Cuisine: American, Breakfast
Restaurant Features: Cash-Only, On-Site Parking
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 1446 Rice St  St Pal, MN 55117 651-489-0020
Hours: Daily 5am-3pm
Links: Coffee Cup Website * Google Map

Atmosphere: This year celebrates the 60th Anniversary of Coffee Cup on Rice St, making it one of the oldest breakfast joints in the city.  The front room where you enter has booths as well as a couple of counter-top dining benches that seat six on each side.

The dining room swings around the corner where several wooden tables lead back into an atrium.

Menu: Breakfast Items are served all day at Coffee Cup.  Dishes include Steak &Eggs, Grilled Pork Chop and Eggs, Grilled Chicken and Eggs, Hamburger Steak & Eggs, Ranch Breakfast, French Toast, and Buttermilk Pancakes.

Specialty Omelets are made with three eggs and include Everything, vegetable, Denver, Ham & Cheese, Gyros, Mushroom & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese, Bacon & Cheese, Sausage & Cheese, and Feta Cheese.

Salads include Greek, Grilled Chicken Breast, and Combination Salad.

Sandwiches served Monday-Friday and come with choice of potato and cup of soup: Grilled Bacon  Cheese, Bacon Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Tuna Salad Sandwich, and Reuben.  Additional sandwiches include Bacon & Egg, Ham & Egg, Sausage & Egg, Grilled Cheese, Fish, Fried Ham, Denver, Club House, Pork Cutlet and Grilled Chicken.

Burgers served daily include Patty Melt, Hamburger, Jumbo Hamburger, Cheeseburger, California Burger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Jumbo Cheeseburger, Texas Melt, and California Hamburger Deluxe.

Entrees served daily include Roast Sirloin of Beef with Mashed Potatoes, Roast Turkey, Hot Turkey Sandwich, Hot Beef Sandwich, Breaded Pork Chops, Grilled Pork Chops, Gyro Sandwich, Sirloin Steak, Hamburger Steak, Beef with Onions or Bacon, Pork Cutlet, Fried Chicken, Boneless Chicken Strips, Breaded Cod, Steak & Shrimp, Fried Shrimp.

Coffee Cup also has desserts including Cheesecake, Ice Cream, Cake, Apple Pie, Banana Cream Pie, lemon Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and French Silk Pie.
Price guide: Breakfast $6-13
Weekly Specials:

• Tuesdays: Baked Meatloaf

What we ordered: I started with a cup of Chicken Dumpling Soup.  It was delicious; hot and flavorful with a good amount of bite-sized dumplings and shredded chicken.

One of my companions and I decided to split the Reuben Sandwich. I knew better than to order a Reuben at a diner and the sandwich was about what I expected; cheap, processed corned beef and Swiss cheese. I did like the grilled bread and sauerkraut though, they were good, as were the steak cut fries.

Another companion ordered the Gyro, which contained pre-sliced strips of gyro meat layered onto pita bread.  The tomato and onion were thrown on top, Tzatziki sauce on the side.

Another companion ordered a Cheeseburger with Fries and a side of Coleslaw.  It looked like your basic 1/4lb frozen beef patty but I heard no complaints!

The coleslaw looked good and it was a really big portion.

The last of us ordered the Denver Omelet with Hashbrowns. This three-egg omelet had peppers, onion and ham and a lot of American cheese inside and out.  It was served with a giant pile of hashbrowns and buttered toast.

Service:   Our server was nice and our food was prepared quickly. Coffee Cup is CASH ONLY, so be prepared.
Overall Impression: I personally wasn’t impressed by the food at Coffee Cup but it is a St Paul breakfast institution with big portions at very reasonable prices.

Cuisine: American, Healthy Eating
Restaurant Features: Beer & Wine, On-Site Parking
Locations: Edina and Roseville, MN
Roseville- 1910 West Highway 36  Roseville, MN 55113 651-636-0956
Edina- Galleria 3460 Galleria Edina, MN 55435 952-925-1001
Hours: Monday-Saturday 7am-10pm Sunday 7am-9pm

Links: Good Earth Website * Good Earth on Facebook

Atmosphere: The Roseville Good Earth is located along the frontage road along the northern side of Hwy 36, west of Fairview Ave.  The decor inside the restaurant is very mellow and casual.  There are many wooden tables throughout the dining room, with a few booths along a couple of the outer walls.

Menu: Breakfast foods include fresh juices & smoothies, Organic Oatmeal, Granola, Ten-grain Hotcakes, Buttermilk Pancakes, Brioche French Toast, Wild Mushroom Omelette, Veggie Omelette, Tomato Basil Omelette, Turkey Sausage Scramble, Grilled Salmon Hash, Good Earth Huevoa, Breakfast Quesadillas, Black Bean Roaster, Vegetarian Joe’s Eggs, Breakfast Wrap, Bacon & Eggs, and the Heartland Breakfast.

Small plates offered at Lunch and Dinner include Middle Eastern Medley (tebouleh, hummus, spiced feta, kalamata olives), Nachos, Edamame, Bangkok Chicken Satay, Vegetable Pot Stickers, Baked Artichoke Dip, Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Flatbread, Thai Chicken Pizza, and Pear and Fig Flatbread.

Soups and Salads at Good Earth include Vegetable Bean Soup, Tropical Spinach Salad (side or full), Cashew Chicken, Mediterranean Greek Salad, Curried Turkey Salad, and Chopped Salad.

Sandwiches offered include Cashew Chicken Salad, Cashew Chicken Melt, Almond Tuna Salad, Almond Tuna Melt, Grilled Shrimp Pita, Grilled Veggie Sandwich, Turkey Club, Rueben, Harvest Wrap, Thai Chicken Wrap, and Bean Burrito.  Burgers include Basic Burger, Bison Burger, Turkey Burger, Patty Melt, The Good Earth Burger, Vegetarian Planet Burger, and Turkey Porcupine Sliders.

Good Earth’s Entrees “From the Farm” include Grilled Chicken Quesadillas, Teriyaki Chicken, Thai Chicken Chiang Mai Noodles, Turkey Meatloaf, Coconut Curry Chicken, and Mandarin Beef.

The Entrees “From the Sea” include Wild Mahi Mahi, Wild Ahi Tuna, Keta Salmon, Atlantic Salmon,  Farm Raised Tilapia, Grilled Tuna with Ginger Noodles, Shrimp and Scallops with Creamy Corn Polenta.

Vegetable Dishes include Wok Seared Seasonal Vegetable, Winter Pear Risotto, Vegetarian Enchiladas, and Winter Gnocchi.

There is also a selection of Monthly Seasonal Specials including Apple and Sunchoke Salad with Pomegranate, Pan Roasted Rainbow Trout, Pomegranate Braised Rainbow Trout, Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Chicken, Vegetarian Chili, Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini, Coconut Panna Cotta, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Sorbetto.
Price guide: Breakfast $  Small Plates $5-10  Salads $6-13  Sandwiches $10-12  Entrees $11-16
Weekly Specials:

• Sunday- Corn Meal Crusted Walleye $10.95
• Monday- 10 wines, 10 bottles, 10 Bucks
• Tuesday- Chicken Marsala $10.95
• Wednesday-All Natural Steak Fajita $10.95
• Thursday – Wok Seared Shrimp Curry $10.95

What we ordered: We started with the complimentary basket of Breads.  It contained a sampling of many different breads and homemade pita chips and was served with a side of hummus.

I asked our server what the spiciest thing on his menu was and without hesitating he said the Thai Chicken Chiang Mai Noodles. I was sold!  This dish had a nice amount of heat to it, the base of which was a coconut curry sauce.  It had several large pieces of white meat chicken and was tossed with red and green bell pepper, cucumbers, garlic and ginger and noodles that similar to vermicelli.  The cucumber helped to cool it down a little.  I liked this a lot.

One of my companions had the Good Earth Burger.  The burger was made with fresh ground bison served on whole wheat bun, then topped with caramelized onions, avocado, portobella mushrooms, tomato, sunflower sprouts and Gruyere cheese.  It was a big, hearty burger.  It comes with a sweet red pepper aioli and side greens salad.

Another companion had the Turkey Burger on whole wheat bun, also served with field greens.

One companion had the Wok Seared Vegetables with the Tropical Spinach Side Salad.  The vegetables were a mix of  yellow squash, pea pods, bell pepper, carrots, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, mushrooms, water chestnuts, celery, with roasted almonds.  It was served with brown jasmine  and wheatberry rice.

The Tropical Spinach Side Salad consisted of a bed of baby spinach topped with chopped mango, red bell pepper, jicama and candied pecans.  It was served with a tahini poppyseed dressing.

Another companion ordered the Shrimp and Scallops with Creamy Corn Polenta.  This dish was sauteed with zucchini, yellow squash, and tomato in a tarragon wine sauce.

For dessert a few of us shared the Carrot Cake.  It was a large piece; fresh, moist and delicious.  The cream cheese frosting was sprinkled with toasted oats which contrasted in texture with the creaminess of the frosting.

One of my companions ordered the Blood Orange Sorbet.  It looked good and I heard no complaints ;)

Blood Orange Sorbet at Good Earth ~ Roseville, MN

Service: We had very good service at Good Earth.  It was a busy night and our party of five took our time enjoying our meals and each others’ company.   Our server was very attentive and had good suggestions from the menu.  The Good Earth is great about dietary needs and chef will often discuss options with guests.
Overall Impression: The Good Earth is a restaurant that makes a conscious effort to work directly with the farms who produce the meats and vegetables they use in their dishes. Everything is organic and locally sourced whenever possible.

Cuisine: American, Steak, Fish
Restaurant Features: Bar, Banquet Room, On-Site Parking,
Location: Mahtomedi, MN
Address: 10 Old Wildwood Road Mahtomedi, MN 55115 651.777.4097
Hours:  Tuesday-Saturday 4pm-10pm
Links: Google Map

Atmosphere: The atmosphere at the Lakeside Club is one that is very laid-back.  The restaurant has been family-owned and operated since 1946 and the emphasis is definitely on the food.  There isn’t anything fancy about the small, wood-paneled dining room, and eating at the Lakeside does not require anything but casual attire.  A small bar is a popular spot to have a beer and watch whatever game is playing on the TV behind the bar.

Menu: Appetizers at Lakeside Club include Chicken Wings, Cheese Curds,

Sandwiches include Steak Sandwich, Hamburger or Cheeseburger.

Steaks served at Lakeside Club include 12 or 16oz Prime Rib, 12 or 16oz Ribeye, New York Strip, Filet Mignon, and Sirloin. Other entrees include Porkchop, Grilled Chicken Breast, Shrimp or Walleye.  All meals come with side salad and choice of potato or vegetable.

Price guide: Appetizers $7  Steaks $19-30
What we ordered: My companions and I started with the Chicken Wings.  This order of wings came with eight wings that had a crispy, seasoned breading on them.  They were great!

We also tried the Cheese Curds, a large serving of lightly breaded nuggets of hot cheddar cheese.  These were really good; they had a crispy texture and weren’t too greasy.

After we ate our appetizers, our server brought out our dinner salads and a plate of warm rolls, which come with the entrees.  The salads were served in a small bowl with ice berg lettuce, tomato and goldfish crackers.  You can always expect bread of some kind at Lakeside, although it changes frequently.  On this visit we were served brown dinner rolls that were hot and fresh.

I have eaten at the Lakeside countless times over the past decade and I always order the same thing; the 12oz Ribeye, with a 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.  I had the choice of potato and I ordered fries, which are the salty shoestring variety, similar to McDonald’s. Yum!  Another of our companions also ordered the Ribeye and it was just as wonderful as mine.

Another companion ordered the 16 oz Prime Rib, which was a giant cut prepared medium rare.  This cut was comparatively lean for the size, which was thickly cut.  It was served with prepared horseradish and au jus with choice of fries.

One of my companions ordered the New York Strip, a lean and juicy cut that was just as tender as the ribeye.  Also served with choice of potato and side salad.

Service: I have been going to the Lakeside for over a decade and have become somewhat of a regular over the years.    Our server always remembers what we like to order, which I think is a nice touch.  Sodas are refilled quickly by any available server and the team effort seems to be carried through to the running of dishes and requests, etc.
Overall Impression: The Lakeside Club is a long-time favorite casual place to go for a delicious steak.

Cuisine: American, Burgers, Fish & Seafood, Steak & Ribs
Restaurant Features: Bar, Flat Screen TVs, Meat Raffle, Pull-Tabs, On-Site Parking, Live Music, Karaoke
Location: Mahtomedi, MN
Address: 3140 Century Ave Mahtomedi, MN 55110 651-770-2443
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-10:30pm *Fri-Sat 11am-11pm  *Sunday 11am-9pm
Links: Google Map * Jethros on Facebook

Atmosphere: Jethros Char House is located in Mahtomedi, in the corner of a strip mall on Century Ave, just north of the entrance to I-694.  The main dining room is centered by a giant wooden island-style bar with seating at booths and tables as well as at the bar.  There is a tiny stage in the corner of the dining room where there is sometimes live music or karaoke.  There is also a pull-tab booth near the bar.

There is another section of tables in the adjacent dining room at the back of the restaurant.  There are flat-screened TVs hanging on the wood-paneled walls throughout the entire restaurant.  The feel of the place is very laid-back and pub-like due to the fact that there are very few windows and it always seems dark inside with the exception of the one window in the back.

Menu: Appetizers include Steak Fries, Onion Rings, Breaded Chicken Wings, Buffalo Wings, Egg Rolls, Breaded Mushroom/Cauliflower, Cheese Curds, Cod Nuggets, Chicken Fingers, Nacho Supreme and Bull Bites.

Soups offered include Chili, French Onion, Clam Chowder (Fridays), and a Soup du Jour.

Salads offered include Chef, Cobb, Chicken Caesar, Char Broiled Chicken, and Black & Bleu Cajun Steak Salad.

Jethros Sandwiches and Burgers all come with fries, coleslaw or chips.  Options include Steak Sandwich, Reuben or Rachel, French Dip, Philly French Dip, Crispy Chicken Fillet, Beer Battered Cod, Buffalo Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken Supreme, Hawaiian Chicken Supreme, Grilled Tuna Melt, and Club Sandwiches.  Burger options include Jethros Supreme (bacon, cheese, bbq), Razorback, Patty Melt and Frisco Melt, or Build-Your-Own Burger.

Entrees at Jethros are served with soup or salad, Texas Toast and choice of fries, coleslaw, wild rice pilaf, steamed broccoli or baked potato.  Options include 6oz or 8oz Sirloin, Petite Tender Medallions, Wild Salmon, Beer Battered Cod, Breaded Shrimp, Slow Roasted Country Style Ribs, Broasted Chicken Dinner, Smoked Pork Chops and Baked Walleye.

Desserts are available but change frequently but may include Snickers Pie, Key Lime Pie, Banana Cream Pie, etc.
Price guide: Appetizers $3-10  Salads $7-9  Sandwiches $8-12
Weekly Specials:

• Wed & Friday All You Can Eat Fish

What we ordered: My companions and I started with an order of Cajun Steak Bites.  These were very tender and juicy, cooked to a medium temperature.  They were lightly seasoned with Cajun spices and served with a horseradish sour cream sauce on the side.

We also tried the Buffalo Wings, which I loved.  The wings were very lightly breaded and fried crispy and then tossed in a zesty, tangy Buffalo sauce.  There were a dozen large wings in the order, which also came with a giant side of bleu cheese dipping sauce and celery sticks.

I ordered the Walleye Sandwich, which was a daily special.  The fillet of walleye was quite big, lightly breaded and pan fried.  The fish was served on a buttered, toasted hoagie roll with a big leaf of romaine and sliced tomato.  Not only was the sandwich huge, it was also served with a giant portion of thick-cut steak fries.  Excellent.

One companion had the Jethros Supreme Burger, a 1/2lb beef patty char-grilled to a juicy medium then topped with American cheese, two strips of thick-cut bacon.  It was served with a side of zesty barbeque sauce and a large serving of steak fries.

The Fish & Chips at Jethros is not a regular feature on the menu, but is offered as the Wednesday and Friday Night specials.  Fresh pollock is used and then breaded and deep fried.  The order starts with three thick, flaky pieces of fish but since it is an AYCE, order as much as you want! Comes with steak fries, toast, and coleslaw.

Another companion had the Philly French Dip.  This sandwich was stacked with roast beef, sauteed peppers and onions and a low-grade pepperjack.  It was served on a butter-toasted hoagie roll with a cup of au jus and steak fries.

Service: The service at Jethros is very good.  Our server was friendly and very good about refilling drinks promptly and our food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time.
Overall Impression: Jethros Char House is a laid-back and casual restaurant that serves a variety of good sandwiches and American entrees.  Meat Raffle every Saturday as well as pull-tabs and karaoke make it a popular place to hang out and have drinks.

Cuisine: Asian, Mongolian
Restaurant Features: Bar, Lunch Buffet, Dinner Buffet, On-Site Parking
Locations: Coon Rapids,  Richfield, Roseville
Addresses and Maps:
Coon Rapids- 2085 Northdale Blvd NW Coon Rapids, MN 55433 (763) 767-3018
Richfield- 500 E 78th St Richfield, MN 55423 (612) 861-7991
Roseville- 2720 Snelling Ave N. Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 631-3398

Hours: Daily 11am-9pm

Atmosphere: At the Roseville location there are several small dining areas situated around the restaurant, which are made a little more private with the creative use of live plants.  The dining areas all surround the centrally-located meat and vegetable buffets.  All seating is limited to tables, but there is at least one dining space that allows for tables to be pushed together for larger parties.

Within the restaurant there is a small bar area to accommodate patrons who may have to wait for a table on a busy night, or for those who would like to try one of the specialty tropical drinks or wines.

Menu: The concept of Khan’s is one that allows diners to customize their own stir-fry dishes.  Guests choose from a buffet containing a variety of sliced frozen meats (beef, chicken, pork, lamb, shrimp and imitation crab).  You take a bowl, fill it with the meats and noodles of your choosing, and then move down to the vegetable line where you can choose from a large selection of fresh vegetables to be used in your custom stir-fry.

After filling your bowl with your preferred meats and vegetables, you then add sauces to flavor your stir-fry, such as Garlic Sauce, Cooking Wine, House Sauce, Dragon Sauce, Teriyaki, Curry, Lobster Sauce.  There is a sign over the sauce bar that suggests which sauces and flavorings you should choose, depending on how spicy you would like it.  After you have your bowl filled with meats, noodle, vegetables and sauces, you take it to the Barbeque Area, where  your stir-fry is cooked right in front of you.

Price guide: Lunch (1 bowl) $10  Dinner (unlimited bowls) $14

What we ordered: It is true, Khan’s has changed their appetizer.  Each table now receives a plate of crispy fried wonton chips with a sauce that is a combo of sweet, sour, spicy and garlicy.  They are great but I miss the chicken wing and hot and sour soup that it used to come with.

At first it may seem overwhelming what to include in your stir fry but I have been to Khan’s enough to have my combination down.  I always get beef and the very fine noodles at the bottom of my bowl.  For my veggies I get broccoli, purple cabbage, onions, bok choy, bean sprouts, pineapple, zucchini, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms and a ton of fresh cilantro.  Its the sauces that can get tricky and impact the flavor of your stir fry.  I like sweet, savory and spicy all together so I usually follow the recipe for the spicy and add a scoop of garlic, fresh jalapenos, chili oil, teriyaki, and Thai peanut sauce.  Yum!

My companion made a stir fry that had beef, lamb, shrimp, noodles, mushrooms, bok-choy, green pepper, water chestnuts, crushed red pepper, garlic, and curry.  Much more savory than my dish and quite spicy. Very good!

Service: I have eaten at Khan’s a handful of times each year for the past decade and while they once had very good service, the service at the Roseville location has really gone downhill this past year.  On this particular visit we especially had bad service from the moment we arrived.  There is a big sign that says “please wait to be seated” but there wasn’t a host present and we waited several minutes before someone acknowledged us.  Once we were finally seated, we had to wait several more minutes before seeing our server and then it was an even longer wait before initial drinks as well as refills were brought to the table.   On most visits a server will ask us if we have been to Khan’s before so they can explain the procedure.  On this particular visit, our server did not ask us this.  I can imagine that if we had not been to Khan’s before, we still would have figured it out but its easy to see that newbies might not know how it works.  We went ahead and got in the buffet line fast and efficiently since we both know exactly what we want.  Sometimes Khan’s will have someone available to offer help with sauces, but not on this visit.  The line for the Barbeque goes rather quickly.  We sat down and started enjoying our dinner but then the server brought our check out to us before we had finished our first plates!  I thought this was strange, but I guess I would rather have it now than wait forever later.  I haven’t had anyone to help me with my sauces in the last 2-3 visits either.
Overall Impression: I go to Khan’s for the food and definitely not for the service! The make-your-own stir fry at Khan’s can be varied thousands of ways, depending on what combination of ingredients and sauces you use.  Be prepared because it can take some time to create the stir-fry to your liking, at least it did for me. If you’re lucky, there may be an employee helping customers with their sauces.

Cuisine: American, Barbeque, Caribbean
Restaurant Features: Bar, Happy Hour, Live Music, On-Site Parking, Patio Dining
Location: Stillwater, MN
Address:  423 Main Street South #A  Stillwater, MN 55082 (651) 439-5375
Hours: (Winter)Mon – Wed:  3pm – 9pm, Thurs:  11:30am – 9pm, Fri:  11:30am – 10pm,  Sat: 11:30am – 10pm Sun 11:30 – 9pm
Links: Smalley’s Barbeque Website * Smalley’s Caribbean on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: Smalley’s Caribbean barbeque is located at the south end of Main Street in Stillwater, overlooking the St Croix River.   Once upon a time this location was an Esteban’s Restaurant, but it has definitely undergone a big makeover since.  If the wooden plank floors and knotty pine tables aren’t enough, the occasional model pirate ship and large selection of rums will surely bring the pirate theme to your dining experience.

The Pirate Bar is located in the same Plaza as the Caribbean Barbeque but is accessed through a different doorway at the back.  This is a happening place where Live Music is played most evenings all year long.

Menu: Appetizers at Smalley’s include Sweet Corn Fritters with Rum Butter Sauce, BBQ Shrimp with jalapeno Cornbread, Plantain and Tortilla Chips with Habanero Salsa and Queso, Sweet Potato Fries, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Shrimp Cocktail.

Salads include Ice Berg Wedge with Bleu Cheese and Pepper Bacon, Caesar, and Ginger-Jicama Slaw.  Chicken or shrimp can be added to any salad.

Sandwiches include Barbeque Pulled Pork, Pulled Smoked Chicken, Jerk Chicken Breast Sandwich, Clam Po’ Boy, and Carolina BBQ Pork Sandwich.  Jerk Tacos are also available with either Jerk Pork or Jerk Shrimp.

Barbeque entrees at Smalley’s Caribbean Barbeque include Pork Spare Ribs, Smoked Beef Brisket, Roasted Pork Shoulder, Shrimp Skewers, and Jerk Ahi Tuna.

Sides offered include Fire Roasted Pork and Beans, Grilled Curried Veggies, Black Beans and Rice, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Creamy Coleslaw, Potato Salad with Bacon and Egg, Mac & Cheddar, and Beer Battered Plank Fries.

Desserts include Pecan Pie with Homemade Ice Cream, Coconut Flan with Rum Caramel, Key Lime Pie, and Drunken Chocolate Cake.

Price guide: Appetizers $6-11  Sandwiches $10-12  Entrees $12-20

Happy Hour: Sun-Mon:All Day Tues-Thurs:3-6pm & 9-11pm, Fri:3-6pm & 10- 12am, Sat:10pm-12am
What we ordered: We started with a couple of cocktails; I ordered the Sunsplash.  Just as it appears on the photo, it was a girly, fruity drink with rum and orange juice and a bit of cointreau.  Tastes just as good in the winter as the summer!

My companion ordered the Bloody Mary which was quite spicy (horseradish, hot sauce) but delicious.  It was served with a giant slice of thick cut bacon and giant olives.  It was served with a sidecar which was needed to cool the spice.

We started with the BBQ Shrimp, which is a complete misnomer for the dish we received, but we loved it all the same.  The sauce for these shrimp did not taste nor resemble a traditional barbeque because it was made with butter and rum and was slightly sweet and spicy from some type of chili peppers cooked into the sauce.  There were about eight shrimp in the order and it came with a wedge of cornbread with jalapenos baked right in.

For my entree I ordered the Beef Brisket which came with my choice of two sides.  The brisket was moist and delicious, smoked with authentic  Jamaican Pimento wood even more so with each of the house-made barbeque sauces.  The two sides I chose were the Potato Salad and the Mac & Cheddar, both of which were quite good.  The Potato Salad was especially delicious, with large chunks of hardboiled eggs and several crumbles  of crispy bacon.  It was cool and refreshing after a bite of barbeque with the Scotchie Sauce which is extra spicy.  The Mac & Cheddar came with an optional topping of spicy green chiles and bacon which made it spicy.  The noodles were flavorful but the sauce was already kind of pasty instead of creamy.

Smalley’s makes its own sauces and there are four to choose from including  Scotchies Sauce which is a very spicy Jerk sauce, the House-Made Barbaque, and 3 Dives Mild Jerk Sauce.

My companion ordered the Clam Po’ Boy, which was a delicious, giant sandwich layered with crispy golden fried clam strips, house-made pickles, thinly sliced red onion, bacon slaw and mayonnaise served on a grilled brioche bun.  This sandwich came with one side, so my companion ordered the beer-battered plank fries.  I ate almost half of this because I liked it so much! The just-pickled cucumber slices were the perfect touch with the bacon slaw.

Service: We sat ourselves as the sign indicated, and were greeted by our server about five minutes later.  Our server was friendly and had many great suggestions from the menu.  Food and drinks seemed to take some time but we were not in a hurry so we enjoyed the time while we waited.
Overall Impression: I was very happy to have discovered Smalley’s Caribbean Barbeque, the food and drinks were both wonderful and the service was also pretty good.  The Pirate Bar is a pretty cool place to have a cocktail and listen to live music.

Cuisine: American, Fish, Pizza
Restaurant Features: Bar, Flat Screen TVs, Patio, On-Site Parking,
Location: Blaine, MN
Address: 10340 Baltimore Street NE Blaine, MN 55449 763-717-2235
Hours: Mon.-Wed. 11am-11pm  Thurs.-Fri. 11am-12am  Sat. 10am-12am Sun. 10am-11pm (kitchen closes one hour prior to bar)
Links: Bricks Pub Website  * Bricks Pub on Facebook  * Google Map

Atmosphere: Bricks Pub is located off of Hwy 65 and 103rd in Blaine, near several other local businesses.  One of the first things you will see when you walk up to the entrance of Bricks Pub is the beautiful big patio. I am sure this is a lovely place to dine in the non-winter months.  Both the exterior and interior of  the restaurant is made of brick.  The interior also has well worn wooden floors and there are several TVs hung around the space, which serve as the walls only decoration.  Right now, however, the restaurant is festively decorated for the holidays.

The bar area greets you as you enter through the front doors and has seating at a couple of booths and around the bar.

There is a clear view into the kitchen from the front of the dining room, where you can see and smell the smokey goodness of the wood burning oven.  The entire kitchen appears to be entirely stainless steel and very sterile.

Menu: Appetizers include The Brick (fried pickles with cream cheese and pastrami), Fire Baked Cheese, Garlic Hummus, Nachos, Ceviche, Mussels, Applewood Smoked Wings, Meatballs, and Sea Salt Fries.  Soups offered include Wild Rice and Soup du Jour.

Salads include Cobb, Caesar, Seared Ahi Tuna, The Pub (fresh mozzarella, chicken), and the Mediterranean.

Woodstone Pizzas include BBQ Brisket, The Classic (pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, mushrooms and olives), The Greek, Jamaican Jerk, and Margherita.

Sandwiches include The Tipsy Brisket, Cajun Club, The Jerk, Shaved Prime Rib, Egg and Pancetta, Portabella, BLAT, The Cuban, and Grilled Chicken.  Burger options include Bricks Burger, ZinBurger (manchego cheese with zinfadel braised onions), Northern Lights (bleu cheese and onion straws), BBQ Bacon and Cheese, The Dundee (pineapple, beets, fried egg and chili mayo), Market Burger (avocado and  cheddar), Turkey Burger (cranberries, sage, and smoked gouda), and The Backyard Burger.  Sandwiches and Burgers do NOT come with fries.  Upgrade to sea salt fries, truffle fries, garlic herb fries, jicama slaw, fresh fruit to baked beans for $2-3 more.

The Entrees at Bricks Pub include Beer Battered Fish & Chips, Steak and Frites, Pork and Beans, Chili Crusted Salmon, Drunken  Chicken, Jambalaya, Chicken Farfalle, Seared Ahi Tuna and Walleye.

Desserts at Bricks Pub are seasonal.  Current selections include Flourless Molten Chocolate Cake, Apple Strudel, Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake, Hot Fudge Sundae, Rootbeer Float, and Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream.
Price guide: Appetizers $6-11 Pizzas $9-12  Burgers/Sandwiches $7-11

Happy Hour:

• Monday-Friday 4-6pm
• $3 Appetizers: The Brickle, Hummus,
• $3 off Signature Drinks

What we ordered: My companions and I arrived during Happy Hour and took advantage of the drink specials ($3 off).  I ordered the Perfect ‘Rita made with Parton Silver, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Sweet and Sour, and Orange Juice.  It was strong and delicious.  The Mixologist, Jason,  did a great job with our drinks.

One of my companions ordered the Pomegranate Martini.  This drink was made with Absolut Citron, POM Pomegranate juice, Cointreau and Fresh Lemon. Delicious!

One of my companions ordered a Mojito, made with Bacardi Rum, Mint Leaves, Fresh Lime and Sugar.  Light and Refreshing!

Another companion ordered the Sangria, made with Ruby Port, Cointreau, Brandy, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and Sprite.

When I saw Ceviche on the menu, I immediately wanted it.  The Ceviche at Bricks Pub is made with pieces of both shrimp and scallops rather than the traditional preparation of fish.  It was okay.  It had small chunks of avocado and tomato and was very heavy on the lime juice so that it was basically small bites of scallop and shrimp in a green sauce.  It was served with house-made tortilla chips that seemed stale rather than hot and fresh.  The portion was quite small for $11 and despite its small size, we only ate half of it. Overall I was disappointed with the ceviche and would not order it again.

For my dinner I ordered the Shaved Prime Rib Sandwich.  The sandwich was piled with thinly shaved prime rib served on a baguette.  The meat was topped with caramelized onions and bleu cheese and was served with a side of au jus.   The sandwich was pretty good, although the beef tasted like it had been reheated.  This meal does not come with fries so I ordered a side of Truffle Fries for an additional $3.  They were shoestring variety but were very garlicky and I could not detect any of the truffle oil it was supposed to come with.  I suspect I got the garlic herb fries by mistake but they were still tasty.

One of my companions ordered the Tipsy Brisket Sandwich.  The barbeque beef brisket is pulled and slathered with sauce and then topped with smoked sausage, coleslaw, onion straws and smoked gouda on a fresh, toasted Brioche Bun.  My friend upgraded to the Sea Salt Fries.

One of my companions ordered the Bricks Burger, complete with cheddar, fried onion straws, fresh jalapenos, tomato jam and caper aioli.  This burger looked huge and delicious! It was ordered with the Garlic and Herb Fries but they tasted like the sea salt fries without any extra seasoning.

One of my companions ordered the Cajun Club.  This sandwich was served on an herbed focaccia bread with Cajun turkey, fresh avocado, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and Havarti cheese with chipotle sour cream.  Ordered with a side of sea salt fries.  I didn’t try this but it looked fresh and delicious.

Service: We had very good service at Bricks Pub.  We enjoyed cocktails at the bar during Happy Hour before moving to a table in the dining room.  Our server was very attentive but also let us be while we sat around and socialized, taking our time to order and eat.  Our server gave us each separate bills to make paying easier at the end, a nice and convenient touch.
Overall Impression: Overall we enjoyed our experience at Bricks Pub.  We had good service and most of the food we ate was good (with exception of the ceviche) and the drinks were especially delicious.

Cuisine: Chinese, Vietnamese
Restaurant Features: Dinner Buffet, Lunch Buffet, On Site Parking
Location: Little Canada, MN
Address: 1 Little Canada Rd E Little Canada, MN 55117 (651) 483-1239
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-9pm Sat 12pm-9pm
Lunch Buffet Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm * Dinner Buffet Fri-Sat 5pm-8:30pm
Links: Caravelle on Facebook * Google Map

Atmosphere: The Little Canada location of Caravelle Restaurant is located in an old and faded strip mall on Little Canada Road, about 1/4 mile from Rice Street. The dining room has several vinyl-clothed tables, including a handful that are round and can seat six.  There are a couple of Chinese lanterns suspended from the ceiling but that is the only hint given aware by the decor that this is an Asian restaurnt and not a diner straight out of the 90′s.

Menu: Appetizers at Caravelle include Vietnamese Eggrolls, Vegetarian Eggrolls, Chicken Wings, Teriyaki Chicken, Oyster Wings, Szechuan Wings, Sugar Puffs, Cream Cheese Wontons, Fried Meat Wontons, BBQ Pork, Steamed Vegetable Dumpling, Pork Dumplings, Shrimp Spring Roll, Pork Spring Roll, Chicken Spring Roll, Shrimp Toasts, and Butterfly Shrimp.

Soups include Wonton, Egg Flower, Vegetable, Hot & Sour, House Seafood Soup.

Chop Suey, Chow Fun and Fried Rice options include Vegetable, Chicken, Pork, Beef and Shrimp.

Entrees include your choice of chicken, shrimp, beef or pork with Sesame, Curry, Kung Pao, Garlic Sauce, Egg Four Young, Sweet & Sour, Moo Shu, Lomein, Twice Cooked Pork, Ta Chien Chicken, Hunan Beef, Beef Szechuan Style, Vietnamese Hot Chicken, Tong Ting Shrimp.

Caravelle House Specialties include Caravelle Special Delight, Seafood Delight, Diamond Head War Bar (shrimp, scallops, beef, chicken, roast pork, sauteed with diced Chinese veggies), Triple Delight, Happy Family, Mongolian Beef, Ginger Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken, Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, Pineapple Chicken, Orange Beef or Chicken, Beef with Potato in Oyster Sauce, Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce, Salted Pepper Jumbo Shrimp, Beef Green Bean, Vietnamese Hot Spicy Beef, Chicken Broccoli, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Chicken Almond Ding, Chicken Cashew, Lemon Chicken, Beef Pepper Steak with Tomato, Beef with Broccoli, Eight Immortal Beef, Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, Shrimp Chinese Vegetable, Shrimp Almond Ding, and Chicken with Vegetables.

Vietnamese specialties at Caravelle include Vermicelli Bowl (choice of beef, chicken, or shrimp), Saigon Noodle Soup, and Pho (beef, beef meatballs, chicken and vegetarian).
Price guide: Appetizers $4-6 Entrees $8-12

What we ordered: We started with an order of Oyster Wings. This was an order of eight giant, crispy wings covered with a sweet vinegary sauce that was unlike any oyster sauce I have had before. I liked these but I wouldn’t call them oyster wings.

We also tried the Shrimp Toast, which are little cocktail-sized toasts with a shrimp on top, then breaded and deep-fried. These were very crispy and heavily battered but didn’t seem greasy at all, which was an unexpected but pleasant surprise.

For our entrees we tried the Crunchy Sesame Shrimp, which I thought was great. The shrimp were quite large and butterflied before being battered and deep fried and there was a pretty big serving of them overall. The sauce was a tangy and slightly sweet sesame sauce

The Lemon Chicken also came as a large order of crispy, heavily battered chicken pieces, bathed in a very lemony sauce. This was good but I found the sauce to be kind of boring, like it was missing a crucial ingredient.  This was good only until the lemon sauce turned the breading soggy.

We also ordered the Pork Fried Rice, a heaping serving of rice with peas, carrots, scrambled egg, bean sprouts, and candied Chinese barbecue pork. Very flavorful and yummy.

Service: We were greeted with a smile and the server was very nice. We took our time looking over the menu and ordered our appetizers and later ordered our entrees.  The dishes were brought out to us in the order they were prepared, which was nice so that we could try everything when it was hot and fresh.
Overall Impression: I had known of the Caravelle that used to be located on University Avenue(now closed) but I wasn’t aware of the one in Little Canada until a friend told me about the lunch buffet.  I am glad I stopped in and tried this place, especially glad I ordered from the menu, as the food was hot and fresh.