I liked this short article on wine tasting tips;
http://www.lovepanky.com/travel-and-health/food-and-recipes/wine-tasting-how-to-taste-wine
Archive for the ‘Bright’s Minnesota Restaurant Blog’ Category
Wine Tasting Tips
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013Bluff View Restaurant and Bar at Coffee Mill Golf Course
Saturday, February 16th, 2013Well, it was a very happy Valentine’s Day for me and my sweetheart last Thursday. I have not been out of my house for several weeks now, due to various factors and reasons. So, it was SO good for me to get some take out from the Bluff View Grill. The restaurant has taken on a new chef who seems to know what he is doing. DIdn’t catch his name, but his cooking is El Besto Evero! We didn’t have anything too fancy, but it was done to perfection. I had the almond encrusted walleye with baked potato and relish cream sauce, grilled carrots, peppers, and zuchini with a side salad of baby greens and feta cheese with red onion. And my sweetie had a 14 oz ribeye steak, garlic mashed potatoes, veggies and salad like mine and then we both had the bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce. All under $50, packed up very nicely. I will go there again, and very soon. Hope to see you there.
See http://www.coffeemillgolf.com for all the details and special hours of operation. Handicap Accessible.
Rivertown Cafe, Wabasha, MN
Saturday, November 17th, 2012We were lucky to get a chance to visit the new and improved by new management of the Rivertown Cafe on Pembroke Avenue, Wabasha, MN. They keep short hours, til 3 PM most days and they do very well at serving a nice, low salt,
light touch menu.
I was very pleased to see salt and pepper on the table, along with jam, sugar, cream and condiments, like in the old days.
They also served a couple of pieces of pickle with the chicken sandwich D had, and my wrap came with a big helping of ranch dressing. The side salad actually had three cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds and a bit of ham, cheese and cabbage and a nice dab of dressing. My chicken wrap was filled with all kinds of good stuff and the wrap itself was light and deliciously so. (Regular readers may know how I have been complaining about the little extras being reduced week by week until now, we felt lucky to get a plate with our meals.)
They have a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, even including meat loaf, hot roast beef and hot turkey sandwiches.
The atmosphere was clean, plain, very 50s, booths and tables and chairs, and the service was helpful and willing to make the tea right for us. The prices were a bit below local competitors and they don’t serve liquor.
All in all we had a good experience and would recommend the Rivertown Cafe to others.
Note: Pembroke Avenue is the street that runs into National Eagle Center.
Hey, Stinky!
Sunday, October 21st, 2012Today we were at one of my now fav restaurants, no name mentioned, I felt obligated to tell a wait person that the cologne was too much for me and that is why I had not given the usual smile and laugh and happy greeting to this wait person. I had given it some thought because 99 out of 100 times, waitresses and waiters know better than to overwhelm the scent of the food, but more importantly, aggravate people’s allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems with perfume, scented soap, fragrance shampoo and condtioner or even under arm deodorant that has that special scent no one can forget. ARGH.
So, anyway, I say, I have not greeted you well to day because your cologne is bothering me. The reply was, “Oh, I always wear cologne!” I am thinking, not like this. Then I hear, No one has ever told me that before. I say, people don’t want to tell you these things. I just thought you’d like to know why people may not tip you as well, or business is slow in your station. Then, well, I hear a very half hearted, ‘Sorry”. And, um, well, I didn’t need an apology. That won’t help me breathe better next time I am put in the path of the perfumer. So, then, this person gives us back a ten instead of the $9.85 we expected for our change, so we could leave a tip. And
with the $10, a little pat on my dh’s hand, saying you can keep the 15 cents. ARGH! Way not to handle it! We scrounged around and left $3.56 anyway and I said, now I have to blog this.
Please, to restaurant owners, managers, waitstaff and cooks around the world, please know that you are alienating dozens to hundreds of people (depending on your area population numbers) from coming to your restaurant because they are afraid they will have to leave, hold their breath, take extra medicine, face embarrassing coughing fits and goodness knows what all so that they can ‘enjoy’ their time out at a restaurant.
Thanks in advance for your consideration.
Anderson House
Sunday, August 26th, 2012Sunday Brunch was a nice step back in time when restaurants served food like mom served at home if you were
Pennsylvania Dutch or anything remotely close. Great slices of real ham, lovely strips of bacon, maple flavored sausage, lightly cooked sliced potatoes, three bean salad, green bean with peas, quiche, scrambled eggs, baking soda biscuits, toaster French toast and waffles, mixed seasonal fruit, endless juice, tea, coffee, then desserts; pumpkin bread, lemon cake, double chocolate cake, and brownie bites. All for $11.50 each.
The staff is very friendly, and although the front door has a couple of small steps, due to having to build up a little as it is one block off the Mississippi River, and therefore not handicap accessible, there might be a back way, call first.
The restaurant is only open on Sunday from 10am to 2pm. And the hotel is opened Thursday thru Sunday. Call first.
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We very much enjoyed the atmosphere of lovely pieces of furniture and lighting, plus the good food and great staff. We’ll do that again.
Historic Anderson House is opened with antique styled rooms and a lovely Dutch restaurant in Wabasha, MN.
See www.EaglesOnTheRIver.com
651-565-3509
West Main Street
Skyline on Pepin
Sunday, July 8th, 2012Haven’t blogged this one for almost two years, though we do frequent this one for it diverse menu, great ambiance, nice waitstaff and easy in and out handicap access.
It is on the river, Lake Pepin, the sailboats frequently are passing by, it has a large bar and three season seating, as well as indoor seating with booths, padded seats, tv, music and the best pizza besides it’s diverse American menu.
Everything I have had, I have liked. No surprises, but good food and it is attached to a motel and you can buy tickets to the Pearl of the Lake steamboat for a two mile cruise.
Skyline on Pepin, Lakeside Dining and Coctails located at 1702 Lakeshore Drive, N.
in Lake City, Minnesota 651-345-5353. www.skylineonpepin.com
I’m Staying Home
Sunday, July 1st, 2012We have been getting out to eat as usual, two, maybe three times per week and I just cannot see why I should continue to support some of these many restaurants around town and beyond. First of all, I know how competitive it is. With towns under 5,000 population, few people can afford or even want to eat outside of their familial circles. And then, there seems to be two or three restaurants opening up shortly after others went down.
The mistakes are still being made though. The people with money are generally older. Give them comfort. Cool in summer, warm in winter. Put some padding on the seating. Why should I go to a restaurant where they don’t care about my comfort level. Now, some have music, but it is either blaring, or too soft to hear. Find a happy medium and let me depend on it. The prices have gone up. I understand that, but to lessen the already rather miniscule servings is getting borderline ridiculous. I am a small woman withe a medium appetite and I am going away hungry now.
And for Pete’s sake, leave the chattering-all-about-me waitstaff in the kitchen…I’ll come and get the meal myself if it means I can have an uninterrupted meal without the stuff I don’t want to know and didn’t ask about. It’s not on the menu!
Make it family friendly. Either serve pizza and spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese or have a family night where the parents can actually afford a family spread for 4 or 5 members. Roasted Chicken and potatoes, with a fruit salad, serves 4-6, $19.95. Comes with pitchers of water and milk.
Okay, rant over. Good luck, out there!
Minnesota State Fair New Food, 2012
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012Minnesota State Fair New Food, 2012. There is some good looking choices this year and some bad ones. Don’t come crying to me if you make the wrong ones too many times! These are some major calorie eats. Have fun at the fair. I am going to try and make some at home til then. Wish me luck.
http://gallery.mnstatefair.org/media/new_foods2012/index.html
Town And Country Cafe, Kellogg, MN
Friday, March 16th, 2012There’s a very nice, super clean, but old restaurant in Kellogg you may have missed when visiting Lark’s Toys, one of the ten biggest and best toy shops in the country. That’s because you have to turn to the east off Hwy 61 rather than west to get to Lark’s.
But, turn you should, if you are hungry, in need of some smiling faces, and don’t mind spending a little less than when you go to those fancy places that reside right on the highway. Hey, it’s only about 2-3 blocks off. Don’t be lazy.
The food is good, there are plenty choices so that everyone will find something they like. When all else fails, my hubby says their burgers are the best in the whole southern half of Minnesota. Well, at least out of the 50 or so places where he has had burgers. That’s a dang good recommendation right there.
I loved their fried cauliflower, fresh salads and homemade cauliflower soup. Plus when I asked them for iced de-caf coffee, they came right up with the perfect drink even though they had never served it before. IT was delicious for me, a very fussy iced de-caf coffee drinker.
I also liked their drummie special with fried chicken drum sticks and green beans and mashed potatoes. It reminded me of childhood and home. It all tasted really good. Not too much salt at all, and Patty, the owner of 24 years, told me she only uses real butter. But I didn’t detect too much of that either. A great blessing for those of us over 40, 50 and beyond.
The fries were delicious and I am about to get back their for their pies, which are homemade and look really good. (Inserted later, we have had several of their pies and give them a hearty thumbs up! Even if you are on a diet, share some and try it!) So, when you are here, go there for lunch or dinner or breakfast. Check the hours. They are not open M-Thurs Evenings.
Look for the pretty lace curtains on the windows and the nice padded chairs for comfortable seating.
Oh, and they only take cash, but there are ATM machines within blocks.
This is from their facebook site:
homecooked meals …specializing in homemade soups and pies. Friday night all you can eat fish and shrimp fry. Also prime rib saturday night. along with all you can eat shrimp.Breakfast served all day. Noon luncheon specials…Monday and Tuesday vary weekly. Wednesday varies monthly. Thursdays feature BBQ pork ribs. Also serving daily Hot Beef mashed potatoes and gravy.
Town & Country Cafe
309 N Belvidere Ave
Kellogg, MN 55945
1 507.767.4593
Hours
Mon – Thu: 6:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fri: 6:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sat: 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sun: 7:00 am – 1:00 pm
Visit my http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/bright
greeting card shop
The New Mediterranean Cruise Cafe
Sunday, February 5th, 2012Mediterranean Cruise Cafe
12500 Nicollet Ave
Burnsville MN, 55337
Telephone: 952-641-6222
Fax: 952-641-6225
E-mail: jamal@medcruisecafe.com
My dh had to do some errands south of the TC, so he went over to the new Med Cruise Cafe’s beautiful restaurant and brought us back Mediterranean Dinner for Two. When he told me he was coming home with the food, I almost began to drool. I have been wishing for a dinner from there for two years. Everything they use is so fresh and tasty, including the yogurt dressing and oil and vinegar Greek style salad. When dh got home, I unpacked the four containers that were very well packed and then I could not wait for anyone before I dug into the green salad with olive, feta cheese and onion, tomato and cucumber, all fresh, really fresh. I always wait for dh, as he gets drinks or whatever, but I could not do it this time. I did tell him I was not waiting, though. As the meal progressed I ate so fast I had to force myself to stop and smell the spices. The kibbe, chicken, lamb, rice and hummus were gone within minutes. It was that good. MMmmm.
MCC has not changed their menu, or cut back on the extras. If anything, the baclava has improved. And the service, even though it was a takeout, was divine, as one of our favorite all time servers, Sami, was there to make sure all was well.