Cuisine: American, Bakery, Breakfast,
Restaurant Features: Bakery, Counter Service
Locations: Bloomington, Little Canada and North Oaks
Addresses & Maps:
Bloomington- 401 West 98th Street Bloomington, MN 55420 (952) 358-7490
Little Canada- 2900 Rice Street Little Canada, MN 55113 (651) 482-8876
North Oaks- 845 Village Center Drive North Oaks, MN 55127 (651) 482-8285
Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-8pm (LC until 7pm) * Sun 7am-4pm
Links: Taste of Scandinavia Website * Taste of Scandinavia on Facebook
Atmosphere: Located at the end of a strip mall, the Little Canada location of Taste of Scandinavia offers counter service, so you will immediately see the bakery case and front counter upon entering.
The Little Canada location has a dining area tucked back in a windowless space with several wooden tables.
Menu: Cookies and Bars include Raspberry Lemonade, Scoop Cookies, Butter Pecan Sandwich, Ginger Heart Cookies, Lemon Zest Cookie, Norwegian Almond Kringler, Raspberry Sandwich Cookie, and Rugelach.
Pastries include Danish, Finnish Munkki, Pulla Roll, Cinnamon Pulla Roll, Ring Coffee Cake, and Blueberry Muffin.
Cheesecakes include Fresh Fruit, Lingonberry, Raspberry and Turtle.
Pies and Tarts include Caramel Apple Tart, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Pumpkin Pie.
Cakes and Tortes include Black Forest Torte, Carrot Cake, Celebrate Cake, Chocolate Heart Cake, Chocolate Raspberry Torte, Chocolate Symphony Torte, Creme de Menthe Torte, English Lemon Torte, Finlandia Torte, Italian Chocolate Almond, Kransekake, Mocha Toffee Torte, Princess Torte, Pumpkin Torte, Romanian Mocha Torte, Scandinavian Chocolate Torte, Soile’s Sinful Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu, Tri-Chocolate Torte, Turtle Torte, Austrian Walnut Torte, and Bailey’s Irish Cream Torte.
Rolls include Croissant, Norwegian Milk Dinner Rolls, and Spinach Parmesan Dinner Rolls.
Specialty breads include Apple Walnut, Asiago, Baguette, Cottage, Cranberry Nut Sour Dough, Finnish Sour Dough Rye, German Rye, Health Wheat, Honey Wheat, Multi-Grain, Onion Dill, Pumpernickel Rye, Sour Dough, Spinach Parmesan, Sun Dried Tomato Basil, Swedish Limpa, Swedish Rye, Vienna.
Breakfast items include a Norwegian Lefse with Ham & Eggs, Classic Breakfast, Breakfast Croissant, Finnish Breakfast Pasty, Three Egg Omelette, Swedish Farmer’s Omelette, Pulla French Toast, Sweet Scandinavian Lefse, Swedish Pancakes, Fresh Fruit Crepe, Swedish Pyttipanna, and Yogurt Parfait.
Salads offered include House Salad, Garden, Caesar, Chef and Greek Salad.
Sandwich options include Grilled Cheese and Deluxe Deli Sandwich (Choice of ham, turkey, roast beef or veggie).
Hot Meals include Finnish Pasties, Italian Pie, Taco Pie, Pot Roast, Grandma’s Meatloaf, Smothered Pot Roast or Meatloaf, Shepherd’s Pie, Reuben, Danish Salmon Sandwich, Hot Beef BBQ Sandwich, Open Face Swedish Roasted Pepper Chicken Sandwich, Lasagna, Crab Cakes, Swedish Meatballs, Spinach Pie, and Gyros.
Price guide: Breakfast $4-8 Salads $7-9 Sandwiches $5-7 Hot Entrees $7-9
What we ordered: I ordered the Open Face Swedish Roast Pepper Chicken Sandwich. That is a mouthful to say and certainly more than a mouthful to eat. As the name implies, this was a sandwich that was served open-faced atop two slices of tomato basil bread. Diced grilled chicken, red onions, spinach, lightly sauteed mushrooms, and shredded asiago cheese. I thought this sandwich was pretty good; all of the flavors blended nicely but the asiago cheese with the roasted peppers are what really stand out. The stronger flavor of the cheese makes up for the milder tastes of the chicken, spinach and mushrooms. The peppers were very good, but the onions could have been more caramelized.
One of my companions ordered the Shepherd’s Pie, which is similar to a pot pie but has a mound of mashed potatoes on top instead of a crust and is then covered with gravy. The pie crust was light and flaky and the beef, pea and carrot filling in savory beef gravy was very tasty. I wasn’t as big of a fan of the mashed potato; it had a strange consistency that was sort of potato dumpling-like. Quite possibly because it had been pre-made several hours before we ordered it? Either way, I enjoyed more than a couple bites.
Another companion ordered the Chef Salad, which was a large bed of mixed greens topped with hard boiled egg, red onion, tomato, cucumber, and rolled up slices of deli turkey and ham, ordered sans cheese.
I also bought a couple of cookies to take home. The chocolate chunk cookie was delicious; it was quite large yet it was still somewhat soft and had a generous amount of chocolate chunks.
I also tried the Hawaiian Cookie, with coconut and macademia nuts as well as a few white chocolate chips. I loved it! The coconut was very finely shredded and there was a lot of it, giving the cookie a chewy texture, which I loved. The macademia nuts were chopped into fine pieces but still gave it a nice crunch.
Service: We perused the giant menu hanging on the wall behind the counter while we waited in line. We efficiently placed our order and found a table. The food was delivered about ten minutes after we ordered it.
Overall Impression: Taste of Scandinavia has a wonderful selection of baked items but is also a good place to have lunch or an early dinner.
This is an original review of Taste of Scandinavia on Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Cuisine: Breakfast, American, Fish, Irish
Restaurant Features: Banquet, Bar, Flat Screened TVs, Hotel, Live Music, Patio, Waterfront
Location: Stillwater, MN
Address: Water Street Inn * 101 Water St South Stillwater, MN 55082 651-439-6000
Hours: Mon – Fri: 7 am-1am * Sat: 8am-1 am * Sun: 9am- 1am
Links: Water Street Inn Website * Water Street Inn on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: Located on the street level of the Water Street Inn in Historic Downtown Stillwater, Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub encompasses a few different dining rooms, including the Red Room. Old fashioned wallpaper and hand-painted murals on the ceiling emphasize the history of this building which was originally built in 1890 as the Lumber Exchange Building.
Another large sitting room can also be found nearby, with several velvet chairs basking in the natural sunlight that streams in through windows that run along two entire walls.
The Pub seemed to be the most popular place to be with a number of wooden tables as well as a few taller bistro tables. There were a number of framed prints and posters on the walls as well as a couple of flat screened TVs displaying sporting events. There is a self-serve popcorn machine near the entrance and the Pub often bears the aroma of the freshly popped kernels.
The bar in Charlie’s Irish Pub seats about six customers or so and is very inviting. Overall the Pub is a lively place to be.
Menu: Breakfast items include Eggs O’Brien, Pancakes, Thick Cut French Toast, Fruit, Cinnamon Roll, Irish Country Breakfast, Traditional Irish Breakfast, Ham and Eggs, Ha and Gruyere French Toast, and Steak and Eggs. Omelette choices include The Traditional (choice of meat and cheese), Apple Brie, The Victorian (ham and swiss), and The Baron (ham, sausage, bacon, onion and swiss).
Appetizers on the dinner menu include Antipasto Plate, Walleye Cakes, Smoked Chicken Quesadilla, Calamari, Mini Reuben Purses, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Homemade Chips & Dip, Smoked BBQ Chicken Legs.
Salads at Charlie’s include Caesar, Cashew Chicken, Greek Salad and Traditional Cobb.
Charlie’s sandwiches are served with chips or upgrade to fries or fresh fruit for $2.50. Options include Pulled Pork, BLT and Guacamole Wrap, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Classic Reuben, Walleye, Chicken Jack Melt, Grilled 1/2lb Burger, Steak Sandwich, Roasted Portabella and Turkey Burger.
Entrees include Seafood Linguini, Chicken and Portabella Pasta, Mostaccioli, Fish & Chips, Honey Soy Grilled Salmon, Blackened Seafood Trio, Eggplant Parmesan, Almond Crusted Walleye, Twin Lobster Tails, Stuffed Center Cut Pork Loin, Stuffed Chicken Breast, New York Strip, 8oz Pub Steak and 11oz Ribeye Steak.
Desserts at Charlie’s includes Berry Bread Pudding, Charlie’s Big Brownie, and Flourless Sin Cake.
Price guide: Appetizers $7-11 Salads $5-12 Sandwiches $9-13 Entrees $17-31 Desserts $7
What we ordered: We started with an order of Calamari. I didn’t take much notice of the menu description so the unexpected sweetness of the first bite caught me by surprise. This calamari at Charlie’s is lightly breaded and fried, yhen bathed in a sauce of honey, ginger and garlic. The flavor of the honey sauce was delicious, but very sweet and almost too much for just two of us. The green onions helped counter the sweetness but I would have loved some thin slices of red thai chili peppers to spice it up.
After much deliberation over the menu, I ordered the Reuben. This sandwich was stacked with thinly sliced corned beef then topped with genuine aged Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing sandwiched between marbled rye bread. The swiss and thousand island really made this sandwich; the corned beef tasted good but it was definitely deli-style. I upgraded to fries for $2.50 and received a huge pile of the hot crinkle variety.
My companion ordered the Fish N Chips. This basket of crinkle fries was topped with one large fillet of walleye that was beer-battered and fried. The fillet was impressive; not only was it long, it was also thick and meaty. It was served with a homemade tartar that had dill rather than the traditional pickle. Seriously good fish!
Service: Our visit was in the early evening on a Sunday but we easily found a spot in the the adjacent public parking lot. We entered through a door on the patio that led us directly to the Irish Pub. There wasn’t a hostess so rather than sitting in the dining room, we found a table in the Pub despite it being fairly busy. We took our time ordering and the server had many suggestions from the menu. There appeared to be only one server for the entire pub and she was constantly running out to the kitchen or perhaps to one of the other dining rooms. Drinks took awhile to be filled but food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time.
Overall Impression: The food at Charlie’s was pretty good, the walleye was especially memorable and the calamari was also unique and excellent (albeit sweet!). Great place to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner while wandering around downtown Stillwater or as a romantic weekend date.
This is an original review of Charlie’s Restaurant and Irish Pub on Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Cuisine: American, Asian, Dessert
Restaurant Features: All-You-Can-Eat, Lunch Buffet, Dinner Buffet, Hotel
Location: Hinckley, MN
Address: 777 Lady Luck Drive Hinckley, MN 55037 800-472-6321
Hours:
| Sunday | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Monday | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. & 4 to 10 p.m. |
Links: Grand Buffet Website * Grand Casino on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: The Buffet is sits in the back center, surrounded by a very large dining rooms. The Buffet itself is divided into different sections: Grand Harvest, Oriental, Entree, International, American Bounty, Homestyle and Desserts.
The seating area
Menu: Items available during the Prime Rib Buffet on Saturday and Sunday nights include:
American Bounty Station: Fried Cod, Ham, Broasted Chicken, Sausage and Sauerkraut, Wild Rice, Corn Bread, Baked Beans, Pizza and Calzones.
Homestyle Station: Corn, Green Beans, Green Bean Casserole, Potatoes Au Gratin, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy.
International Station: Fish, BBQ Ribs, Buffalo Wings, Sesame Wings, Garlic Wings, BBQ Wings, Baked Potato Bar
Oriental Station: Szechuan Beef, Noodle, Fried Rice, Chicken and Broccoli, Egg Rolls, Wontons, and Potstickers.
Desserts: Soft-Serve Ice Cream and Sundae Bar, Bananas Foster, Peach Cobbler, Bread Pudding, Apple Crisp, Churro, Cannoli, Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse Pie, etc.
Full Salad Bar
Weekly Specials & Price guide:
Monday- Classic Dinner Buffet $12.99
Tuesday- International Buffet $12.99
Wednesday-Smokehouse Buffet $14.99
Thursday- Classic Dinner Buffet $12.99
Friday- Seafood Buffet $20.99
Saturday- Prime Rib Buffet $14.99
Sunday- Prime Rib Buffet $14.99
What I ate: I visited on a Saturday night during the Prime Rub Buffet. My first stop was at the American Bounty where I tried a calzone and a piece of pizza. Nearby at another station I found marinara sauce and since I love tons of red sauce, I took a ton for my calzone. Best idea ever, the calzone with the extra sauce was one of the things I liked the most. I also tried one of the Buffalo Wings, pretty basic.
Next I tried a plate from the Oriental Station which included Szechuan Beef with Noodles, fried rice, fried potstickers, cream cheese wontons and an eggroll. Typical mediocre chinese buffet food, nothing stood out as anything special.
I tried a few bites of the Tomato Basil Soup, which was creamy and flavorful.
I also tried some of the Prime Rib. The initial cut I got was very well done, so I asked for a different piece. The chef who was carving it then cut into a whole new roast so I could get a slice that was medium rare. This was more like it! Even though the slice was thin the meat was very tender. Thank goodness I came to my senses several years ago and realized that eating beef well done is ruining the meat. I’ll never eat it cooked more than medium, it tastes so much better when it is still tender and juicy!
I piled up a plate of different desserts and took only a few bites. The bananas foster and the bread pudding were both very good.
Service: We made it to the buffet after 9pm on a Saturday night, less than an hour before they closed. Our server was a quite strange and made very weird comments to various members of my party, but drinks were refilled at record pace and dishes cleared almost as quick.
Overall Impression: The food at Grand Casino Buffet was decent but nothing special; not nearly as good as the Buffet at Mystic Lake. I’d eat here again if I happened to be at the Casino but I wouldn’t drive out of my way just for the food.
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Cuisine: Fish, Irish
Restaurant Features: Beer & Wine
Location: Northeast Minneapolis, MN
Address: 302 13th Ave Northeast Mpls, MN 55413 612-676-1300
Hours: Tues-Thurs 4pm – 12am Friday 4pm – 1am Sat 10am – 1am Sun 10am – 12am Closed Mondays.
Links: The Anchor Fish & Chips Website * The Anchor on Facebook * Google Map
Atmosphere: The inside of The Anchor is very similar to other neighborhood restaurants around Minneapolis, with wooden floors, and exposed ductwork. The walls are painted a rich red, the tables are all wooden and the chairs are all painted black and placed close together. There is also a small bar-like seating area running along the wall below the semi-open kitchen.
Menu: Breakfast is served on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-12:30pm with items including Eggs, Rashers, Bangers, Black & White Pudding, Potato Bread, Grilled Tomatoes and Heinz Beans.
Meals include chips or each item can be ordered a la carte including Fish, Shepherd’s Pie, Meat Pastie, Veggie Pastie, Battered Sausage, Burger, Helicopter Burger (cheddar, ham and a fried egg), Veggie Burger, and Toasty (ham and cheddar).
Side items include Curry, Gravy, Mushy Peas, and Heinz Beans
Price guide: Breakfast $ 4-12 Meals $5-11
What we ordered: Having been my first visit to The Anchor, I knew I must order the Fish & Chips, along with sides of mushy peas and curry for the fries. The cod filet was served in one large piece, battered and crispy with a sprinkling of sea salt. The fish was light and flaky and the addition of the salt was a really nice touch. There was a generous amount of chips in the basket, thick-cut fries lightly fried. The curry sauce was a nice accompaniment to the fries and kicked up the flavor few notches. I also enjoyed the mushy peas, which were mushy and buttery.
My companion had the Veggie Pastie with Chips. The pastie was a mixture of potato, carrot, onions, then battered and fried. The crispy, crunchy outside was a a splendid contrast in texture to the softer veggies inside. The bite I had reminded me somewhat of a pierogie, it was tasty!
Service: We were able to get a small table after just a few minutes wait. Our server quickly appeared to take drink orders and was ready for us to order just a few minutes later. Food was prepared in less than ten minutes and brought to our table hot and fresh. My companion and I stayed much longer than our dinner took but we never felt like they were trying to rush us out the door.
Overall Impression: Limited menu but the prices are very reasonable; you can’t go wrong with the Fish & Chips.
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Did you know that El Burrito Mercado in St Paul is open at 7am?? And that they serve the best Mexican breakfast around? I was in the area the other morning and stopped for a mid-morning brunch and I am so glad I did!
The omelet came stuffed with my choice of meat and fillings, and two sides. I chose the birria (shredded beef in a red sauce), cheese and cilantro and had it topped with red chili and spicy salsa. Muy delicioso, especially with hot tortillas to make mini breakfast tacos. The two sides I chose were a papas con chorizo and zucchini with corn, tomato, onion and chiles. This is one of my most favorite meals!! The portion was huge, enough for two big meals
I enjoyed every bite and will be back for breakfast again soon!
Article and photos by Kristi SauerCopyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Cuisine: American, Breakfast, Mexican
Restaurant Features: Catering, Free Wi-Fi
Location: St Paul (West Side)
Address: 637 South Smith Ave St Paul, MN 651-290-0218
Hours: Mon-Sat 7:00am-2:30pm Sunday 8:00am-2:oopm
Links: *Capital View Cafe Website * Google Map
Atmosphere: Capital View Cafe is located on Smith Ave, on the “West Side” of St Paul, just a hop-skip-and-jump away from the High Bridge that crosses the Mississippi into downtown St Paul. The interior of Capital View is the perfect picture of a retro cafe, with a mix of both booths and tables and an orange checkered floor in the back room.
Menu: The many breakfast items at Capital View Cafe include Eggs Any Style, Biscuits and Gravy, Grilled Fried Egg Sandwich with Cheese, Country Fried Steak, Huevos Ranchers, Eggs Benedict, Farmer’s Breakfast, Tex-Mex, Chporizo con Huevos, Breakfast Burritos, Machaca, Cajun Breakfast, and Cajun Benedict. Many of the Breakfast Specialties can be made into a 1/2 order, the server can tell you which.
Capital View Omelets include Chorizo with Cheddar, Vegetarian, Farmer’s, Fajita and Build-Your-Own.
Breakfast Favorites include Breakfast Quesadillas, Smoked Country Sausage, Chipotle Pork Chili and Eggs, Pork Chop and Eggs, Corned Beef Hash, Oatmeal with Brown Sugar, Buttermilk Pancakes, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Blueberry Pancakes, Banana Pecan Pancakes, Cinnamon Swirl French Toast, Buttermilk Waffle, Pocket French Toast, French Toast Fritters, and Belgian Waffle.
Appetizers include Chips and Salsa, French Fries, Battered Onion Rings, and Cheese Nachos with Jalapenos.
Salad options at Capital View Cafe include Garden, Chef, Caesar, Taco, Chinese Chicken and Steak or Chicken Fajita Salad.
Sandwiches and Burgers are served with kettle chips or upgrade to fruit or fries for $1. Options include Patty Melt, B.L.T., Grilled Cheese, Grilled Ham and Cheese, Grilled Reuben, MOnte Cristo, Philly Steak Sadwich, Sirloin Steak Sandwich, Capital Hill Burger, Chicken Club, Grilled Chicken Breast, Cajun Style Chicken Breast, Chicken Strip Basket, Grilled Tuna Melt, Cold Sandwich, Mushroom and Swiss Burger, Cajun Burger and Plain Burger.
Mexican Specialties include Cheese and Onion Enchiladas, Chorizo with Cheese Enchiladas, Beef or Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken or Beef Tacos, Tostadas, Steak or Chicken Fajitas, Chipotle Red Pork Chili, Burrito Especial, and Chimichangas.
Price guide: Breakfast Specialties $6-10 Sandwiches $7-9 Mexican Lunch Specialties $ 7-10
Early Bird Specials: Mon-Fri 7am-9am
- $3.99 2 Eggs and Toast
- $4.99 2 Eggs, Potatoes and Toast or 2 Eggs, Meat and Toast
- $5.99 2 Eggs, 2 Cakes or French Toast, and Meat
- $6.99 2 Eggs, Meat, Potato, and Toast
What I ordered: I had never been to Capital View Cafe before but had heard great things about their breakfast, so I stopped one morning before work. The server had many recommendations off the Cafe’s Breakfast Specialties section of the menu, including the Chorizo con Huevos, Cajun Breakfast and Tex-Mex. They all sounded great but I settled on the Tex-Mex Breakfast (1/2 order) and a 1/2 order of the Pocket French Toast.The Tex Mex breakfast was a giant portion of shredded hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, and sausage, topped with a flour tortilla, enchilada sauce and melted cheddar cheese. This was very good! I couldn’t believe how big this 1/2 portion was, I was only able to eat a fraction of it! I could choose from breakfast sausage, chorizo or andouille and went with the server’s suggestion of andouille, which is well seasoned and slightly spicy. Great choice! The enchilada sauce was on the mild side and went great with all the layers of ingredients underneath it. A very hearty breakfast (for sure!) and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
The second breakfast item I got was a 1/2 order of the Pocket French Toast, which came highly recommended by my server. Oh my, was this delightful! The arrangement itself was very appealing, with fresh strawberries and blueberries topping the french toast, and little kisses of whipped cream here and there. It was also served with the cutest little dish of warm syrup. There were two pieces of the French Toast, each with a “pocket” inside filled with melted sweet cream cheese. The sweetness of the toast and berries and the satisfaction that came with every bite convinced me I was eating dessert for breakfast! I loved every bite I was able to eat.
Service: My server was excellent, very sweet and had the best suggestions for what to order. It was great that she let me know I could get a half-order of just about all breakfast items so that I was able to try two different things. The food came out in about 5 minutes which was much faster than I expected. One thing to note is that credit cards are only accepted for over $50, otherwise it is cash only.
Overall Impression: Breakfast served all day? That’s my type of place!! Capital View Cafe has a large selection of breakfast items and the portion sizes are enormous. I will be back soon to work my way through the breakfast menu!
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Cuisine: American, Breakfast, Delicatessan, Healthy Eating, Ice Cream
Restaurant Features: Bar (beer & wine only), Catering, Counter Service (in addition to table service), Free Wi-Fi, Patio Dining
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Address: 3019 Minnehaha Ave So. Minneapolis, MN 55406 (Mosaic Building) 612-746-1504
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8am-9pm Fri-Sat 8am-10pm Sun 8am-7pm
Links: Glaciers Cafe Website * Glaciers Cafe * Google Map
Atmosphere: Glaciers Cafe is conveniently located on Minnehaha Ave at East Lake St in the beautiful Mosaic Building, just a couple of blocks from the Light-Rail Line. The inside of the cafe is somewhat small but modern and trendy with a variety of seating arrangements including wooden tables, an over-sized booth, and bar-height seating that looks outward along the wall of windows. There is also small counter where guests can order or pick up coffee, food or frozen custard to-go. The lighting at night is just right, not too dim and not too bright.
One thing that I think is really cool about Glaciers Cafe is that it is an eco-friendly restaurant. All fruits and vegetables are organic, they serve fair trade organic coffee, meats are vegetarian fed and antibiotic free, and all to-go items are served in biodegradable disposables. Save the Glaciers!
Menu: Breakfast is served all day and includes Fresh Fruit, Granola, Breakfast Burrito (eggs, meat, peppers, cheddar, salsa, and sour cream served with cumin dusted potatoes), Three Egg Omelet, Muffins and Scones.
Appetizers at Glaciers Cafe include Mini Burger Sliders, Buffalo or
Sesame Teriyaki Wings, Bruschetta, Mozzarella Sticks, House Salsa &
Chips, and French Fries. There is also Homemade Chili and a Soup du Jour served every day.
Salads are served with breadsticks and include Greek, Buffalo Chicken, Albacore Tuna, or Classic Caesar. Side green salad also available. Add chicken to any salad for $1.75.
Glaciers Cafe also makes Flat Bread Pizzas. Build your own starting with either the House Marinara or Roasted Garlic Olive Oil and then top with ingredients such as the standard pepperoni, sausage, or go with chicken, bacon, pepper mix, roasted veggies or kalamata olives. The “Glacier Goodie” Flatbread is the house specialty with BBQ Chicken, Caramelized Red Onions, Cheese Blend, Chiffonade Basil, and Applewood Smoked Bacon.
There are a handful of really delicious sandwiches and burgers at Glaciers Cafe, all made with lean, hormone-free meats. Sandwiches are served with pickle, and choice of kettle chips, roasted veggies or upgrade to french fries (trans fat free!) for just $.75 more. Options include Marinated Char Broiled Chicken on Ciabatta served either: California Style (cheddar avocado, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic mayo), Buffalo Style (buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato, caramelized red onions and bleu cheese dressing), or the Glacier House Chicken (melted cheddar, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, caramelized red onions and roasted garlic mayo). Burgers are char grilled and served on a multigrain bun, either Buffalo style or the Glaciers House Burger (melted cheddar, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, caramelized red onions and roasted garlic mayo).
Other sandwich options include All Beef Vienna Hot Dog (plain, Chicago-style, or chili-cheese), Turkey/BLT/Swiss, Roasted Vegetarian Wrap, Toasty Cheese (grilled cheese with cheddar, swiss and tomato), or the Mexi-Cali Burrito (jalapeno cheddar tortilla stuffed with beans, rice, cheeses, lettuce, tomato and avocado. Chicken additional. Served with choice of cumin dusted potatoes, roasted veggies or chips and salsa).
One of the best reasons to visit Glaciers Cafe is for the Frozen Custard. You will always find chocolate, vanilla, and a Flavor of the Day or you can create a custom flavor by adding “mix ins”. Frozen custard can be served in a cake cone or cup, or buy a quart or pint to-go. Other options include Malts, Shakes, Floats, Smoothies and Sundaes.
Mix in and topping options include Gummy Worms, Heath Bar, Marshmallow, M&Ms, Oreos, Reeses, Snickers, Sprinkles, Butterfinger, Chocolate Chips, Whoppers, Butterscotch, Caramel, Chocolate Sauce, Hot Fudge, Hard-Shell, Marshmallow Sauce, Peanut Butter, Blueberries, Bananas, Pineapple, Strawberries, Raspberries, Pineapple, Almonds, Chopped Peanuts, Coconut, Pecans and Spanish Peanuts.
Glaciers Cafe is also a great stop for coffee and espresso. Drinks include Dark & Light Roast Coffee, Latte, Cappuchino, Chai Tea, Iced Latte, Mocha or Caramel, and Coffee Coolers.
Price guide: Appetizers $2-6 Flatbread $9 Sandwiches/Burgers $6-8 Salads $7-8 Frozen Custard $2.75-4.75 Coffee Drinks $1.50-$3.50
What We Ordered: My companion and I started with an order of Buffalo Wings. The order came with eight very large chicken wings and a generous coating of Buffalo sauce. The sauce was thin and mildly spicy with just a hint of sweetness. The portion size is just right for two people if you plan to have a meal as well.
For my dinner I ordered the Glaciers House Chicken sandwich served on a ciabatta roll. Great choice! The main star of this huge layered sandwich was a large breast of chicken marinated in a blend of fresh herbs and spices, then char broiled. The meat was wonderful- very tender and flavorful. I enjoyed it even more knowing it was hormone and antibiotic free! The chicken sat atop lettuce and tomato and was then topped with melted cheddar, thick applewood smoked bacon, and caramelized red onions. The sweet, soft caramelized onions provided a sweetness that perfectly complimented the smokey flavor of the applewood bacon and the zesty herbs of the chicken. The roasted garlic mayo was delicious as well and added to the party of flavors. I upgraded to the trans-fat free fries for $.75 more (what a deal!). The golden fries were hot and crispy.
My companion ordered the Glaciers House Burger, the ground beef version of the chicken sandwich I had with melted cheddar, thick applewood smoked bacon, and caramelized red onions. The burger was served on a multi-grain bun. The patty was 1/3- 1/2 lb of lean, vegetarian-fed beef, that was still slightly juicy but not at all greasy. The toppings on the burger were enjoyed every bit as much as on the chicken, as were the fries.
Frozen Custard is a specialty of Glaciers Cafe, so I made sure to save room for a Turtle Sundae. This sundae was bigger than I expected, served parfait-style in a large glass. The sweet, creamy vanilla custard was layered with caramel, hot fudge and pecans then topped with whipped cream and a cherry. So heavenly! Have I mentioned that ice cream/frozen custard is probably my favorite dessert?!
My companion ordered the Banana Supreme Sundae, a parfait of frozen vanilla custard, chocolate sauce, slices of banana, and Spanish peanuts, then topped with whipped cream and a cherry. The custard is so creamy and smooth! Yummy.
Service: I had no problem whatsoever in finding a place to park during my dinner-time visit, but please note the only nearby parking is metered so bring your quarters! A sign greeted us at the door to ” Please Seat Yourself” and since the restaurant had only a few other diners at that time of the night, my companion and I chose the large, over-sized booth. Our server was very nice and admitted right away that she was a new employee, but she did great! Our drinks were filled in a timely manner and we were given plenty of time to look over the menu before ordering.
Overall Impression: Glaciers Cafe is a great place to stop at any time of the day, whether you want a coffee, an appetizer, salad, sandwich or the delicious frozen custard. The prices are extremely affordable for the portion sizes you get and the food is prepared with only quality ingredients. Quick and friendly service.
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Cuisine: American, Breakfast, Fish & Seafood, Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, Patio Dining, On-Site Parking
Location: Tofte, MN
Address: 7162 West Hwy 61 Tofte, MN 55615 218.663.6200
Hours: Sun-Thur 8am-9pm Fri-Sat 8am-10pm
Links: Bluefin Bay Website Google Map
Atmosphere: The Bluefin Grille is part of the beautiful Bluefin Bay Resort, located on the shores of Lake Superior in Tofte, MN. The Bluefin Grille is casual yet romantic with dim lighting, private booths and several windows looking out to the Lake.
There is a deck in the back that also overlooks the Lake, just feet from the beach. You can see some spectacular waves on a windy day.
Menu: Breakfast is served 8am-11:30 daily and includes items such as Hot Oatmeal, Starboard (blend of oats, wild rice, cinnamon and dried fruits), Buttermilk Pancakes, Windermere (pancakes with blend of wild rice and oats), Mast (stuffed pancakes), Port (fruited French toast), Eggs with Potatoes O Brien, Eggs Benedict, Biscuits and Gravy, Eggs with diced peppers, onions and melted cheddar cheese, Poached Eggs, Broiled Walleye Fillet, Ham & Swiss Omelet, Veggie Omelet, Bacon and Cheddar Omelet, Turkey Wild Rice Sausage Omelet.
Appetizers at Blue Fin include Onion Rings, Fried Calamari, Chicken Wings, Seafood Martini, Smoked Fish Plate, and Alfredo Florentine Pizza. Soups include a Soup du Jour and Roasted Duck Wild Rice Chowder.
Salads offered are the Entree Caesar, Chef, Field & Fowl.
Blue Fin Sandwiches are served from noon to close and include the Captain Peck (whitefish cakes with melted cheddar), Grilled Tuna, Roasted Turkey Breast, Cream Cheese and Veggie, Chicken Caesar, BBQ Pulled Pork, Philly Steak, Smokehouse Chicken with Cheddar and BBQ, and BLT. Burgers include Mark’s Summit, Patty’s Portabella Cap, and Barb’s Breaker.
Dinner Entrees include Tomato Basil Linguini, Chicken or Shrimp Alfredo, Northwoods Scampi, Cheese Ravioli Primavera, King Crab Ravioli Siciliano, Walleye, Salmon a la Oscar, Lake Superior Trout, Jumbo Sea Scallops, Alaskan King Crab Legs, Bone-In New York Strip, London Broil, Filet Mignon, Porterhouse, Black & Bleu Sirloin, Hickory Smoked Bab Back Ribs, Smoke House Pork Tenderloin, Pan-Roasted Duck Breast
Price guide: Breakfast $7-10 Appetizers $7-15 Sandwiches/Burgers $9-13 Pastas $16-22 Entrees $22-35
What We ordered: We started with a Roasted Duck Wild Rice Chowder, which was excellent. It had a rich, seasoned and creamy base, filled with tender pieces of the rich duck, wild rice, chunks of potato and mushroom.
We also had the calamari, which was a combination of both calamari rings and baby squids. The portion size wasn’t too big but the calamari was cooked cooked perfectly, just crispy on the outside but still tender and not too chewy. It is often hard to cook calamari just right but the Bluefin Grille did a nice job. It was served with a side of Thai sweet and sour sauce.
I had the Filet, which came with green beans, choice of potato, and Guinness peppercorn cream sauce on the side. I was also interested in the bleu cheese sauce, so I ordered a side of that as well (for an additional $3). The steak was cooked to a perfect medium as I ordered it, and was tender and flavorful. The peppercorn cream sauce had a nice flavor that complimented it well. The bleu cheese sauce was also good served hot and melted, but It had a very strong flavor and almost got to be a bit overpowering for my taste. I chose to go with the potato medallions which were fried to a perfect golden brown.
My companion ordered the Porterhouse with French fries and a side of sauteed portabella mushrooms (for an additional charge). The porterhouse was delicious, tender and juicy. The portabella mushrooms were sauteed and seasoned perfectly, a great addition to the steak.
Service: Our server was very nice and had good suggestions for us. Food was paced perfectly between appetizers and entrees and drinks were replenished before requested. The staff seemed very friendly in general.
Overall Impression: Overall I was very pleased with my meal and service at the Bluefin Grille and I would love to eat there again the next time I am in that area. The Bluefin Resort looks like a great place to stay!
Copyright Twin Cities Restaurant Blog
Content cannot be used without permission
Recent Comments