Looking for a nice place to go to dinner for our anniversary which is next week while we are attending a friend’s wedding out of state, I decided to try out Chianti Grill in Burnsville which is a local chain with an additional location in Falcon Heights as well as two different named restaurants including Porterhouse Steaks and Seafood in Lakeville and Ciattis of Lacrosse in Onalaska, WI.
I made reservations online and the only options this morning at 8 AM were 5:45 or 7:15pm. I chose 7:15 and as I was fumbling with my login to OpenTable, it disappeared leaving us with 7:45 as the next available option. While I realize that OT sucks and only has limited reservation slots, I was not pleased as this was the second time I’ve attempted to go to Burnsville’s Chianti Grill and been stuck with only late reservation slots which is why we have never been here before. Thankfully, because I wanted to get some sushi at Ronin’s grand opening, this worked out for us tonight.
We arrived at 7:25 and were told there would be a seat available at 7:45. We sat down in some over sized leather chairs and observed the restaurant. The inside is much larger than I expected with ceilings that are high, unnecessarily so. The waiting area is small with numerous people milling about and making it more cramped than it needs to be especially with usually no less than five people standing behind the hostess desk chatting for almost the entire time we sat there waiting instead of doing whatever it is that they are paid to do. I don’t like when restaurants make you wait past your reservation time and that’s exactly what happened to us tonight. While 15 minutes may not seem like much, don’t take reservations if you aren’t going to meet them.
The specials, written on a chalk board stuffed in the corner of the foyer, were shrimp and crab risotto and wild mushroom NY strip. Neither had prices attached and when I asked the server what type of mushrooms they were I can’t say I was surprised when she replied with “cremini, portobello, and shiitake.” The only one she didn’t mention, because I stopped her before she could continue with a curt, “so, not wild, ok,” would have been oyster. I then asked if the “fresh” Norwegian salmon was frozen. She didn’t know and went to the kitchen to ask and returned seconds later with, “it never has been frozen, ever.” Against my better judgment I went with the obviously farmed salmon. Kim was torn between the Filet Mignon or the Crab Claws and decided on the later.
The Salmon Taormina is described as grilled fresh Norweigan Salmon topped with sauteed artichoke, fresh tomato, basil and white wine with lemon for $21.99. The Crab Claws are listed as being delicious crab claws served with a side of butter for $26.99. Both come with salad, bread, choice of side with the option to upgrade to Caesar or Balsamic Gorgonzola for $1.49. Tonight’s sides were two pasta choices (spaghetti and marinara or fettucine Alfredo), rosemary potatoes or sauteed vegetables. I went with the potatoes and Kim chose the Alfredo pasta. While I went with their standard salad with bleu cheese, Kim upgraded to their balsamic gorgonzola.
The bread arrived and was nothing to write home about. I eat better stuff from Sara Lee. The salad was nothing special but was a decent size. The bleu cheese dressing had large chunks of something in it but whatever it was, it didn’t taste anything like cheese, let alone bleu cheese and I could have been eating something that tasted like Styrofoam. Kim mentioned her salad needed walnuts or something and when I asked how it was she gave me a 50/50 motion with her hand and said she would probably have been happier with the house salad. I’m sure she would as we eat plenty of boring bagged salad at home just like this seemed to be.
Our meals came out soon after the salad and I apologize but the photos just did not come out. While I have linked to them, they are absolutely terrible with the very low lighting. Honestly, the dishes weren’t anything to look at anyway. Mine was a simple hunk of salmon, nearly cold in the middle, topped with what appeared to be, but probably weren’t, canned diced tomatoes. I couldn’t taste any artichokes or basil but possibly because the basil was finely chopped amongst the pile of tomatoes I may have just missed the artichokes — well, probably not — unless they, like the bleu cheese chunks, had none of their usual distinctive flavor. While eating the luke warm fish with its toppings, I found that it tasted more like cheap Bruschetta than a $20 piece of salmon. The potatoes, which could have saved this mediocre dish, were over seasoned and I don’t know about you but I don’t need a mouthful of herbs when eating chewy new potatoes with my dinner.
Kim’s dish had about 15 pre-cracked crab claws with a bowl of butter alongside the pasta. While the menu said they’d be easy to eat, I was still concerned for Kim as neither of us are anywhere close to being professionals at eating crustaceans. Kim was quite pleased with the dish but I found the meat tasteless and pretty awful for the price but maybe it was just the single claw I had…
Kim mentioned she wanted to try a flight of wine tonight. They had both a red or white for $10. We went with the white as it would pair best with our meals and they included Martin Codax Albarino, Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, and McWilliams Riesling which range in price from $7 to $10 at the Chianti Girll. We are not wine fanatics or even pretend to know what we’re talking about when it comes to wine drinking but this was the only enjoyable part of the dinner for me. The portions seemed much larger than 3oz and I was impressed for $10.
Kim ordered dessert from the tray of gigantic desserts that they offer. An incomplete selection of cakes and various other treats were laid before us including creme brule, lava cake, carrot cake to feed a small army, and a slice of cheesecake which was offered in two other varieties than was shown to us. Kim went with their “lava cake” (they take 20+ mins to prep so I put it in quotes as this one was out in 5) which she said she enjoyed.
Overall, while Kim liked her meal, I am not at all impressed with the $81 meal we had at Chianti Grill as it’s overpriced, boring, and in my opinion just one step above a place like Olive Garden. I can’t see myself returning here ever again for anything except the cheap flights of wine. Being that we aren’t wine drinkers aside from the occasional dabble into various local winery offerings available at the Rosemount liquor stores, I don’t even know when that will be.
Based on the number of people eating here and the hard to get reservations, some people obviously think this place is worth their hard earned money but I certainly think you’re better off elsewhere — possibly even Olive Garden.
Have you eaten at Chianti Grill? If so, feel free to share your experience below!
Address:
Chianti Grill
14240 Plymouth Ave
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone:
952-892-7555
See all the pictures from our anniversary dinner on Flickr here.
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August 29th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Funny, I use the same comparison for Italian restaurants – Is it more expensive and not any better then Olive Garden.
If you are looking for a locally-owned Italian place, Vescio’s in St. Louis Park is well worth the drive. The Spinach salad and anything with the handmade noodles are terrific. They also have quite the wine list.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Steve, I have added Vescio’s to my ever lengthening list of Restaurant Suggestions. Thanks!
August 30th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I have not eaten at Chianti Grill, although I’m planning on goign for drinks sometime soon with friends to the Falcon Heights location, for old time’s sake. Why? Becuase I worked there back in college, under the same ownership/management they have now.
So funny you mention Olive Garden becuase these Chianti Grill’s are former Ciatti’s–OG’s local competition in the 80’s-90’s. It was the same Cisco breadsticks and house salad with Italian dressing that came in a jug. Suburbaites ate it like it was going out of style.
So I’ll go for a cocktail and a trip down memory lane…but I knwo they aren’t the Italian experts by any means.
For a quaint Italian dining experience I recommend Ristorante Luci in St. Paul. I used to work there also. While they have pretty much fallen off the radar…trust me, they get it right everytime.
August 30th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
To the writer of this Article. You must be a retard!!! It is not OpenTable’s fault that someone else was able to book a reservation faster that you. OpenTable only provides the vehicle in which you book your reservations. The actual restaurant is responsible for their availability. Before your go blaming OpenTable for the fact that your reservation vanished blame yourself because you were not logged into your OT account prior to starting your search for a time to dine. Come better prepaired next time and maybe you will get the reservation time you requested!!
August 30th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
To the writer of this Article. You must be a retard!!!
Emphasis mine:
Thanks for playing.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Sorry to hear things did not go well. If you are looking for someplace local for your Anniversary dinner, we have always like Jensens Supper Club. I have not been there for the better part of a year, but we have always had great steaks and service there. Redstone in Eden Prairie is another personal favorite, although a bit of a drive.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I’ve always wanted to try Jensen’s Supper Club but just haven’t made it down there. Glad that I have a recommendation for it — maybe we’ll try it soon.
I have been to Redstone before and enjoyed what we had but I didn’t do an official review because I was lazy :)
August 31st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I’ve eaten at Chianti Grill a couple of times. Because of food allergies/Celiac Disease I am not able to eat anything with Gluten (wheat/rye/barley/oats). Chianti Grill has a gluten-free menu. Although it isn’t top of the line or gourmet by any stretch of the imagination, it’s a nice option for people with limitations on what they can eat.
They make a number of dishes with rice noodles and sauces without gluten. I believe they even serve gluten free beer.
Not a lot of restaurants are accommodating to those with special dietary needs. It’s a treat to be able to eat out.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Jensen’s is great.
August 31st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I’ve only been to Chianti Grill twice, both times for lunch. It’s lovely inside, to be sure, but I’ve left both times convinced that the food is mediocre and overpriced. In all honesty, I don’t believe Minnesotans even know good EYE-talian food when they have it, hence their willingness to accept these offerings.
Jensen’s? Save your money. Horrible location, ridiculously overpriced, laughably anachronistic. I wouldn’t deign to eat Italian at that place.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Amy, the Jensens recommendation was not for Italian in any way shape or form. Simply for a cool, out of the ordinary place to go for a special occasion, an annivesary in this case.
I cant argue about the location, although it appears to have been there for the better part of a couple decades, so I dont know if I can hold it against them.
As far as overprices, I guess it depends on what you are comparing it to. For a really good Ribeye, with some of the best hashbrowns on the planet, and great veggie sides, I really dont find it overpriced. I would say its comparable to any steakhouse in town, and I have always enjoyed the steak.
Laughably anachronistic: Well, my first thought is someone has word of the day toilet paper and wanted to show off todays word. But assuming that is not the case, I will just say that I think the old style dark woods, dark leather, lounge singer, simple menu, aged staff, and dark interior are part of the charm. They certainly are not something from the 90’s or the 00’s, but again, to me that is part of the draw.
To each his (her) own. There is no accounting for taste, and for me, I simply fall back on tried and true measurements. Quality food. Friendly service. Reasonable Value.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
I like Chianti Grill enough, but at their price point, you can get a far better value in dozens of places around town, even south of the river. Anyone wanting a fine dining Italian meal in Dakota County should get to Osteria I Nonni in Lilydale ASAP. This is truly one of the best restaurants in all of MSP.
On a tangent, the attached Buon Giorno Market is also a lesser-known south-of-the-river treasure for lunches, desserts (also among the best in MSP), Italian groceries and virtually undiscovered brick oven pizzas (only after 5:00 p.m.)
Even further under the radar is Perron’s Sul Lago in Prior Lake. While not as excellent as I Nonni, this is a nice place that deserves far more credit and business that otherwise goes to Chianti Grill. I had a rustic braised lamb special on one of those minus-40 degree wind chill January nights a while back that was in the top handful meals I had that whole year. It’s one of those places like House of Coates that feels like it’s much farther away from central Apple Valley than it is.
On a side note–back to Chianti–I love carrot cake, and that carrot cake to feed any army at Chianti is excellent. THAT’S an item there that’s well worth the cost.
http://www.inonnirestaurant.com
http://www.perronssullago.com
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
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