(00:00:00) Today's Studio guest is Karen wenninger restaurant critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and co-author with Jones Siegel of a book called. Let's eat out which is a restaurant guide to the Twin Cities here on welcome pleasure to have you in the Studio's today. (00:00:15) Thank you very much Paul. I'm pleased to be (00:00:17) here. We'll open the telephone lines for listener questions about their favorite restaurants in just a couple of minutes, but maybe we should begin Karen by having you talk just a little bit about what it takes to be a restaurant reviewer besides a lover of food as I think almost all of us (00:00:32) are it takes a fairly strong stomach as anybody can imagine I've eaten in restaurants for on the average of once a day for the past 10 to 15 years and professionally for the star interviewing for about six years. The odds are if you eat out in strange places that often you're going to get food poisoning which I've done regularly and in addition to that the basic criteria for being a restaurant critic are the ability to write well on feature subjects and the Great knowledge of restaurant service food and the ability to travel and try restaurants all over the country. (00:01:09) What do you what do you do? If you're not familiar with certain types of Cuisine? I mean, how do you develop a taste for things that you weren't necessarily brought up on (00:01:18) I don't have that problem. I'm just innately curious and I'd prefer to eat something different every day of my life. If I could try something. I've never tried I was born and raised in Albert Lea which is you can imagine doesn't have a lot of Thai restaurants or Japanese restaurants or just practically anything original curiosity is a big asset and being a restaurant critic. (00:01:41) All right, how do you go about reviewing a restaurant? What's your procedure? (00:01:44) First of all you should know that a true credit goes anonymously and is never compromised journalistically by taking free meals from the restaurant which would definitely influence your review in some manner sooner or later. Anonymously, I take three friends sometimes more and we try everything we can get our mouths on in the space of that given meal. I took notes when I first started reviewing and later. I just acquire the ability to remember a lot of but I still try to carry off a menu from the place so I can quote prices accurately. And remember the great span of dishes some of the restaurants have (00:02:22) so do you do just sort of tuck it under your arms. You're leaving (00:02:25) snow. I hate doing that. I have to ask I feel terribly guilty if I just swipe it (00:02:29) So eventually the the owner knows that in fact a Critic has been in (00:02:34) his notes. They think I'm a sweet little Minnesota girl who just collects menus, you know from the big city. (00:02:40) All right, so you go to the restaurant and what happens if you don't like what you get you tell the owner about it give them a chance to clean up their act and come back a second time or what (00:02:49) if I don't like what I've eaten or my friends have allowed me to try on their plates. I remember it and I write about in print I do not and I don't think any professional restaurant critic. Tell the owner at the time that's what you're there for is to be a consumer Advocate and to experience what any other member of the public would experience. If you if you think about it a restaurant critic is like someone testing cars we road test Cuisine and service and Ambience. So I write the results up. I don't tell them at the time but I do pay attention to service and to whether or not the manager Coast by the table and asks, if we're all enjoying the food or ask for feedback right on the (00:03:29) spot just like cars can differ from Individual unit to individual unit. I would guess that restaurant meals in the same place may vary from time to time is that a problem (00:03:40) quality control is a big problem in restaurants and one of the true test of a restaurant that's well-managed professionally managed is that you'll get a consistent quality of service and food there. There are people who do that better than others in the Twin Cities. I'd like to mention Gordon shooter who owns about six or eight restaurants one loses count after a while with go Quality control is usually very consistent his restaurants (00:04:04) six minutes past 12:00 noon, Karen Wynn occurs in the Studio's today and will open the phone lines for your questions about restaurants around the area to to 76 thousand. For those of you listening in the Minneapolis st. Paul area 2276 thousand in other parts of Minnesota. Our toll free number is 1-800-695-1418 hundred six hundred 529700. And if you listening in one of the surrounding areas in one of the surrounding states, you can call us directly in the Twin Cities at area code 612 2276 thousand will give Dorothy a chance to pick up some of those phones and get to college in a second. But this Labor Day weekend Karen the forecast for for a Monday is nice tomorrow afternoon looks pretty good. If people want to take a drive out in the country and go to a pleasant restaurant any (00:04:58) suggestions Very favorite restaurant that is not in the Twin Cities area that requires a very nice drive on the Wisconsin side of the river is the Harbor View cafe and Pepin, Wisconsin. It doesn't take reservations. So if you think you can pop down there and wait a couple hours which might be necessary you'll be well rewarded. It's a great little restaurant. So what's special about what do they do just about everything a special about it? First of all, Pepin has a Charming small town in the harbor view as a little blue and white freely Victorian clapboard building. It's got a very eclectic mix of customers. You can pop in and your shorts off your boat if you sailed over from Lake City, you can come in all dressed up you can bring children. They don't mind noise. It's funky and attractive in a small town way and they serve very nice rather sophisticated food, very good seafood astonishingly for Minnesota and Wisconsin, (00:05:51) you put your headphones on Karen in order to hear our listener questions because we have a lot of people with with things they'd like to ask. We'll go to our first caller now. Hi, you're on the air. Yeah. Sort of a double barreled question. I concern around here is German food. And when I try out the different places, I find that consistency the quality particularly of things like veal is all over the map and I always felt that if you were going to attract return business you'd give people a certain quality the last time that Karen and her colleague were on your program. I asked the question of how do you get on the list of joining in on some of these tastings and I wrote so far I haven't. (00:06:42) Oh, it's you we've got your letter. Hi. I did save it. I'm being leveraged into a date I think here. So, is there a question here or are you just trying to get to the chest about the lunch with me? (00:06:57) All right. I can't find consistent German. Working in a restaurant that matches my mother or my grandmother. (00:07:05) I think that's probably true the best German restaurant. I found still as the Black Forest and I do love their Vienna schnitzel with apple sauce and sour cream and it's great. But I'm surprised then in a state like Minnesota which is you know over 50 percent of German extraction. We don't have better German restaurants. This will bring down the wrath of all of the other German restaurant tours on my head, but I do think the black forest is the only place that has a fairly consistent service and food (00:07:30) Central Minnesota is well known for its German Heritage. Are there any restaurants there that you're familiar (00:07:37) with not German, but if you like that sort of heavy hold yourself down in the tractor seat food. You can go to Schumacher's New Prague in and each Czechoslovakian food, which is not dissimilar to German food. (00:07:50) All right. We have more listeners with questions. Go ahead, please you're next. Oh, I got a question about about something. a while back and I hate their to keep back and I believe I was food poisoning. I had a couple people hold me up and try to force coffee in me and coffee. Good Lord. What is the person do when I'm sure there's a lot more people besides me that get food poisoning that place to eat. What do you do? (00:08:25) The first thing you should do absolutely is called the restaurant and let them know what you ate when you ate there so they can prevent other diners from perhaps eating the same things. It was eggs or fish or or some meat product that cause the food poisoning. I don't know what to do about food poison other than call your doctor. I've only had the experience of just writing it out. I don't know why in the world you want to drink coffee that would upset your stomach even more I would think but do let the restaurant know if you've suffered a bad experience as a result of eating there. (00:08:54) Okay. We'll take another listener with a question for Karen Whitaker. Hi, you're on the air. Good morning or afternoon. I should say. I'm from Brainerd and when we come down to the city, so we like to do something special. Liz I can never get a consensus of everybody to go to the black forest in which you've already mentioned. Of course. Give me an idea of what when I finally get there I can (00:09:15) expect at the Black Forest. Well, I'll refresh I go there about once a month and I'll refresh my memory from the book that John and I have written let's eat out black forest is first of all got a lot of gemutlich height it's dark and woodsy and has stuffed animal heads on the walls and the service is very intelligent and relatively fast. Although they don't take reservations. They have deep fried sauerkraut cheese balls that are wonderful. They have good Venus schnitzel. They have good bratwurst. They have a wonderful strudel very flaky with lots of raisins that they serve with ice cream and or whipped cream, so you can just blast your heart into cardiac arrest. They have a wonderful smoked pork chop as I recall. I've never had as a matter of fact anything. I just like to the Black Forest, but you have to be the For heavy food. (00:10:07) Okay, 13 past noon. Another caller has a question. Go ahead. You're next. I think too much. I had to say about Gordon shooties restaurants that I've always thought I'd go and finally did in the one we tried was signals when my sister was here from out of town and although I love what they've done with the old Depot. I found that very disappointing and I'm wondering whether you have a sample that one the bread was stale this week. The service was slow and it was not a weekend. So it was very crowded. But and the piano was too loud. It was a very elaborate menu with a lot of regional Specialties, but I was really thought it was overpriced for what we got and I'd be interested in what you were experience has been there. (00:10:48) I appreciate your feedback on signals. I have not eaten it signals and one of the reasons was I think it is or was the only black sheep in Gordon's flock. I know that he has recently redesigned the menu and is making management changes and is cleaned it up because there have been complaints about the quality of the food and the prices. And I will be glad to go there probably the next two or three weeks and you can watch for my review and the Tribune. (00:11:12) Okay, take another caller with a question. Hi, you're on the air. Thank you. I have a question for mrs. Whitaker. It seems like there's so many chain stores in the restaurant industry now not just the fast-food ones. But the moderate price range ones. There's everything from Perkins to esteban's and little Bistro. You can often get an adequate meal there but it's usually not great. It's adequate and predictable. Well, how about a list of a few surprises that are not in the real high dollar range, but some down-home type ones (00:11:42) you mean chains that are at the house serve edible food or just some moderately priced restaurants. (00:11:48) How about somewhere we can get a little surprise a good meal and not maybe a fancy Decor but let's not get so predictable as all the (00:11:56) chains. Okay. First of all, I would recommend you don't encourage chains by eating their I can't imagine with the selection of restaurants and even diners and Other places that are small and an informal anyone would eat twice at the same place, especially if it's a McDonald's or numbers or something like that. Let's see. There's an interesting place called poly slow food instead of fast food out in Bandana Square, which has of American Home Cooking. There's the Nicollet Island in which has American Cooking which is a moderately priced and has a lovely view of the river. I think some of the best values in restaurants in the Twin Cities today are in the Vietnamese restaurants, which people expect something totally bizarre and much different than Chinese and I think it's much better than Chinese and not at all bizarre. I would recommend, you know for a dollar value on your meal that you try Vietnamese. Let's see, there's so many there's a good place called Duggan's on Excelsior Boulevard, which is part of the new sort of California's ation of food serves Mesquite grilled things and salads and pastas. (00:13:05) California ization (00:13:08) of food rights all this about we're seeing a trend pop probably due to the demographics of people who dine out lately of lighter more healthy food less red meat more Seafood more pasta more interesting salads more interesting dressings a bigger assortment of wines a trend away from the old fashioned restaurant with the red flag velvet wallpaper and the prime rib, so big you could walk across it and and the double Martini into a very sensuous lighter more visually attractive and healthy sort of food and that's definitely a sort of California Trend that's creeping into Minnesota. (00:13:45) Well, there's a list of about three or four things at that color might be interested in at 16 and a half minutes past noon. We have a couple of lines open now in the Twin Cities area 2276 thousand if you tried earlier and got a busy signal they have a couple lines available. If you have a question for Karen wenninger restaurant critic of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, in other parts of Minnesota, our toll-free line is Little tool I think that number is 1-800-695-1418 or listener with a question higher on the air. I had two questions. My first question was what happens. What do you do or recommend that anyone else does when they have bad service and or bad food do you recommend that they just not eat there again or do you recommend that they would go to the manager or the waitress and confront them personally and my second question is what happened? What do you do when you have either eating at a place before or have received word that it is has very good service good food and etcetera and you go there and through a bad night or New Coke or whatever. It's not what you expected or was told it (00:14:56) was I think both those questions can be solved by the same procedure. I would not fall prey to what most minnesotans do. Minnesotans are sort of Scandinavian their kind of shy and they don't like to complain and they tend to call me up about two and a half weeks later and go, you know, I had this terrible meal or you know, I had this awful service that's ridiculous deal with it, right then call the manager over or the waitress over waiter over and say this is as is overdone or this salad is wilted or tell them right away and do try to separate the faults of food versus The Faults of service. It's not the waitresses fault what comes out of the kitchen whether it gets to the right temperature or not and when it gets to maybe her fault or his fault deal with it on the spot. That's what managers are for and I wouldn't recommend you simply not returned to the restaurant because that might deprive you of an experience. That would be a better one later on if they've improved (00:15:54) usually the waiter waitress will come over at some point and say well, how's everything here is you know, just kind of everything going. All right having a good time and I never sure whether I should say anything about the food or just kind of let it pass. (00:16:06) I was lied to them and say oh, it's just fine. Thank you because I've got an outlet later. I can simply write about it. But I think you should that's the point at which you should tell them tell him or her that you've got a problem with it. If you (00:16:18) do and then you watch their crestfallen faces, I (00:16:20) guess if they're Pros that can handle it. (00:16:23) All right 19 past noon. Here's another listener. Go ahead, please. Yeah, you're on the air. Thank you. Well, I just had a comment about about the black forest and I've gone are a number of times. But the last time I went there it was terrible and we all complained and they offer dust paper to write our complaints on and we all did that and the service and the food was very poor and while we were there about two hours. And it took 1 hour before they took our order to another or to get the food. (00:17:02) Well, I'm glad you complained. (00:17:05) Yes, we did there were four of us. And now this was on a Sunday. They were not busy. We were out in the little garden place. That's so cute. (00:17:12) Definitely have a lovely Courtyard. Well, if you've done your part, if you let the management know that you had a problem with the length of time it took to be served in the quality of the food. That's what you're supposed to do. (00:17:22) Here's another caller with a question for restaurant critic here in Winter. Hi, hi. I'm calling from we went my husband and I for lunch and eat as much as we felt we could in the bill was 2560 when we got our check. The girl came back and said I do know that we have a policy that anything under $5. We don't give back to you and we said No, we had never heard of such a policy. She said well that is the policy so you don't get any change on your 2560 bill. So can you use this for your tip? She said no, we're not supposed to but she said maybe in this case you'll let me so on the way out. The manager said, how was your meal today? And we said well Emil is fine, but we certainly felt this was a bit unfair rule. We you know explain what we felt about it. He took our name address. We never heard from him again. Is this customary (00:18:23) know I would say it's not customary and I would say you have to be careful when you dine out using any sort of coupon. I know people that go barreling into restaurants and have a meal and then present a coupon without reading the fine print which says good for lunch on Tuesday and Thursdays between such-and-such hours only that doesn't strike me as terribly professional on part of the Nicola Thailand in but again coupons are tricky and I really recommend anyone who was dining through a happenings coupon or any other sort of certificate call First and be very clear about what you expect and what the rules are. I'm sorry you had an Rooms like that. They're (00:18:56) all right. Here's another listener with a question. Go ahead, please you're next. Yes and like to ask Miss weniger something regarding her either Past reviews or if she plans and reviews of stand may slacks restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis. I don't think I've heard her comment on it or included in in a her ratings and I would consider it the finest roast beef sandwich albeit a heavy garlic and so on but I know Jim Klobuchar is written on that and his columns over the years many times and I'm just wondering if she may comment about me slacks restaurant (00:19:35) amazed lacks is is one of a kind. I haven't mentioned it because no one's no one's brought up the need for you know, two thousand pound roast beef sandwich or whatever the size is he served their I've eaten there and you're right. The garlic is the strong point and it's a funky wonderful bar. I don't know that I would call it a restaurant. It is a bar that serves one specialty. And if you're in the mood for a cold beer and a huge dripping roast beef sandwich and getting your thumb pinched by Stan May slacks with the barbecue tongs. If you're a woman, that's where you should go. (00:20:05) It's another caller with a question. Go ahead. You're on the air. Good morning. I have a question for you. I just returned from New York this last week and I guess my question is maybe three fold. I ate at some real exciting wonderful Greek and Middle Eastern and Japanese restaurants in New York, and I was wondering if you could perhaps recommend from your experience some top quality Japanese or Greek or Middle Eastern restaurants here in the Twin (00:20:38) Cities. Okay. First of all, anyone has just come back from New York has a totally distorted perspective having been spoiled rotten. I'm sure by the quality of restaurants and service there. You have to forgive Minneapolis. And st. Paul. They're not quite at the New York standard yet. They have some years to go we do have Strands in those three categories if by Middle Eastern you mean Lebanese, there's our Egyptian or that sort of category that we have Abdul's of fandi. I wouldn't say that the restaurants. I'm about to recommend our Exquisite around a New York caliber. But if you live here or you're dining out here, you should try them. I think another good middle eastern, although it's very unique restaurant is caravanserai, which is Afghani, maybe one of the few in the United States that's in st. Paul. I adore Japanese food and I think there's three or four good Japanese restaurants in town saw Gia and st. Paul kick Ogawa in the Pillsbury Center downtown Minneapolis herbs. Wonderful. Sushi Ichiban has a nice sushi bar with a little river that flows around the bar and little boat of sushi come floating down from the chef. Fujiya has a lovely Riverview and you can sit there on the tatami mats and be romantic and drink plum wine and eat Teriyaki or Shabu-shabu or any other number of traditional dishes. Let's see what see the category Middle East know Greek. We have several Greek restaurants. I'm going to be open for a lot of flak if I say this about Greek restaurants, but I think they're sort of innately kind of awful even in Greece. And so that the ones we have here represent Greek food fairly. Well, there's the Accra pole and st. Paul and it's Greek to me in Minneapolis and Nicklaus are the three that come to (00:22:25) mind. What do you find inherently awful about (00:22:28) Greek food? Well, there are things good about it, but it tends to have meat that's been dead for our taste as if it's been dead for an awfully long time and is awfully overcooked it tends to be under season for my taste. Anyway Heroes is very good. They usually do a fairly good job with that but pastitsio and spanakopita and all the others are a rather dull and starchy dish has the way the Greeks prepare them. (00:22:48) Okay. It's 25 minutes past noon. And here's another question or go ahead, please. Hi there, you're on the air? Yes. I'm terribly concerned about your culture boundness of your your remarks taste is acquired from the beginning of birth and you're making statements about something being just talked about Greek food selling dead. This is perfectly acceptable in Greece. Yes, it is. You talked about German food. I believe they had good cheese balls. I'm I don't know any German restaurant in Germany's would have cheese balls. (00:23:33) They're deep-fried sour cream cheese balls. So your question is what (00:23:38) my question is, when you make statements about all of these ethnic groups, do you really understand? What they think is acceptable food, (00:23:49) I think in the I understand your question, I think in the context of a restaurant As an ethnic restaurant business set in the Twin Cities. There's a problem. You've seen I've seen it in the Vietnamese restaurants, especially the restaurants that come here have to compromise their ethnic food for Midwestern taste. They do take the spice out. They to take the fire out. They do take controversial things out. So what I'm tasting here may not be authentic and I'm just judging it on the basis of does it appeal to the eye is it tasty is it fresh is it a good value for the money and it's nicely (00:24:23) served and of course you do approach it from your own personal biases. I mean, there's no question about that that you are an individual and has your own taste and somebody else would have something (00:24:33) different. I like just about everything except anchovies. Wow. So I'm I've got a rather eclectic (00:24:38) palette. Okay. Here's another caller with a question for Karen winter. Go ahead. You're on the air. Yes. Number one. Do you do much cooking yourself? Because I do a great deal of cooking and I think you can evaluate probably a little better if you yourself do a great deal of baking and Cooking and then number two. Have you ever been to this house of Chu and Centerville (00:24:58) question number two? First know I haven't I'd be glad to go there. Where is Centerville (00:25:02) - I've ever been to it's an oriental and it's a small restaurants and my sisters and call up the paper because it's all outstanding. I recommend that above any practically any Oriental restaurant. It's a small but it's just (00:25:15) outstanding. Okay. I do appreciate it. When readers call into the Tribune and make suggestions of places. They've discovered. I can't be everywhere all the time the first question about cooking I come to the restaurant critic profession from a different position. I've worked in restaurants since I was 16 and frankly, I don't cook for one thing. I don't have a bit of time but I have I have quite a track record in the number of restaurants. I've worked in the variety and number of restaurants I've eaten in all over the world. (00:25:49) What do you know about what goes on then behind the scenes in the restaurant kitchens around the Twin (00:25:54) Cities? I've been in more kitchens than you can imagine and I've seen I've seen some fairly horrifying things to in terms of what the health department probably find appropriate. (00:26:03) How are they able to take a place that has a long menu many many different kinds of things. How are they able to bring it all out on time and hot or cold as it should be and keep it relatively fresh when you're dealing with things from beef too chicken to you know, whatever (00:26:20) convenience Foods preparing it pre slicing it using a microwave making all your salad up in massive quantities and shopping and begging it and chilling it beforehand and then just reaching in a dipping it (00:26:30) out. Is that the most common procedure and all (00:26:33) it depends on the level of restaurant you're talking about but to save time yes, there's a lot of prep cooking going on. (00:26:38) Okay. It's about half-past twelve o'clock Karen Wynn occurs in the Studio's today. She's the restaurant critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and also the co-author of a book called. Let's eat out. Been available for what about a year (00:26:51) now just about a year, (00:26:52) right and it's still on the shelves around the area. I presume (00:26:56) it has reviews of 328 different restaurants in the Twin Cities. There's been about only four or five major restaurants have opened since the books been published. So it's still a terrific reference guide and I'd like to add it's not it's not an uncritical rest restaurant guide. It's the real thing if a restaurant has offended or regular offense its customers when Joan and I visited we took note of that fact, so it's a good critical guy. It will warn you away from restaurants. You shouldn't be spending your money in (00:27:25) your listeners waiting with questions. And you are next. Go ahead, please. Thank you. Good afternoon. First of all, let me put an extra plug in for your book. I consoled every time I go out to eat. It's very helpful. I have actually two questions. The first is sort of related to what gentleman was talking about in terms of mild and hot food are there any do you know of any restaurants in the These areas that serve sort of authentic Thai food that is most of the restaurants around here serve rather mild Thai Cuisine and the second question I have is what is the most dramatic informal type of restaurant in the Twin Cities? (00:28:05) Oh good question. I have to think about that one. If you have eaten, we only have three Thai restaurants in the Twin Cities so far. There is another fast food thai place somewhere out in a shopping mall. There's so at D, which is very lovely. It is owned by the same woman who owns the same Cafe and Lake Street and then there's the King and I on Nicollet Mall and if those aren't hot enough for you, you're going to have to take yourself over to the Sri Lanka Curry House, which is obviously not Thai food, but will I guarantee you be hot enough for you spicy hot enough Thai foods. Lovely. I recommend all of the listeners out there try it. It's very sensuous. Very pretty healthy is much more interesting than Chinese food particularly (00:28:43) Cantonese and then the part two of his question, which you may have to a mall on a bit is (00:28:49) Romantic. Oh dear. I'm stalling I can't think of a flight informal romantic. Oh Lord, maybe we should take a (00:28:57) few more calls and perhaps the penny will drop in that color can keep his radio on and maybe you'll be able to come up with (00:29:03) one. I do have one suggestion proc. NE is fairly informal romantic, especially the upstairs level. It's been sold recently to Peter Hall from the Negley chain and he's done some changes on the menu and I still think the upstairs is a very romantic room and has a view of the river. (00:29:19) Okay. Here's another caller with a question for Karen Whitaker. Go ahead. You're on the air, huh? I was just curious. I've been to the black forest. And the food is great. And my question for Karen is are there any five-star restaurants around in the area? And what about Mexican (00:29:34) food? Okay, let's star restaurants. (00:29:38) What is a five-star (00:29:39) restaurant? Yes. It's something that succeeds it what it sets out to be an hour whether that's a greasy spoon that serves great pancakes and bacon or some place that serves. Truffles and and lovely seafood and very refined French cooking. You can succeed in your category so you can be a five-star restaurant or you can flop at it you category, I would say Gordon's is a five-star restaurant and the 510 restaurant is a five-star restaurant. If you need those ratings at the Haute Cuisine end of the scale, there are some excellent vegetarian restaurants a one in particular Cafe car Domina, which if I were doing star ratings, I would give five stars to was the second part of that question Mexican Pepito's is okay and it's homey and warm and it's nice service. There's some interesting dishes that are hard to find on the menu of the Mexico City Cafe on Selby Avenue. I would generally stay away from the chains, like esteban's and Garcia's unless unless you like gigantic Margaritas. (00:30:44) Okay. Another caller has question. I you're on the air. Yes. I'm from Dallas. The new part Lantern my question on the last s about finding good Mexican food, but I'm concerned about the difference between the quality of Mexican food here and the quality of the Texas style Mexican food that I find in Dallas, you know of any restaurants that cater to that sort of type of Mexican (00:31:06) food. No, I'm sorry. I really don't think there are any I've eaten Mexican food in Texas and Colorado and California and it's a very different creature. And yeah, it is hard to find here at my I'm hoping that some of the restauranteurs will see a need for that and fill it. (00:31:21) Go ahead and and given your bent towards healthy foods. You probably won't appreciate the question (00:31:26) for you. Oh, you noticed. Okay. All (00:31:28) right, but also one of the things that I am this from home, I guess is good kind of home cooking southern style, you know many restaurants that that begin to approach that sort of thing. (00:31:37) I don't know any southern style restaurants offhand. There's a Creole restaurant. I think it's called a mariner. It's near the Emporium of jazz in Mendota, which is kind of fun. But Southern per se we don't have we had one about three years ago and it didn't make it. (00:31:51) Sometimes you just have to go to another part of the country to get the authentic thing. (00:31:55) Don't you? I really do (00:31:57) of course, they probably don't have much by way of lutefisk down and down and (00:32:00) Alice don't they don't really we don't have much by way of lutefisk in restaurants up (00:32:06) here. That's true. That's true. We have to get it at home around Christmas time. Here's another listener with a question. Go ahead, please. Rose spoiled food on occasion and also time it involves prepared chicken dishes and things like chicken kiev chicken Marco Polo and a few other fancy name dishes. I'm wondering I've been told that many of these dishes are Factory prepared and then they're brought to the restaurants and in a frozen form and then they're either all microwave door put in the oven and third now, I'm just wondering if there's any way to determine whether these type of dishes are prepared locally within the restaurant or whether they bring them in from the factory or am I wrong (00:33:16) you're right about chicken kiev any dishes such as Chicken kiev that that are heavily Sauced in some cases or stuffed and in certain kinds of restaurants definitely tend to be convenience foods that have been prepared industrial and they just slam them in the microwave. You can avoid that by simply going to a better type or different type of restaurant for the same money. You can have a much more interesting dining experience than ordering. She can keep there are good Asian restaurants around town who know what to do with chicken any rate. I would stay away from that particular dish. (00:33:51) Well on the subject of Frozen. Let's talk about fish is fresh fish commonly available in (00:33:58) Minnesota it is but you have to watch it again, we're landlocked and you know, you can get walleye as a special on certain menus around town or trout as a special or a seasonal item, but getting really fresh seafood has been tricky and I know people have tried very hard. I know that the nearest restaurant Bristol Bar and Grill in Main Place. Has decent Seafood although even there when they fly the fish and seafood shellfish in every day. I've had bad oysters Saint Anthony's Wharf Anthony's Wharf is another place. The Anchorage is another place. They try very hard to have good seafood and a little place that's less expensive and much more of a family place called The Sea chantey tends to have good seafood But It's Tricky the simply doesn't taste the same. If it's 10 hours old as it does if it's three hours (00:34:47) old was it swimming this morning in the answer is probably (00:34:50) not definitely not unless it's fresh water. (00:34:54) Alright, another caller has a question. Go ahead. You're on the air. Yeah. You have found that good restaurants, very good restaurants, perhaps tend to go bad or poor over a period of time. (00:35:06) I don't think there's any rule about this. I've noticed in hotel restaurants that when they kick off a restaurant, they'll have a very fancy Chef in and do wonderful quality service and just exceed themselves for an opening period and then sooner or later, they'll move the chef on to open another restaurant another hotel and the quality goes down. So that does make a difference but there's no rule as to whether you stay good or fail that that's a totally subjective (00:35:34) situation and eventually I suppose the public catches on doesn't it to a place that was once first-rate and then kind of declines over the (00:35:41) years. No actually sometimes the public persists in eating in a mediocre players. There are there are some things I called sacred cows sacred cows around town and you go there not because the quality of the food is good, which it isn't usually it's a it's nostalgic or your aunt works there or you went there in high. There's any number of reasons people go out to eat where they go out to (00:36:00) eat. Another listener has a question for Karen wenninger. Go ahead. You're on the air. I have a comment on your earlier remarks about chain restaurants and never eating and then twice I think it's a little unfair. I think some of your readers or listeners might not be aware of at least in some restaurants but quality of food checks that occurred daily and hourly the Phantom dining programs. We have to provide feedback for ourselves and the fact that not everything we make comes out of a can or sozin. I agree that we probably don't have the menu flexibility or the flexibility to change the decor and we certainly aren't always first unnie planned bandwagon, but I don't think you can honestly say that they're not a valid dining experience in that people should avoid (00:36:47) them. I would say there's a difference between dining and eating and I don't mean to personally attack you I see that you obviously work in a from The Passion of your remarks you work in a chain restaurant. But the Germans even have different words as Essen and pressin I think dining is one thing. It's a leisurely experience. You sit down you enjoy the food you have some choice about what you order. It isn't a very narrow menu and eating is another thing eating is done when you're really hungry and you're in a hurry and it's mostly for fuel and to that extent fast food restaurants do serve a purpose and I won't say time above eating McDonald's french fries myself, but I would really encourage people if time permits to seek out more unusual restaurants, if you've grown up eating hamburgers, why not try something else? Why not? Try Chinese or Vietnamese or are Afghani or French Foods? There's so many things out there to experience (00:37:38) more callers are waiting with questions. Go ahead Karen winokur's listening to you. I take my students there and probably for the best tempura is a little place down by City Center called Ahsoka. Yes, I love it. It's there really a nice family restaurant and probably the best quality food that I've had and all the other restaurants you've (00:38:08) mentioned is thank you. That's one of my favorites to that waitress as marvelous. Just marvelous. (00:38:13) Okay. Thank you for your observation will take another caller. Hi, you're on the air. Yes, ma'am. I have a question for you number. One you I had lunch there about a month or so ago in Hidden. Excellent. Excellent meal and I wonder what you thought of the Bristol is particularly in light of an article that I read that they brought in a chef from I guess one of their restaurants perhaps was in New Orleans and I was wondering if you have eaten or if it is indeed open yet. The other restaurant that I believe is owned by the same owner of the black forest and River Plate any comment on those. Thank (00:38:53) you. Obviously first question was do I like the Bristol or did they bring their chef and I received a lot of press packet information about the Bristol and I don't know if the chef they brought in is still there are where he's from I'm glad you had a good experience there take people back you have to encourage restaurants that do a good job. Secondly. The second question was yes, you're referring to restaurant Lorelei, which is also owned by the people who own the black forest and it is open and it is German food. I ate there and I was disappointed. Ugly with with the service and the food. I'm willing to go back and find out if that improves in about another month or (00:39:31) so. All right. It's about 17 minutes before one o'clock. Here's another caller. You're on the air. Go ahead, please. Hello. I've been curious about what happened to the Duncan Hines bought that was published years ago and was such a guide in when you traveled, you know, you'd see the label on the front of the restaurant to know that that was approved by Duncan Hines. Is there anything to equal like that? (00:40:00) First of all, that was a lie before my time or I wasn't aware of it. No, I haven't seen the book and I haven't seen the you know accreditation or anything mentioned whether or not there's there's a guy that's similar. No, I think you have to rely on Regional guides in New York. Maybe Sharon's book is fabulous. But the quality of critics Nationwide isn't up to her standard yet and you have to sort of hit and hit and miss with picking up books by local critics and every city. (00:40:27) Okay, nothing to replace Duncan Hines. I guess. We'll move on to another caller. Go ahead, please. Had a number of bad experiences and local restaurants with enforcement of the Minnesota laws on smoking and non-smoking sections. I'm curious if Karen is it similar experiences and whether she sees that that situation is getting better or worse (00:40:47) recently. We'd like to send a copy of the will Jones Memorial rabbit anti-smoking award to you for bringing that question up. I'm very concerned with a quality of air in restaurant and dining places. And I think people are much more aware of it even within the last 12 months and they were previously thanks to the militancy of people who don't want cigarette smoke drifting in their faces when they eat and I urge anybody out there who goes to a restaurant to insist on a non-smoking seat if that's what you want and complain if the quality of the air is not good. That's that what that's what makes the difference ultimately and getting the zoning enforced in restaurants. (00:41:31) Do you think that most restaurants give equal space to the non-smoking sections equal quality of space to the non-smoking (00:41:38) sections. It's funny most Americans and most minnesotans particular are non-smokers. I think it's a two to one ratio, but you're right. That's a good point restaurants frequently. Give you the worst seats right behind the kitchen door that swats your chairs. It goes by over by the service area or away from the windows. And again, the only thing that's going to change that is is diners expressing displeasure. (00:41:59) 15 minutes before one o'clock. Here's another caller. You're on the air. Go ahead, please. Hello. Say I wonder if you see any decline in the popularity of and weather might consider offering something like a very good quality white layer cake again instead of the heavy carrot cake, which has been around for a long and sometimes these apple cakes. (00:42:27) That's that's an interesting question. I come from a generation that has sort of introduced the carrot cake because I don't know various health concerns. I guess. I don't know where you can get white coat layer cake of any quality anymore. I'll keep an eye out for it as I'm reviewing but it really doesn't be Vanishing species. It's a trend that's seen its day and has gone Galloping out with the prime rib in the double Manhattan and the baked potato with, you know, forty two quarts of sour cream dumped on it. I (00:42:55) think well, what are some popular desserts (00:42:57) nowadays? Oh heavens. Let's see moose not just chocolate mousse, but raspberry mousse strudels in the German restaurants cheesecakes are still going strong. Although now, they're mixed. They have hazelnuts. They have fruit. They have chocolate chips in them. Kiwi. Tart is a new thing that's come in. There's definitely Trends in food and kiwi fruit came to Minnesota in the restaurant industry at least a couple of years ago and it's still around. There's a tendency towards more fruit in deserts and less sugary flower EKG things. And again that reflects the trend to a health concerns. I (00:43:35) think another caller has question go ahead Karen's listening for you. Hi. I'm calling from Duluth my wife and I moved from the Twin Cities to very limited in the service rather poor if you want food, there are places like the flame for more expensive dining or grandmother's Grandma's if you want to be By use or the Chinese lantern if you like Nordic Chinese (00:44:03) food exactly. (00:44:05) I was wondering if you could recommend some good or Innovative restaurants in the area. (00:44:09) You should have checked that out before you moved up there. I'm afraid that that there aren't any of that I know of and I don't mean to discourage people from going to Duluth for other reasons, but it's not known for its restaurant quality. If you're really in truly desperate you're going to have to drive someplace such as the old Rittenhouse in in Bayfield Wisconsin, which is lovely and has original Cuisine. Sorry about that Duluth Duluth had some things to learn yet (00:44:33) anything else up along the North Shore area that attracts you (00:44:36) there's wonderful smoked fish just outside of town, but that's you know, that's limited use and that's a takeout item. I really can't think of a recommend a restaurant up there. (00:44:46) All right, we'll take another caller with a question. Hi, you're on the air. Yes. I'm interested in trying to find a really good Jewish deli and also a place that serves Jewish food. Well and I hope you don't say the Lincoln (00:44:58) Del. I won't say the Bill how about Cecil's in st. Paul Highland Park if you tried that Cecil's I'm afraid this is not the best city for Jewish delis. Again, New York certainly holds the trophy in that other than Cecil's I'd be glad if someone else call and let me know but I don't think there are any out there (00:45:21) 11 minutes before one. Hi, you're on the air currents listing for your question. The reviewer said about Greek food. I'm Greek American and I think the only places between cities to get it is in the home of your relatives are Greek American friend and second. I'd like to ask about Ethiopian food if she's tried the new Ethiopian restaurant in st. Paul st. Paul. (00:45:47) Yes, I have what's it called? Its overall near Dale and University. It's very interesting. It's true that I can't think of the name of it is very spicy hot. Everything is cooked kind of for our for our her are whatever. I can't remember the (00:46:04) name. I guess the caller is not not on the line any (00:46:06) longer though, right? Okay. All right. It's very spicy hot. Everything is cooked into a sort of very soft State and it'll be surprising they serve it all on a huge disk of sort of soft white bread and you rip up the bread and mop up the food. You don't need knives and forks and spoons or anything. You might want to try it once if your taste runs too spicy hot food. (00:46:25) Okay, here's another caller with a question. Go ahead please a question or comment rather than a question. I'm a new dilute the into and I sympathize with your previous caller and maybe just for the people up in this area as unlikely as it may seem my wife and I have found that the airport restaurant is one of the best in the area and I think it's partly because they don't spend a lot of money on advertising and it's run by just a very few people who know the restaurant business very well and to care more about quality than anything else. So if you really is the Duluth Ian's really don't know where to go. I think it's worth a try sighs. You can park inside for free in the wintertime (00:47:10) Chris. Also, there's a great floor show here. I can watch the 747 or whatever. Thank you for the tip. (00:47:16) Okay, you not you've not tried it. I gather (00:47:18) yourself. Actually I did several years ago, but I've forgotten about it. It didn't strike me as memorable the time. (00:47:23) Okay, another caller is And here's a question how you're on the air? Yeah, I would like to underscore first of all the comments about the Oscar and the Fuji restaurants are my very favorites and they're just super also a one lady called about the Duncan Hines book the automobile club tour books. Usually if there are any restaurants that are particularly good will give you information in all the different cities. So that's another source. If you're traveling my comment was or a question. I've had a lot of fun at the Boston Tea Party Soup Bar and salad bar combination for lunch and I'm curious are there other places that they do the soup bar or that type of thing. That's a little bit different. (00:48:11) I don't know of another Soup Bar in town. There are plenty of salad bar places. I'm about you know, 40 of them listed in the book. I'd like to disagree with your recommendation of the automobile guides the ones I have read and I've read about it. Tend to be out of date and to only recommend places that are very old-fashioned very fuddy-duddy and very unimaginative. Again, if you really need up-to-date information get the book written by the restaurant critics of the city you're visiting. It's (00:48:42) eight minutes before one o'clock lot of people left with questions. We'll see how many we can handle in the remaining time. Go ahead, please you're next. Yeah, my brother and sister-in-law were in Palm Springs, California and they were bragging about the chocolate mousse pie. They got there and we've been working all over Twin Cities for it. Can you offer any (00:49:01) suggestions chocolate addict? There's a lot of you out there. I don't recall chocolate mousse pie. Wa Frost & Company on Selby has a wonderful chocolate silk pie and nag Lee's does a fudge or mud ball or mud pie. That's very very very chocolaty and at many local restaurants. You'll find Claudia's chocolate Chestnut cake if you need a chocolate fix Chocolate mousse pie not off the top of my head. (00:49:29) All righty. Here's another caller with a question for Karen winner. Go ahead, please. Yes. I'm calling from Duluth and I heard your comment about eating and Duluth and my question. Well first let me make a statement. There is a new restaurant in Duluth called the flame that has quality of food that I would trade with any New York restaurant that anyone has ever been spoiled by and my question for you is when was the last time you were dining and Duluth? (00:49:58) I'd be glad to try the flame next time. I'm up there. What was the last time I ended up with in the last year? I think it was the Lantern and I'm glad you brought that up. If the flame is good people should Thunder on over and try it at least (00:50:11) another caller with a question for Karen wenninger. Hi, go ahead, please. Hi, you're on the air. Hello. Hello. Yeah, go ahead. How about the little Apple Store deli food? And how about Lincolnville for their chocolate pie? And where do they treat single diners? Reasonably (00:50:30) good question little apple is wonderful. There's two little Apple delhi's the original ones on Grand Avenue and st. Paul and the new Sleek one with all the neon and the wonderful colors and New York posters is on Nicollet. I believe that Linda or Nicollet. I forget Nicolette, I believe anyway, very handsome and it isn't New York, but it's pretty good and they have wonderful take out stuff. That was the other question. Oh the Lincoln Del for chocolate goodies. Don't know haven't eaten there in a while. We'll take your word for it. If there are people in the Lincoln Del neighborhood who want to try chocolate pie. Was it? Yeah, try the link (00:51:06) Adele and where to where they create single diners decently. I (00:51:11) believe almost nowhere except at the very best restaurants, which is hardly fair. You kind of have to be insistent that you get a good seat as a single Diner and if you're a single woman, it's even worse. So you shouldn't feel that. It's only single men that are discriminated against when they go out to have a meal. (00:51:29) Okay. Another caller has a question. Hi, you're on the air. Hello a minute ago. I asked for the white layer cake and in doing that I was thinking that as a lighter desert than the moose's of the cheesecakes are the heavy carrot and apple cakes. Do you feel that while dining has gone lighter in some ways that desserts have gone heavier? (00:51:50) I think desserts have gone more organic people like to think that even if they're not that they're eating something good for them. That's why we have carrot cake carrots and raisins and whole wheat flour very big deal to at least people in my generation. You could be right. Let's say I would say they've gotten more eclectic used to be rolling a restaurant and a choice of really mediocre ice cream either chocolate strawberry or vanilla and cheesecake and maybe one other thing for dessert and your average restaurant. So I think they've got Much more diverse. (00:52:18) All right, another caller with a question. Hi, you're on the air. Hi in season. You can get lutefisk at the Edgewood about seven miles south of Cannon Falls Little lot of the Cities. (00:52:29) Oh, the Edgewood has wonderful pies to I should mention a coconut cream pie and chocolate pie of some sort and they're about eight inches high and absolutely fabulous and Dave terrific crust. So if that's your weakness, don't forget the Edgewood, (00:52:42) okay, or if your weaknesses lutefisk. Thanks for the call. Here's another listener with a question. Go ahead I care and I've been listening to you and enjoying the program and I heard you mention a vegetarian restaurant that you considered Superior didn't get the name and I wonder if you give it to us again and tell us where it's located. (00:52:56) Thank you. I'd be glad to Cafe car Domina on Selby Avenue in st. Paul is I think the finest vegetarian restaurant and one of the finest restaurants in, Minnesota. People have the mistaken idea that when you go to a vegetarian restaurant, you're going to be eating them puree of earth shoes or tofu briquettes or something Cafe car dominant uses a combination of sort of Japanese and French cooking and very Innovative approaches to the food and it's sensuous and light and original and very interesting. I recommend everyone tried they do serve Seafood there a very nice trout another special dishes so that if you if you think vegetables won't do you for a meal which I assure you they will if you try that you'll find out you can have seafood (00:53:40) to a couple of names of Minneapolis places for those across the (00:53:44) river. There's an excellent little place with most awful physical facility, but terrific food called miles of aisles. It's on Cedar Riverside and it's about as big as a closet and has almost no seating but the food is terrific and they don't serve just vegetarian food anymore. But that's their orientation. Also the mud pie served great, whack amole and nice brown rice dishes and good. Will stir fry dishes and if you're out in one of the shopping centers The Good Earth is a sort of chain restaurant that does a nice job of alternative Foods. (00:54:18) We have about a minute or so left time for a couple more calls. Maybe go ahead please you're next. I wonder if I might I would like your opinion of the blue horse. And st. Paul if you there (00:54:29) I've eaten at the Blue Horse and I've always had a nice time there. I was at thought the service was attentive. They do a wonderful Caesar salad. It's an old-fashioned old-school restaurant like the Lexington or the Criterion or Murray's. It's a real institution. And if you want that sort of experience, that's where it should go. (00:54:46) Another caller with a question. Go ahead please I can I'm a visitor in Minneapolis for this long labor day weekend and would like your selection of three represented restaurants for the twins the areas that we could enjoy in sort of sample. What do you have available from San Francisco? So we have fairly high standard. (00:55:04) Oh dear. I can't match those standards here. I don't think I would say two of the top of my head try a Vietnamese restaurant New yet in gu y ET on Broadway is excellent or meta in Minneapolis. Vagaries would be good. The Willows might be nice and don't miss Cafe car Domina. (00:55:24) All right. Should we try one more in about 30 seconds. Go ahead. Please one last call quickly. Yeah, I'm glad I have a chance to call in and maybe refute her statement about the Greek restaurants. I found Abdul's to be somewhat disappointing but they food it. It's Greek to me and I'm not a Greek descent as superb the meat seem fresh and the moussaka is wonderful and I encourage people to go down and visit them are very friendly (00:55:47) good. Thank you very much. (00:55:49) Everybody has an opinion obviously and we thank you for calling with yours. And thank you Karen one of you for coming and visiting with us. Thank you Bob. My pleasure. Karen wenninger is the restaurant critic for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune and also the co-author along with Jones Siegel of a book called. Let's eat out a guide to about 300 restaurants in the Minneapolis st. Paul area Thanks to Dorothy Hanford for answering the telephones today. The engineer for the broadcast was a bill Wareham weekend is made possible by economics laboratory products and services for household institutional and Industrial Cleaning worldwide. This is Bob Potter. Twin Cities forecast calls for just a slight chance of a shower this afternoon. The high will be around 70. There's a 40% chance of rain tonight a slight chance of showers tomorrow morning and then it'll clear off tomorrow afternoon and should be partly cloudy on Labor Day itself. This is ksjn in Minneapolis. And st. Paul. It's one o'clock. The news is next.