Guest Posts | Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Guest Post: Pack Your Restaurant with Online Buzz

Oct 312012

This is a Guest Post article written by Rebecca Wilcox.

Restaurant owners take advantage of online review sites, such as Yelp and Urbanspoon to help fill their seats and create a positive reputation. These sites allow customers to review their experience and voice concerns or praises of the food, service or any other aspects of the restaurant. With positive reviews, restaurants can gain new customers and surround their business with positive buzz.

It won’t help much if your restaurant only gets a couple of reviews, so you need to understand how to get customers to provide positive reviews online. If you don’t want to handle these tasks on your own, you can seek business reputation management services from a professional company. They can help create a positive online reputation for your restaurant and ensure the reviews remain positive. Of course, you have to do your part by providing customers with the experience and food they expect. Here are some ways to gain positive reviews online:

1. Announce Your Restaurant on Social Media

Occasionally, if you announce your restaurant and link to the page on Yelp or Urbanspoon allowing customers to review your restaurant, you can gain new reviews. Most people that follow a restaurant on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media are happy with their experience. Sometimes your followers just need a friendly reminder and they will provide a positive review. They already follow or “like” you online, making them a great choice to review your establishment.

2. Provide in House Review Stations

Once a customer leaves your establishment, they will either review you online within about 24 hours or forget all about it. Most customers don’t remember to post a review unless their experience wasn’t very good or was exceptional. By providing a place for a customer to review on online before they leave, you can gain a larger amount of reviews. You can do this through reviews stations near the exit or with a tablet at the table after the server returns the paid check.

3. Throw a Review Party

To kick-start your reviews on Yelp, Urbanspoon and other restaurant review sites, you can throw a review party. Offer some type of special deal for attending and ask all in attendance to review your food and service. You may want to offer a limited menu with just a few featured items or, if you prefer, you can offer your full menu. Make sure your service staff for the night is made up of the top and most experienced you employ.

Guest Post: DishCrawl Comes to Mpls

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Oct 252012

This Guest Post was written by Brad Russell

You’ve been to pub crawls — but how about a Dishcrawl? A tastier version of the liquid diversion has just come to the City of Lakes. Signing up now for the Nov. 7th date will allow you to eat your way through Uptown Minneapolis!

Dishcrawl (@dishcrawlMIN) hosts events featuring a select set of restaurant experiences, enticing foodies with a four-restaurant culinary adventure; it is a guided food escapade. It’s a great way for restaurants to get to know the foodie community and share their culinary philosophy. When you go Dishcrawling, you
get to explore food spots of Mpls one neighborhood at a time; the one-on-one time with the people behind the food genius, gives you a more authentic experience with the local food.

The event locations are kept secret until 48 hours prior, at which point the first restaurant is revealed. Dishcrawling is the perfect chance to try 4+ dishes in one night while enjoying a short brisk walk between restaurants in fall air!

Let’s crawl through this neighborhood and get to know our neighbors over an exciting culinary adventure. It’s delicious and fun!

Price of one ticket ($39) reservation includes all food for one patron. Drinks are not included. To reserve your seats, please register quickly at Minneapolis Dishcrawl. Tickets tend to sell out really fast! Check us out at dishcrawl.com

For those of you lucky enough to get in, see you soon!

Guest Post: 6 Tips to Get Your Child to Eat Healthier

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Aug 312012

This is a Guest Post brought to you by Life Insurance Quotes.org and the article was originally published here.

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It’s dinnertime and you’re preparing yourself for another battle. “Three more bites and you can go play. No, that doesn’t count as a bite! Just eat your vegetables!” Kids are notoriously picky eaters, and it can be tough to get them to eat all the nutrients they need and teach them healthy eating habits. If you’re out of ideas and your child still won’t eat anything green or fresh, try some of these tips. With any luck, you’ll be setting your kid up for a lifetime of smart eating.

Set a good example:

When it comes to eating well, you’ve got to practice what you preach. Kids watch their parents for an example of what’s OK to eat now and what they can eat when they grow up. A Michigan State University study found that mothers who have healthy eating habits themselves are more effective in getting kids to eat well than those who used rewards and punishments to get children to eat vegetables. It’s especially important not to eat foods in front of your children that you won’t allow them to eat, as it can lead to unhealthy habits later. So put down that cheeseburger and pick up a carrot. Little eyes are watching!
Let them help cook:

Part of teaching a child to eat healthy is helping them understand how food is prepared. Even helping with small tasks, like peeling, can go a long way when it comes to a child’s willingness to eat fruits and vegetables. A study by the University of Alberta found that fifth graders who helped with the cooking chose fruits and veggies more often than their non-cooking peers. Cooking’s fun and also gives the child a sense of ownership of the food. Letting kids help choose recipes and ingredients at the store can also give them more pride in the meal, which will make them want to eat it.
Start a garden:

In the same vein as getting kids to cook meals is the idea that children who help grow vegetables in a garden will be more likely to try the fruits of their labor. Having a backyard garden, joining a community garden, or even just taking regular trips to a local farm can help children get a hands-on experience with healthy foods. A survey by gardening company W. Atlee Burpee revealed that people whose children help them in the garden find their children eating more vegetables.
Limit TV time:

Not only is it incredibly easy to mindlessly overeat while watching TV, but it also leaves children susceptible to ads geared toward getting them to crave sugary, processed foods. Marketers are shameless in advertising to children, so the more time a kid sits in front of the boob tube, the more likely he is to want junk food. In fact, for every hour of TV children watch, they are 18% more likely to eat candy, 16% more likely to eat fast food, and have an 8% smaller likelihood of eating fruit every day. During the time that your child does watch TV, make sure to have healthy snacks on hand so they won’t reach for the unhealthy munchies.
Don’t use food as rewards:

It’s tempting to reward a child with dessert or candy for eating his vegetables or other less palatable but healthy foods, but this strategy doesn’t work in the long run. Your kids will begrudgingly eat their vegetables now, but in the future, they will think of sweets as good, comfort foods and vegetables as bad, punishment foods. A 2003 study found that adults whose parents had used food as bribes for good behavior were more likely to use restrictive eating habits, like diets, and binge eat. Avoid using food as rewards and prepare your child for a lifetime of consistently healthy eating habits.
Trick your kid:

Yep, we said trick your sweet, innocent child. You’re already telling tiny lies in other areas anyway (Santa Clause is real, writing in cursive is useful, we sent the dog to a farm), so if your kids aren’t on board with the other tips here, just sneak the good stuff into your recipes. They will never know the difference. Put pureed carrots in pasta sauce, bits of spinach in your mac and cheese, and zucchini in desserts. Search online for recipes or buy a cookbook like Deceptively Delicious or The Sneaky Chef.

Guest Post: Kosher Restaurants in the Greater Twin Cities Area

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May 122012

This is an original Guest Post written by Felicia Baratz-Savage

Those who live in the Twin Cities know that there’s more here than meets the eye. For visitors who may subscribe to the idea that the culinary scene in the Great White North has nothing to offer but walleye and variations on bacon, think again.

Thanks to the Jewish community in the Twin Cities, a few kosher restaurants are available. There used to be a few more (R.I.P. Fishman’s), but rising leases have pushed them out of the city. Below are three remaining establishments with good reviews and a solid selection of kosher offerings.

About Kosher Restaurants

For those that don’t know, foods must adhere to strict rules in order to be considered kosher. Certain restaurant supplies must be regularly sanitized, meat and dairy cannot mix, meat must be prepared a certain way and there are lots of food items that are off limits. The list goes on, but the point is if you have a kosher diet, it takes a little work to find a restaurant that will cater to it. Here are three in the area that do so with style and finesse way above the rest.

Little Tel-Aviv Cafe and Restaurant

Little Tel-Aviv Cafe and Restaurant is a cozy restaurant and coffee shop that features kosher offerings on a special menu. The special at the Little Tel-Aviv is its Cholov Yisrael entrees. During lunch and dinner, falafels are available on the menu. Desserts at the Little Tel-Aviv include chocolate babka, éclairs, and French Napoleons. Take out offerings include Israeli blintzes, egg roll Hayarkon, burekas, pastelim, homemade pizza, deli salads, pasthtida and Israeli grilled sandwiches. On the main menu, customers can choose from salmon, walleye, eggplant, couscous, snapper and tuna. Drink offerings include tea with mint, Cafe Haffuch and Botx, and nectar.

Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream Cafe

Sebastian Joe’s offers premium ice cream in a variety of flavors. A family-owned business, Sebastian Joe’s has been operating in the Twin Cities since the mid 1980s. The owners of Sebastian Joe’s pride themselves in the fact that they use only the highest quality natural ingredients in all of their ice cream flavors. Sebastian Joe’s operates two locations in Minneapolis that serve kosher ice cream flavors, but some menu offerings don’t meet the requirements. If you visit Sebastian Joe’s, a special menu listing kosher ice cream flavors is available.

Seven Stars Coffee House

If you’re looking for kosher coffee, Seven Stars Coffee House is the place to go. Seven Stars offers gourmet coffees supplied by local artisan roasters, baked goods and candies. The restaurant also offers lunch items such as fish sandwiches and vegetarian dishes. In the winter, warm soups are available. During the summer, Seven Stars adds salads to the menu. Hand-dipped ice cream is available during all seasons. The atmosphere at the Seven Stars Coffee House is warm and inviting for patrons of all ages.

Several other smaller kosher establishments, such as hotdog stands and chocolatiers, are also available in the vicinity. Other restaurants feature a small menu with kosher offerings to supplement their main menu. However, the three restaurants listed here have the most options for visitors looking for kosher food offerings in the Twin Cities.

Guest Post: Fish and Chips in The Twin Cities Area

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Apr 142012

This is a Guest Post written by Rebecca Wilcox

Best Fish and Chips in The Twin Cities Area

If you’re a lifelong fish n’ chips fan like I am and you live in the Twin Cities area you probably already know the best places to score this tremendous dish. However, if you’re from out of town and you’re a fish n’ chips fanatic, get out your tartar and worchester sauce and get ready to eat. With the assistance of YellowPages.com, I’ve put together a list of the top 5 fish n’ chips spots in the Minneapolis/St. Paul/Twin Cities area:

Anchor Fish and Chips—Take a little trip to Ireland (not literally) and get some tall pints of Guinness with your Fried Cod. The Anchor even has their own food trucks which are packed with Fish n’ Chips and ready to serve.

Merlin’s Rest—Now take a little trip to the British Isles and enjoy some of the best Bangers and Mash as an appetizer before your fried cod entree. Merlin’s Rest has been voted Best Fish N’ Chips in Minneapolis several times. Additionally, they have one of the most expansive lists of Irish and Scotch Whiskey in the city.

Seafood Market—This mom and pop dive restaurant doesn’t even have their hours posted and is often passed up for more glamorous locations, but they have their core customers who swear by the cod. As an extra incentive it’s by far the cheapest option on this list.

Stella’s Fish Cafe—Located in Minneapolis’s uptown neighborhood, Stella’s has all kinds of seafood, including crab legs, oysters, and sushi. But for a true treat you should order their standard beer-battered and deep fried cod.

Mac’s Fish and Chips—This is flat out one of the best places to eat in St. Paul. Another Irish-themed location, in addition to great Fish N’ Chips Mac’s also has their own in-house Salt Water Taffy!

All of these spots have their restaurant menus posted online so that if there’s someone in your crew who can’t eat fish (poor sap) you can find some other great options for them to order. Fish n’ Chips is one of the most legendary meals to come out of England and it has become a popular staple in the Twin Cities area too.

Guest Post: BBQ on a Budget

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Apr 112012

This is a guest post written by Matt Rawlings

BBQ on a Budget

Feeding the whole family can be a costly process, especially if you have a large
extended family all coming over for a meal in the sunshine. One of the easiest
ways of cooking for a lot of people is to go for a barbecue – and why wouldn’t
you? A barbecue is epic! But a lot of the ingredients are expensive at times,
particularly in peak summer when the products are in high demand because
stores don’t have to put them on offer.

For that reason it is important than you don’t go spending too much money –
times are hard after all. Sometimes the host already has significant amounts of
food perfect for the occasion, but they still go off and buy more. Looking out
for offers and taking advantage of fresh vegetables and items already in the
cupboard or freezer are great ways of bringing costs down.

If you have a gas BBQ then your first port of call is to ensure that you have
enough gas. You don’t want to invite everyone round for dinner and buy all the
food and drink only to discover you have no way of cooking it! Most DIY stores
and even some petrol stations supply gas suitable for barbecuing and even offer
re-fills with your existing bottle.

In most freezers and cupboards you are likely to find something you bought a
while ago that is still in date and perfectly adequate for a barbecue. Whether it’s
a vegetable or meat product, as long as it’s in date then you can save money by
using it. After all, you’ve already paid for it, so don’t pay any more than you need
to.

Heading down to the shop for your food presents a number of real issues. How
much do you buy, is there a vegetarian guest, do you have enough sauce, how
many buns do you get, there are so many questions to ask yourself. Attempting
to keep it to budget sounds easy on paper, but it’s quite difficult in practice.

The first tip is to look for any offers in store. If you can take advantage of buy
one, get one free deals or three for the price of two offers then you’re on your
way. Many burgers and sausages in particular are regularly on offer around
summer time, and are relatively cheap too, especially in comparison to the more
fancy alternatives. A good old traditional burger or banger will be just as tasty
as the new kids on the block if cooked right. The same can be said for buns and
rolls, keep your eyes peeled for any offers on multipacks rather than individuals.

Another great way of hosting a barbecue on a budget is to get your guests to
bring a dish each. With your friends or family bringing a side dish or dessert, you
only pay out on the main course, leaving them to prepare the salads, relishes and
so on.

This guest post was written by Matt Rawlings, a food blogger working on
behalf of The Gas BBQ Company. Matt has written across a variety of food
topics from great barbecue tips to growing your own vegetables.

Guest Post: 8 Irresistible Must-try Filipino Delicacies

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Apr 012012

This is a Guest Post by Abigail Ang

The Philippines, with its rich history of colonizers, is a nation full of prized recipes. The acquired tastes from foreign influences have made Filipino food delectable to even the most refined palates. In this article, we would be giving you eight must-try Filipino delicacies that will surely tickle your tastebuds.

Filipino Dishes

1. Adobo

It is not a rare occasion that a foreigner in the Philippines considers adobo as his or her favorite Filipino food. This recipe is a common viand of the Filipino household. Simmered in a proportional mix of vinegar and soy sauce; and seasoned with pepper and bay leaf, adobo is made up of slices of chicken and/or pork. It may sound like a simple recipe but the tricky part of this dish is perfecting the salty and sour mixture of its sauce. One cannot truly say that he has been in the Philippines if he has not tried this truly Filipino recipe with a steaming cup of white rice.
2. Kare-kare
Another traditional Filipino recipe is Kare-Kare. Try going to one Filipino home during a fiesta (feast) and look for a stew with an orange/yellow sauce with pieces of meat and vegetables in it, that would be the famous Kare-Kare. This dish is commonly cooked with pork but goat and chicken meat are also used on some occasions. The thick sauce is a savory concoction of peanut sauce. Kare-kare is not complete without ‘bagoong’ (shrimp paste) on the side which complements the peanut sauce very well.
3. Dinuguan
Dinuguan, a name that comes from the Filipino word, ‘dugo’, is a savory stew of blood and meat cooked in a rich mixture of pig blood, vinegar, garlic and chili pepper. Not everyone is a fan of this dish because of its thick black gravy but the usage of blood for culinary purposes can also be seen in other countries like in Singapore’s pig organ soup. For conservative cooks, Diniguan may just contain pork slices but some also include pieces of pig’s internal organs. Pork innards, as they say, makes the dish richer in taste. Dinuguan is often eaten with rice or the native rice cake, ‘puto’.
4. Lechon
Ready your blood pressure for everybody’s favorite! An obvious influence of Spain, Lechon is a very popular food in the Philippines. Fiestas and other special occasions all over the country are often celebrated with this roasted pig. After cleaning and seasoning, the whole pig is skewered on a bamboo stick and cooked over hot charcoal ala rotisserie style. The distinct feature of lechon comes from the manner of roasting the pig which results to the pork’s golden brown and crispy skin.
5. Pinakbet
A recipe that came from the northern region of the Philippines, the Ilocano dish, Pinakbet is already popular throughout the country. Pinakbet is a dish made with mixed vegetables and bagoong. The common vegetables cooked in this dish is ampalaya (bitter melon), squash, okra, string beans, tomato, chili peppers, then seasoned with ginger, onions and garlic. Adding meat is optional. Vegetarians and health buffs will appreciate this medley of vegetable ingredients.
6. Halo-halo
Living in a tropical country requires a lot of ‘cooling off’ and one of the ways that Filipinos beat the heat is by eating Halo-halo. This popular afternoon merienda (snack) is a mix of sweetened and preserved beans, bananas, coconut meat, ube (sweet yam), langka (jackfruit), pinipig (dried rice), crushed ice and evaporated milk. Some even add leche flan and ice cream on top. Summer in the Philippines will not be complete without a generous dose of Halo-halo, whose name literally translates to ‘mixed’.
7. Turon
Another Filipino snack is Turon. Commonly sold by street vendors or Carinderias (Hole in the wall restaurants), Turon is made of thinly sliced fresh bananas dipped in sugar, a slice of langka, and wrapped in spring roll wrapper. Then, the turon is deep fried in hot oil. Newer recipes of turon include sesame seeds and cinnamon. This snack is exceptionally filling, satisfying and tasty.
8. Balut
Who has not heard of Balut? Often cringed by foreigners, balut is fertilized duck embryo, collected before its hatching date, boiled and eaten from the shell. This high-protein Filipino street food is believed to be an aphrodisiac. The way to eat this is to crack open the hollow side of the egg first, sip the “soup” and then carefully peel the egg and eat it. The trick is to eat the duck embryo whole. One cannot claim to be a true Filipino if he has not eaten balut at least once in his life.
As for irresistible dishes, the list goes on and on for the Philippines. It would be a real adventure to go around the country and try all the flavorful dishes of each city or province. Nonetheless, if you are craving authentic Filipino food within the boundaries of Manila, you need not look far out. White Knight Hotel’s Coco Bango Café sits at the heart of Intramuros, the historic seat of the Spanish Government in the Philippines. Coco Bango Café can provide you with that distinct Filipino flavor coupled with world-class ambience and service. Visit Coco Bango Café for an unforgettable Filipino dining experience and then spend time walking around Intramuros for a short trip down our country’s history and culture.
Author Bio:
Abigail Ang is an aspiring writer and a former Backpacker. She is into almost all types of music.
she also has a passion in singing and an interest in sports particularly Ultimate (Frisbee) and running.
Abigail is also one of the editors of White Knight Hotel Intramuros a renowned Budget Hotel in the Philippines.