Last night I headed out with Kim and a ton of others including Art, his wife Laurie, Mr. and Mrs. Marcos, MSPD, and sui generis, his wife Becky, Maddie, and James to try out Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill & Lounge located near I-35E and Cliff Rd in Eagan. This is the sister restaurant to the Mediterranean Cruise Cafe which has split into two following Eagan’s decision to close the original restaurant via imminent domain. The other half of the Mediterranean Cruise will move into Burnsville’s Heart of the City after it was recruited by Burnsville’s mayor to fill space there and make it seem like the Heart of the City doesn’t suck as bad as it really does.
We had reservations for 7 PM and when I arrived, MSPD was waiting with gifts (thanks again dude!) and I let the restaurant know that we would have one extra tonight. They were ready for us with a long table setup right in the front by the belly dancing stage and were happy to add another chair for us. While I had originally asked for a high chair, there wasn’t one when we arrived and I asked the waitress to bring one over which they did just as sui generis and his family walked into the restaurant.
This location was previously a Baker’s Square and aside from the random hookahs adorning the pie case in the front of the restaurant, the bar area, and the elevated belly dancing stage, it still looks exactly like one. The bar is extensive and takes up the majority of the restaurant. While the tables in the belly dancing area were filled tonight especially due to our table of 10 and the table of 7 or 8 that they brought over of amateur belly dancers, it was the bar area that had the most action this evening. They have booths lining the walls over there and plenty of stools for those interested in only drinking. The outside has only temporary signage hanging from where the Baker’s Square sign used to be but none of this seemed to hinder the steady stream of people coming and going this evening.
After the majority of us were seated, our waitress came over to the table and started to take our drink orders before realizing that we had not yet received menus. She quickly rectified the situation, asked if we’d like to split the checks up (we did), and began taking our drink orders. After she left, we had plenty of time to look over the menu and after what seemed like forever, she was back and taking our orders.
Kim went with their Baba Ghanoush for an appetizer which is described as “Roasted eggplant dip ground with garlic, tahini, lemon juice and spices” for $8 and gyros (pocket or Greek pita bread served with tomato, cucumber, onion, and yogurt sauce for $7). I ordered their Falafel Sandwich for dinner which was listed as “crispy deep fried chick pea patties, served with tomatoes, onions, Greek potatoes and tahini sauce,” for $7 and Greek Potatoes as an appetizer for $4. Everyone else at the table ordered other interesting dishes, except Mrs. Marcos who insisted on ordering a cheeseburger ;-) After the waitress was done taking our orders we had plenty of time to “enjoy” tonight’s entertainment which included keyboards and belly dancing. The music was entirely too loud, the eye contact was unnerving for some, the swinging cane hitting the ceiling was frightening, and the most entertaining thing about the belly dancing was watching the drunken hick douchebag dance along. This guy was decked out in plaid, stumbled along with the belly dancer all while he placed dollar bills in her skirt, just like he probably practiced many a time at the King of Diamonds, all while his wine guzzling wife looked on. Yeah, it was really something to behold. Obviously Ansari’s is THE place to be in Eagan on a Friday night–for people watching.
Our appetizers started arriving and the Baba Ghanoush that Kim ordered was quite tasty. I enjoyed the smokey flavor and when sui generis tried it he also commented that it had a great smoke flavor. While it tasted great, it was certainly nothing to look at and Mrs. Marcos commented that it looked like cat food. The appetizer came with some olives and I had one and Kim ate the other two finding that they were quite yummy. I had originally ordered Greek Potatoes as an appetizer but our waitress, who later admitted that she was riding the sugar high from drinking too much Diet Coke (the jokes will never cease over that one), thought that I meant I wanted the fries that came with my meal. No, I didn’t but as long as I’m not paying for them, whatever. Art ordered hummus, which came out on an elongated plate sparsely populated with a few random vegetables and peppers. MSPD received a Greek salad that was of a decent size but after removing peppercinis and handing them to me to eat, he also had to remove a stem from one that appeared to have been already eaten. Yum.
After a costume change and even louder music, the belly dancer came back out while we awaited our entrees. She moved around the room and did her thing to the delight and amusement of many who were snapping pictures with cell phone cameras to send to their husbands hoping it would entice them to hurry up and arrive to save them from the living nightmare they were in. After some great conversation our meals started arriving at our table with everyone except MSPD being served…
My Falafel Sandwich came out and was more or less what they advertised. I would guess it had been sitting under some heat lamps for a little while as the pita pocket it was in was dry and crispy around the edges. The sauces it was served with were terrible. It didn’t taste like any tahini sauce I’ve ever had but what do I know? The Greek Potatoes, which Art mentioned looked a heck of a lot like any old potato wedge, weren’t too greasy and were filling enough. Since they come with them for free, I don’t suggest ordering the $2.00 upgrade to waffle fries, I just can’t see how that would be worth it. The only redeeming factor were the fresh vegetables inside. I must admit that the tomatoes were mostly ripe and the onions, they were definitely freshly cut–perhaps even earlier that day. Kim’s Gyros were really a gyro and came with what appeared to be plenty of meat and only one piece of pita bread. The meat was tasty enough but being that Kim didn’t finish it, I’d have to say that it wasn’t all that great for her.
Aside from Mrs. Marco’s cheeseburger, my sandwich, and Kim’s gyro, everyone else got very large plates of food. The only true disappointment seemed to be MSPD’s dish which was their $16 Lamb Shank which was supposed to include a “slowly baked lamb shank, carrots, green beans, served over rice or couscous.” Well, while it met those requirements, it did so minimally. We joked that a poor lamb was walking around on only three legs because one of its hoofs were atop a bed of Rice-a-Roni and covered in frozen green beans and carrots. Seriously, if you’re going to serve generic rice, frozen vegetables, and a shitty cut of meat, don’t charge $16 for it. While I didn’t try any of MSPD’s meal, he did remark that he’s had it quite a few times at the Mediterranean Cruise Cafe and those experiences were much better than what he had last night.
After dinner some desserts were ordered including pistachio baklava and Spumoni ice cream. Kim and MSPD enjoyed the baklava and while it didn’t really save the meal for Kim, MSPD did admit that it was good enough for him. The baklava was a small portion but was fairly priced being that it was listed for only $2.50.
Aside from the loud music, sub-par food, and slow service, tonight was a fun time to join up with a bunch of great people. If it wasn’t obvious from what I wrote above, I would have to recommend that you stay away from Ansari’s Grill in Eagan, at least for the time being. Perhaps in a few weeks they’ll have their shit together and the food will be better but being that this restaurant was created from another very successful one, I would expect much better than what Kim and I ate last night.
Have you eaten at Ansari’s Grill in Eagan? If so, what did you think? Did you enjoy the entertainment, food, and environment? Whatever your experience was like, feel free to share it below, we’d love to hear what you thought!
Address:
Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill and Lounge
1960 Rahncliff Ct
Eagan, MN 55122
Phone:
651-452-0999
Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 AM
See all the pictures from Ansari’s Grill in Eagan on Flickr here.
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January 31st, 2009 at 9:42 am
Bonus for people that like rare hamburger – they apparently don’t have a problem with serving “rare” burgers. I’m not complaining because it tasted ok (the part I ate) and the dogs had no problem finishing the rest of my dinner. To be fair I didn’t specify any degree of “wellness” so it wasn’t cooked incorrectly.
Also, I enjoyed the “Greek” potatoes but I’m not sure what made them “Greek.” Oh, and the Coca Cola was delicious with free refills (price for pop was $2.50 which is ENTIRELY too high for ANY pop…you can get a 12 pack for less than that!!!)
The “entertainment” was worth the price of admission. You didn’t mention the stone faced keyboard player. So. Awesome.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:22 am
The gyros look fabulous in the photos, how was the gyro sauce? I heart me some gyros. (Mrs. Marcos, Chili’s missed you)
January 31st, 2009 at 10:28 am
I missed Chili’s but I’m pretty sure everyone agreed we could go there next time! MMMMMMMM! Although the lack of belly dancers will be a huge disappointment!
January 31st, 2009 at 10:43 am
That would have been even funnier if I’d actually gone to Chili’s last night. But we went to Carbone’s.
My step-sister belly dances at ren fest, maybe I can get her to come to Chili’s and dance for y’all.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:50 am
I believe the Chilis in B’ville has FIRE-BREATHING belly dancers. Never settle for less…
I agree with the review entirely, especially the loud music and the pitiful look of MSPD’s lamb ankle. My shish taouk was OK, but a bit overcooked, making the chicken a little dry. And it was absolutely smothered in bell peppers — fine, if you’re a bell pepper fan (I’m not).
They also offered quite a few vegetarian options, which Jesse appreciated. She tried the veggie wrap, but it wasn’t her favorite. She said she would have preferred raw, rather than cooked, veggies in the wrap. But it was freaking HUGE. And the Greek potatoes seemed to have weathered the long ocean voyage to these shores pretty well. (Jesse said the fries were good)
Laurie’s Greek/Chinese stirfry was good and plenty of food for two meals, though it seemed an odd menu item considering where we were. I won’t even go into Mrs. Marcos’s selection…
Not sure we’d go back, unless we heard that they had turned down the music a bit. It made it really hard to carry on a conversation — even with the person sitting right next to you, just an elbow’s length away.
But even with all the negatives, it was a fun evening. We really enjoyed meeting some of our online friends in person.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:56 am
even with the person sitting right next to you, just an elbow’s length away
BURN.
January 31st, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I had the taste of Greece platter. When it arrived, I had to track the waitress down to inform her the Greek salad and the gyros were missing. She corrected the situation without any problems. The waitress was very nice, but the service was very slow. I think I had an empty glass in front of me more often than a full one. The beef kebab was good, with large chunks of tender meat. The stuffed grape leaves were Ok, as were the spinach pies; nothing I would make a special trip for though. I really liked the gyro and will certainly be ordering that in the future. (I think they deliver.). It was a little loud and a little slow to be returning to eat there again, it felt more like it was primarily a bar with a restaurant on the side rather than a restaurant that happens to have a bar.
January 31st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Quick observations:
- Memo to Ansari: More fatty meat on the leg of lamb. Less on the doppleganger…er…entertainment.
- Thank God this isn’t a podcast because there’s no way I’d be able to hear it for at least 148 hours.
- Anyone reading along that’s torn between Ansari’s and the original Mediterranean Cruise Cafe, I would clearly recommend the MCC.
- I think I met my intellectual soulmate last night and she was our server. I did, however, wake up in a cold sweat at 3:30 a.m. after a hellish nightmare about my Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.
- From appearances, tickling the ivories at a Mediterranean restaurant must be the world’s most humiliating/excruciating job. Well, right behind covering south metro City Council meetings for the Pioneer Press.
Excellent, excellent night. I really enjoyed meeting all of you and hope to do it again soon.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I thought I heard “Mr. Whit” sneak out of the house last night – honey was that you at Ansari’s with the plaid shirt and the dollar bills? And who was the wine-drinking chickadee with you, hmmmmmm? You are SO busted.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I have been waiting for you to hit this one. I went there three weeks ago on a Saturday at noon and had a terrible experience. Being a big fan of the Cruise, I was hoping that this would live up to it as I don’t think I will be heading to Burnsville to often to visit the new location.
When I walked in, the place only had 1 person at the Bar and one table with two people at it. I had my daughter with me and after 15 minutes, a table of about 8 people came in. The waiter was obviously struggling to keep up which was at times amusing. The owner even had the following conversation with him in earshot of me and the two seated next to me:
Owner: Ford, (name of the waiter) what the hell are you doing?
Ford: I know, I know…
Owner: Well if you know, why do we keep having the same conversation?
Over in the corner by the bathrooms, someone was working on fixing a chair. He had it up on a table and kept hitting it with a hammer. I would have enjoyed the overly loud music to that anytime.
But the best had to be the elderly lady who started with a bucket of soapy water. She was working her way down the bar washing each bar stool and the foot rest with a sponge. Not so bad until she actually asked the one customer at the bar to please lift his feet so she could wipe his foot rest. To damn funny! But that was not all, after that, she actually came out with an open pint of polyurethane and cloth to fix a scratch on the end bar stool. Way over the top considering they were serving food.
Now my favorite meal at the Cruise is the gyro stirfry and since they offered the same, I thought it would be safe to go with what I know. Now what I know is that they might have gotten some of the belly dancers to come with but they certainly did NOT get the cook to come. Just did not measure up. I can’t really comment on my daughters meal and really don’t remember it other than it was some type of Greek salad.
The only other “fun” moment was when the table of 8 ordered an item that was served in the same manner as a sizzling fajita would be served, it literally filled the place with smoke thick enough to concern us that it may activate the sprinkler system.
All in all, they have not been open that long but they do come from an established place and I would have expected it to be much better.
Looks like I will be hitting the Cruise for the next couple of months as often as I can before the moving trucks back up and haul one of my favorite places away to the flatline of the city in Burnsville.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:12 am
My boyfriend and I went there a couple of weeks ago, just after they opened. I was expecting that it would be on the level of the Meditteranean Cruise (as the owner is either the brother or brother-in-law of Jamal-Cruise), but alas was not so. I was very disappointed in the food and thought the prices were way too high. I will wait until Jamal opens his new restaurant in a couple of months to get my fix of Greek food.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:12 am
I’m a big fan of the MCC, so it’s somewhat disappointing to hear the negative reviews of Ansari’s. Hopefully, they’ll turn it around.
In my opinion, the best gyros in the Minneapolis area are at Gyropolis at 90th & Penn in Bloomington. Try the “Athenian” with the spicy tsatsiki sauce. Delish.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:23 am
Dave, when is that place open? Kim and I used to pass that restaurant frequently on our way to her cousin’s house (at the time) and I never once saw it open.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:50 am
Mon-Fri – 11am-8pm / Sat. 11am-3pm
I think those hours are correct.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 am
Never have seen it open on a weekend but maybe we were just going by there at the wrong times. Thanks!
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:03 am
“Gyros without the gyrations”.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
Perhaps most of you are overly pessimistic and cynical? I have been there 5 times and absolutely love the place. For heaven’s sake they haven’t even had their grand opening yet which is on the Feb. 12th I think so you are judging them based on a soft opening which is usually a trial run for most restaurants. You all sound like 2 bit restaurant reviewers. Are you all like this about everything in life cause that would really suck for you? I tend to pick out the positive things in life. I have tried 5 different things on the menu and each item was wonderfully presented and reasonably priced in my mind. As far as the service goes most of the times it was just fine and others not so much but that goes for anywhere I go. Sometimes human beings will make mistakes and I’m ok with that. If you are expecting some coorporate run restaurant than you probably wont find that atmosphere at Ansari’s. If you want to go into a family operated restaurant with old family recipes and a place where you might run into a few people you know than that is gonna be more on the lines of Ansari’s. The name Ansari’s is a staple in the city of Eagan and it will be different than other places and that is precisely what the people of Eagan expect from Ansari’s. The other night we stayed late after dinner and they had some live music going on. The musician played and sang the theme song from cheers and the entire place was holding hands and belting out the lyrics. It almost sent chills down my back as it really was an awesome atmosphere. If you’re looking to take in a cultural experience and have some great food with belly dancing and with great company, than Ansari’s is certainly a place to go.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:50 am
michael, I don’t pretend to be a restaurant reviewer. Go over to Chowhound.com and read through my five-plus years/hundreds, if not thousands of posts about my restaurant experiences over there. To save you time, I’m extremely forgiving, especially with restaurants in their infancy. Aside from a passionate love of food and having dined at thousands of restaurants nationwide, I don’t have any official culinary credentials. I want to eat good food and I want to help lead people to the same.
In fact while we were eating at Ansari’s, Bill asked if I was going to post comments about it on Chowhound. I said no, I like to try places a few times before I make any public comments…it’s only fair.
That said, I agree with you that the Ansari name is a staple in Eagan. I’ve been to Mediterranean Cruise Cafe dozens of times over the years, sampling items up and down the menu. I’ve come to expect great things from them. And I also know good food when I eat it.
That’s what made my initial visit to Ansari’s so disappointing. With the addition of pizzas and the elimination of duplicitous menu items, the menu is virtually identical. Same family, same recipes, you expect a similar result. Some of the forgiveness of the newness of a place is sacrificed when it’s a family that has been serving the same community and cooking these same recipes for over a decade.
At MCC, my favorite dish is the “Moroccan Couscous” which is a slow-cooked lamb shank over delicious couscous with carrots, beans, etc. I’ve had it at least five times in recent memory. I ordered that at Ansari’s (although it’s just called a lamb shank and they offer rice or couscous, which I totally missed…I wanted couscous, but that was my mistake).
The lamb shank was laughable. It was the size of, and had the meat content of a standard chicken drumstick. There was no salt, no herbs…nothing. I could achieve that dish buying a clearance lamb shank from Rainbow, tossing it alone in my slow cooker on high for 8 hours and putting it on a plate. Like Bill said immediately upon seeing it set on the table: “Oh man, you were screwed”.
Beyond that it was served on flavorless rice that was exactly what you’d get out of a Rice A Roni box. There was no spice like at MCC at all. It was watery, flavorless, yellow overboiled rice. The carrots and green beans were similarly from a can. There was absolutely no effort whatsoever on this plate.
If they can source a nice-sized, quality lamb shank from their supplier at MCC, they can do the same at Ansari’s. If they can sprinkle spices into a side dish of starch at MCC, they should be able to do it at Ansari’s. These aren’t the challenges of a new restaurant.
These are the facts, not cynicism and pessimism. They’ve established a reputation in the south metro and they need to live up to it. Quickly.
p.s. – here are some links to my comments on Chowhound about MCC. As you’ll see, I’ve been highly recommending them for years now:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/346003
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/505192
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/125065
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:54 am
Just for the record, I am a “2 bit restaurant reviewer” and MSPD is my hero.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Oh my god. I was browsing those links and I just read my blurb on Perron’s Sul Lago from 2005. That DOES read like a two-bit restaurant reviewer. Yikes.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/123645
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Ok I’ve got a challenge for you. Name 1 positive thing about your experience there and be sincere and not sarcastic.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
I really shouldn’t baby you like this as I assume you are an adult and have developed reading comprehension and retention skills above that of a 4th grader but here you go:
1. “They were ready for us with a long table setup right in the front by the belly dancing stage and were happy to add another chair for us.”
2. “…asked if we’d like to split the checks up (we did)…”
3. “…the Baba Ghanoush that Kim ordered was quite tasty. I enjoyed the smokey flavor and when sui generis tried it he also commented that it had a great smoke flavor.”
4. “The appetizer came with some olives and I had one and Kim ate the other two finding that they were quite yummy.”
5. “Aside from Mrs. Marco’s cheeseburger, my sandwich, and Kim’s gyro, everyone else got very large plates of food.”
6. “…tonight was a fun time to join up with a bunch of great people.”
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Well I will be the first to admit that my 5th graders math homework is way over my head. Thanks for making it easy on me I must have missed all that in the sea of darkness.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Those weekend hours for the MCC are strange. No dinner service on Saturdays or at all on Sundays? Is their weekday traffic that good? I wonder if they will keep them when they move to new spot.
Ironically, the MCC was offered the location where Ansari’s is now, but they turned it down. My understanding, based on the Thisweek article I read about the situation, is that the owner of the MCC was not entirely supportive of this venture, at least not originally, but that could have changed.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
The pistachio baklava was above average.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Tim, those were for Gyropolis in Bloomington.
Michael, I tell it like it is. Sorry.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Tim,
Those are the hours for Gyropolis in Bloomington.
http://www.medcruisecafe.com for their info.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Tim, those aren’t the hours for MCC or Ansari’s.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Wow, triple jinx!
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I, uh, appreciate the clarification. :)
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I really liked the food at the MCC, and haven’t been to the new place, but lemme tell you, the music has ALWAYS been way too loud when they have bellydancers. I just want to have a conversation with the people at my table, is that so wrong?
February 4th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I am an amature bellydancer in the cities, I have been to Ansari’s once to watch a friend bellydance. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on that yes it is a soft opening and hopefully someone is reading these reviews to get an idea of what needs fixing as far as their menu is concerned. The food was decent for the price but I am no foodie, I actually hate most food ( I managed to pick every piece of mushroom off my chicken alfredo pizza that night) but what they have is decent and they aren’t dreadfully overcharging for anything but the soda (that pissed me off too). Overall I felt your review was honest and to the point and I can’t fault you for that.
As for the music, here is the issue. They have not installed monitors around the stage, I know I’ve stood up there, at a typical volume the customers can here the music but the dancer is effectively running blind. You cannot hear ANYTHING on that stage. That is why they cranked the music, so that the bellydancer can stay on time with the music which is hard to do even in the best circumstances. Also the height of the stage is wonderful in that the whole restaurant can see her, cane dances are not usually an issue, my friend did one and didn’t hit the ceiling. The problem comes in with taller dancers who are more used to taller ceilings. It takes a while to get used to not having the clearance you are used to.
I am just curious did you go on the 30th or 31st?
February 4th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Randamuko, I appreciate the info, but I have to absolutely call b.s. on the music volume schpeel.
As of Friday at least, the speakers are located on the back corners of the stage, facing diagonally into the center. We were sitting three feet from the dancer (well within the ceiling shrapnel hot zone). There were belly dancers in Saudi Arabia that could hear the Ansari Amadaeus.
February 4th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Well I will say that on January 24th when I was there they had not yet installed monitors which trust me would have been a valid excuse if that were still the case.
Since the monitors had finally been installed by the time you were there then yeah the music was overblown.
I’m just trying to give logical reasoning to the music issue, and since there is none your call of b.s. is valid and accepted. ^__^
February 4th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I was there that same night, and I remember seeing your table. The monitor thing the other poster talked about is true–and the speaker that was set up is from the key board player, so it may have been loud if you were right in front of it. They don’t have the sound stuff all worked out yet. They had not had him before, I don’t think, and from what I heard, he was a surprise to the dancer to. As far as the dancing, I think you exaggerate a LOT. She did a great job. There was no “scary ceiling shrapnel”–she tapped an overhang/wood fixture at one point–and there was nothing “unnerving” about her. It’s a beautiful artform, and she’s a very skilled dancer. She dances over at MCC too. Watching the way you guys acted from the moment the music started, I think you guys, I think you just had a problem that there was a dancr at all. Maybe your over-repressed?
February 4th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Clarifying Randamuko they did not install monitors yet. Not as of that weekend anyway. The “monitor” the original poster is talking about was a keyboard player’s speaker. They have the same problem with the music getting very loud next to the stage when they have guitar bands and stuff play like they did later that night after the dancer. Also, I didn’t think the music was that loud the first time she danced (without the keyboad guy). What are they supposed to dance to? Quiet elevator music?
I also enjoyed my food alot. Disagree with this reviewer very strongly.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Thank you for saving me thousands in shrink fees. You have changed my entire outlook on life! I’m fucking over-repressed! God damn it, why didn’t anyone fucking tell me that before?
February 4th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
“Tapped?” Um, no.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Bill – you’re over-repressed…and you swear too fucking much.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
All I’m saying is you looked angry about the dancing from the moment it started, and you’re saying a lot of really insulting things about someone who practices a cultural artform and who is a beautiful and classy performer and your comparing her to a stirpper (or whateve–the king of diamonds thing? wtf…) I get that you weren’t happy with your food. You feel the music was too loud or you don’t like watching belly dance–fine. But the nasty tone of your review and the stuff you say, I think the hang up here is yours, not hers.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Drunken males shoving dollar bills into the waistband of scantily clad women dancing in a bar…sounds ripe for a strip club analogy to me!
February 4th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
As a part of the highly repressed group, I have to say that the OVERLY loud music was the biggest non-food related problem. Some of us were uncomfortable with the “scantily clad” woman getting pawed by the drunken dude in a plaid flannel shirt, but angry? No. We had some decent laughs about the situation and as far as I know, most of us enjoyed the evening out.
P.S. perhaps you’ve never been to a strip club so you’re not aware of the similarities between belly dancing and strip club dancing. I think we call that being highly repressed!
February 4th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Mrs. Marcos-
I think that to call something that is steeped in tradition and culture similar to stripping is completely uncalled for.
Did the bellydancer that night take off her clothes for the drunk man in plaid? No? I didn’t think so. The dancewear is designed to draw attention to the areas of body performing the motion and while yes bellydancing is considered a suggestive dance it has been practiced by tradition for hundreds of years including but not limited to Saudi Arabia which as I’m sure you are aware is significantly against the exposure of women’s bodies and is danced in a similar fashion to that which you saw Friday night.
If you are so against culture and opening your mind to something new than maybe Applebee’s is more your speed, you are not likely to find many strippers there.
February 4th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
As long as we’re talking about something steeped in tradition and culture, lets all read along together, shall we:
“Historically, most of the dances associated with belly dance were performed with the sexes separated; men with men and women with women. Few depictions of mixed dancing exist. This practice ensured that a “good” woman would not be seen dancing by anyone but her husband, her close family, or her female friends. Sometimes a professional dancer would go to a women’s gathering with several musicians and get the women up and dancing. Today, sex segregation is not as strictly practiced in many urban areas, and sometimes both men and women will dance socially among close friends at a mixed function. However, while social dancing at family functions is accepted and even encouraged, there are many people in Middle Eastern and North African societies who regard the performances of professional dancers in revealing costumes for mixed audiences as morally objectionable. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that such performances be banned.”
All I’m saying is, if one is going to make the cultural/historical argument, not only should dollars and touching NOT be involved, it should be segregated as well. The above is from Wiki, which I know has its drawbacks, but it had some interesting historical information.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
You people must be complete dimwits. I suppose next your gonna say that you saw people smoking marijuana out of the hookah pipes. When you go to an ETHNIC restaurant you are going to experience things that you may not normally experience in the comfort of your little bubbles that you seem to be stuck in.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
It must really suck to be at the other end of a long-running joke that you just don’t seem to get.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Michael: The point is, lest you missed it, was that one going to an ETHNIC restaurant, expecting an authentic ETHNIC experience, and knowing the true history of the cultural beauty of belly dancing, one would not expect to see dollar bills tucked into a dancer’s costume. Actually, living in a bubble has nothing to do with it whatsoever. The fact that one has LEFT the bubble and educated oneself on the history would lead one to recognize that what is happening in this restaurant is NOT the true cultural experience. Finis.
February 4th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
p.s. I totally object to being called a complete dimwit. A partial dimwit, yes, but a complete dimwit? That’s taking it way too far.
February 4th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
As Bill and Whit have already commented…if it is a cultural experience I don’t anticipate seeing money being shoved in her waistband.
Michael – Don’t be silly, of course we didn’t see anyone smoking out of the hookah pipes, you can’t smoke in restaurants in this state.
Randamuko – “Did the bellydancer that night take off her clothes for the drunk man in plaid?” No, she didn’t remove any clothes, but she sure did shake her hips suggestively and allow him to place money in her waistband several times…very similar to what you might see in a Strip club. Oh, and I prefer Chili’s, not Applebees! :)
Again, let me clarify that I don’t have anything against strippers or the fine establishments that employ said strippers. I don’t have anything against belly dancers. I did have an issue with overly loud music making conversation near impossible and I have an issue with the “it is culture” argument being used in support of something that has traveled far enough from its original form to include being pawed by drunken guys in plaid flannel shirts while cash is shoved into her costume waistband (though to be fair, not ALL gropers were wearing plaid).
February 4th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
1. Going to wikipedia and typing in belly dancing is your avenue of leaving your bubble and educating yourself. That must take a lot of whit. I’m so glad I found this blog cause it is better than comedy central. Rather than turning on the TV at night to laugh I’m just gonna read what you people have to say. That is until my head explodes from your narrow and dull minds.
2. To relate your experience to that of a strip club is preposterous!!! I think Chili’s and Applebee’s may be too offensive for you people. Perhaps you should go to Perkins by 5:00, to the bingo hall by 6:00, and then make it to bed by 8:00. (Make sure to get your senior discount too cause I don’t want to waste time reading your reviews on that)
February 4th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I think we’ve exhausted this line of discussion. Move on.
February 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Michael/GsGirl, lighten up.
As far as I know, we all had a GREAT freaking time. FYI, this was the first time I’ve met all of these guys in person. I was as far from “angry” as anyone could possibly get. We were all in great moods and laughing the whole time (99% was laughing at ourselves).
Yes, the food was disappointing. For my part, I’ve tried to fairly describe why and even added links to years worth of my comments about MCC for fairness.
We’re not insulting the dancer or her artform. We’re insulting the drunk cad that was trying to dry hump her.
You have to remember that you’re on someone’s BLOG.
February 4th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
“the drunk cad that was trying to dry hump her.”
I threw up a little, thanks MSPD. ;)
February 5th, 2009 at 7:09 am
I have no problem with belly dancing, but I have yet to see anyone explain the cultural significance of allowing people to stuff money in your pants. That is where it went over the top for me. I wouldn’t have minded if I wasn’t there with my 10 year old daughter. Belly dancing without the dollar stuffing was fun; add in the dollar stuffing, and I start to wonder when the pole will be installed. I guess now I know this just isn’t a family type place. If you are going to get on your soap box and play the “You are closed minded and uncultured because you disagree with me” card, then you certainly better apply that argument to the part of the performance that people found objectionable. But then, maybe you are too unintelligent to be able to discern the real source of contention here…
February 5th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I love Bingo.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:11 am
My first response to all this is that I need to get to this place and see the stripp….err dancers!
Belly dancing does not equal stripping, but to imply that a comparison is somehow evil is a bit close minded. Whats wrong with stripping? Is it that men paying women money to dance naked or in skimpy clothes is degrading? I am off to BINGO!
February 5th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Ok sui you can use a bunch of big words to sound intelligent yay for you!!! I never said that stuffing dollars in the pants was a cultural thing but there shouldn’t be a problem with the girls making tips for their effort. Perhaps you should suggest a tip jar rather than letting people have some fun by stuffing. Again, I’ll bet there’s no “stripping” (aka belly dancing) at Perkins and I’m certain there’s an open table waiting for you and your 10 year old. There may be some syrup stuck to the table but no stripping. I have a 10 year old too and when I take him for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night I usually consider a kid friendly place to take him to and not to some strip club…geez what kind of parent are you?
February 5th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Michael, you don’t even make sense.
Chad, let’s bingo.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Michael – Isn’t it obvious? Sui is the kind of parent that wants his daughter to exposed to cultural entertainment! Duh!
I don’t know where all this Bingo! talk came from….Poker maybe, but Bingo? What does that have to do with stripping?
February 5th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Just so any future commenters on this thread know, like the one that just submitted a comment, I *do* require a valid e-mail address and I *do* verify that they are valid from time-to-time. I will not approve comments from people that use e-mail addresses like: “thisisablogyoudontneedmyemail@gmail.com”.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Michael said: “Perhaps you should go to Perkins by 5:00, to the bingo hall by 6:00, and then make it to bed by 8:00.”
And I got all excited, cause I love bingo. Unashamedly. Though I hate Perkins.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Oh great, now everybody knows my other email address.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Michael, Me talk with small words so you no get lost. Me sad you don’t get it. Me no take kid to strip joints, that is the point. Me no need to stuff bills in pants to have a good time. You must need to. (there, other than your name, every word was a single syllable. Hope that works better for you. If not, break down and buy a dictionary.)
February 5th, 2009 at 11:50 am
ENOUGH. Back on topic now! Any future comments that I deem inappropriate for the discussion at hand will be deleted and if I get pissed off enough, I will disable your ability to post and possibly read in the future.
HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?
February 5th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
So, the food was not as good as MCC, the place was loud, and the belly dancers, while expressing themselves in a culturaly acceptable way, may have been crossing the line by accepting crisp one dollar bills from the groping hands of strangers? Did I get the gist of the review?
February 6th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
I have been asked by the dancer to remove the photos I took of her that evening. While I didn’t feel that my photos were in any way demeaning or inappropriate, as you can read from the e-mail she sent me (which I have posted in its long-winded entirety below) she does. Being that I respect her wishes, I have marked the photos as private and removed the links in the post above.
If you’re still interested in seeing the belly dancer in question, please be sure to view photos of her on her own website including action shots much like those that I took myself as I’m sure you can locate it easily via Google. The irony of the situation is not lost on me and I made sure to point out in my short response to her that her hypocrisy is astounding.
I suppose it’ll be up to you to decide if my opinion of the situation is correct.
February 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
For those of you who think this restaurant has anything to do with the current and upcoming new MCC it doesnt. This is not associated with them at all. Just to clarify so you dont compare the original with the crap service I got at the Ansari Grill.
February 12th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hey Tim do your homework before you speak cause if you did you would know that it is the same family with the same recipes. As far as the service goes it sucks at both places; Ansari’s just isn’t as dingy as MCC.
February 13th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Just to clarify for all who are misunderstanding: The Mediterranean Cruise and Ansari’s Grill are NOT sister restaurants!!!!!! The owners of Ansari’s Grill are ex-employees who decided to start their own restaurant (basically emulating the MCC).
February 13th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Sarah, I suppose I should have called it a cousin restaurant since it was family that split and spawned a new restaurant with a nearly identical menu. My apologies.
February 16th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Danny you must be pretty stupid to even compare the food from the mcc to Ansari’s. The menu may have been copied but the food copied tastes nothing like the mcc. I ate at Ansari’s about a week ago and it was absolutely horrible.
February 18th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
You know John I will admit to being dumb but stupid just doesn’t fit across my forehead. As far as the pretty part goes I agree 100%.
February 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Very funny Danny you kind of sound like a little Kid
February 20th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Now that you both have said your piece, enough, ok? Back on topic–preferably about the food/restaurant.
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:47 am
the food was mediocre to say the least, the interior reeks of Baker’s Square (hookah’s in pie display cases, really?) the staff knows nothing about mediterranean cusine. the bar looks like any other suburban sports bar. Really, no reasons to ever go back.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 am
I am going there tonight…I’ll leave my review tomorrow. But I would like to say that Minnesotans have set really high standards about where they eat. It’s quite rediculous really. I have been working in the industry for 15 years and have noticed if it’s not one thing it’s another. This is fine for reviewing your typical chain restaurant.
The Cruise and Ansari’s are family owned and operated. This doesn’t mean the food has to taste exactly the same. They are two different places after-all. Perhaps they changed the recipe based on critics like yourselves and are running a test menu to try to please you all. Cynical I tell ya! You all nit-pick. If you want to nit-pick go to Chilis or Applebee’s where everything is suppose to taste the same. MCC and Ansari’s are very unique places. They aren’t suppose to be “Americanized” for your tatse buds.
Also: If you have an issue with paying $2.50 for a soda, order water then you’ll have fewer things to bitch about.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:52 am
Angela,
1. We typically don’t frequent chain restaurants here so I am going to have to say that the majority of your comment is, well, way off base.
2. You have missed the entire point of the discussion of MSPD’s meal. At issue wasn’t the taste or presentation differences between the two restaurants, it was the simple fact that the quality of the meat, rice, and vegetables was sub-par for the price paid.
3. I hope your review, especially with your vast experience in the field, will be more useful than a rant about $2.50 sodas, Applebees, and Minnesotan’s tastes (BTW, you’re wrong, Minnesota is the least picky place to have a restaurant–fuck people here eat and enjoy lutefisk, hot dish, and shit on a stick).
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:04 am
I’m just saying….look at these posts to your blog. They nit-pick about the hookas in the display case, the dancers not being professional enough, the price of soda, the staff not knowing about Mediterranean food…..really?
I can appreciate your original review. It was valid. It seemed to be a slightly mixed review. You liked some things but not others. If you could rate it between 1 and 10, 10 being the best; what rating would you give?
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 am
Angela, you should not leave comments when you clearly only read half of the original review, and skipped almost all of the 70+ posts following the review.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:12 am
Angela,
Well, I don’t generally like to scale my reviews because it’s so difficult to keep it valid across numerous restaurants but just for you, just this once:
Food: 5/10
(Of the food I tasted, it really could have been a lot better but I have had worse)
Service: 6/10
(a 4/10 for our server and a 8/10 for accommodating our large group easily)
Ambiance: 4/10
- the music was entirely too loud
- I don’t care if the owner thinks that hookah bars are cool and trendy, you don’t need to use them as decorations
- while the dancer herself felt that her art form is beautiful, the way that the crowd was interacting with her was not
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:17 am
Sorry, next time we’ll stick to:
IT GOOD!
IT BAD!
Wouldn’t want to have DETAILS in a review. DETAILS BAD!
Every single person that was actually THERE that night listed things they enjoyed and things they did NOT enjoy. We’re sorry you didn’t enjoy our reviews…although very few of us, if any wrote them in hopes of impressing you.
Since you’ve been in “the business” for 15 years I’m certain you are aware of the fact that pop costs pennies to serve. Any restaurant that charges $2.50 for a glass of pop (soda for you non-native Minnesotans) is going to get slammed.
Also “ridiculous?” People that can’t spell ridiculous. ;)
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
Chad,
I did read all of the 70+ posts. Thank you.
Mrs. Marcos,
You might want to double check with your spell checker! Also check the price of pop at each resaurant you visit over the course of the next month or so. That’s the average going rate for a refillable fountain soda.
Bill,
Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 am
I seriously hope you’re not trying to say “rediculous” is the correct spelling of RIDICULOUS.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:38 am
Let’s try to keep the pointless banter to a minimum while sticking to the actual topic, ok?
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Bill, I agree. I did however want to apologize to Mrs. Marcos. Yes, your spell checker was correct and mine was not. A simple typo, yet sorry for the back-lash.
I’m looking forward to visiting Ansari’s this evening.
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Angela,
No problem. Let us know how Ansari’s is tonight. It might not seem like it but most of us really want restaurants to do well! :)
March 4th, 2009 at 10:32 am
I couldn’t sleep last night….Angela….how was it?!?!
March 4th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Maybe she fell under the spell of Hungry Eyes…or maybe she got knocked in the head by the golden cane of doom?
Come on, Angela! We need the details! :)
March 4th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Ha! You are funny! Sadly I didn’t make it there last night. No I didn’t get knocked out by the golden cane!
Once I do make it there I’ll be sure to return here for the big review!
:)
Chow!
March 7th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Ansari’s Grill is NOT a sister restaurant to the MCC!! Never has been. Never will be. Their owners are brothers, not business partners. You can’t expect great service, food, and atmosphere to travel to Ansari’s Grill, from the MCC. My suggestion-drive the extra 10 minutes to the new Burnsville location. You are guaranteed a wonderful night.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Ashley: See post #70. And #69. And #67. On a side note, how can you guarantee a wonderful night before construction is even completed? Whatever. To me even opening up the same restaurant in a new space can run into opening-night/week/month issues. If the “Burnsville location”, when it opens, can promise me that me and my kids won’t be subjected to seeing women walking/dancing around with money stuffed in their pants, we’ll be there.
March 8th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Whit,
I think you used the term “pants” liberally to describe what hungry eyes was wearing that night.
Sincerely,
Coke NOT Pepsi
June 19th, 2009 at 1:25 am
Hi, I am one of the owners of Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill & Lounge and I’m very sorry your first experience here was not exactly fantastic. I see you came in the very beginning and I don’t want to make any excuses but I feel I am forced to because we were in a soft opening. Many of our servers and kitchen staff were new and still learning the menu and system. We had slow service and inconsistent plate presentation. That was to be expected. We have since fine tuned our methods and will continue to improve. The Lamb Shank has been “upgraded” to a more generous portion, we now base our servings on weight of the Lamb Shank rather than by the number of Lamb Shanks on a plate, in fact we were serving 2 Lamb Shanks on a plate a day after you visited. The speaker system has been upgraded. We have a computer system now to allow for more efficient service and speed. The pop price has not changed(Check the Cruise, we were charging 2.50 for years over there, yes you can get a 12 pack for $3 but you are at a restaurant and paying for service.)
Belly Dancing is an ancient art practiced for hundreds of years. Comparing them to strippers is uncalled for and unprofessional. Tips are tradionally placed in the dancers waistband(again check the Cruise). If you are uncomfortable with putting the tip there you can place it in the tip basket or on the dance floor. I don’t want to even comment on the names you called the “plaid shirt guy” but I’m sure he is sorry that a lumberjack from the 80′s called and wanted his outfit back. Since you are a big fan of the cruise then you should know that your dinner comes with a show on the weekends. If you prefer to have a more quiet dinner then I would invite you to come on a night other than Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
I also wanted to comment on some of the rumors about who we are. We are the founders and original owners of the Med. Cruise. My father and uncles started the business together in 1979. My father was forced to sell his shares in 2002 due to some other bad business moves. My brothers and I worked there for over 15 years, everything from dishwashing, prepping food, and cooking to bartending and serving tables. We know the food and the business and we wanted to continue doing what we know. When the city took our building we made a decision to start our own business and stay in Eagan to serve the friends we made over the years. Jamal and the Med Cruise will prosper and succeed as his family grew up in the business as well.
So if you are feeling the need for Mediterranean I invite you to come out and try us again and I hope your experience will be much more fun than the first time.
June 19th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Mr Ansari,
I am impressed that you took the time to respond in a thoughful way. Its hard to respond to strong opinions in a civil way sometimes. Based on your response alone, I hope your restraunt, and the MCC, are both doing well, and will lookforward to trying out your place, AND the MCC in the near future.
June 19th, 2009 at 11:38 am
1. Which one of us claimed to be ‘professional?’
2. We went, we saw, we commented. We’re allowed our opinions and we’re allowed to discuss them…but thanks for chiming in 5 months later.
June 19th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
“Belly Dancing is an ancient art practiced for hundreds of years. Comparing them to strippers is uncalled for and unprofessional.”
Mr. Ansari: First of all, thanks for your comments – its nice to hear that you’ve listened to some of the customer’s comments. I just have one issue: If you are going to call this an ancient art, then it has to be done in its ancient form, which did NOT include “body tipping” {if I’m wrong on this, please provide me with a reference which proves that hundreds of years ago, the dancers were allowed to be touched by non-family members and have money stuffed in their clothing – I’d be interested in reading it}. If you are going to “modernize” it in this way (a) it is by definition no longer ancient, and (b) my family w/kids isn’t going to come to a restaurant where there’s a distinct chance a customer you aren’t interested in controlling is stuffing money or even nicely placing bills in the dancer’s costume, because by then, the damage is done – I will not have exposed them to the true cultural experience, I will have exposed them to frankly, an act which demeans the ancient art. To me, you can’t have it both ways: either have the dancers not allow body tipping AT ALL, and you can keep the “ancient art” label and call this a true cultural experience, or allow body tipping, drop this “ancient art” farce, and deal with the comparison to strippers. By allowing it, you’re doing your own culture a disservice, which to me, is a shame. In its pure form, this dance can be beautiful. Add a wad of $1 bills, and it becomes, well, just plain sad.
June 19th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Whit o Whit-
Let me clarify some things. Belly Dancing itself is an ancient art, I didn’t say that tipping was. Obviously the tradition started in America as many Middle Eastern cultures don’t even allow the dancers’ faces to be shown. You call it “body tipping” but its not like people are shoving money down the dancer’s shorts. It should be referred to more as “costume tipping”. The dancer’s outfits have special spots on them for tips to be placed.
June 19th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I wonder if strippers had those pockets in their thongs if it would make stripping ok?
June 19th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Hey, what’s wrong with strippers, anyway? :)
June 19th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
We’re all naked under our clothes.
June 19th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
In America we call those special outfits “garter belts” or “g-strings.”
…maybe the new and improved sound system could play “Air on a G String”
ba-dum-bump!
June 20th, 2009 at 8:01 am
‘We’re all naked under our clothes.’
these clothes will stay in place lest i scare the shit out of someone:)
bb
June 20th, 2009 at 10:30 am
D. Ansari: Thank you for making my point. So your dancers are not performing the “ancient art” which has existed for “hundreds of years.” Your own dancer called it “body tipping” in an earlier post. I’m just using the vernacular that your own employee uses for the practice.
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:26 am
My wife and I finally tried Ansari’s last night, having been meaning to since they opened. We got there around 5:30 and it was pretty empty, with the exception of the bar and the surrounding area, which was packed. The whole time we were there, I’m pretty sure my wife and I were the youngest people in the place (and at 30 and 28, we’re not that young) aside from some of the staff. Granted, it was early when we got there, but even the people that came after we did were quite a bit older. It’s like they always went there when it was Baker’s Square and decided to keep on going to the same location.
Anyway, my wife had the Kufta Kabob burger and I had the Mezza Platter. They were both excellent, plus we were quite hungry, so we finished almost our entire meals (I left some of the hummus from mine, but finished the kabobs, tabbouleh, and falafel). Oh, and we had the spinach pie appetizer, which was fantastic and probably the best part of the meal.
The service was very attentive, though granted, that wasn’t hard considering that they weren’t that busy at that early hour. The only negatives for me were that 1) as previously noted, $2.50 for a soda is crazy, and 2) the flatbread could have been warmer, though they gave us a lot of it.
Based on our experience last night, we would definitely go back. It helps too that it’s close to where we live.
As a side note, we were there too early for the entertainment, so I can’t comment on anything like the volume of the music or the tipping of the dancers. :)
August 9th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
This is my new favorite place, hands down,food is off the hook.And the Waitresses are hot too!
August 14th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
My husband and I just visited Ansari’s for the first time tonight. We had a number of errands to do in the area, plus I was tempted to try out the place as a possible location for my upcoming birthday. As typical of my husband, we didn’t call for reservations, so I was glad we were able to find a seat, given the parking lot was full, as were most of the tables.
My husband ordered the stir-fry with shrimp, while I had the Greek platter. The waitress asked how spicy my husband wanted the stir-fry and helped him with a potential spice level, which I thought was a nice touch…and it came out exactly like he requested it. We both had Greek salads, which were huge and generous with toppings. My plate was full of tastiness: gryos, kebabs, stuffed grape leaves and spinach pies. I ordered the rolled cookie, which was just the perfect amount of sweetness after a meal (we took home leftovers).
We also arrived just before the belly dancer performed. The music was a perfect pitch, and the dancing (and the attention given to her) was appropriate.
While I haven’t been to the MCC in a long time, so I can’t make a legitimate comparison, I was very grateful to have finally tried this place that is just right down the road from us. I’m also glad for another non-franchise addition to the area! The food was great, and we were both delighted with our experience. The waitress and hostess were very professional and inquired of our experience. All in all, we were pleased and will be recommending this place.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:40 am
We went there again last night, this time getting carryout. I was very impressed with the speed of service; I called at 6:15 and my food was ready and waiting for me when I picked it up at 6:30, just as they said it would be.
We got almost the same things as last time (spinach pie appetizer and kufta kabob burger), but for my entree I went with the falafel sandwich. Very good; a little tricky to eat due to the shape of the pita but that’s a minor detail. The Greek potatoes were great; they didn’t come with my meal last time and my wife got waffle fries, so this was my first time trying them.
It was pretty busy when we were there. The patio is open now and that was completely filled up, plus there were only one or two open spots at the bar. I imagine it gets a lot of business from the hotels, since they are so close.
December 18th, 2009 at 10:31 am
[...] Thisweek mentions that Ansari’s in Eagan is sponsoring a pub crawl to raise money for Toys for Tots. $10 admission will get you on the bus [...]
May 6th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Today’s Groupon is for Ansari’s…
May 6th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I thought I witnessed a lot of “groupon” going on the last time I was there, but I was assured that it was actually an ancient art form that I was too unsophisticated to understand and appreciate.
May 6th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Mrs Marcos this whole conversation happened many months ago and you are STILL butthurt about it? God your life must be boring.
May 6th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Nothing about the entire situation made my butt hurt, but thanks for your concern.
May 6th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
And here you are many months later still missing the point and taking shots at Mrs. Marcos on a blog.
Pot, meet kettle.
May 6th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
My head hurts.
May 6th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Hi,
I have been reading this blog for a few months now. I have done lots of laughing at the Casa Nostra thing. Now I think you need to start one about Casper’s Cherokee Sirlion Room in Eagan. This is a place I am at and I want to see what you all have to say about it, maybe Fitz’s too?
May 6th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I go to Casper’s for their Wednesday all-you-can-eat crablegs about 2-3 times a year. I enjoy it, but that’s all I’ve ever eaten there.
When you say “This is a place I am at”, do you mean you work there?
May 6th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
oops. I meant to say that I am there a lot. I used to work there about 10 years ago.
I am always interested to hear what other people have to say about places. I know somebody that used to work at casa nostra. I really enjoyed all that was said about that place. I also frequent Ansari’s. I am yet to go to the Rack Shack, but will be swinging in there soon. It is just more fun to hear about places that I can directly relate to instead of hearing about places I have never heard of or will ever be. If you can’t tell, they are all “In my neighborhood.” It is also very interesting to hear what people have to say about a place they have never actually been to themselves.
This is the first blog that I have ever actually paid attention to for more then a day or two. I will keep watching and be adding to it now.
May 6th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
jeepone,
I’ve only eaten at Casper’s once back in September of 2005. I don’t remember much about the food other than the menu was overpriced for whatever it was I got (I believe a pork chop) and the place was dark.
While I have been intrigued by the thought of all you can eat nights, I must admit that they bring the entire place down–especially when they have them every fucking night of the week.
It’s just one of those places that has been around so long that people continue to go to it out of habit, not because it’s good, special, interesting, etc. Me? Well, I have too many other new places that don’t get much exposure that need coverage so I just haven’t been back.
Porter Creak Hardwood Grill, owned by nearby Doolittle’s is opening soon in Burnsville. They got up to speak about the restaurant’s vision and honestly it was mouthfuls of bullshit. Stuff about how their menu items are built to go together–as if this is a new idea–and their rotisserie proteins and vegetables alongside their wood fired oven are so amazing. Been there done that people, there’s the Roasted Pear right down the street. If I want to eat ok food for too high a price and smell like smoke when I leave, I might as well just go there.
Time for someone to do something really different and get me interested.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:15 am
I used to go to Caspers once in awhile. Have not been for a few years, as our last visit was bad, and it takes some time for me to forgive. Also used to go to Coopers alot, until a VERY bad experience ended that.
I have high hopes for Porter Creek. My thought is that it must be something different than Doolittles, or why would they have the new name, spend all this money, and open it so close to Doolittles. I could be wrong though.
May 8th, 2010 at 11:14 am
I’ve only been to Casper’s once, and since I don’t remember it too well, it does not seem to have made much of an impression on me one way or the other.
But I do remember it being very dark inside, though. It must have been some ambiance thing they were going for.