Just as I did in 2009, I ranked the restaurants we visited in 2010. While in 2009 I only did South Metro restaurants, this year I’m ranking both South Metro and Metro restaurants but separating them out because, to be perfectly honest, it’s not fair to rank those south of the river against those in the cities proper. There were several restaurants which were reviewed outside of both the South Metro and Metro but I have ignored them in this list. Half weren’t worth a visit anyway. I also dropped off the ice cream places we reviewed during the summer because it’s not fair to rank them in with the restaurants. It may be interesting to note that I penned 31 reviews in 2009 and only 30 in 2010.
Metro:
Please note: Because of the high quality of the restaurants reviewed in the metro area, only the #10 restaurant received a “don’t bother” rating on the Restaurant Review Map.
1. Corner Table
2. Fogo de Chao
3. Sea Salt Eatery (seasonal)
3. World Street Kitchen (seasonal)
5. Hmong Village
5. Runyon’s
5. Destiny Cafe
8. Kabobs Indian Grill
8. Flamingo
10. Pizza Nea
South Metro:
Please note: While those at or near to the top and bottoms are spot on, those that appear closer to the middle were more difficult to determine rank so take those with a grain of salt.
1. Porter Creek Hardwood Grill
2. Windmill Cafe
3. Valley Diner
4. Junior’s Sports Cafe
5. Chateau Lamothe (closed)
6. India Palace
7. Fireside Pizza
8. Blondie’s Tavern
9. Rack Shack BBQ
10. Smashburger
11. Solo’s Pizza Cafe
12. Jake’s City Grille
How would you rate the restaurants above? Do you agree with my choices for the tops and bottoms? Are you surprised that only one restaurant of those reviewed has closed its doors knowing that the economy is as bad as it is? What restaurants do you believe are worthy of a visit in 2011? Whatever you have to say about my Best of 2010 list, go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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December 23rd, 2010 at 11:08 am
I went to Fogo for the first time this year as well and was really impressed. Of the new restaurants I tried in 2010, I’d say it was probably my favorite.
I like Kabobs; it’s not the best Indian food around (or even downtown), but for a reasonably priced lunch it’s a great deal.
Smashburger is the kind of place I’d go if I was in the area and wanted a burger, but not someplace for which I’d go out of my way. I like their sides, though.
The last one of these I’ve been to is Rack Shack. Sigh…great start and it had a lot of potential, but it just hasn’t been able to sustain it from what I’ve seen on the visits after my first.
December 23rd, 2010 at 11:32 am
I can’t argue with the top 2 south metro restaurants. Both excellent choices!
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:20 pm
A couple of food highlights this year happened shortly before the places closed. Of all things, the Byerly’s restaurant in Burnsville had revamped their menu and had an outstanding burger with beef ground fresh from their butcher case and buns from the bakery as well as good quality cheese. Right after I discovered that, they shut it down to build out the liquor store.
Also JC’s BBQ in north Minneapolis instantly rose to the top of the MSP BBQ heap for ribs and then almost immediately quit doing BBQ in lieu of other crappy food.
My best south metro meal was at Perron’s Sul Lago. I can’t think of anything that even really came close.
I had really great experiences at Bar La Grassa and Haute Dish in Minneapolis and Smalley’s and The Kitchen in Stillwater, as well as seeing the potential in Piccolo (although my food wasn’t up to the raves its getting from Andrew Zimmern and Tony Bourdain).
I had a million meals at holes-in-the-wall: Tortas at Olmeca, Al’s Breakfast, Manana in St. Paul, the Hmong Marketplaces, The Wienery, Ted Cook’s BBQ and Big Daddy’s, the Mercado Central, etc. I would rank them all highly and recommend them to anyone on here that hasn’t visited them.
Lately I’m appreciating my last couple of Nookie Supremes at the Nook more than ever now that the place burned up in a fire.
I don’t keep lists like Bill, but those are the things that come to mind.
December 23rd, 2010 at 1:38 pm
Best meals
I nonni-Always the best service and food
La Grassa-go there with at least 6-8 people and share everything. Incredible
Be’witched-Ate the whole menu one by one. Skip the veggie burger-eat the tuna
Black Sheep-working my way down the menu there as well
Solera (Tim McKee back in kitchen before the buy out)
Sea Salt about 20 times. There is never not a reason to go there.
Worst meals
Barrio St. Paul. That place has turned to crap
Mort’s Deli-Worst service ever.
Won’t go back even though the food was ok
BLVD
Redstone (not into cougars)
Might go back
Faces
Bon Vin
The Modern (Laguinitas in the bottle!)
There are probably a bunch more, but that is off the top of my head.
December 26th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Great to see Fireside Pizza on the list. I used to go to this Richfield Pizza dive all the time as a kid and then completely forgot about the place for about 10 years. We recently rediscovered this gem and have been going pretty regularily for the past year. It’s definitely a dive with large fake trees inside but you’ve got to love the “romantic” booths they have set up with privacy curtains. The pizza is some of the better traditional style pizza not to be compared to more recent upscale neopolitan pizzarias that have taken over the Twin Cities. A great place for families!
December 26th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
CH,
The Fireside I linked to is in Rosemount, not the one in Richfield. It’s nothing like what you describe and it’s really not worth a visit.
December 26th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Naturally I’m shocked and disappointed that Chili’s isn’t on the “best of” list.
We made it to Fogo de Chao once this year, (with the Roehl family). We went on that day when it was like 1/2 off? It was a great night out.
We went to Sea Salt for the first time (in May). We loved it and will definitely go back. I grew up in the neighborhood near the Minnehaha Falls so it is a special treat to spend time in the area and the awesome food was an added bonus.
I haven’t been to any of the restaurants on the south metro list. I guess I should get out more.
January 9th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Sure, I’ll take my shot at a Best of the South Metro list. I am only including places that I visited during 2010, and I am only including south of the river spots (even though that limits the sample size to a tiny small dearth of candidates, as we all know).
1. Perron’s sul Lago – Prior Lake
2. Windmill Cafe – Savage
3. Giuseppe’s – Burnsville
4. Chianti Grille – Burnsville
5. John Hardy’s BBQ – Rochester
6. Ronin – Lakeville
7. Mediterranean Cruise Cafe – Burnsville
8. The Wilds Grille – Prior Lake
9. Taqueria La Hacienda – Burnsville
10. Spice Thai – Savage
Of the entire list, I only KNOW I can expect a good, reliable meal at the first four. I honestly disagree with Bill’s scathing findings from his Chianti Grill experience (maybe another open-minded visit is in store?), as I have never been disappointed (though obviously expectations are set accordingly), especially with their Butchers Choice steak, spicy chicken penne and nearly every dessert.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with new SOTR openings that actually are decent. Then again, I also am still waiting for world peace…
January 9th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
I don’t operate that way, sorry. I have too many other places that are either new to me (and thus need a review) or are far more worthy of my money than CG that I can’t be bothered revisiting it just to relearn what I already know.
January 9th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
I love the liberty taken with “south of the river” (Rochester).
I had a pretty great meal at Papa Joe’s Oyster Bar in Apalachicola, Florida in March that I’d like to throw into the mix.
That Jason guy…what a kook.
January 9th, 2011 at 11:56 pm
I’ve been to Chianti Grill twice and the first time was before I ever read Bill’s review. I completely agree with his review, and I’m not exactly what you’d call a food snob. I find it no better than Olive Garden and overpriced. I really wish I liked it. I’m on the board of my townhome association and our management company takes us out once a year. We’ve been to Chianti a couple of times so I may get a chance to try it again. I hope one of these visits changes my mind but so far, no dice. Oh, and Taqueria la Hacienda is great!
January 10th, 2011 at 8:02 am
I will take my shot at a SOTR top 10.
In no particular order, these are the places I either frequent, or would frequent if finances allowed more dining out.
Ronin – Great food and great people
Ramys – Ditto
Perrons Sul Lago – Surprisingly nice place, hidden in the deep south metro
Taqueria la Hacienda – Love the Chorizo tacos – so simple
Blue Ox – nice people, love the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Giuseppe’s – Good food, great little place to spend an hour
Satay 2 Go – Food is always good, inexpensive, and plentiful
El Perian – Slight edge over Theresas, although both are good
Kings Place – Best burgers SOTR, no contest
Dudleys – Great oldschool pizza place
Honorable Mention – places we go less often, but still worth a visit imo.
Juniors, Carbones (Lakeville or Burnsville), Jensens Cafe, Windmill Cafe, Rudy’s Redeye, MCC
January 10th, 2011 at 8:05 am
Chad,
Dudley’s is in Cannon Falls?
January 10th, 2011 at 9:06 am
Yes, just a little hole in the wall, but the pizza has been great (normally get the Bacon Cheeseburger) each time we have visited.
January 10th, 2011 at 9:09 am
I have been able to find, through an admittedly lame search, one photo of the pizzas they serve and it wasn’t clear enough what kind. So what style of pizza do they serve and do they cut it the wrong or right way? :)
January 10th, 2011 at 10:59 am
Its very much a “traditional” MN/WI pizza. Lots of toppings, fairly thin crisp crust. Its very similar to what you would get in thin crust from Red Savoy/Carbones/Etc. Certainly not a NY Style, or a Chicago Style. Maybe there is another name, but its what I have come to know as a heavy, upper midwest kind of pizza.
Pizza is cut into squares, for what its worth, which I would consider the wrong way personally, but as thats how my wife likes it, I am starting to just accept it.
January 15th, 2011 at 10:09 am
Wow…We need to eat out more! There are alot places on your list we haven’t been to! I was surprised Ramys wasn’t on the list! We had unexpected visitors over the holidays twice & Ramys came to our rescue! They delivered Lasagna & Eggplant Parm,a fresh salad and threw in some garlic knots within an hour of the call and Everyone was Very Happy!!We still eat there once a week!! My hubba likes coupons but I won’t let him use them there because We want them to stay in business!! lol
Did ya see Picolos Pizza in Eagan changed hands? It’s not as good as the original but close!We get the puffed crust pizza We like more crust!We still like Fangs also.We have tried Valley Dinner a few times & we like the breakfast omelets but we don’t eat breakfast out much! It’s too easy to throw it together at home !And we love the Mediterranean Cruise we’ve been going there for 11 years now!!Love greasy Smashburgers too!hmmmm…rosemary fries!!I can feel my arteries clogging!!lol Gotta run…Go run errands! Maybe we’ll try one of the other places you named today! Thanks Have a Nice Weekend!
January 15th, 2011 at 10:42 am
Flo, Ramy’s was #3 last year. You can click the link at the top of his post to the 2009 rankings to see it. This list is just a list of restaurants Bill reviewed in 2010, not an exhaustive ranking of all restaurants he’s ever reviewed in the south metro.
January 15th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
Thanks Joey…I guess I didn’t read enough!! We’ll be trying some of the other places!!It’s always nice to have a heads up before we go!Have a Nice Day..Gotta Go Watching the Steelers/Raven game!!~~~Go STEELERS!!!~
January 25th, 2012 at 7:27 am
[...] as I did in 2009 and 2010, I ranked the restaurants we visited in 2011. I have provided a South Metro ranking and a ranking [...]
December 26th, 2012 at 7:31 am
[...] as I did in 2009, 2010, and 2011; I ranked the restaurants we visited in 2012. I have provided a South Metro ranking and a [...]