Well, as a follow-up to my post yesterday about Two Guys from Italy Take Over Fajita’s Southwest Bar and Grill, I checked on the location today to see if any changes had been made.
From the road nothing seems any different, but on closer inspection, the signs which used to say that Fajita’s is closed now read that Two Guys from Italy are “openning” [sic] in March of 2007.
Update: According to this article in the March 11th Star Trib, they are planning on opening Two Guys from Italy in Apple Valley’s strip mall “downtown” (aka Central Village) on April 4th.
Related posts:
- Kami Japanese Steakhouse, Two Guys from Italy, and Jan’s Brown Bag Deli: Apple Valley, MN
- Two Guys from Italy Take Over Fajita’s Southwest Bar & Grill: Apple Valley, MN
- Two Guys from Italy (Authentic Italian Cuisine): Apple Valley, MN
- Kami Japanese Steakhouse: Apple Valley, MN
- Apple Valley to Allow Further Degradation of Central Village Plan?
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March 1st, 2007 at 11:56 am
Kim and Bill: Who are you.? Do you ever have anything positive to say? You seem to have a lot of extra time, please use it for something constructive.
Thank you,
Danny Sarno
March 1st, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Give him something positive to write about.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Danny,
I guess that because I don’t run what seem to be failing restaurants and I’m not busy switching over to real estate means that I have free time.
And yes, I have plenty of positive things to say. Just not about restaurants I believe are shitty, overpriced and cramped. Sorry you are bitter about Viva Italia and the issues you had with your business partner.
Bill
March 4th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Two Guys from Italy was spectacular! Ask anyone who used to visit the WBL location. I’ve eaten the best Pizza from all over the world(NYC, Chicago, Italy), and I have never had anything better than Two Guys’.
I’m so excited about the re-emergance of Two Guys, and I hope they never leave us again.
Running a resturant is hard, so don’t let these jerks fool you into believing that Two Guys will be anything but great. Best of Luck Danny!
March 4th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
I assume that Danny isn’t a part of Two Guys as he dropped out during a fall out with his partner when they owned Viva Italia (before it was bought out by people that, from what I understand, turned it around).
If he is involved in this one I’m concerned it will be just as bad as Viva Italia was.
At least the area around this location is starting to get built up — something that Fajita’s wasn’t able to capitalize on.
March 6th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I was a big fan of the Two Guys location in Edina. I’m hoping that the location in Apple Valley has some of the same appeal as that location did. The food was always good and a decent Sundy brunch was offered too.
March 6th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
The food was always good and a decent Sundy brunch was offered too.
That is something that is currently missing in our area — a decent brunch. You can go to Copper Bleu for it but they are overpriced and you used to be able to head over to Benchwarmer Bobs but they’re closed. While I haven’t been over to Rascals Apple Valley Bar and Grill for breakfast, they seem to have an impressive offering although it’s not really what I think of when someone says “brunch”.
I will definitely be stopping in to the Two Guys from Italy when it opens in Apple Valley but does anyone else know of some decent places for brunch in the South Metro?
March 8th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
What about the brunch at Dangerfield’s in Shakopee?
March 8th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I assume that Danny isn’t a part of Two Guys as he dropped out during a fall out with his partner when they owned Viva Italia (before it was bought out by people that, from what I understand, turned it around).
I suppose I should have done better research. According to a blurb in the Star Trib here Danny Sarno is going to be heading up Two Guys from Italy in Apple Valley when it opens sometime this month.
Good luck Danny. Be sure to introduce yourself when we stop in.
March 8th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
What about the brunch at Dangerfield’s in Shakopee?
My wife has been there for an after work deal w/co-workers when she was interning down there and I stopped in for a couple drinks with a buddy while waiting for Kim to get off of work but we’ve never been there for a meal.
I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
March 11th, 2007 at 8:58 am
According to this article in the Star Trib, Danny Sarno is looking to open Two Guys from Italy in Apple Valley on April 4th.
March 31st, 2007 at 4:46 pm
I’d been to Two Guys in WBL but it was a long haul. When Danny opened in Edina I frequented Two Guys on a regular basis. The lunch buffet had great variety and was affordable. The dinner menu included some great food with large portions. Among my personal favorites were the gnocchi and pasta fagiul soup, as well as lagsagna and pizza. I was at the Edina location the first week it opened and plan on the same for Apple Valley.
April 6th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Even though they claimed they would be open at the end of March and then at the beginning of April, they still aren’t ready (with tons of construction work going on inside as of yesterday).
The newest change is the vinyl sign hanging that reads that they will be opening “soon” and that they are now hiring.
Danny, what’s your expected opening date?
April 18th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Hey, if you’re interested, Two Guys from Italy in Apple Valley is hiring.
April 19th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
While driving by today, I noticed that they have updated their sign and have added some awnings. Check out the photos here.
April 21st, 2007 at 6:56 pm
i LOVE 2 guys-i can’t wait for this to open! also, i sure hope they don’t change the recipe for their pizza-it’s the VERY best!
April 22nd, 2007 at 10:28 am
According to the sign on their windows, they are now anticipating a May 1st opening. This is in addition to the two failed opening dates that they listed before (Aa non-exact date in March and then April 4th).
The place looks like quite a bit more progress has been made but I won’t hold my breath.
April 25th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
In defense of Two Guys From Italy and Dan Sarno…I am very happy he will be opening the restaurant again…I missed the awesome pizza! What really makes it so great is Dan’s commitment to his customers…he goes out of his way to talk and remember you. I had the privilege of meeting him a few years ago when his children were in my classroom and his dedication is in many aspects of his life.
April 27th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Word on the street is that Two Guys just had their invitation only private opening last night. Apparently the free alcohol was flowing, large samples were being given out and the employees at Dunn Brothers were hopping mad about the lack of parking for their customers.
Sounds like the set up is going to be similar to Cosetta’s where you order at a counter and then take your seat. I have it on good authority that the chicken marsala was great and the person I spoke with is looking forward to going back. Look for the doors to open to the public in approximately two weeks.
April 27th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
“Two weeks” isn’t 5/1. That’s strange. Looks like Two Guys will miss their third opening date. Maybe they have to build another parking lot to appease Dunn Bros.?
I’m very disappointed that we weren’t invited to the private opening. That kinda hurts my feelings Danny.
April 27th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I called them this afternoon at 952-953-4897:
“When are you guys opening?”
“May First.”
“May First?”
“You bet.”
Looks like they’re sticking to that date.
April 27th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Thanks for the info. I suppose that with all the “free alcohol flowing” that someone could have gotten it mixed up at the private opening.
Kim did mentioned that it did seem odd to do a private opening and then wait two weeks for the public.
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:20 am
From: http://www.thisweek-online.com/2007/april/20italy42107.html
“We decided to update the concept and give it a flavor for today. An eatery –– it’s very economical,” he said. “We used to eat huge portions, now-a-days we go for more moderate portions and healthy eating choices. You go to a fast food place and you get the fast food calories. I’m giving you a nice healthy meal, freshly cooked for the same price.”
How odd. People now expect portions to be larger not smaller as Danny claims and for him to claim that his food will be low in caloric content is interesting. No mention of the average calorie content per dish was offered — I’m sure he doesn’t even know.
Danny, are you going to have your food tested for calories, sodium content, and submit to inspections to prove that you don’t add other important buzzwords of today like trans fats and MSG? That would rule.
I’m bummed that I didn’t get out to the grand opening last night — both Aaron and I had planned to go but it’s always better to give them a few days to get comfortable with the experience before you go and see what they have to offer.
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:54 am
In reference to my comments above, Kim mentioned that she had read an article about the caloric content of food when eating out is quite a bit higher than you would expect. Dave had sent me this (PDF warning) article about the topic.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
so bill, have you eaten there? is it the same pizza that they had years ago?
May 4th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
fonz,
Not yet. Maybe next week.
I’ve never had “Two Guys from Italy”’s food, only the shitty stuff that was served at Viva Italia in Eagan.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Stopped in at Two Guys on Saturday and was very pleased. Our party ordered from both the ready made and cooked to order menus. fonz, the pizza was as good as ever. The pasta fagiul soup was the same as always, very tasty. I ordered gnocchi gorganzola, instead of my usual gnocchi with red sauce, just to try the white sauce - very nice. We ordered Cannoli for desert and it was just right. The cheesecake looked really good but I couldn’t imagine topping off the meal with something that rich.
One suggestion I would make to patrons, if you have a group that is going to order off both menus, order your “cooked to order” items first, get seated and grab your beverage, then wait a few minutes to order the “ready made” items. The people in our group were into their meals before the cook to order items were ready. It wasn’t a significant time lag but something you’d want to plan so you could eat together.
The format is casual and the pricing is reasonable. I will be a regular here, just as I was at Two Guys in WBL and Edina.
May 29th, 2007 at 9:50 am
I’ve never felt compelled to give a restaurant a bad review before, but TGFI will be the first. First, let me say the food’s not bad, particularly anything that has a cream-based sauce. The marinara is pretty runny stuff, though. It’s like they don’t drain the pasta very well, so you get all this water in the bottom of the dish, and the thick part of the sauce sits on top.
Now let me tell you about the service.
My wife and I have been to this place twice and really wanted to like it since it’s in a convenient area for us. The first time we were there, it was unorganized chaos. There were only a handful of customers but none of the young, untrained staff seemed to know what they were supposed to do. The ordering process is not real straightforward. You get ready made stuff in one place, and order hot food at another. We managed that part alright, but the kid at the checkout was clueless and seemed unfamiliar with some of the menu items as we placed out order (even though it was all on a big wall menu behind him).
Although there were only two other tables with customers, they brought the wrong meal to our table. The waitress said “here you go” and put two plates on the table without even asking who had what. She was already on her way back to wherever before we could even say anything. The people a couple of tables over said “I think that’s our order”, so we did the waitresses job and served them.
Then she comes out with what appears to be our order, looks around, and starts to walk back to the kitchen area with it. Of course she had grabbed out table flag earlier and didn’t understand we were waiting for our meal. So I flagged her down and straightened it out. No apology though. While we were there, we saw that the one other group of customers received the wrong food.
What a mess. I mean, come on, they had three tables of customers to deal with and couldn’t get it right. Since they had been open just a few days, we decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and visited again a few weeks later.
Same chaos, different day. My wife ordered cheese ravioli with marinara, and they brought her tortellini bolognese. The server said they were out of ravioli and that the tortellini was “the same thing”. Um no. It’s not. My wife said, “why didn’t you ask me if I wanted something else before just bringing a replacement?”. The server muttered something about this not being her normal role, and walked away. Again no apology. On top of this they also screwed up our wine order, and a carry out we were bringing home for our daughter.
This place needs a manager. The staff needs training (including their manners). And the food needs just a little work. It might be fine at some point in the future, but it will be a long time before we go back.
Steve
Rosemount, MN
June 3rd, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Like above I used to not mind the Edina location back in the 90s, though I primarily went for lunch buffet as I worked nearby.
I was excited to see that there was going to be a TGFI (as a opposed to TGIF?) in AV which is very close to home, and I am a regular customer of the Dujnn Bros next door.
I finally tried their food on as takeout last night, and boy what a RIPOFF!
(The following may contain Italian spelling errors. Oh well)
We ordered some Baked Ravioli and Chicken Cacciatorre and an Brushcetta side. The whole meal cost close to 25 bucks, which I don’t mind if its good.
It was not. It wasn’t horrible, but since it was no better than my Work cafeteria on a good day, it certainly in no way justified the price.
1st the Brushcetta: If you don’t know what that is, it supposed to be a garlic bread topped with chopped tomatoes in oil/herb/garic sauce/dressing or whatever.
1) It consisted of 4 half slices of commercial-style sliced bread. In other words 2 slices of sandwich bread.
We got it to go, which was put in a styrofoam container bu with no attempt to secure the contents. When I got how it was a mush. The topping was tasty, but this beauty cost 5 bucks. I’ve gotten this dish elsewhere that if not the same price was slightly more expensive but with many times larger portion and better quality This thing should have cost $2 so each person can get there own. Then it would have been okay
2) The Cacciatorre was $9+ and like I said above, no better than a similar presentation of a good meal at my Work cafeteria (which on the whole is not very good) and would have cost 4.50. The sauce was runny and the Chicken breast so-so
3) The Ravioli was a bit better but the Marinara sauce was bitter and not very interesting. It too was $9+ and no better than the Cafeteria
4) The “Side of garlic bread” consisted or two wafer-thin pieces of bread smaller than the Brushcetta.
Every place can have an off day but this was so thoroughly poor I suspect it is an endemic problem. The irony is that the Fajita restaurant that formerly occupied the same space was almost identically substandard compared to other restaurants of its type.
Despite it’s handy proximity I won’t be trying it again. I suspect after TGFI runs out of first-time customers, it too will fold.
June 4th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Wow, I’m really bummed to hear that the new TGFI is doing things so poorly. I was looking forward to giving them a try but I think I will steer clear for the time being. Maybe in a few more weeks they may get the kinks worked out. (One can hope!) If not, then no great loss it sounds like which is really too bad.
June 5th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
TGFI is ok. I had a pizza there -the 2 guys special about 3 weeks ago,it was awesome. Had another one same kind about a week ago- seemed like they cut down on all the topping weights and changed it. Was not awesome. According to their AValley liquor license they are serving 3.2 beer.
Im starting to miss Fajitas on the alcohol side of things.
June 5th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
Tearitup,
I agree. I was going to go to check them out this week, being that they’ve been open for a month, but with the recent negative feedback I’m going to wait it out.
I don’t want to dump anymore shit on their plate if they are trying to work out the bugs.
Danny, are you?
June 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I have eaten at TGFI four times since they opened, got it to go every time so cannot comment on the service. The food is extremely ordinary; my son had a slice of pizza and wants no part of the place. I have had the Ravioli, Lasagna, Chicken Parmigiana, and a Two Gus Sandwich. Someone posted about the water on the mostaccioli not being drained properly, that was my same experience.
I love Cosseta’s (best cannoli’s anywhere) in St. Paul and was hoping TGFI would be similar, as it appears to have a lot of the same menu and cafeteria-style setup, but have been disappointed so far. As far as the dessert goes the cannoli was the worst I have ever eaten, and I have had them all over the east coast. I will continue to go there because it is so convenient to grab something on the way home, but based on the food I have had so far I would not take someone out to eat there.
June 11th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Pat,
How disappointing. I am a big cannoli lover (I had a great cannoli cream cake out in NY State when I visited there last month) and was really looking forward to having something that close to home that was “Italian” and offered cannoli.
:(
Thanks for the comment.
June 15th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Margharita pizza was fairly good although not nearly as good as Green Mill’s. But most everything else is just way too salty. Calamari, Veal Saltimboca, Marinara sauce on the Chicken Parmesan… Something positive to say about the place is that it’s fairly kid friendly. Not sure if we’ll return anytime soon.
June 18th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Two Guys from Italy’s new website is here. They have their menu available but not much else.
July 18th, 2007 at 11:42 am
If anyone is looking for good italian take out, head to Brianno’s in Eagan, right off Cedar and Cliff Rd. It has a cute deli in the front with a ot of authentic italian products, and plnty of hot food to go. Their soup is fantastic. Only down side is there is nowhere to sit and eat, and I like to eat when my food is hot. They do put little deck tables out when it is nice. You can call ahead and order pizza, or pick up a frozen one in the freezer case, and the pizza is great, loaded with toppings, and heavy on the cheese. They do not deliver. This place is well worht checking out, and you would not be disappointed!!!
July 18th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Alison,
Thanks for the heads up! I had lived over that way a few years ago and had intended on stopping in numerous times but never got around to it. A friend of mine, Kevin, has also recommended them and said that they might even have better cannoli than anyone else in the area but they ask that you call ahead for them to make them up.
Check out their website here and their take-out menu here.
July 18th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Good God, yes. Brianno’s is excellent for a few things.
Their pizzas are the flat crust variety cut into squares (this is my disclaimer because some people like deep dish, Neapolitan, Chicago-style, NY style, etc better.) That said, the ingredients are very fresh and good quality. The Brianno’s Special (basically the “everything”) is my favorite.
They also do one of the best Chicago beef sandwiches in the Twin Cities. The bread is a bit on the “upscale” side for a Chicago beef but the beef is very good quality, still pink in the middle (unheard of almost for a sandwich) and the giardinia excellent. If you’re from Chicago and pining for a taste of home (and don’t want to cross the Cities to get to Uncle Franky’s) this is legit.
Finally, the cannoli are good but Buon Giorno Market at Highway 13 and 35E in Lilydale are the best NY style cannoli in the State of Minnesota. Better than Broder’s, Cossetta’s and anywhere else I’ve tried them. (I haven’t been into Two Guys yet.)
July 18th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Dave,
Believe me, the cannoli at Two Guys isn’t anything even close. Don’t waste your money.
Stay tuned for my review of Brianno’s.