. The shredded Parmesan cheese combined with the shellfish wasn’t as frightening as I thought it would be. I found it unnecessary, but not terrible.

As highlights, I liked the garnishes of what I guess to be fried green bean strips and pine nuts. Pine nuts cost plenty, so I fished all of them from the bottom of the bowl. Maxwells also provided a generous amount of charred bread with which to absorb the flavorful broth. The broth was the best part of the appetizer and the closest I have found to Meritage’s, minus the smoked pancetta.

My entree of Poached Salmon in Artichoke-Caper Cream Sauce ($29) was significantly better than Jake’s entree. The salmon was moist and the sauce was intense. It was thick and silky and tasted of mustard. I liked the Thai purple rice’s texture and the char on the sweet bell peppers. As a critique, I felt there were too many capers. Especially, given that the artichokes were also briny. There could have been half a small jar of capers on my plate. I pushed them to the corner. Unfortunately, I think many ended up in my to-go container.

Jake’s entree of Pecan Encrusted Pork Tenderloin Medallions was served with “apple brandy caramel sauce, chili roasted sweet potato and golden raisin chutney” which made for an overly sweet combination.

The pork medallions were small and sliced very thin. The breaded exterior was nicely crispy, but the pork was dry. Not worth its $29 price tag.

In Closing:
The service was warm and appropriately attentive. Atmosphere was cozy.

Maxwells puts a lot of attention and whimsy into the plating of their dishes. The menu items are creative and intricate, though I think some may be overwrought.

Blogger and pianist Jihye Chang provides her thoughts on Maxwells in a post written when she used to live in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Her documentation about local dining is spot-on and I have referred to it time and time again She feels their dishes can tend to lean towards the salty side. I have a relatively high tolerance for saltiness and found the seasoning on much of the food to take me to the brink of almost too salty. I’m fine teetering on this edge and enjoyed that many of the flavors struck me with more intensity than many other restaurants (with the exception of the pork).

We ordered two of the least expensive entrees which cost $29 each. Because of the cost, we wouldn’t return for another full dinner unless it was designated as a special occasion. And we would certainly not order the pork again. However, we wouldn’t hesitate to return to the Max Bar for beverages and appetizers, especially during happy hour. Jake would be happy as a clam with just a beer and that roasted chicken pizza. Our friend specifically recommended the restaurant’s elk entree and bison meatballs in vermouth cream sauce served in the bar. Personally, I’ve been eyeing their Tuesday happy hour special of Beef Tips served with bourbon for $20.

What’s A Shamrock Shake?

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It’s an official snow day. At least, as far as my school is concerned.

I got all of my errands done on Saturday morning. Then, my husband and I hunkered down at home. The snow began to fall Sunday morning and swirled late into the evening.

I felt drained over the past few weeks, so the quiet weekend was a good opportunity to recharge, although I felt a little stir-crazy. By Monday morning, I felt very stir-crazy and even bored enough to clean. I had to get out of the house.

Our parking lot was nicely plowed behind each spot. Armed with a tiny shovel and a scraper, I unearthed my car and redistributed the tiny mountain of snow behind it. The moment I pulled out of the crater I had painstakingly dug myself out of, someone rounded the corner and pulled into my spot. I scowled. In order to reach the city street, I had to literally gun my engine and hurl myself through another pile of snow. I quickly called off the rest of my errands and struggled across the street to McDonalds to answer one burning question.

What The Heck’s A Shamrock Shake? 

I have never had a Shamrock Shake. I’ve never been in proximity to a Shamrock Shake. I haven’t seen anyone drink one in school or even in college. And, although my parents picked up fast food meals frequently enough, they never purchased a Shamrock Shake

During the past week, my friends’ odes to this shake on Facebook and Twitter fueled my curiosity. My husband is also a fan of the Shamrock Shake’s release each spring. When I asked him if it tasted like mint, he replied, “No. Not exactly.” I kept wondering what on earth this meant. How does this green shake not exactly taste like mint?

Since I was already at McDonalds, I picked up a regular-sized order of their new Fish McBites. This new product is made of Alaskan Pollack, certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable.

The Shamrock Shake and regular-sized Fish McBites cost about $6.30.

Unfortunately, my particular shake did not come with a straw so investigated with a spoon, cherry first. The thick, green liquid dribbled everywhere.

The shake did, in fact, taste faintly of mint. I couldn’t really discern any other flavors except sweet and tooty fruity. So that’s what Jake meant when he said “not exactly.”

So yeah. . . I just didn’t really like it. I shoved it in the freezer and left it for Jake.

I liked the Fish McBites better.

I threw out the nugget that looked like it was fried without half it’s breading. The fish was kind of gray and I thought that was gross.

The breading was crispy and course with cornmeal. Not very greasy. The fish didn’t taste that fishy and was moist inside the breading. I drenched the bites in fresh lemon juice and lightly dipped them into the tartar sauce. It was lighter than I expected and not too “mayonnaisey.” Better than I expected for being packaged.

I’m not trying to plug McDonalds. I’m also not naive enough to think that McDonalds serving Alaskan Polluck is going to solve our sustainability problems or that it’s the most sustainable option in the world. But it’s definitely something, and, in my humble opinion, a decent product. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get more Fish McBites, but I also wouldn’t turn them down. I’ve had far worse fast food.

This is all coming from a girl who has never tried a Filet-O-Fish.

Two Happy Hour Bites: Highbrow & Lowbrow

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How many times must I laud the virtues of Mezzaluna’s happy hour?

Obviously, not enough. Mezzaluna is literally my favorite place to be between the hours of 4-6 p.m. The atmosphere is always cheery and carries a Great Gatsby vibe.

They make some of the best fancy cocktails in the city (along with Monte’s and Maxwells) and at happy hour, a handful of them are discounted at $7. Not quite your typical $1.50 draft beer, but they are creative and well-balanced. For lightweights like me, one is plenty. Jake always gets the Thai coconut cocktail. I brave the $3 beer of the evening or choose the Apple Manhattan. Both are strong enough and never too sweet.

Plates of happy hour food are also $7. The appetizers run $12-$13 outside of happy hour and don’t seem to be smaller portions. We usually order the overflowing cheese platter, the M Burger, or fish and chips with mushy peas. On our most recent visit, we deemed the dish of creamy polenta with four, prosciutto wrapped shrimp as our new favorite. Crispy shrimp tails rule.

I enjoyed the seared scallops with purple Thai rice and red coconut curry, $13. This particular appetizer is not discounted at happy hour. The scallops weren’t large, but they were caramelized and free from grit.

Dempseys is sort of a dive off the main drag in downtown Fargo. Dark wood and booths with high backs. It’s like a divier version of The Local, an Irish-themed pub in Downtown Minneapolis. Entertainment may include karaoke, blackjack, and pull-tabs. Once, we walked into a Kentucky Derby party filled with ladies wearing fancy hats. Plus, there’s free popcorn.

My friend who used to deal poker at Dempseys mentioned that as the evening wears on, the bar becomes more rowdy and prime for people watching.

On weekends, the bar offers food from the lovely Bertrosa’s Cafe such as their Chicago-style hot dogs or hot beef sandwiches. Otherwise, the menu is limited to typical bar foods like pizza and pickled egg baskets. They always offer Betrosa’s spicy beer cheese soup, the only (and the best) version I can stomach.

On a Tuesday evening, we ordered $1.50 pulled pork sandwiches, a Tuesday happy hour special offered between 4-9 p.m. We had all been expecting sliders but received full-sized sandwiches. The meat was tender and moist. I poured the small cup of coleslaw on top of the meat and munched away.

Seriously. They do. $10 for five jumbo shrimp and sinus-singeing cocktail sauce.

Who would have known?

The sight of a shrimp cocktail on Dempsey’s menu smacked of “one of these things is not like the other.” This would normally steer one away from ordering it.

We thank our friend for taking one for the team. Now we know.

Solo Road Trip: Harvest Thyme Bistro, Wadena, MN

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I don’t know anything thing about cars and it stinks.

My car tires were going on 80,000 miles. This has been no season to prolong purchasing new tires with the slippery roads. I called car shops and received quotes ranging by hundreds of dollars and varying in brands. Of course, each shop claimed their tire recommendation was the best. A family friend who owns a car shop was kind enough to provide his personal recommendation, which is why I ended up at Discount Tire in Baxter, MN.

When I reminded the staff member which tire I wanted, he offered to find a “deal” for a higher quality tire at a lower price. I explained that, although it may sound weird, I wasn’t interested in any specials. I just wanted that certain tire. “But I think I can find you a higher quality tire for less money. . .” he replied.

But, tire guy. I drove all this way for these tires. Tire guy. Stahp. 

I didn’t actually say that. And in all seriousness, the service was friendly and efficient. Within ten minutes, I was on my way back to Fargo.

The journey to and from Baxter was pleasant, thought it wasn’t as scenic as I expected. Still, the drive provided an opportunity to daydream and sing along to Katy Perry songs. At least it was more interesting than the drive to Minneapolis-St. Paul. As I slowed down to pass through small towns, I curiously eyed signs pointing towards dinner clubs, bars and church camps.

A solo road trip isn’t complete without stopping for a meal or snack in a new town. Once, a friend had mentioned enjoying a meal at Harvest Thyme Bistro in Wadena, MN, situated about halfway between Fargo and Brainerd. Author Brett Laidlaw was also kind enough to suggest Harvest Thyme via Twitter, mentioning the food wasn’t necessarily earth shattering, but made from scratch with local ingredients.

On some solo road trips, I’m in a more adventurers mood than others. Sometimes I feel plucky enough to walk into a divey establishment, alone, with a c’est la vie outlook. Or, I may wait until my husband can join me. Generally, solo dining adventures are pleasant. At worst, the service may not be the warmest or it may be tinged with apathy. I can deal with this. Every once in a while, these experiences are flat-out uncomfortable.

Today, I was just not in the mood. I wanted people to be nice to me. I wanted to feel comfortable and I did not want to be stared at or hit on. Fortunately, Harvest Thyme Bistro was just this place.

The bistro is located along the Wadena’s main street. To reach the cafe, one must walk to the back of a beautiful, independent bookstore. It’s spacious and decorated with colorful sculptures of hanging birds. I couldn’t help but hope heaven would also be a bistro within an independent bookstore.

Harvest Thyme serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The lunch menu was concise, consisting of a few chalkboard specials, soup, salad, and sandwiches. I chose the wild rice burger with a cup of soup (sandwiches come with soup, salad, or chips), $8, and hot green tea, $2. I practiced self control by only admiring the ramekins of creme brulee in the dessert case. Then, I chose a seat between ladies who lunched and an older couple celebrating a birthday. A server brought over a large mug of hot tea and came back to deliver a teapot filled with more hot water.

I took advantage of the wireless Internet service provided to patrons of downtown businesses. A short wait later, the server brought my burger and soup.

I wasn’t so crazy about the potato soup, though it was far from inedible and served hot. It’s texture was a little pasty and the flavor was bland, save for red dots of smokey, hot sauce.

On the other hand, the wild rice burger was wonderful. The patty was clearly homemade. I really liked its crispy and chewy texture. It was sandwiched by a toasted bun and topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms. The bottom half was spread with a tangy barbecue sauce that tasted much better than those overly sweet, bottled versions. A umami bomb.

I dare say this wild rice burger was every bit as good as the HoDo Lounge’s. Totally craveable.

Harvest Thyme Bistro made me happy. From the general atmosphere and hospitable service to its affordable, hot food.

One visit was enough to add it to my short list of happy places.

HoDo Redemption

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I just have to say we had a really nice meal at the Hodo Restaurant last weekend.

We go to the Hodo Lounge often enough, though I’ve often poo-poo’d it because I find the food inconsistent. I’ve eaten some of the best Fargo meals at the Hodo Lounge, as well some of the worst, which is why I was visibly annoyed that we ended up there for date night. Being 7:30 p.m. and having not eaten dinner also didn’t help my mood.

Even though we’ve eaten in the lounge/bar many times, we’ve only visited the restaurant once for appetizers, desserts, and beverages. The experience was fine enough, though I didn’t find the food particularly memorable. I do remember finding it memorable when someone in our party ordered a shot of absinthe and watching the server keep trying to light the sugar cube on fire. It never ignited (A quick Internet search reveals this is actually a common practice, though frowned upon by the Wormwood Society).

Our original plan that evening was to grab a burger. JL Beers was packed (per usual) and we didn’t feel like waiting for a seat in the also packed Hodo Lounge. Therefore, I followed Jake across the lobby to the Hodo Restaurant where we were seated immediately. I have to confess that I was apprehensive about whether or not we’d end up spending more money than we had initially intended to on an inconsistant meal.

We ordered the cheese plate to share, $16, our own bowls of pan roasted mussels with fingerling potatoes, chills, black garlic harissa, and grilled bread, $12, and a side of wild mushrooms to share, $5.

I remained cranky until our server brought us an unexpected amuse bouche and bread basket with flat bread and rye which we covered with a butter that tasted like it contained a higher than average percentage of butter fat, and flavorful cheese spread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The amuse bouche consisted of some type of pickle and seared piece of fish. It was wonderful. We lazily nibbled on the cheese plate as we waited for our mussels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chef included a thoughtful card listing the cheeses included. Our favorite was the Les Freres. The cheese plate came with more flat bread and its garnishes included spicy almonds, grapes, dried apricot, olives and capers, and reduced balsamic.

The wait between the cheese plate and mussels was curiously long. I wonder if the Hodo Restaurant and lounge share the same kitchen, because the restaurant was quiet during our entire dinner, save for a couple other parties who came and went. We weren’t in any hurry, though, and enjoyed taking the time to unwind after work.

I’ve tried mussels cooked in many types of broths and sauces. My favorites have always been cooked with white wine, butter, and garlic (our favorite, offered at Meritage). Often, I find other types of sauces for mussels too busy. It’s like they are distracting or overwhelming and I find myself just wishing I had a simple bowl of mussels.

The Hodo’s chili and black garlic harissa was definitely not simple.

The dark sauce was thick. It’s flavor didn’t strike me as tasting significantly of garlic, but tasted more like how it looked. Sweet and sour like tamarind. The spice level was lovely. At least for chili-heads like us. The spice wasn’t hot enough to knock our socks off but held our interest. I would have been happy mopping up a bowl of the sauce with the charred slices of bread.All of the mussels in our bowls were opened. They tasted fresh, but were on the small side. For me, this bowl was more about the spicy black broth, anyway.

We also lazily grazed on the side of wild mushrooms. Deep and meaty, and varying in texture. They tasted like they were cooked in a lot of butter and gently perfumed with garlic. Best of all, they were perfectly salty.

Our meal ended with tiny pieces of chocolate.

This leaf tasted a little of mint and also of smoke. It melted in my mouth and disappeared as quickly I placed it on my tongue.

All in all, a memorable meal at the Hodo Restaurant. Affordable beer, well-seasoned food, and unexpected flourishes like the amouse bouche, bread basket, and chocolate. All of which made this Friday dinner after a long work day feel much more special than what it was.

Date Night At Cafe 21: Eel Sushi, Spicy Ramen & Pho

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A couple weeks ago, I mentioned visiting Cafe 21, a new restaurant in Fargo serving Japanese and Vietnamese dishes. We visited Cafe 21 soon after reading a positive review on FMFare, a new blog written by a fellow Fargoan.

In typical Jake and Jen style, we left for dinner after work on Friday and were in bed by 8:30 p.m. Because we’re awesome like that.

Cafe 21 is located in the same, covered strip mall as Leela Thai. It seems to have replaced Yuki Hana, a restaurant that served Japanese and Korean food. Our friends said Yuki Hana may have served Fargo-Moorhead’s only version of Bi Bim Bap, and a respectable one at that.  Too bad we never visited Yuki Hana before it closed.

I ordered a bowl of spicy kimchi ramen soup, $6, along with an unagi (eel) sushi roll $9. The server informed me the ramen also came with an egg. Jake chose an appetizer of fresh spring rolls, $5, and a beef pho, $8.

After ordering, our server offered us complimentary bowls of miso soup. I passed on my own bowl and tasted Jake’s instead. This version of miso soup tasted much better than most  we’ve tried at other Asian restaurants. It was also a little sweet. The miso swirled in delicate clouds without being gritty. I almost wished I hadn’t passed on my own bowl, except I knew I would have been too full for my entree of soup.

The spring rolls were stuffed with fresh vegetables, roasted pork, and shrimp and served with a thick, sweet dipping sauce laden with chopped peanuts. I would normally consider the sauce too sweet, except that it contrasted nicely with the savory, roasted pork. Jake thought the spring rolls were too heavy with lettuce, while I liked that they resembled salad. Sometimes I feel some restaurants overload their spring rolls with rice noodles, which I find redundant when they are wrapped in rice paper.

My eel sushi roll arrived as an appetizer with the spring rolls.

I noticed the eel sushi and sashimi were the most pricey fish options. That being said, I liked the flavor of the eel in this sushi roll. The portion size was also large. There wasn’t necessarily a lot of eel in each piece of sushi, but it didn’t taste fishy and the texture wasn’t mushy. Not the best unagi I’ve ever eaten, but far from the worst. The sushi rice was slightly warm and loosely packed and the rice grains appeared smaller than what I’ve typically seen in sushi.

I really enjoyed my bowl of spicy ramen in kimchi broth. For my tastes, the broth was pleasantly spicy which I seldom find.

I’m not sure if the ramen broth was scratch-made or from a mix, but I’m guessing there was a bouillon component to it. I added a little hoisin and soy sauce to balance out the flavor. The carrots and broccoli were fresh and cooked al dente.

Plus, there’s the egg. I loved the egg. When I make spicy ramen soup packs at home, I also add fresh vegetables and egg. Whether or not the soup was completely scratch-made, it’s darn tasty. It’s also a steal considering it’s size, inclusion of fresh vegetables, and the scrambled egg. I quickly ate the small dish of kimchi that came with the soup, and added the shredded cabbage to the ramen soup. This is a bowl I’d order again.

Jade Dragon is no longer the only place in Fargo-Moorhead to order pho. Cafe 21 offers both a chicken and beef version (FMFare spoke highly of the chicken pho). Jake enjoyed his bowl of beef pho. He said it was no Pho 79, but liked it better than Jade Dragon’s because the broth had more flavor and depth, to which I agreed. The bean sprouts, jalapeno, and Thai basil garnishes were also fresher and more plentiful.

In contrast, I liked the beef better at Jade Dragon. I prefer pho with thin, raw beef slices  placed in the hot broth. Cafe 21′s beef pho is prepared with slices of beef brisket and springy meatballs. Jake said he would return for this bowl of pho.

Lastly, we split flan, $4, for dessert.

The creamy custard was covered with fresh kiwi and caramel sauce. The caramel sauce had a toasty, almost burnt taste to it and before we knew it, we were haggling over the last bite.

During our Friday evening visit, this new restaurant was turning over a steady stream of customers. The entrees seemed to lie in an expected price range, while many items were of a surprising value.

When we first ordered, Jake had his heart set on a bahn mi sandwich and learned they are only offered at lunch. Cafe 21′s menu only lists a roasted pork variety and it costs $7. This price is high by Twin Cities standards, but when you’re (possibly) the only restaurant offering bahn mi’s, I suppose you can charge whatever you’d like. Plus the food costs here are higher than the Twin Cities’. As we were walking back to our car, I noticed a microwave sitting in front of the main window facing the parking lot.

This was one of those happy dining experience were everything just tasted really good. All of the dishes were prepared with fresh ingredients and thoughtfulness. The service was also warm and appropriately attentive.

We’re thrilled to see another restaurant in Fargo-Moorhead serving Vietnamese options and wouldn’t hesitate to return. Especially for their bahn mi at lunch.