Ernesto De Quesada

Cafe Barbette for Martinis and Dinner

Went to Cafe Barbette for Martinis and dinner. Had to wait all of 15 minutes to get a table (pretty lucky). We had Bombay Sapphire martinis.  Cheese and fruit plate. Then we had Mussels in Curry. For the entree we split the fish special:Encrusted Halibut with Israeli Cous Cous and Greens. To drink we had Pierre Amadieu wine. We finished with the Chocolate Espresso Fondu with fruit and bread…..Full stomachs, thinner wallets

Got to Barrio at 9PM on a busy Saturday night. Nicollet Mall was breaming with people. Sidewalk tables at the many restaurants and bars, were occupied. Barrio, was no exeption. There was only one available table, inside. We sat down and ordered two Margaritas. To eat we ordered Guacamole, Crab Empanadas, Shrimp tacos, and MahiMahi tacos in succession. The food is served tapas style (small and expensive portions).

The bar and restaurant were busy throughout the night. People came in constantly. Tables didn’t stay empty for long. The large bar has a full wall to the ceiling with hundreds of tequila bottles. It is not uncommon to see bar tenders climb on a ladder to reach the top shelves. A large screen, on the opposite side from the bar, display a melange of Mexican old-films and documentaries, mostly in black and white. There were bullfights, charro clips (mexican cowboys), a short on Habana cigars, and another on the Day of the Dead. Loud music mixes in with the cacophony of conversations and the activity at the bar.

Towards the end we ordered a shot Don Eduardo Tequila to share.

SpoonRiver for Latenight Tapas

Went to SpoonRiver after the Guthrie (Ella). Sat inside at a two-top by the window. Linda had a Gin Fiz. I had a glass of Pinot Noir Acacia.

To eat, we ordered two plates to share; the Mushroom Pistachio Terrin, and the Spoonriver dips Plate. The Terrine usually comes with cornichons, but they must have run out, because it came with plain pickles this time.

Spoon Dips • Preserved Lemon Hummus - Roasted Red Pepper - Walnut Paté, Vegetables, Olives, Foccacia

Savory Wild Mushroom, Pistachio Terrine • Fruit Chutney, Mustard Sauce, Croutons, Cornichons

Sequence taken the day after the tornado and storm that hit Mpls on 8.19.09. Most of the damage here consisted of downed trees and broken glass

2nd time at Rinata for the $20 Sunday Four Course Tasting Menu. This has to be one of the best deals in town. You get good service, good food, and a great price, basically a steal.

We sat at a table in the larger dining room, by the window. We also got the same server as last time. We ordered drinks; a glass of Raymond R Collection Chardonnay ‘07 for LB and a glass of Sonoma Creek Pinot Noir   ‘06 for me. Bread arrived with the wine. Freshly baked and accompanied by a plate with olive oil and tapenade.

To eat we had: Baked Bulgarian feta with artichokes peppers and olives and Local Summer Squash Napoleon with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes. Then we had 2 Caesars with Romaine Hearts and garlic pepper croutons. For the entrees Linda had the Gnocchi with Squash zucchini and sun-dried tomato cream, and I had the Fettuccine ala Vongole with clams, garlic, white wine, and chili. Finally, for the dessert, Linda had the Sambuca Tiramisu with Lady Fingers and Mascarpone, and I had the Cherry Chocolate Gelato.

The food was very good. I think it was better than the first time. My favorites this time around were the Squash Napoleon, the entrees were equally good, and the gelato.

Gidget the Chihuahua from Taco Bell. R.I.P 7/22/09. He was 15

http://tiny.cc/JlInM

Rock the Garden 2009. Great day for it. Were able to bring cameras. Much better to have it on a hill.

Tweets

@abwhittey have fun at #RTG. Linda and I are heading there too.

Long line to get a water refill #RTG #rockthegarden

Finally sitting down #RTG http://twitpic.com/7y7s7

where are the Vincent Burgers? Any veggie ones?

So this is weird, but the music is almost secondary to the experience #RTG

@abwhittey Up on the hill, almost by the street. This is great!

Here we are (having fun as you can see) @abwhittey http://twitpic.com/7yare

@lorika13 busy taking pics?

@robot_math and here we got xtra tbeer ckts for x2 U. Maybe catch up w/U ltr

Waiting to order humus. The we have another line to pick up. 1/2hr yikes! #RTG http://twitpic.com/7ycoa

@Lorika13 biking? You go girl!

Finally got falafil sandwich and Hummus #RTG Worth the wait

@Lorika13 Zero waste event? But but everyone is wasted

Listening to the Decemberists closer. Not as close as @lorika13 @abwhittey http://twitpic.com/7yvht

Is it done? At #RTG #rockthegarden

The Hangover 6/6/09

Well made film about a four men that go to las Vegas for a bachelor party, 2 days before the wedding. Three of them wake up the next day in their hotel suite with huge headaches. The suite is in shambles. They can’t remember a thing about the previous night, and worst of all, they have lost the groom.

The rest of the film, is about the three friends following clues to find the groom, with the wedding approaching and time running out.

Stella’s Fish Cafe at the Rooftop Deck. Went after a long swim at the YWCA and a couple of hours in the sun at Lake Calhoun. Walked up the stairs as usual. The rooftop was busy, but not too much. Got a table immediatelly. Hostess said that this was her favorite table in the whole place, and it was. Should I have given her a tip for that?. Maybe in NY.

Sat down and ordered a beer. Corona with a lime for me and Sierra Nevada for LB. We also got 1/2LB of the Peel and Eat Shrimp. Our intention had been to come for a beer and shrimp and then go somewhere else, but that would soon change. It was nice and warm with the sun still out in force, and the view of downtown Minneapolis, especially once the sorming clouds rolled in, was great.

So after the shrimp we ordered some fish tacos and another beer, and after that we shared Stella’s Fish Sampler; a pairing of Grilled Salmon, Swordfish, and Scallops, each in a different sauce. The Fish Sampler was good, except I would do without the pineapple over the Salmon.

The storm approached slowly throughout the meal. We wnt from a sun drenched start to rain beginning to come down as we left. The roar of motorcycles arriving at Cowboy Slims below, punctuating the evening.

20.21 after Hoipolloi Theater. Sit at the bar and order the special tasting menu. Three courses for $20.21. We order the Spring Pea Soup (with Mint, Chilli oil). Then we want the MockDock Lomein, but they are out. They offer anything from the regular menu. I get the Hong Kong Wild Caught Salmon with leeks and and a soy based sauce. Linda gets the Seafood Green Curry (scallops, prawns and bock choy) with rice. For dessert we get the Spoon and Cherry (chocolate soft mouse covered with hard chocolate, vanilla ice cream and cherries). Linda gets the Panna Cotta with cherries and sherbert. We also get a couple of glasses of tempranillo.

The soup is very good. It is hot, colorful, light and fragrant. Linda’s green curry is fantastic. Big pieces of scallop and prawns with bock choy and the curry is very hot and flavorful. My salmon is also very good. A smaller portion over vegetables with rings of sauteed radishes and leeks on top. Of the desserts, the panna cotta was the better one. The Spoon and Cherry was a much smaller version and not as good as the last time we had it a couple of years ago.

Then again, for $20,21 you can’t go wrong. This deal goes on through the end of June (at the bar only) 

Linda sitting on a red couch, next to Chairman MAO (Warhol poster). This image, taken with a Leica DLux3 at 20.21 in the Walker, was then converted to look like a polaroid shot with Poladroid software on a Mac

Cafe Barbette for dinner. Get the one open table outdoors, almost on the corner with Hennepin. Linda feels like Pommes Frites. We go for half order of Frites and the Asparagus Shitake Tart to start with. LB gets the Seared Wid Caught Salmon for an entree and I go for the fish special (the server can’t pronounce, and I soon forget what it was).

The drinks arrive quickly. A Tempranillo for lb and a Pierre Amadieu Gigondas for me. The wine goes well with the tart, not so much with the frittes. The half-order of Frites is gigantic. It comes with a aioli style sauce reminisent of the aioli at the New French. There are way too many frites, but we devour them anyway. The tart is pretty good.

Our entrees arrive. Linda’s looks and turns out to be very good. It has a nice piece of salmon above a bed of orzo with dill. Mine, on the other hand, not so good. The fish tastes like pork, maybe it is the sauce it was glazed with. It comes over rice.

Ok, so you can’t bat 100% everytime, even at a place you like.