Twin Cities Restaurant Blog

Mancini's Char-House & Lounge ~ St Paul, MN

Cuisine:  Steak
Restaurant Features: Bar, Banquet Facility, On-Site Parking, Pull-Tabs, Live Music
Location:  St Paul, MN
Address: 531 West 7th Street  St Paul, MN 55102 651-224-7345
Hours: Sun-Thurs 4:30-10p  Fri-Sat 4:30-11p

Links: Mancini's Website   Google Map

Atmosphere: Located on West 7th Street just a mile from downtown St Paul, Mancini's Char House has been one of St Paul's most well-known and popular steak houses since it first opened in 1948.  With capacity to hold 600 guests, Mancini's is a very big restaurant.  There are two main dining rooms that each hold 200 people and a large lounge area that holds an additional 200 guests.

The lounge area is laid back yet lively, with live music from 8:30-12:30 Wed-Sat.

The lighting in Mancini's is dim and inviting, with candles lit on every table.  It is currently festively decorated  with wreaths, pine boughs and white fairy lights.  The main dining room is a big, long space that has several wooden tables as well as a series of tables along the outside of the room that have bench-style booths on one side and wooden chairs on the other .  You can see the open kitchen at one end of the dining room, where the only cooking equipment needed is the charcoal grill. 

Menu: Appetizers include Herring and Crackers, Mushrooms, Antipasti Salad Plate, and Shrimp Cocktail.

As the name implies, all Entrees at Mancini's Char House are char-grilled over an open charcoal pit. Options include 8 oz or 12 oz Sirloin, 13 oz New York Strip, 8 oz or 12 oz Fillet, Beef Kabob, Chicken Breast, Walleye Dinner and Lobster Dinner.  Two steak and lobster combinations available.  All entrees come with a side salad, baked potato and bread.

Desserts offered are Vanilla or Spumoni Ice Cream, Cheese Cake and Lemon Cello Gelato

Price guide: Entrees $19-28  Surf & Turf $45-48  Dessert

What we ordered: We first started with a complimentary plate of pickles, pickled peppers and fresh tomatoes.

We were also served this giant basket of complimentary garlic toast which had at least a dozen thick slices of white and pumpernickel.  Both were lightly buttered and seasoned before grilled on the charcoal pit and they tasted wonderful.  I liked that the inside was still slightly soft while the outside was perfectly toasted.

 

Every entree comes with a small Dinner Salad with romaine, red cabbage, carrots, cherry tomatoes and choice of dressing.

 

My usual choice for steak is ribeye but since Mancini's doesn't have ribeye, our server suggested the New York Strip.  This might just be my new favorite! The perfectly char-grilled steak was really tender (cooked medium) and had a great aged flavor, with just a sprinkle of salt for seasoning.  The baked potato was really big and filling.

 

One of my companions also ordered the New York Strip, with french fries.  This cut of meat seemed to be thicker than the cut I had but was just as tender.  The fries were crinkle-cut and fried to a light golden brown with a soft, hot center.

 

Another companion ordered the 12 oz filet mignon with baked potato.  Another thick, tender cut of char-grilled aged beef. I didn't try any of this steak but it looked really good.

 

And another companion order the steak and lobster dinner.  The sirloin was 8oz, very lean but aged to give it more flavor.   The 6 oz lobster tail was pulled out of its shell and then char-grilled and served with melted butter.  Delicious!

 

Our server recommended the lemon cello for dessert, so we all shared one order.  The dessert was made up of light, creamy lemon-flavored gelato  and some kind of tart lemon sauce. What a refreshing treat!

Service: We had excellent service at Mancini's.  Anticipating that it would be busy on a Saturday night, we called ahead to get a table for four.  The restaurant was really busy and our table was not quite ready when we arrived, so we went to the lounge to have a drink while we waited.  After ten minutes or so our table was ready and we were seated in one of the main dining rooms.  Our server, Sonja, was very knowledgeable about the steaks and cocktails and did a fantastic job of getting us everything we needed.  Our food was prepared reasonably fast for how busy the restaurant was but we never felt rushed.
Overall Impression:   Mancini's is a  St Paul dining landmark for good reason. The char-grilled steaks are some of the best you might find for such reasonable prices.   I like the relaxed but intimate atmosphere at Mancini's and will be back to eat there again soon. 

Crave ~ Mall of America, Edina, and St Louis Park, MN

Cuisine: American, Sushi, Seafood, Steaks, Pasta
Restaurant Features: Bar, Happy Hour
Locations: Mall of America, Edina (Galleria), St Louis Park (Shops at West End)

Addresses & Maps:

Mall of America- 368 South Avenue Bloomington, MN 55425 952.854.5000 (3rd Floor Across from Macy's)

Edina- 520 W. 70th Street Edina, MN 55435  952.697.6000

St Louis Park-1603 West End Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416 952.933.6500

Hours: MOA- Lunch 11a-4p  Dinner M-Sa 4p-10p Sun 4p-8p

Edina- Lunch 11a-4p  Dinner M-Th 4-10p Fri-Sat 4-11p Sun 4-9p

St Louis Park- Lunch 11a-4p  Dinner M-Th 4-10p Fri-Sat 4-11p Sun 4-9p

Links: Crave Website  OpenTable Reservation

Atmosphere: The Mall of America location of Crave is on the 3rd floor of South Ave, across from Macy's.  The restaurant is large and spacious, with a large bar off to the left side near the entrance and a sushi bar centrally placed along the wall in the middle of the main dining room.  Although the majority of seating is at tables throughout the dining room, there are also several high-backed booths that allow for more privacy.  The lighting is dim and romantic, with mood lighting created by the illuminated art behind the sushi bar and the softly glowing candles at each table.

The kitchen is open along the back of the restaurant, with subtle views of the place where the chefs work their magic.  The lighting from the kitchen also gives the nearby tables a soft glow.

Menu: The menu changes seasonally and features natural, organic and locally grown ingredients.  All beef is certified beef.

Appetizers on the new Fall Menu at Crave include Calamari, Chicken Satay, Lemon Garlic Wings, Pita & Spreads, Seared Scallops, Baked Crab & Artichoke Dip, Pesto Shrimp, Mini Burgers, Gingered Beef Eggrolls, Artisan Bread Basket, and Edamame.

Salads offered include Asian Noodle Salad, Atlantic Salmon, Steak Niçoise, Starter Crave Salad, Starter Caesar, Starter Roasted Beet & Walnut.  Soups include Hearty Tomato Pesto, Roasted Chicken & Wild Rice, and Leek & Potato.

Pizzas and Flatbreads at Crave are also quite popular.  Flatbread choices are the Roasted Chicken (with pesto, sun dried tomato and portobella mushrooms), Grape & Apple (with Amablu cheese and honey), Thai Chicken (a peanut sauce with cilantro, Asian cabbage and marinated cucumber), and the Napoleon (with garlic prosciutto). Pizzas include Pepperoni or Sausage, Margarita, Shaved Ribeye and the Chipotle BBQ Chicken.

Sandwiches on the dinner menu include Steak Sandwich, Ahi Tuna Steak and Crave Burger.

Pasta selections at Crave include Seas Scallop & Shrimp Fettuccine, Fettuccine & Roasted Mushrooms, Shrimp Scampi Al Fresco, Roasted Chicken and Penne, Baked Truffle Macaroni, Baked Cheese Penne, Spaghetti Pomodoro, and Ravioli Bolognese. Crave offers the option of a half-order of any of their pastas.

Crave has a nice selection of dinner entrees as well, such as the Grilled Petite Tender, Grilled Ribeye, Crab Crusted Filet Mignon, Tuscan New York Strip, Brined Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Stir-Fry, Crispy Half Chicken, Mango & Prawns, Grilled Ahi Tuna, Pistachio Crusted Salmon, Minnesota Walleye, Miso Glazed Sea Bass

The sushi selection at Crave is also pretty extensive.  Nigiri and Sashimi offerings include Crispy Rice Bars with Spicy Tuna, Scallops Poppers, Amaebi (sweet raw shrimp), Hamachi (yellowtail), Hirame (flounder), Hokki-Gai (surf clam), Maguro (red tuna), Mutsu (escolar), Sake (salmon), Suzuki (striped sea bass), Ebi (cooked shrimp), Unagi (cooked eel), Masago (smelt roe), Tako (octopus), Tobiko (flying fish roe), Wasabi Tobiko, and Seaweed Salad.

Maki Sushi offerings are the Tekka (tuna), Sake (salmon), Negihama (yellowtail and scallions), Unagi (cooked eel), Kappa (cucumber), Spicy Shrimp Cones, Chipotle Ocean Roll, Keilani;s Roll (shrimp tempuraavocado, wrapped with eel), Mexican Roll (yellowfin and escolar with avocado, cilantro,  jalapeños and spicy mayo), Number Nine (crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll), Dragon Wraps, Rainbow, Caterpillar, Spider, Veggie Roll, Tempura Roll, Spicy Tuna, California, Minnesota(cooked smoked walleye), Dynamite, Spicy Salmon, Crunchy Roll and Fire Roll.  There are alsoa  couple of sushi combos like the Sushi Sampler, Sushi Lunch Combo and Sashimi Lunch Combo.

Crave also has a delicious selection of desserts that changes seasonally.  The Fall desserts at Crave include Golden Raisin Bread Pudding, Key Lime Pie, Molten Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, German Chocolate Cake, and Coconut White Cake.  The dessert menu also includes a variety of after-dinner drinks such as the Girl Scout Cookie and Buttery Bailey's, Ports and Dessert Wines, and hot cafe drinks.

Price guide: Appetizers $8-13 Salads $8-15 Pizza/Flatbreads $12-13 Pastas $14-24 Entrees $24-37 Nigiri/Sashimi $6-10/order  Sushi Rolls $7-19/order
Happy Hour Specials:

What we ordered: My companion and I started with a couple of the Crave specialty cocktails, the Cranberry Smash and the Blueberry Lemonade.  The Cranberry Smash was made with vodka, ginger ale, mint leaves and cranberry juice.  The Opulent vodka revved up the drink but it wasn't overly strong. The ginger ale gave it a pleasant sweetness that I wasn't expecting, but the cranberries were tart enough to counter the sweetness.  I loved that the cranberries were frozen into ice cubes and floated at the top.  The Blueberry Lemonade was also very good and slightly sweeter than the Cranberry drink.  Excellent blend of flavors.

 

The Pesto Shrimp appetizer came highly recommended by our server so we started with that.  What a great start to a great night of food! The sauteed tiger shrimps were served on little slices of crostini toast that had been topped with oven-dried tomato, and then the shrimp toast was covered with pistachio pesto.  The shrimp was perfectly cooked so it was tender and complimented the crunch of the toast.  The pesto sauce was creamy and rich, a perfect sauce to go with the shrimp.

 

The Panko-Crusted Scallops also sounded really good so we tried an order of those as well.  These scallops may have been some of the best I have ever eaten! The scallops were large and coated with a layer of panko bread crumbs before being seared to a golden brown in the pan. They were cooked so that the meat was tender enough to melt in your mouth, yet the panko and seared edges gave it a nice crunch.  The scallops were served with a dressy arrangement of picatta buerre blanc and fresh field greens.  The butter and capers added the perfect touch of saltiness to compliment the sweetness of the scallop meat.

 

Sushi Chef Tony Lam brought us a special sampler platter that included a Mexican roll, ceviche, flying fish roe with quail egg wrapped in salmon,  amaebi (sweet raw shrimp), crispy rice bars, prawn heads, and three different fish mixtures atop cucumber slices.

The Mexican roll (pictured top right in photo above) is Crave's most popular roll and became my new favorite after just one bite.  This roll is the perfect marriage of Mexican and Sushi, two of my most favorite foods.  It had both yellow fin tuna and escolar with avocado, cilantro, a slice of fresh jalapeño and spicy mayo wrapped in rice and seaweed.  It is then topped with a soy citrus sauce (ponzu), and chili oil with fresh lime juice squeezed on top. It was so good! I loved the spiciness of the jalapeño, and the lime and cilantro gave it a fresh citrus twist.  The tuna and the escolar inside the Mexican roll were very tender and not at all fishy. Bravo!

The Crispy Rice Bars were also wonderful.  The rice cake was like a thick chewy rice cracker and had a lot more flavor than ordinary sticky rice.  It was topped with a heaping pile of spicy tuna mix, flying fish roe, and sliced jalapeno pepper. The combination of textures went together really well and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

 

The ceviche was one of my favorite items that Sushi Chef Tony Lam made for us to try.  A very thin slice of potato was fried with tempura batter and then topped with sliced raw fish that was marinated with a citrus soy sauce, scallions and fresh chili peppers.  It was packed with flavor and the tenderness of the fish paired with the texture of the tempura potato went perfectly together.

The sushi was so good we ordered even more of Sushi Master Tony's creations.  Clockwise From Lower Left: The Mexican Roll, Fire Roll, Number Nine, Dragon Wrap (top right), Hokki and Hamachi Sashimi, and Scallop Poppers (pictured in photo after the one below)

The Number Nine was filled with pieces of shrimp tempura, spicy mayo, kaiware and yama gobo wrapped with salmon and avocado and topped with a sweet soy based sauce. The Fire Roll was filled with pieces of shrimp tempura, cucumber, kaiware and yama gobo wrapped with a spicy salmon mix and topped with chili oil.  This one was nice and spicy, just the way I like it.  The Dragon Wraps were also good.  Instead of rice, this roll is made with an egg omelet wrapped around  spicy tuna, fresh water eel, avocado, fried green onions, crunchy flakes and miso dressing.  Served in two big rolls.  The Scallop Poppers were also excellent. The scallops were baked in spicy dynamite sauce then wrapped in salmon and topped with crunchy panko flakes. Loved the combination of flavors and textures. 

For my entree I ordered the Crab Crusted Filet MIgnon. This was outstanding! The filet was thick and cooked medium, as I requested.  It had a creamy crab and cheese mixture with just the slightest hint of buttery breadcrumbs baked on top and served on a bed of lobster cream sauce.  This absolutely melted in my mouth. The crab and cheese together created a rich flavor that went slendidly with the tender and juicy beef.  Herb roasted new potatoes and buttery seasoned baby carrots were also served, both were very good.

My companion had the Miso Seabass.  The perfectly-cooked Korean miso sea bass was served atop a bed of steamed white rice and adorned with baby bok choy and a crimson ponzu sauce.  Asian pickled cucumbers sat layered atop the fish.  This dish was delicious as well! The flavorful yet mild sea bass went really well with the sweet, fruity panzu sauce.

 

Despite being extremely full after enjoying all of this delicious food, we also tried a sushi dessert.  What an extraordinary creation this was! The middle of the the roll had homemade vanilla-bean cheesecake and a slice of fresh mango then wrapped with a thin layer of rice and topped with a thin slice of strawberry. The roll was arranged atop a drizzling of chocolate and vanilla sauce.  The cheesecake and rice were such a unique combo of flavors and textures and together it was like a thick, fruity, creamy and sweet rice pudding.  So different and so, so good!

Service: We had exceptional service at our first visit to Crave.  The hostesses were very friendly and our server, Dawn, was very knowledgeable about the menu and had some wonderful suggestions about appetizers, entrees and cocktails too.  We ordered a lot of food and took our time but never felt rushed since food was paced perfectly.  The restaurant wasn't too busy (nor was the Mall in general) on this pre-holiday-shopping-season Tuesday evening and we were able to get great customer service and attention from everyone all the way up to the manager.

Overall Impression: The culinary and sushi creations were outstanding. I tried quite a variety of foods and loved every single thing.  The Mexican Roll should win an award! There is quite a variety on the menu and the Happy Hour specials are a really good deal.  Great place to have a casual yet elegant dinner and worth every penny for the fine ingredients.  The service was exceptional.  I can't wait to go back again soon!

Winner's Circle Lounge at Running Aces Harness Park ~ Columbus, MN

Cuisine: American, Italian, Seafood, Steaks, Chops, Ribs
Restaurant Features: Card Room, Horse Racing, On-Site Parking, Sunday Brunch
Location: Columbus, MN (near Lino Lakes & Forest Lake)
Address: 15201 Zurich Street NE Columbus MN 55025-7908 (651) 925-4600 877-RUN-ACES (I-35 and Hwy 97)

Winner's Circle Hours: Lunch Mon-Sat 11a-3p

Dinner Mon-Wed 5p-9p Thur 4-9p Fri 4-10p  Sat 5-10p

Sunday Brunch 9:30-1pm  Sunday Dinner 5-9p

Links: Running Aces Harness Park Website    Google Map

 

Atmosphere: Located within Running Aces Harness Park, the Winner's Circle Dining & Lounge is a large, open space with giant floor-to-ceiling windows that allow a good view of the horse track outside.

 

The Buffets are set up in another large room just off to the left of the main room.  This back room also serves as seating space for large groups.

Menu:  The new Fall Lunch Menu includes Walleye Fingers, BBQ Chicken Quesadilla, Onion Rings, Cobb Salad, Thai Chicken Salad, Caesar Salad, Aces House Salad, BBQ Blue Burger, Southwest Burger, Reuben, BBQ Brisket Sandwich, Club, Cajun Walleye, French Dip, Hot Italian Wrap and Chicken Wrap.  All sandwiches and burgers come with fries.

Fall Dinner Menu is served Sun-Wed.  Appetizers include Beer-Battered Onion Rings, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Walleye Fingers, Fried Calamari, Beef Tender Tips, BBQ Chicken Quesadilla, and Sampler Platter.

Salad choices include Cobb Salad, Thai Chicken Salad, Caesar Salad, and Aces House Salad (with caramelized pecans, goat cheese and raspberries).

Sandwiches at Winner's Circle are the BBQ Blue Burger, Southwest Burger, Reuben, BBQ Brisket Sandwich, Club, Cajun Walleye, French Dip, Hot Italian Wrap and Chicken Wrap.  All sandwiches and burgers come with fries.

Italian Entrees include Chicken Parmesan, Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Shrimp Pomodoro, Rotelle Vegetable Pasta with olives and artichokes. 

House Specialties are Ber Battered Colossal Shrimp, Herbed Pork Tenderloin, Stuffed Chicken Breast, Almond Crusted Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Grilled Pork Chop, King Crab and Smokehouse Ribs.

Steaks offered are the Filet, New York Strip, Flat Iron Steak and Surf & Turf (Filet & choice of either King Crab or Lobster Tail)

Price guide: Lunch Menu $8-11 Appetizers $8-10  Entrees $15-19  Steaks $18-26
Weekly Specials:

Thursday Night Seafood Buffet $21.95 includes oysters in the half-shell, peel-and-eat shrimp, King Crab Legs, Fried Shrimp, Made-to-order Shrimp Scampi, Prime Rib, Weekly Chef Specials and Dessert Table.

Friday Night Italian Feast Buffet $19.95 includes Italian Antipasto Bar, Gourmet cooked-to-order Pasta Bar, Carved Beef Tenderloin, 7 Specialty Entrees, and Italian Dessert Station.

Saturday Lobster Extravaganza $25.95 includes Lobster Bisque, Twin Lobster Tail, Vegetables, Potato and Dessert.

Sunday Brunch Buffet $16.95 Adults $8.95 Kids includes Champagne, Prime Rib, Made-to-order Omelets and Waffles, Peel and Eat Shrimp, Salad Bar, 7 Breakfast and Lunch Entrees, and Dessert Table.

What I ate:   My visit was during Sunday Brunch.  My first plate included prime rib, Salmon Pasta, Green Beans, Potates O'Brien, Bacon, and Cheesy Scrambled Eggs.  Everything I tried was decent, typical buffet quality, but nothing outstanding.  My cut of prime rib was cooked more than I prefer and therefore not as tender as I like it.  I ate a couple of bites of each item before deciding I needed to try something else.

 

My second plate was a much bigger hit after a visit to the made-to-order Omelet and Waffle Stand.  They had a variety of toppings for the waffles which were hot and golden brown.  I ordered my omelet with everything (tomato, onion, peppers,mushrooms, ham, bacon and cheddar) and it was so good! My favorite way to eat eggs.

 

Yes, I did get another small plate (for the sake of this review of course!).  The salad was basic but good and I also tried the spare ribs in gravy.  The meat was so good! It was very tender and flavorful.  I would have loved to try more of that but I was very full at this point.

 

I got a small dessert plate (also for the sake of this review!) I love cheesecake so I had to try a bite of the Winner's Circle cheesecake.  What a disappointment! The taste and texture both seemed off and I didn't make it past a 2nd bite.  I also tried the blueberry cobbler and the creme-filled chocolate cake.  I was too full to get excited about any of it.

 

Here is the dessert plate of one of my companions

Service: My party of 8 adults and 3 small kids had a reservation and were able to be seated at our table immediately.  They had set up a special table for us in the large banquet space.    Our server was friendly and accommodating with drinks and other small requests.

Overall Impression: The food served on the Sunday Brunch was decent, I recommend the omelets and waffles!  Our service was really good.  I would like to go back for dinner to order off the menu

The Coachman Supper Club ~ Baldwin, WI

Cuisine: American, Steak,
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking
Location: Baldwin, WI
Address: 503 Us Highway 63, Baldwin, WI (715) 684-3355
Links: Google Map

Atmosphere:  Located off of the Baldwin exit to I-94, The Coachman is a giant building that stands alone.  There is nothing fancy about the decor inside of The Coachman Supper Club, very little has changed in the 40+ years it has been open.  The tables and chairs are very basic, covered with vinyl table cloths.

There is also a bar area that is quite large and seats many guests both at the bar and at the many bar-height tables.  There are a couple of TVs above the bar as well.

What I ordered: My companions and I each ordered the King-Cut Prime Rib, which came with au jus and horseradish, steamed veggies and choice of potato.  The cut of meat was indeed quite large but was very tender and had just a typical amount of fat.  This big cut was too much for me, but I ejoyed every bite that I did eat.

Service:  My companions and I stopped for an early dinner on a Saturday night and the dinner crowd had not yet started to file in.  Our server was nice but not overly friendly.  Drinks and food were served in a reasonable amount of time and anything else we needed was taken care of promptly.
Overall Impression: The Coachman has a family-friendly environment and is a great place to have prime rib if you ever find yourself in Baldwin, Wisconsin, which is just 30 minutes east of the MN-WI border, conveniently located off the exit to I-94.

The Strip Club (Meat & Fish) ~ St Paul, MN

Cuisine: Steaks, Fish
Restaurant Features: Bar, Happy Hour Specials
Location: St Paul, MN
Address: 378 Maria Ave. St Paul, MN 55106 (651)793-6247
Hours: Tu-Fri Lunch 11a-2p  Dinner 4p-10p  Sat-Sun Brunch 9a-2p Dinner 5p-10p
Links:   The Strip Club Website  Google Map

Atmosphere: The Strip Club is located within an old converted two-story brownstone in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood of St Paul, near Metropolitan State University.  The tall open space appears to be freshly remodeled, with a second story dining room above the bar that overlooks the dining room below.  Although the decor of the restaurant is mostly dark, the light coming into the window brightens the entire space on a sunny day but I can imagine it is very dim at night.

Lunch Menu: Small Plates on Lunch Menu include Soup du Jour, Fried Green Tomatoes with balsalmic bacon, Salumi aii Melone (cured meat with melon), Calamari Avgolemono, The Devil's Eggs (chili oil and curry), French Fries (with bacon ketchup) and Beans & Toast.

Salads include Grilled Caesar and MN Market Salad.

Sandwiches include Dog du Jour, Fried Oyster Po' Boy, Braunshweiger, Burger or Loaded Burger, and Smoked Salmon alla Jeanette.

Mid-Day meals include New York Strip with French Fries, Penne alla Comerciante with Spicy Sausage, Shrimp Risotto with Moroccan Olives, Pancetta and Pork Loin, Lake Country Fish & Chips, and Fresh Fish of Day.  Strip Club prides itself on serving beef that is grass fed and hormone-free.

**All Menus subject to change seasonally**

Price guide for Lunch: Lunch Small Plates $4-6 Lunch Sandwiches $9-11 Lunch Entrees $12-30 

Dinner Menu: Small Plates on Dinner Menu include Hot Bird (chicken with cherry-bacon BBQ), French Fries with bacon ketchup, Pig's Eye Poutine (french fries with truffle gravy and cheese), Crispy Fried Veggies, Fried Oysters, Calamari Abgolemono, The Devil'd Eggs, Salumi ai Peperonata, Duck Confit with grilled peach, Beans & Toast, Tenderloin Tartare, and Meat on a Stick.

Dinner sandwiches include Hamburger, Loaded Burger, or Braunschweiger.

Dinner entrees include Grilled New York Strip, Grilled Milet Mignon, Grilled Ribeye, Grilled Sirloin, Roasted Pork Shoulder, Boneless Duck Breast, Ocean Trout, Walleye Pie, Shrimp Risotto, and Fish du Jour.  The Strip Club has a variety of specialty sauces to accompany the entrees for an additional charge.

**All Menus subject to change seasonally**

Price Guide for Dinner: Dinner Small Plates $5-9 Dinner Entrees $18-35
What We ordered: My companions and I started with the French Fries appetizer that came with sides of remoulade and bacon ketchup.  The french fries were hot and seasoned, light brown and crispy.  The mayonnaise-based remoulade was flavorful and seasoned nicely with garlic and other herbs.  The bacon ketchup had a somewhat smoky flavor and a thick texture.

 

I had the Penne alla Comerciante.  It was good, but not quite what I expected.  The menu description states spicy sausage, but does not mention that it is finely ground sausage blended with the sauce, which only had a hint of tomato and seemed more cheesy than anything else.  I like it and thought it was good but the portion size was on the small side.  I was quite hungry for this lunch and was able to eat the entire portion quite easily and could have eaten more.

 

One of my companions had the Ahi Tuna Salad, which may have been a daily special or an item on the summer menu.  Several strips of slightly seared raw tuna were served over a bead of salad greens and topped with crispy fried wonton strips.

 

Another companion had the Hot Dog of the Day, which happened to be a Beef Hot Dog with Giardiniera.  The all-beef hot dog was served on a large roll and covered with spicy pickled veggies and served with french fries on the side.

 

Another companion had the Beet & Bleu Salad.  This dish was a big disappointment.  The salad with the bleu cheese was good (what little of it there was) but the beet mixture was boring.

Service: Our service was quite awful.  My party of four arrived at lunch time in hopes of having a a nice but fast lunch before returning to a conference we were attending nearby.  The Strip Club does not have its own parking lot and road construction on the nearby streets forced us to park a few blocks away in the pay lot at Metropolitan State.  We asked for suggestions but our server was not very friendly and seemed almost annoyed. After taking our appetizer and lunch orders, our appetizer came out about 15 minutes later.  We quickly ate our appetizer and then waited at least 25 minutes for our lunch orders to arrive.  After inquiring why it was taking so long, our server told us that she didn't put the entire order in right away.  She had waited until she brought out our appetizers before putting the lunch order in.  So after waiting forever to get our food and thinking we were going to be late returning to our conference, we were tempted to have our food packaged to-go.  Since we knew we were in a hurry, we asked for the bill as soon as the food arrived and then ate as quickly as we could.  We had hoped we could get out of there as fast as possible, but wouldn't you know that all the computer systems at the Strip Club all decided to shut down? Not only could we not get a bill with our itemized food items, but they could not run credit cards and didn't have time to make change with what cash we had.  It was awful and our server was very rude about it, I am sure out if frustration at the situation. After waiting for 20 minutes so that management could try to figure out their computer issues, we all ended up calculating our own bills and then writing checks for the total so we could leave. I hope our experience was just a fluke because I have heard others say better things about their service at the Strip Club, but our service that day left little to be desired.
Overall Impression:  The food was pretty good, although you don't seem to get a lot of "bang for your buck".  Our service was terrible but I would be still be willing to go back and try it again, possibly for dinner.  I like that all of their beef is grass fed and hormone free.

Oak City ~ Brooklyn Center & Bloomington, MN

Cuisine: American, Bar & Grill, Fish & Seafood, Pasta, Steaks
Restaurant Features: Bar, Flat Screen TVs, Happy Hour, Kids Menu, Live Music, On Site Parking, Sunday Brunch
Locations: Brooklyn Center & Bloomington, MN
Addresses and Maps:
Bloomington- 5001 American Blvd Bloomington, MN 55437 (952) 746-8887
Brooklyn Center- 2590 Freeway Blvd Brooklyn Center, MN 55430 (763) 503-3561
Links:  Oak City Website

Atmosphere: The Brooklyn Center location of Oak City is located next to Country Inn & Suites Hotel, on the frontage road that runs along the north side of 694.  The building is a decent size (formerly TGIFriday's), with the dining room arranged into several distinct eating areas to allow for more privacy.  The section my companion and I sat in had several two-person booths, other sections had bigger booths and also some tables. The decor of Oak City is sophisticated contemporary, with gold accents and fun quotes throughout the restaurant (hanging on walls and also embedded into the backs of the booths).

 

Above the booths in the middle of the restaurant are these cool metal sculptures made to resemble Trees.

 

There is also a large bar area when you first walk into the Brooklyn Center location, with seating at the bar and also several high-topped tables.

Menu: Appetizers at Oak City include Walleye Fingers, Captain Crunch Chicken Strips, Mini Black Angus Burgers, Salmon Dip with Pita, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Mile High Nachos, Pot Stickers, Chicken Wings & Boneless Wings (6 sauces).

Oak City also serves Flatbread Pizzas including Margherita, Signature Sausage, Spinach & Artichoke Heart, BBQ Chicken and Traditional (sausage or pepperoni).

Appetizer Salads include House, Caesar, Candied Walnut and Spinach and Applewood Bacon.  Entree Salads include Chicken Caesar, Portabella, Peppercorn Tenderloin, Candied Walnut, Spinach & Applewood Bacon, and Cashew Chicken.

Specialty Sandwiches at Oak City include Chicken Ciabatta, Oak City Philly, Walleye, French Dip, Chicken Chipotle, Oak City Club, BBQ Chicken, and Smoked Turkey. 

Burgers include Portabella and Gorgonzola, Oak City Classic (roasted onion and tomato with provolone),Bourbon Teriyaki Bacon Cheeseburger, Hickory Burger (smoked gouda and chipotle bbq sauce), Cheeseburger and Basic Burger.

Entrees include Fajitas, Fish 'n Chips, Chicken Tenderloins, Baby Back Ribs, Herb Roasted Chicken, Choice Top Sirloin, Burgundy Peppercorn Steak, Tenderloin Medallions, Sirloin & Walleye Combo, Ribs & Chicken Combo, Shrimp Scampi, Tempura Shrimp, Canadian Walleye, and Sesame Crusted Salmon.

Pastas include Cajun Chicken Alfredo, Chicken and Pesto, Pasta Fresco, and Tortellini Baronessa.

Oak City's Desserts include Chocolate Lava Cake, Caramel Apple Pie Sundae, Turtle Cheesecake, Upside Down Sundae, White Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cake, and Cheesecake.

There is also a lunch menu served M-F 11am-3pm

Kids Menu includes Walleye Fingers, Fettuccine Alfredo, Grilled Cheese, Chicken Fingers, Macaroni & Cheese, and Mini Burgers.

Sunday Brunch:

• $10.95/ Adults   $5.95 Kids 5-12   Free/ Kids 4 and Under
• 10am-2pm
• Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, French Toast, Bacon, Sausage, Cheesy Hashbrowns, Mashed Potatoes, Pecan-Crusted Walleye, Tilapia, Shrimp Alfredo, BBQ ribs, Swedish Meatballs, Steamed Broccoli, Pork Tenderloin, Clam Chowder, Pasta Salad, Lettuce Salad, Cakes, Pies, Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse

Price guide: Appetizers $ 7-11   Salads $ 4-13    Sandwiches/Burgers $8-11  Entrees $10-25  Desserts $5-7

Happy Hour:

• Daily 3-6:30p & 10p-12a
• $2 Appetizers (Buffalo Wings, Rock Shrimp, Walleye Fingers, Mini Burgers w/ Fries, Fresh Tortilla Chips & Salsa
• $4 Flatbread Pizzas )margherita, BBQ Chicken, Oak City Signature, Spinacc & Artichoke, Traditional)
• $2 Rail drinks & 16 oz Domestic Taps  $3 Vodka Redbull  $4 Long Islands
• $1 off all other drinks

Weekly Specials served 4-9pm:
Monday- Any Burger on Menu $5.95 
Tuesday- Any Pasta on Menu $9.95 and 1/2 price bottles of wine  
Wednesday- All You Can Eat Snow Crab $19.95 (includes bread, soup or salad, veggie and choice of potato 
Thursday- All You Can Eat baby Back Ribs $12.95  
Friday- All you can eat Walleye Fingers $11.95 
Saturday- 12 oz NY Strip $10.95  
Sunday- Roasted Chicken $8.95 and Kids 12 and under eat free off Kid's Menu (one per paid adult)
What I ordered: I was really in the mood for a sandwich and the Chipotle Chicken looked perfect for me (and it was!).  The chicken breast had been marinated in chipotle spices so the juicy tender meat was very flavorful and also had somewhat of a smoky flavor to it.  The breast was grilled and topped with melted Manchengo cheese, which was creamy and also slightly smoky.  Large slices of fresh avocado and a spicy chipotle sauce complete this sandwich which is served on a fresh toasted bun.  The combination of flavors and textures in this sandwich were a big hit, my only complaint is that the bun seemd too small and the ingredients wanted to slide right out.  The shoe string fries were cooked a little too long (from frozen) and were on the hard side, with many small pieces of too-crispy-to-eat potatoes.

 

My companion asked for a suggestion on the Burger Menu and was told to try the Portabella Gorgonzolla Burger.  Fabulous creation of flavors and textures! The large freshly-made burger patty was made with 1/1 lb of fresh ground Angus beef and then grilled to order, with a giant sauteed protabella mushroom cap and a hearty portion of gorgonzola layered on top of the beef .  This burger was so big that it deserves a bigger bun.  Awesome choice!

Service: We were greeted by the hostess within a few minutes of arriving and were shown to our table.  The restaurant wasn't too busy after the dinner rush on a Tuesday, but it was at least five minutes before we were greeted by our server.  Our server was friendly and gave us great suggestions about the menu but wasn't always there when needed (refills, box, bill, etc).  Our food was served reasonably fast and overall the service was decent.
Overall Impression: Great sandwiches and burgers at Oak City! Prices seemed slightly high but comparable to other restaurants of the same caliber.  Would love to try Oak City's Sunday Brunch and the weekly specials look great too

Manny's Steakhouse ~ Sunday Special

Mad Jack's Sports Cafe ~ Vadnais Heights & Brooklyn Park, MN

Cuisine : American, Steak, Chops, Ribs, Fish & Seafood
Restaurant Features: Sports Bar, Patio, On-Site Parking, Happy Hour

Locations:  Brooklyn Park & Vadnais Heights, MN
Addresses & Maps:

Brooklyn Park- 8078 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 ( 763) 424.9919

Vadnais Heights- 953 County Road E Vadnais Heights, MN 55127 (651) 287.3900

Link: Mad Jack's Website

Atmosphere:  The Vadnais Heights location is just off 35E and Co. Rd E in a large building outside a long strip mall, Festival Foods and Target complex.  The restaurant is divided into two main area, the dining room and the bar area.  There is a nice double-sided fireplace and lounge area between the two dining areas.  The kitchen is also open so you can watch the cooks work their magic.

 

Here is a peak at the mini lounge area between the main dining room and the bar area.  The bar area is very large and has several tall tables in addition to ample seating at the bar.

 

One thing that is easy to notice about Mad Jack's is that there are a LOT of TVs throughout the restaurant.  Each high-backed booth in the dining room also has its own personal TV.

Menu: Appetizers include Sirloin Tips, Coconut Shrimp, Crab Cakes, Jacked Up Nachos, Hash Browns, Filet Tips, ** Spinach Artichoke Dip, **Bruschetta, **Calamari, **Jackadilla, **Szechuan Green Beans, **Wings, **Cornbread, **Chicken Tenders, **Garlic Cheese Bread, **Potato Skins, **Onion Rings, **Cheese Curds, **Chili Cheese Fries, **Sweet Potato Fries, **Homemade Potato Chips, and **Chips and Salsa, and **Flatbread (choice of Margherita, Caprese, Rotisserie Chicken, Sun Dried Pesto, and BBQ Chicken). Appetizers with ** are 1/2 price daily from 3:30-6:30pm and Sun-Thurs 10pm-12am.

Soups include Chicken Wild Rice and Chili.  Salads offered are Jack's House Salad, Chopped, Buffalo Chicken, Taco, Caesar, Strawberry Feta, Greek, and Thai Chicken Peanut.

Sandwiches offered at Mad Jacks include Philly Beef, Old Fashioned Club, Meatball Sub, BBQ Chicken, Pork Loin, Cuban, Artichoke Chicken, Fish, Veggie, Hawaiian Chicken, Reuben/Rachel, Turkey Melt, and Grilled Ham and Cheese.  Wraps include Asian, Chicken Caesar, Club, or Southwestern.  There are also several specialty burgers.

Handmade Pizzas can be made-to-order, or choose from Garbage Pizza, BBQ Chicken, White Delight, or Mad Meat. 

Pastas include Spaghetti & Meatballs, Baked Ziti, Fettuccine Alfredo, Sausage Tortellini, and Tilapia Farfalli.

Entrees offered are Lumberjack Salmon, Chicken Marsala, Shrimp Scampi, Walleye Fillet, Grilled Pork Loin, Fish & Chips, Filet Mignon, New York Strip, Jack Kebabs, Open Faced Chicken, Rack of Lamb, Rotisserie Chicken, Rack of Ribs, and Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry.

Desserts include Creme Brulee, Cheesecake, Apple Crsip A'La Mode, Vanilla Ice Cream, Milkyway Mousse Cake, and Bread Pudding.

There are also a couple of weekly specials: 1/2 price Spaghetti & Meatballs with garlic bread on Wednesdays! ($4.50 for a huge helping!)

Price guide: Appetizers $7-12 Salads $4-10 Burgers & Sandwiches $8-11 Pasta $9-15  Pizza $9+ Entrees $12-22  Desserts $3-8
What we ordered:  Since it was Happy Hour, we started with a couple of half-prized appetizers, Calamari and Hot Wings.  The Calamari was a combination of rings and tiny squids, both cooked perfectly so that the breading was crispy with calamari cooked perfectly tender.  Served on the side was a chunky sweet marinara sauce and also spicy mayo, both very good.

The Hot Wings were huge and seemed to be just a little more spicy than other buffalo wings (I like that!), with a fair amount of sauce.  Bleu cheese and celery on the side for dipping.

 

I had the meatball sub for my entree, which came with homemade potato chips.  The meatball had tender but firm texture, seasoned with pepper, fennel, rosemary, onion.  Very good! The meatballs had a light amount of marinara and then provolone baked over the top, served on a somewhat soft French roll.  It was too huge and messy to eat with my hands, so I cut it into smaller bites and dipped it in a side of marinara.  The potato chips were crispy but I wasn't very interested in them.

One of my companions ordered the Flatbread Caprese Pizza, which consisted of a very thin, flat crust with melted gorgonzola cheese, fresh basil, roma tomato slices, and balsalmic vinegar.  The crust was nice and crispy and the flavor of the ingredients blended together rather well.

 

Another companion ordered a Mushroom Swiss Burger with French Fries.  The burger patty was quite big, and the bun it came on was thick and substantial.  Fresh mushrooms were sauteed and then swiss melted on top.  The giant portion of homemade fries were fresh-cut of varying sizes and fried to a crispy golden brown.

 

I chose to go back to Mad Jack's later the same week as my first visit and ordered The Reuben Sandwich.  The first two bites were awful! The corned beef was very tough and I couldn't even bite through it.  The server offered another sandwich, but the rest of it was actually pretty good.  I think those first couple of bites of corned beef should have been removed by the cook before it was served, but the rest of it was  tender and flavorful.  The sauerkraut was mixed with the 1000 Island dressing and on the mild side.

Service:  The service at Mad Jacks was exceptional.  The servers were very attentive and when our food was ready, it was the cook himself who served it to the table, wanting to know if there was anything else he could do.  The responsibility of serving staff seemed to be somewhat shared, as we seemed well taken care of.
Overall Impression: Thought it was great! The Happy Hour specials are a great deal, the food was quite good, and the service was exceptional.  I'll be back soon

Old Log Cabin ~ Forest Lake, MN

Cuisine: American, Fish & Seafood, Steaks, Chops,
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking

Location: Forest Lake, MN
Address:  9726 Scandia Trail N. Forest Lake, MN 55025 (On Hwy 97 four miles east of Hwy 61) (651)433-5646

Hours: Mon 4-9pm Tues-Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am-9pm
Links: Old Log Cabin Website  Google Map

Atmosphere: There are two dining areas in the Old Log Cabin, the main dining room with a variety of booths and tables (not pictured) and then the bar area which has a handful of high tables with additional seating at the bar.  Like it's name suggests, the Old Log Cabin has a rustic feel and the building itself is made from several large logs.  Nearly every square inch of the bar area is covered with business cards of every variety!

Menu: Appetizers include Fungus Humongous, Mozzarella Sticks, Buffalo Wings, Onion Rings, Artichoke Dip, Chicken Strips, Potato Skins, Cheese Curds, and Nachos Grande.

Salads include Chicken Chef, Taco, Crispy Chicken, and Chicken Caesar.

There is a large selection of 1/2 lb burgers with names such as Musher, Alaskan, Prospector, Kodiak and Yukon.  Sandwiches include the Trapper (prime rib), Ptarmigan, Cottage Chicken, Log Jammer (Prime rib with onions and peppers), Fish, Hot Prime, Grilled Chicken, Grizzly Chicken (BBq & Bacon), Steak and the French Dip.

Dinner entrees include Ribeye Steak, Cabin Steak (10oz sirloin), Black Angus Sirloin, Chopped Sirloin, Sirloin Tips, Ork Chops, Broasted Chicken, Marinated Chicken Breast, Broiled Walleye or Shrimp, Fried Cod, Seafood Platter, Fish & Chips, and Fried Shrimp.  

Desserts offered are Carrot Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, Bread Pudding, and Root Beer Float.

Daily dinner specials begin at 4pm and include:

• MON& Tues- Mexican Food 
• Wed- All you can eat Fish Fry 
• Thurs- Steak Night 
• Fri- BBQ Ribs $11.99
• Sat& Sun- Prime Rib $15.99

Price guide:  Appetizers $ 5-8 Salads $7-9 Burgers & Sandwiches $7-9 Dinner Entrees $10-18  Desserts $3-4
What we ordered:  We started with the Fungus Humongous and like the name suggests, these fried mushrooms were HUGE!  The extra-large fresh mushrooms were halved, lightly battered and then fried to a crispy brown and served with a honey-mustard dipping sauce.  Delish!

 

For my meal I ordered the Ptarmigan Chicken Sandwich (the server affirmed that this was a great choice!).  This was a grilled chicken breast topped with creamy spinach artichoke dip and melted cheese on a toasted bun.  The chicken was tender and juicy and the artichoke dip was flavorful and had a decent amount of artichoke.  The french fries were mediocre, with a slightly crispy textured outside and very little seasonings (reminded me of Burger King fries).

 

One of my companions ordered the Hot Prime Sandwich which consisted of thick slices of prime rib served between slices of fresh white bread, a large scoop of mashed potatoes and then smothered with gravy.  This is obviously the type of sandwich that is meant to be eaten with silverware! I tried a few bites and thought the prime rib was good, but the gravy wasn't my favorite.  My companion enjoyed this meal.

 

Another companion ordered the steak sandwich, which was literally a steak thrown between a couple of slices of toast and then served with a side of au jus.

 

Another companion ordered the Sirloin Tips, which came with a cup of soup, dinner roll, and baked potato.  The sirloin tips were tender and juicy, smothered with sauteed onions and mushrooms.

Service:  Our visit was on a Saturday afternoon between lunch and dinner, so there were only a few other customers dining at the time.  Our server doubled as bartender, but was prompt and friendly for the most part.  My only complaint is that the fried mushroom appetizer was served with the meal instead of coming out first but it wasn't that big of a deal.
Overall Impression:  The Old Log Cabin was more laid back than I had expected and the food was priced very reasonably for the amount that came with each order.  The service was good too!

Blue Heron Grill- Hugo, MN

Cuisine: American, Steak, Ribs, Chops
Restaurant Features: Bar, On-Site Parking, Patio Dining

Location: Hugo, MN
Address: 14725 Victor Hugo Boulevard  Hugo, MN 55038  (651) 756-1894
Links: Blue Heron Website Google Map

Atmosphere:  The Blue Heron is a very large restaurant, with a handful of dining areas surrounding a centrally-located bar area.  There are several large-screen TV's on the walls throughout the restaurant.  The decor of the restaurant was one that had no apparent theme, but was painted with warm masculine colors to go along with the wooden tables and chairs.

 

Bar Area

Menu:  Appetizers include Calamari, Sante Fe Quesadilla, Muchos Nachos, Onion Rings, Wings, Chicken Satay, Walleye Fingers, Prime Rib Asparagus Wrap, Grilled BBQ Salmon, Steak Bites, Bruschetta and Spinach & Artichoke Dip.

Salads include Fresh Tomato Mozzarella, Chef, Taco, Caesar, Wedge, and Pear & Bleu Cheese.  Soups include French Onion and a Soup du Jour.

Entrees include Grilled Fajitas, Shrimp Scampi, Broasted Chicken, Walleye, Filet Mignon, Ribs, Ribeye, Pork Chops and Chicken Florentine Lasagna Rolls.

Pasta dishes offered at Blue Heron are the New Orleans (Jambalaya), Seafood Linguine, Bolognese, Pasta Primavera, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Chicken Alfredo, and Caprese.

There is also a large selection of sandwiches including the Prime Rib French Dip, Old Fashioned Club, Prime Rib Philly Cheese Steak, Grilled Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, BBQ Pork, Walleye, Cuban, Italian Sub and Glazed Hickory Chicken.  Wraps include Southwestern Chicken, Smoked Turkey & Avocado, and Buffalo Chicken.  There are also a number of Specialty Burgers including the Blue Heron Burger (cheese, sauteed mushrooms, fried onion, smoked bacon, jalapenos, pineapple, lettuce and tomato).

Price guide: Appetizers $8-12  Salads $9-10 Entrees $13-24 Pasta $10-14 Sandwiches $8-11
What we ordered: We started with the Nachos, which was a huge pile of chips loaded with sauteed peppers, jalapenos, green onions, black beans, tomatoes and seasoned ground beef, with guacamole and sour cream on the side.  The portion was huge, with all of the ingredients stacked on top of the chips.  The nachos were good, but it was hard to get both chips and ingredients together in the same bite. There seemed to be cheese baked only on top.

We also ordered the Chicken Satay, which I was disappointed to discover was not what I consider chicken satay at all!  Not Thai Satay, anyway.  The chicken skewers were very good, nice and tender, but the flavor was distinctly teriyaki.  Apparently the kitchen was all out of the Thai Cucumber salad that traditionally accompanies Satay, so they substituted it with coleslaw.  Both were very good, just not what I was expecting.

For my dinner, I had the Mushroom and Swiss Burger.  The burger was quite large and pretty good.  It had a decent amount of fresh sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, served on a toasted bun.  The burger was ordered medium-well and it was quite pink in the middle.  The few thick-cut fries they gave me were hot, but sparse.

 

One of my companions ordered the Bacon Swiss Burger

 

One of my companions had the Walleye Sandwich.  This is actually what I had ordered for my meal, but I missed the description that said it had American Cheese, so I was unable to eat it.  It was unfortunate for me that such a nice fillet of walleye was covered with a food I have a strong aversion to.  My companion was nice enough to swap the burger for the walleye and enjoyed it.  The fillet was large and perfectly browned with a light breading.

 

Another companion had the pork chops, which were very thick and tender, and perfectly seasoned with maple glazed brown sugar.  The green beans were also sauteed in a sweet glaze and ad a nice texture to them.  The baked potato was not nearly as good as the rest of the meal.  It was old, hard, dry and had obviously been sitting in the tinfoil since the dinner rush many hours earlier.

Service: I had heard such bad things about the service at the Blue Heron that my expectations were not very high.  I am sorry to say that the service on my visit was even worse than I could have expected! In fact, I am going to go as far as to say I had the worst service of any restaurant I have ever done a review on at this point in time (about 75 restaurants!).  My companions and I arrived at the restaurant shortly after 9pm, long after the dinner crowd had gone.  There were only a few other diners in the restaurant, but several people having cocktails in the bar area.  The hostess greeted us in a friendly manner, and brought our party of four to a table in the bar area.  We asked for a table that was close to one of the large-screen TV's so that we would be able to watch a Pre-Season Vikings game that was in progress.  After we were seated, it took at least ten minutes for our server to come to our table to take our drink orders.  Drinks took at least ten minutes and she had forgotten one of them, so that drink didn't arrive until 25 minutes after it we ordered.  Our server was friendly, but did not go out of her way to give us helpful suggestions of what to order.  Appetizers arrived approximately 20 minutes after we ordered, however the restaurant made a substitution for an item that they were apparently out-of, without consulting us first.  Half-way through appetizers, the TV that was showing the Vikings came was changed to something else.  Our party asked three different people at three different times if they would kindly put our game back on.  All three requests were ignored, despite reassurance that they would change the channel back.  We waited, waited, and waited some more for our entrees, our server was nowhere in sight.  We were left without refills for quite some time.  Dinner was finally served about 50 minutes after we ordered.  Our server was polite when we did see her, but that seemed rare.
Overall Impression:  I am a resident of Hugo and had been waiting many years for a nice restaurant to move into town, so I was incredibly disappointed with my first visit to the Blue Heron because the service was so bad.  The food was good enough, but certainly didn't outweigh the amount of time it took between ordering and eating.