Here are my current picks for Best Ribeye based on the restaurants I have personally visited and reviewed.  I admit this list is limited but it will grow and change as necessary.   If you know of other tender, succulent ribeyes that I need to try, please leave me a recommendation in the comments of this post.  I plan to add Manny’s, Wooley’s, Seven, St Paul Grill, Pittsburgh Blue, Capital Grille, Kincaids and many others as soon as I have a chance.  Not all steakhouses offer ribeye steak but since it is my favorite cut, I will certainly find the ones who do!

#1 Porterhouse Steaks & Seafood ~ They had two size options: 18 or 24oz.   This 24oz steak was boneless and absolutely huge, a great value in comparison to other fine steak houses.  Every bite was extremely  juicy and tender.  I was happy I ordered it medium minus, it was much more red than I usually eat it, but I found that I really enjoyed it like that.  The bleu cheese that was melted on top was flavorful but not too overpowering. So good!  Another of my companions ordered this same steak and also enjoyed the extremely tender cut.

#2 Murray’s Restaurant ~ One bite had me declaring this the best steak of my life! The ribeye was huge; 20oz without the bone.  I ordered it medium and it was cooked just the way I like it.  I could tell that the quality of this steak was excellent, it was extremely tender and seemed to be completely gristle free.  The fat was barely noticeable except for the delicious flavor it added.  The aged beef had a robust flavor and was really well seasoned while also being served atop a small amount of au jus.  Magnificent!! Worth every penny of the $42 price tag.  It was served with choice of potato or salad.  I had baked potato which was also very good.  I have been to Murray’s a few times now and the steaks are consistently wonderful.

Lakeside Club ~ They offer two sizes of Ribeye at Lakeside: 12oz & 16oz.  I usually order the 12oz Ribeye, medium temperature.  My steak was phenomenal; it was cooked perfectly and was incredibly tender and juicy.  It was only lightly seasoned with salt but the flavor of the aged meat was wonderful.  It is served with a side salad and choice of potato.  I chose the Shoestring fries

Manitou Station ~ This ribeye is actually prime rib, roasted and then finished on the grill.  Extremely tender and juicy, served with mashed potatoes and steamed veggie.

Gordy’s Steak House ~ My companion and I both ordered the 18 oz Delmonico Ribeye Steaks. My steak was a very tender cut, grilled to a perfect medium. The steaks at Gordy’s are said to be aged for 28 days; I could taste just a hint of the aged flavor. The steaks were seasoned very mildly (if at all?!), emphasis was purely on the beef. I dressed mine up with raw horseradish and my companion ordered a side of bearnnaise. Unfortunately my companion’s cut of ribeye was not nearly as tender as mine, unsure of consistency since I have only visited there one time.

Cuisine: Japanese, Sushi
Restaurant Features: Bar
Location: Northeast Minneapolis, MN
Address: 330 East Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis MN, 55414  612-332-6278
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-12am, Fri 11am-1am, Sat 4pm-1am , Sun 4pm-11pm

Links: Masu Website * Masu on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: Masu Sushi and Robata is located in Northeast Minneapolis, just a few blocks from Downtown, on Hennepin Ave and 4th Street. Inside the restaurant, you will instantly discover a wall bearing a large pair of painted-up eyes belonging to an unknown Japanese woman.  The remainder of the restaurant is very contemporary, accessorized in black, red and Masu’s signature lime green.  I was having a such a good time with my companions that I forgot to take photos of the restaurant.  I hope to remedy this asap with a follow-up to Masu ;) Pictured below is a photo taken by Shea Link.

Menu: Izakaya (Small plates) include Japanese Cucumber, Steamed Edamame, Ginger Duck Gyoza, Sauteed Shishito Peppers, Agedashi Tofu, Crispy Pork Kara-Age, Crab and Edamame, Avocado and Oyster Tempura, Crispy Fish Chips, Oyster Shooter, Otsumami  Snack, Tsukemono, Shredded Dried Squid, Oysters on the Half Shell, Beef or Tuna Jerky, and Miso Soup.

Robata are skewers that are grilled.  Options include Sweet Corn, Asparagus, Japanese Mushrooms, Japanese Eggplant, Zucchini, Grilled rice Ball, Chicken Breast and Scallion, Chicken Livers, Chicken Thing, Chicken Wing, Chicken Meatball, Beef and Burdock Roll, Glazed Pork Ribs, Pork Belly, Pork Loin, Jumbo Shrimp, Mackerel, Sardine, Marinated Cod, Salmon with Scallion, and Scallop.

Sushi can be served as Nigiri or Sashimi.  Selections include Akame (Barramundi), Tai Tai (Snapper), Suzuki (Striped Bass), Faux-nagi (Striped Bass) in the style of Unagi, Anago (Sea Eel), Iwashi (Sardine), Saba (Atlantic Mackerel), Aji (Horse Mackerel), Sawara (Spanish Mackerel), Shiro (Magura Albacore) , Maguro (Yellowfin Tuna), Sake (Scottish Salmon), Iwana (Arctic Char), Ika (Squid), Kani (Snow Crab), Hotate (Sea Scallop), Kaibashira (Cooked Scallop with Tobiko), Hokki Gai (Arctic Surf Clam), Ebi (Cooked Wild Shrimp), Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp-Spot Prawn), Awabi (Abalone), Uzura (Quail Egg), Uni (Sea Urchin), Ikura (Salmon Roe), Yuzu Tobiko (Citrus Flying Fish Roe), Masago Capelin (Smelt Roe , Habanero Masago Smelt Roe), Wasabi Tobiko (Japanese Horseradish Flying Fish Roe), and Tomago (Japanese Egg Omelet).

Sushi Rolls include Sake (salmon and cucumber), Kappa (Cucumber), Shinko (Pickled Radish), Takuan Tekka (Takuan Tuna and Pickled Radish), Sabakari Takuan (Mackerel, Pickled Radish and Green Onion), Dynamite (Tuna & Albacore Tuna with Avocado and Chili Sauce) , Spicy Iwana (Arctic Char with Chili Sauce, Burdock, Kaiware and Cucumber ), Yellow Submarine Mamenori (Soy Paper, Masago, Ikura, Burdock, Avocado and Quail Egg), BLT (Crispy Salmon Skin, Lettuce, Tomato, Basil and Spicy Masago Mayonnaise), Poke (Marinated Tuna, Wakame, Scallion, Avocado, Cucumber and Sesame), Spicy Tuna (Tuna with Chili Sauce, Burdock, Avocado and Kaiware), California Roll (Snow Crab, Avocado, Cucumber and Masago ), Firecracker ( Shrimp Tempura, Crab, Avocado, Cucumber with Spicy Tuna and Tempura Flakes), Masu Roll (Shrimp Tempura, Habanero Masago, Avocado, Salmon, Scallop and Unagi Sauce), Chicken Teriyaki (Chicken Teriyaki with Cucumber, Avocado and Sesame Seeds), Rainbow Masago ( Cucumber, Maguro, Suzuki, Iwana, Hotate, Ebi, Tomago and Avocado ), Iwana Arctic Char, Ao-jiso Salted Shiso Leaves, Maguro Yellowfin Tuna, Kani Snow Crab, Oshinko (Assorted Pickled Vegetables), Wasabi Tobiko and Ikura Wasabi (Flavored Flying Fish Roe and Salmon Roe, Kani and Sesame Crab with Black Sesame Seeds), Ume Shiso (Pickled Plum and Japanese Mint), Kinoko (Assorted Japanese Mushrooms), and Uni (Sea Urchin and Yuzu Tobiko).
Price guide: Izakaya $5-11 Robata $2-6 Sushi $6-16
What we ordered: A couple of my companions started with the Oyster Shooter; which included a fresh raw oyster,  raw quails egg, fresh garlic and scallions served in a shot glass, filled to the brim with Sake.  Very exotic and Wonderful!

We then tried the Japanese Cucumber Salad which was wonderful.  The cucumber was thinly sliced and arranged in a wavy pattern then topped with seaweed and a sesame dressing that was tangy and slightly sweet.

We also tried the Spring Rolls filled with crab meat and edamame.  It was served with a spicy ginger dipping sauce.  Each little crispy roll was about 2 bites but the texture was great.

One of my companions had an order of Miso Soup. I did not try this but it looked like ordinary miso soup.

For the Robata we tried four skewers, which we were told had about 5-6 bites each. All four were served on one plate which was passed around.  We tried one Bacon-wrapped Asparagus skewer, one salmon skewer, ( I tried neither)

We also tried the Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Shrimp Skewer.  The one bite of robata that I tried was the bacon wrapped shrimp.  It wasn’t the greatest due to the fact that the bacon was barely cooked except for a few char marks.  As much as I love bacon, I am picky about how it is cooked and like it crispy over fatty.  The robata was good but we were not impressed with the amount of food we got for $20

There were several of us dining on this occasion and we were hungry!  Our initial sushi order included a Masu Roll, a Firecracker Roll and a Spicy Tuna Roll (pictured left to right).  The Masu Roll had shrimp tempura, habanero masago, avocado, scallop, salmon and unagi sauce.  This was good but the Firscracker Roll was a huge winner.  It had Shrimp Tempura, Crab, Avocado, Cucumber with Spicy Tuna and Tempura Flakes on top.  The taste and texture of this one was great.  The Spicy Tuna Roll was also delicious and perfectly spicy from the chili sauce.

The first order did not satisfy our sushi craving nor our appetites so we ordered two more orders of the Firecracker roll and a Spicy Iwana Roll.  We loved the Firecracker Roll as much the second time around and the Spicy Iwana Roll was also very good.  It had Arctic Char that was spiced with chili sauce and cucumber, burdock and kaiware.

We continued to eat even after all the sushi had disappeared! We tried the Tonkatsu Curry Noodles, served with a panko-breaded pork cutlet and poached egg.  This had a distinct Japanese flavoring to it but was quite tasty.  The egg yolk really gave the broth a silky texture.

We also ordered the Shrimp Yakisoba, which is fried wheat noodles flavored with a sweet yakisoba sauce.  It had several pieces of shrimp in addition to katsuobushi, which are dehydrated fish flakes, as well as pickled ginger and mayonnaise.  The fish flakes were “waving” when the dish was first brought out to us; it was pretty cool to watch for a second before we dug in.  The mayo gave it a slight creaminess which was a pleasant to the crispness of the veggies.

Service: We had a reservation made a couple of weeks in advance and our table was ready for us when we got there.  I was fortunate to find a spot at a meter just outside the entrance to Masu, otherwise I am not sure where you can park.  Our server had some personal favorites to suggest to us, some we went with, but many we chose on our own.  The entire dinner experience was very drawn out, as we ordered many courses throughout the night.  Masu is the type of place where you want to take your time to enjoy the experience.
Overall Impression: I had heard great things about Masu so I had very high expectations.  I was not disappointed.  The sushi was delicious, with fresh, high-quality fish, albeit slightly expensive.  The Robata was also good but didn’t seem to be as good of a value, unless you plan to only eat a skewer or two.  My companions and I really enjoyed Masu, I will definitely be back.

CRAVE ~ Downtown Minneapolis, Shops at West End in St Louis Park, The Galleria in Edina or Mall of America

• Special NYE Menu or
• Chef’s Special 4-Course Dinner for Two $99.  First course: Lobster Sushi Roll or Baked Brie Second Course: Seafood Bisque or Mixed Green Salads Third Course: Stuffed Salmon or Prime Rib or Surf & Turf. Fourth Course: Chocolate Layer Cake

Howl at the Moon ~ 430 1st Ave Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-333-1299

• The Champagne Supernova – $110 per person, Reserved seating
• The Big Shot – $80 per person, standing room only
  • Dinner buffet from 6-8pm
  • Open bar from 6pm-Midnight
  • Champagne toast at Midnight
  • Party favors

Kozlak’s Royal Oak ~ 4785 Hodgson Road  Shoreview, MN 55126   651-484-8484

• Celebrate New Year’s Eve with The Jimtones! Cost is $50 per person. (excludes tax & tip) and includes; Ordering from a Special  ‘Jimtones New Years Menu‘ , Party Hats & Favors, Live music, Dancing, dessert buffet presentation at 10PM, and champagne toast at Midnight!
•  The Oakview Terrace room will be offering a special ‘New Year’s Eve Menu!’
• Seating begins at 4PM on Saturday December 31st.

Manitou Station ~ 2171 4th Street White Bear Lake, Minnesota 55110 651-426-2300

• Dinner Menu served 4-10pm
• Free Appetizer Buffet at Midnight
• Live Music from Rusty Buffalo
• Champagne Toast at Midnight

Porterhouse Steaks and Seafood ~ Lakeville-11211 205th Street West Lakeville, MN 55044 (952) 469-2995 * Little Canada- 235 East Little Canada Road Little Canada, MN 55117  (651) 483-9248

• “New Year’s Dinner for Two” offered on Dec 29, 30, 31
• New Year’s Dinner for Two features:   A champaign toast, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail for a starter, Two Nine ounce Filet Mignons combined with two six ounce lobster tails, two salads or soups, two side dishes, and a slice of home made Turtle Cheesecake.  In addition you will receive a $25 gift card to use on a future visit.  You receive all of this for $99.95!
• 651-483-9248

Roma Market ~ 460 Stillwater Road Willernie, MN 55090  (651) 653-4733

• Special Menu includes Steak Rossa & Lobster Adulare $39 or Fritti Del Mar $36.  Both entrees served with garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables, a side salad and ciabatta roll.
  

Rosa Mexicano ~ 609 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN  612-656-7144

• Special a la Carte Menu until 9pm
• Four Course Prix-fixe Gala Dinner after 9pm
• Premium Holiday Cocktails
• DJ and Dancing
• Festive Decor and Party Favors
• Reservations at

Solera ~ 900 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 55403

• Solera Sensory New Year’s Eve Party with entertainment by Apollo Cobra, Black Hearts Burlesque, Elektra Cute, Nikki Knickers, Fiona Flameteaser, Emily Colay, New Heist Crew, Showtime, Fourfeet, Infiammati Fire Circus, ReessPieces, DJ Tyrone, The Warriors, Vox Medusa and special guest, Woody McBride (aka DJ ESP).
•  Access to all floors, heavy appetizer and dessert buffet, complimentary champagne at midnight and signature drink specials.
• Tickets, $50 per person, are available at www.tempotickets.com, VIP (open bar) tickets are also available at Tempo Tickets. Valet parking is available at $8/vehicle.
  

Sea Change ~ 806 South 2nd Street at the Guthrie Minneapolis, MN 55415

• Three Course Meal for $55 per person
• First Course: Nantucket Bay scallops with fennel cream and preserved lemons or
  East coast oysters with horseradish mignonette or Beef Carpaccio with red wine aioli and horns of plenty
• Second Course: Potato gnocci with Manilla clams and brown butter pork cheek vinaigrette or Frisee salad with house made lamb lardons and poached egg yolk or Cauliflower soup with smoked raisins and crispy capers
• Third Course:  Crispy skinned barramundi in spicy langoustine broth with parsnips or Wild Acres Farm duck breast and confit with pumpernickel bread pudding and chestnut puree or Steelhead trout with scrambled Jidori egg and green asparagus
• *Raw bar items will be available as well. (Including smoked salmon)

The Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis is once again offering its traditional and well-loved German delicacies by the dozen. Made only in December, these cookies and treats are the perfect way to complete your holiday celebration. This year, the collection includes:

• Lebkuchen – The original gingerbread, these spicy, honey-sweetened cookies are light and low in fat.
• Linzer – Tortes made with a buttery ground nut crust and a raspberry preserve filling.
• Pfeffernusse – German for “pepper nut,” these hard, spiced cookies are the perfect companion to a warm winter drink.
• Springerle – These pale, anise-flavored cookies are beautifully embossed with images of century-old folklore.

Other favorites include Marzipan, Stollen, pies and chocolates. Stop by the restaurant at 3 p.m. during the Christmas market December 17 and 18 for a Springerle demonstration

Cuisine: Mexican
Restaurant Features: Bar,
Location: Minneapolis, MN (Downtown)
Address: 609 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Hours: Mon – Thurs: 11am – 11pm  Fri 11am-12am Sat 12pm-3pm & 4pm-12am  Sun 12pm-3pm & 4pm-11pm

Links: Rosa Mexicano Website * Rosa Mexicano on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: Located Downtown at the heart of the Theater District on the corner of 6th St and Hennepin Ave, the Rosa Mexicano chain out of New York has finally made its way to Minneapolis.  The interior of the restaurant is posh and trendy, with unique decor including a water table with strings of diving figurines suspended above.  From a distance they looked like doves or some type of origami; I had to get closer to see what they really were.

Along one wall of the dining room are lit shelves of multi-colored liquids in clear vases, a cheap but fun way to brighten and color up the room.

There is another dining area attached to the lounge area, used for over-flow dining or private parties.

The Bar and Lounge area is just to the right of the dining room, accessible from the main entrance on Hennepin Ave.  There are a number of tables where patrons can either enjoy a cocktail or stay for dinner.

Menu: Appetizers include Guacamole en Molcajete, Tortilla Soup, Market Salad, Chicken Flautas, Yellowtail Tartare, Roasted Bone Marrow,  Crab Empanadas, Veggie Quesadillas, Queso Fundido, and Pork Belly and Sea Scallop Tacos.

Entrees at Rosa Americano include Mexico City Street Salad and Barbequed Tuna Loin, Shrimp Brochette, Butterflied Red Snapper, Salmon with Tropical Fruit Mole, Grilled Steak with Chipotle Shrimp, Short Ribs, Mixed Grill Brochette, Filet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms, Budin de Pollo, Chile Ancho Relleno, Pork Steak, Beef Mole Enchiladas, Chicken Suiza Enchiladas, Veggie Enchiladas, Jumbo Lump Crab Enchiladas, Chicken Tacos, Steak Tacos, and Roasted Veggie Tacos.

Mexican Dessert offerings include Churros, Cheesecake, Anejo-Chipotle Chocolate Flautas, Blackberry Tres Leches Cake, Espresso Flan, and a selection of Mexican Sorbets and Ice Creams.

Price guide: Appetizers $8-14  Entrees $16-28

What we ordered: I had heard the table-side guacamole was well-worth its $14 price tag, and since I rarely pass up the  chance to eat fresh guacamole, that is what my companion and I started with.  You can order it mild, medium or salsa and it will be made fresh, right in front of you.

We ordered the guacamole with medium spice.  It was fresh and delicious and very flavorful.  It had nice big chunks of avocado and was creamy everywhere else.

The guacamole came with Chips & Salsa.  The chips were freshly homemade; hot and crispy.  One salsa was Pasilla de Oaxaca and one was Tomatillo & Habanero.  They were very different but both very good.  The Oaxaca salsa was smokey and had some zip to it. A basket of fresh, homemade corn tortillas are also served on the side.

I ordered the Traditional Margarita.  This drink was good but was mostly ice.  At $10, it was about $2 per sip and didn’t quite pack a punch at that price.

I had asked for a recommendation for either the Salmon en Fruit Mole or the Chile Relleno with Pork.  I usually love chile relleno and the shredded pork sounded very good so I went along with this.  I was actually quite disappointed with this dish.  The chile had been roasted or smoked so that it was very hard and chewy.  Once I peeled the pepper away, there was a mound of dry, seasoned roasted pork inside.  There was no cheese as most chile rellenos have, which would have helped it int he moisture department.  The manager stopped by to ask how everything was and I was honest that I hadn’t really enjoyed the chile relleno so he insisted that they make something else for me.  I told him this was not necessary but he felt obligated to make things right and he wanted to make sure that if I didn’t want a new dish for dinner, they could at least ensure that I had something for my lunch the following day.

The meal that they replaced the Chile Relleno with was the Budin de Pollo.  This picture was taken the following day after it had been reheated in the container it was packaged in.  Despite being a day old, I enjoyed this dish more than the Chile Relleno.  There were several large chunks of white meat chicken sandwiched between two layers of soft corn tortillas that had been baked with Chihuahua cheese and strips of roasted Mexican peppers.  It also had a creamy poblano pepper sauce that was mild yet gave the dish most of its flavor.  The portion size was big enough for two meals, especially with the sides of refried black beans and rice that they also sent along.

My companion ordered the Enchiladas de Jaiba, which is jumbo lump crab with pumpkin seeds rolled into corn tortillas and then topped with a tomatillo sauce and chihuahua cheese then baked.  This was very good, but my companion did not care for the extra crunchy texture of the pumpkin seeds in this dish.

Our entrees came with family-style Rice.  This was not traditional Mexican rice but it was flavorful and tasted pretty good.  The kernels of rice were short and plumb, I am not sure which variety it was.  I especially liked all of the fresh cilantro that it was topped with.

We also got family-style Refried Black Beans.  These were smooth, creamy and delicious.

Service: We arrived late for our reservation at the prime dinner hour and unfortunately the table had been given away.  The host was friendly and we only had to wait about five minutes before another table became available and we were seated.  We started with table-side guacamole and were able to get this service immediately.  It took awhile longer for our drinks.  The entrees took nearly 45 minutes after ordering, which seemed like quite a long time.  The server apologized for the delay but not really sure why it took so long.  Our server had several recommendations for me when I asked her, but I really wasn’t impressed with her selection.  My companion ordered a soda but it was left unfilled until we asked if there were free refills or not (there are!) when our meals arrived.  When I mentioned that my dish was just “alright”, the server walked away without asking me to elaborate.  Fortunately the manager also stopped by to ask about our meals.  He went out of his way to make sure we were satisfied when we left and felt very bad that the chile relleno was not up to standard.

Overall Impression: This was my first visit to a Rosa Mexicano restaurant and while I enjoyed the atmosphere, the food was below my expectations for the amount of money we paid.  The table-side guacamole was delicious but overpriced.  The food can be good, depending on what you order, but didn’t meet my idea of authentic Mexican food.  I have found far better food on my travels to Mexico, where I have visited on twenty separate occasions.

Here are my current picks for Best Fish ‘n’ Chips based on the restaurants I have personally visited and reviewed.  This list will grow and change as necessary.  If you know of  other great fish & chips at other restaurants  that I need to try, please leave me a recommendation in the comments of this post. Restaurants, if you were named here, please feel free to use the badge to display on your own websites.

#1 Charlie’s Restaurant ~ 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!

#2 Stella’s Fish Cafe ~ These thick pieces of flaky cod were very enjoyable; the batter that was used had a pleasant mix of seasoning and the perfect amount of golden crispiness without being too greasy.  There were three pieces of the cod which didn’t seem like an overly big portion for the price but it was truly excellent fish.  The fries were fresh-cut and also very good, as were the tartar sauce and coleslaw.

#3 The Anchor Fish & Chips ~ 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.

#4 Patriot’s Tavern ~ The Fish N Chips at Patriot’s Tavern come with two pieces of beer-battered cod. The fish is thickly cut and flaky, with a very crispy battered and fried crust. Served with steak cut fries and homemade tartar sauce

Need to Try:
Mac’s Fish & Chips

Cuisine: American, Pasta, Fish
Restaurant Features: Beer, Wine
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Address: 5607 Chicago Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55417 (612)825-6900
Hours: Sun-Thurs 5pm-9pm  Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm
Links: First Course Website * First Course on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: First Course is a small but lovely restaurant snuggled between  Mike’s Corner Store and Kowalskis Market on Chicago Ave at E 56th St.  The restaurant isn’t very big but it sure is cute! The bar at the back is really the focal point of the restaurant.

Another part of the the dining room has just a handful of tables widely spaced apart and big, colorful stripes of color on the walls.  There is also a small, basic patio area in the front of the building.

Menu: Tapas (small plates) at First Course include Honey Garlic Baby Back Ribs, Fried Green Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese, Three Salami’s, Grilled Asparagus with Onion Straws, Calamari, Goat Cheese, First Course Shrimp, Warm Almond Manchego Cheese, and Beef Skewers.

Other Appetizers include Seared Ahi Tuna, Bruschetta, Mediterranean Mussels, Antipasti Platter, and a Pizza of the Day.

Salads offered at First Course include Caesar, Grilled Portabella and Asparagus, Mixed Green, and the Bistro Salad (with bacon, egg, tomato).

Sandwiches offered are the Croque Monsieur, Bison Blue Burger, Mini Burgers with Cheddar.

First Course Pasta selections include Penne Alfredo, Butternut Squash Ravioli, Linguine with Prosciutto, Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle, Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Cream, and Risotto.

Entrees at First Course include Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia, Halibut, Chicken Roulade, Bone-In Pork Chops, New York Strip, and Duck Breast.

Desserts include Flourless Chocolate Cake, Tres Leches Cake, Creme Brulee, German Chocolate Cake, and Ice Cream or Sorbet.
Price guide: Tapas $4-8 Apps $6-14  Pasta $14-18  Entrees $17-29

What we ordered: A large heaping plate of bread arrived shortly after we ordered drinks.  Soft, crusty, and still warm.

There are many different Small Plates (Tapas) and since we had a very large party, we ordered several items.  We tried the Calamari, which was excellent! It was breaded and fried, then served with some kind of smokey mayo.  Seriously good calamari.

We also ordered the Manchego Cheese, which was baked until slightly crispy and golden, then served on baguette and topped with sliced almonds.  The order came with four little slices slightly soaking in a mix of oil, vinegar, and sherry.  These were pretty awesome, full of  both flavor and texture.

We also ordered the ribs.  I did not try these but they came highly recommended by one of the servers.  They looked and smelled great.  The menu describes them as “Honey garlic baby back pork ribs with soy, ginger & chili oil”.

Another tapa we tried was the Bleu Cheese Stuffed Fried Olives.  Not being a fan of olives, I did not try these either but the others raved about them.

We also tried the Asparagus with Onion Straws.  The asparagus was cooked with balsamic vinegar which sweetened it up slightly, then was topped with a pile of thin onion straws.  I like asparagus quite a bit and this was good, but I think I enjoyed the onion straws the most :)

We ordered two large dishes of the Coconut Red Curry Mussels.  OMG, these were wonderful!!  The menu actually called these Mediterranean Mussels which I believe is a misnomer as they actually had more Asian influence than Mediterranean.  No matter what you call them, these mussels were very tender and soaked in a bath of coconut milk with red curry.  This is my favorite style of mussels and these ranked up there in my TCRB Editor’s Picks: Mussels (stay tuned for that post in the future!)

We also ordered the First Course Shrimp.  These giant Tiger Shrimp were served in a hot butter with fresh herbs and spices, very similar to shrimp scampi.  Excellent!

We also ordered Entrees. I wasn’t sure what to get, the menu had several items that sounded really good to me.  I wanted to try something that noone else in our group was going to order, so I ended up getting the Papperdelle Pasta with Lamb Ragu.  This was pretty good; it had big chunks of tomato, rosemary and several pieces of tender lamb meat on top of a bed of pappardelle pasta.  It was topped with grated pecorino cheese and parsley.  I liked this but it was almost too mild for my taste.  I’d personally like a little spice to it.

One of my companions ordered the Alaskan Halibut, which came with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette puree and fingerling potatoes.

Another companion ordered the New York Strip, a nice 16 oz cut cooked a perfect medium rare.  It was well seasoned, served with fingerling potatoes and red onions over a red wine jus.

One of my companions ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce.  I nearly ordered this myself because it sounded so intriguing.  I was lucky to try a bit of this and I thought it was very good.  The ravioli were handmade little pockets stuffed with sweet butternut squash that contrasted the sharpness of the gorgonzola and brandy cream sauce.  It was garnished with cooked carrot, pepper and swiss chard.

One of the specials of the evening was a King Ivory Salom with fresh salsa.  I didn’t try this but it looked wonderful.  There were two filets of the light colored salmon, covered with fresh salsa made with corn, tomatillo and radish.

Another companion ordered the Chicken Roulade.  This dish had little chicken roll-ups with gorgonzola in a salty shallot sauce.  It was topped with julienne veggies.

Two of my companions split the Risotto with Shrimp; pictured here is half the order.  The risotto was creamy and the shrimp was well seasoned and tender.

One of my companions was celebrating a birthday and received this complimentary Tres Leches Cake.  The piece was large enough to share with several and was very tasty.  It was moist as it should be but one of the best features of this dessert was the passion fruit lime syrup drizzled on the plate.  The tartness curbed the sweetness of the cake and really made this dessert stand out.

Service: We had excellent service at First Course. We had advance reservations for a large party on a Saturday night and a server almost all to ourselves.  Wine was poured with frequency and the tapas and entrees were brought out in waves.

Overall Impression: First Course is a fabulous little restaurant in South Minneapolis with great food and a relaxed atmosphere.  The prices are very reasonable for chef crafted dishes and the service is very good; First Course is a great place to visit for many different occasions.  Beer and Wine only.

Cuisine: Burgers
Restaurant Features: Cash Only
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Address: 3500 Cedar Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 722-7072

Hours: Daily 11am
Links: Matt’s Bar Website * Matt’s Bar on Facebook * Google Map

Matt’s Bar ~ Minneapolis, MN

Atmosphere: Matt’s Bar is located in South Minneapolis on Cedar Ave at 35th St, in the same stand-alone building that has been its home since 1954.  The space is  open and boxy with booths along one side and the bar on the other, with tables in between.  The dark paneled walls and lack of windows definitely made it feel more like a bar than a restaurant.  There also is no kitchen, just a flat-top grill behind the bar.   Neon lights and beer signs brightened up the place a bit.

Menu: Appetizers include French Fries.

Burgers and Sandwiches include Jucy Lucy, Hamburger, Cheeseburger, Grilled Cheese, Dbl Cheeseburger, Ham & Cheese, Chicken Sandwich.
Price guide: $3-6

What we ordered: This was my first visit to Matt’s Bar and the burger was an obvious choice for me (sans American Cheese).  Served in wrapped paper, these burgers aren’t very big but they sure are good! Matt’s offers fried onions with the burgers so I gave it a go. Good stuff, albeit a little greasy.

My companion ordered a couple of Jucy Lucys, each of which is about 1/3 lb.  The inside was molten American cheese that could burn your face in .2 seconds if you aren’t careful! The patty was served atop pickle rounds.

We also shared a Basket of Fries, crispy shoestrings.

Service: Our visit was at mid-afternoon on a weekday and it was completely full with a few waiting.  We bellied up to the bar for about five minutes before a booth became available.  We placed our order within ten minutes of sitting and the food arrived less than ten minutes after that.  We were presented with a bill at the end of the meal, which we paid at the bar on the way out. Cash only!
Overall Impression: We thought the burgers at Matt’s were really good, the Jucy Lucy even ranks in the top 4 for TCRB Editor Picks: Best Jucy Lucys (coming soon!)