Maggie "Swindler of Dreams" Q.'s Profile

This is the second time I've been to Melting Pot. It's still amazing. I love that they have a couples dinner with appetizer, salad, main course and dessert. The earliest reservation we could get was 9 pm. At first I thought we would be rushed since they would be closing soon.

Oh no. It was still packed. And when we left after midnight, it was still really busy.

The thing I like about Melting Pot is how everything can basically be made to order. For the most part the waitress makes the fondue and then you cook your meats and veggies yourself. Everything is just how you like it.

Also, for those wine-o's out there, they have a 5 page menu just for wine.

If you have not eaten here, then you have never had Italian. I don't care what you say, you're wrong. I'm not usually so forceful, but I have yet to find better Italian food in Minnesota. It's a tiny little restaurant and a small menu of pasta and pizza. I've heard the pizza is pretty good, but I always get the stuffed shells with meatless sauce. The tomato sauce is the secret to this restaurant. I swear they put something addictive into it. Not only is it one of the most delicious places on the planet, but it's also pretty cheap. You get a lot of food for what you pay and will be taking home leftovers. They also have decent wine.

Bonus: They have take out.

Oh. My. God. Local food, and perfect selection. Cute little restaurant with a large patio for the size of the rest of the place. Absolutely adorable and delicious food. A little pricey but worth every penny. The staff is helpful and friendly and didn't seem to mind that we hung around to chat. Also, make reservations.

I love Chino Latino! I think the problem that some people may have is they go in thinking it will be one thing and then it's not what they expect. Go in with no expectations. And that includes the bathrooms. I have to say that I am grateful to all the men I walked in on the other night for not freaking out. I completely missed the second doorway for the women's bathroom area.

It's a little expensive and a very trendy and loud place to go. But it's fun. The staff all have suggestive or plays on inappropriate phrases on their shirts. The drinks are all named after something dirty. And this is the place where you can get your drink served in a coconut or pineapple.

This last time, I went for a friend's birthday. I don't know how he did it, but her husband had the restaurant print "happy birthday Meaghan!!!!" at the bottom of our menus. Some other tables clearly celebrating a birthday received headbands. I was a little jealous my party did not resort to such public humiliation.

For as small as the menu seems to be, there is a good assortment of vegetarian, meat, fish, spicy and mild foods to pick from. The plates are huge. Expect to share. I think my party ordered almost one of everything. There was a lot of food. We ordered enough so people could try a few bites of everything and it seemed to work well that way. We had no left overs. My favorites were the pot stickers, plantains and banana chicken. Everything is good though.

Also, if you go on a weekend, make reservations. It's in Uptown. Understand that there is no off street parking.

Generally any kind of wine bar freaks me out. Mostly because I'm too dive-y to know much about wine. The person I was with chose something good though and made me feel very high brow. We got to sit outside because it was so nice and it was perfect. The food was good. I recommend the artichoke dip. Nummy! I also got the caesar salad. I seem to have a trend going lately with that. The dressing was not too heavy and the croutons and cheese were really fresh. I'm honestly a little surprised a restaurant like this thrives around the U of M. And you know what that means: bring your walking shoes or $100 in quarters.

It's a very cute restaurant, but a bit on the pricy side.

Our service was absolutely terrible. We waited a half hour once we got our check just to have our credit cards run.

My caesar salad had giant pieces of red onion in it. Red. Onion.

I don't need to say anymore.

It's not the worst Asian food I've had. It was pretty...well, not ethnic. It's a very trendy place to eat at for Maple Grove and I did like the atmosphere. It took forever to get a spot though. I got the crab wontons, which were surprisingly good and not too greasy or fishy. And because it's Asian, I got the sweet and sour chicken, because it was the most American of the Asian-American food. Again, good. I liked that it didn't make me feel like my arteries were going to clog shortly after I consumed my meal. I do think the prices are a little steep though.

The service was okay. Their dressing on their caesar salad was a little strong, and their macaroni and cheese was on the spicy side. Seriously. Macaroni and cheese. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. I was a little worried when I saw the prices that this would be like another Hard Rock Cafe. Crappy food that will take your entire savings. But the food and service are worth the prices.

It's got a great atmosphere that can go from casual to fancy. Their micro brews aren't bad (this coming from someone who doesn't like beer). Do not ask the waiter what's the closest beer to Grain Belt; he and your friends will make fun of you.

This is my favorite Asian restaurant. I also like that it's a fancier place to go with white table clothes and reservations. The food is awesome, but too spicy for me. I always get the sweet and sour chicken. They have a spice tray if you have a flame retardant mouth. The food is incredibly fresh and that's what I like about it. They make really good drinks (I recommend the mojito--it's like drinking a rain forest). It's a little pricy, so expect to pay at least $40 total for two people. But I will add it's worth it.

The one downfall is that it's near Loring Park so there is little to no parking. I don't care how many quarters you bring, you will circle the block a few times.

There are a few things Burrito Loco has going for it. First, they are one of the few places in Dinkytown that does late night delivery (you'd think this would be a fortune waiting to happen near the U). They also have some decent specials; they claim they're the best near the University but I'm a little weary of this advertisement since Sally's also makes the same claim. And if you went to the University you know the kind of place that is, and I shouldn't need to elaborate on the tedious atmosphere and crowd it draws.

I went with a couple other friends and they kept telling me that it was pitcher night (Saturday). Obviously since I've never been before, they explained to me that if you order a pitcher of beer/margaritas you get a free pitcher of wings. Now, call me naive, but there were two things that threw me off here which caused me to repeatedly ask the same two questions: 1. I was not aware you could serve chicken wings in a pitcher ("...and they're served in a pitcher?") and 2. I was unaware that Mexican restaurants served chicken wings ("They make chicken wings?"). Needless to say, I was told to "shut up" several times.

The food isn't outstanding but it's good, especially the quesadillas, chips and guac. The crowd is definitely the college age undergrads (which is alright in small doses), so expect popped collars on polo shirts and sports on the TV. Also, men think they're funny when they're in a crowd with their friends. Be careful about asking for a bar stool from them. I learned that the hard way.

And, once again, U of M = No parking; bring quarters, park in Coon Rapids and walk.

Finally, they do in fact serve chicken wings, even though they're a Mexican restaurant, and they do come in a beer pitcher.