RESTAURANTS

Pot Luck - Rosedale Center - click here!

Baldamar - Rosedale Center - Roseville, MN

BEST OF 2019!  Baldamar was our favorite restaurant of 2019, hands down!  Recently opened in the new addition of Rosedale Mall, but completely separated with it's own building, parking and entrance.  I would call this a steak house, where every steak is aged 40 days and 40 nights, and WOW you can tell!  We were impressed the whole way: apps, starters, steaks, even dessert for my birthday (I'm a Capricorn).

We started off with the Bread of Life appetizer, where I fell in love with an Argentinian sauce that usually accompanies grilled meat, but here was featured as a bread dip.  Who knew parsley could be so flavorful?!  This also included two different butters.  We were in love with this establishment at the starter!

Bread Is Life starter

Next, we chose two sides, the Spicy Lobster Mac & Cheese and the Brussels Sprouts.  The Brussels stole the show!  Their edges were nice and crispy, and they had a great Asian vinaigrette with peppers.  YUM!  The mac & cheese wasn't bad at all and mostly included claw lobster meat with bacon on top.

the sides

Brussels Sprouts

Spicy Lobster Mac & Cheese

The main course, of course, we both ordered the Prime Rib Eye.  No surprise there!  My Dad got me hooked on these steaks long ago.  Well, this was the best steak I think I have ever had!!  And, being from the Midwest, this is a strongly worded statement.  You literally (since Ben actually DID) could cut these steaks with a butter knife.  NO LIE!  They were that tender, juicy and flavorful.  I started in on this bad boy before I realized to take a picture:)  I really can't say enough about the steak to do justice.

Prime Rib Eye

Now to the drinks:  I personally really like the idea of listing not only cocktails, wines and beer, but also the spirits their bar carries.  There is nothing like ordering your favorite kind of spirit to only find out they don't even have it, just leads to disappointment.  Needless to say their bar is stocked full.  We ordered from the Cocktail menu.

Perfect Pair

Old Fashioned

It's no birthday with out cake and champagne!  Both which were on the house due to the fact they were just plain busy.  This never happens any more where the server just plain went out of her way!!  I appreciate excellent service and will be a returning patron because of this.  Bravo!  We shared a slice of 50 Shades of Chocolate and a rose champagne for the birthday girl (me).  I'll admit, not a huge chocolate fan BUT this 15 LAYER cake was pretty darn good.  It's also served with vanilla ice cream.  The BF said he only counted 12... I said just eat it;)

50 Shades of Chocolate

champs + dessert

We will be celebrating many more occasions here and we can't wait to try more items on the menu, even the burgers just sound amazing!  Baldamar, you won us over times 10! 

Punch Bowl Social - St. Louis Park, MN

This place is really great for gatherings small or large.  They do have a happy hour menu available with discounts.  The space is big and with gaming available, bowl drinks for a group AND boozy milk shakes, you are bound to have a good time.  The Green Chorizo Fries are a shareable staple here and a must order.  Parking tip: park at the businesses across the street on the south end or the west end.

A Pig, A Duck and Some Cheese Walk Into A Bar

Green Chorizo Fries

Malted Maple Royal milkshake

In-N-Out Burger - chain - Las Vegas, NV

First timer here!  We don't have In-N-Out burger here in the midwest, so me and my main squeeze wanted to make sure we headed to the Linq promenade to try it out, just off the strip in Vegas.  Here are my thoughts! 

In-N-Out burger animal style

The burger wasn't bad, but since we don't eat a lot of fast food, I don't know if it was really above average.  They did forget to animal style our fries, which I hear is a big deal.  The fries were not my jam... but I am not a fry person.  I thought they were the usual shoe string style fries.  Regardless, I wasn't impressed.  I was hungry (and thirsty!) so I ate it anyways.  We may have been up WAY too late!

Have you had In-N-Out burger?  What did you think?  Maybe we just had a bad experience, so I may give it another chance another time.

New Bohemia - Roseville, St. Paul & Golden Valley, MN

Originally we visited New Bohemia in St. Paul after a Wild hockey game and have now visited all locations.

This easily became a choice spot for beer because there is an entire row of on tap beers available as long as the bar!  Yep, lots.  And, these are always changing.  Pro tip = taste test at the bar!

My significant other is pretzel crazy and below you will see why we must get one here.

Need a beer?  This is a great place to try out a new one.

The Northern Lake Tavern and Grill - Chisago City, MN

This northern of the twin cities restaurant used to be a so called land mark off highway 8 in Chisago City so it's still known as "Trappers" to this day.  It's a smaller bar sitting on a small lake with views off the deck of a farm in the distance.  

Mostly a typical menu with some twists on the burgers.  The self explanatory Cream Cheese Wonton Burger sounds delicious and the Sasquatch Burger (which includes pastrami, fried pickles, baked beans, fried egg, onions, cheddar cheese on a pretzel bun) is quite the combo.  I ordered the Mac Cheesy, a burger with macaroni and cheese, cheddar cheese and bacon on a brioche bun and tots on the side.  How can anything NOT be good with mac & cheese on top?  

(Mac Cheesy burger with tator tots)

What I LOVED were surprisingly the cheese curds!  We ordered these as an appetizer to start.  The small squares of white cheddar cheese were warm and soft inside.  They had a slight, thin layer of batter of some sort.  This had a beer batter taste which was amazing!  They were served with a spicy ranch for dipping, but I preferred them alone.  YUM!

(Cheese Curds)

The Unofficial - Saint Anthony, MN

When you are feeling like some good ol' bar food, this is the place.  This is our go to for a burger and fries kind of meal.  This also includes some house made cheesy tots and bowls of chili.

(Lonely guy burger added mushrooms and side of onion rings.)

(Cowboy burger with fries.)

(Chipotle white chicken chili.)