STELLA!! (Food Review)

There are places you remember. There are sounds and smells associated with those memories as well.
Can you close your eyes and remember restaurants sights, sounds, smells and tastes?
A year ago we dined at a cool little place with 2 floors and rooftop dining in the uptown area of Mpls.
I remember two things mainly. The best steamed lobster I can remember and a very busy and noisy place of 30 to 50 somethings. The oysters were sub par for me so I didn't order any on my 2nd trip.  But, since just about every table had a dozen, I'm guessing mine just sat on the line to long before being served so I'd try them again at a future time.

The servers? Both great. Casual dress and good people skills. They buss each others tables and clean as a team as well. 

It was our 33rd Anniversary so my precious bride pre-orderd the Lobster bake for us to share.
So here we go..

Lobster Bake is a fix-prix for two and worth every dime. (I'd suggest finding their special on groupon).
Bottle of house wine comes with it but you can upgrade to any bottle and get a 18. credit off it. (worth doing :):)  Problem is, it's one of the smallest wine lists I've seen for a nice restaurant, so there's not a cellar to choose from. I voiced that to the server and she smiled and said "yup" hear that all the time.  There was  descent Sav. Blanc I'd had before with less grapefruit and more pear in it so that worked in the 30 range.

They start you with 4 nicely steamed and soft square buns with an awesome garlic butter. 

This follows with a cup of Lobster Bisque. Bisque was nice and golden with three nice chunks of lobster (thumbnail size). Creamy and not gritty (nice). It didn't have the beautiful "port/cognac" flavor that I love, but it also was devoid of the thick rue type that is so often passed off to you as Bisque.. I give that a 6.5

Next was a nice salad. Different from the one we had a year earlier (that was more Waldorf with mixed greens.) This was romaine tossed in an oil citrus that was a bit much so it softened the romaine to much. The berry's were fresh, pears were as well.  The nuts tasted like the canned sugared variety but they were fresh so I give them .5 for the crunch factor instead of squish:)

The blue cheese was the medium grade so it wasn't overpowering. (nice)  Over all, I'd have liked it better with mixed greens but the cost of goods is always an issue.... i give the salad a 5.5

Now the Lobster Bake... This is a very unique pot.
I'm guessing it's a 2.5 lb lobster. The base is tomato's, Italian sausage, potato's,shrimp (25ct?) Black Mussels, Spinach and spices. Over that lays the broken up lobster. Steamed perfectly both times I've had it. You know it's right when it's still (almost) med. rare in the middle.  You get about a 1/4 lb of drawn butter in a dish to share and the cracking utensils. (not needed cause the shells are split and the legs/claws break nicely with your hands. 
Every bit of this is an experience. you eat all your lobster and then you have this nice unique stew to eat and drink up the broth in the end. 
I actually poured it into a big cup and gave it to my bride to eat out of that instead of digging a giant spoon into the big pot for every bite... (ask for another cup or two, it makes it easier to eat in the end). Oh yeah, the corn..  that was eaten in about 10 sec. after the pot arrived. It just says "eat me first".
Well, allot of things in life say that to me, so sue me. Lobster bake I give 9.5 . Half point off because, well, I wanted a couple scallops in it:)
  
To finish things off you have a few choices for your dessert and I usually go chocolate if they have good coffee (up charge; however they didn't charge us for it).  

Whipped cream was a bit thick (more butterier) cake was really nice and berries and finished reduction was nice. Coffee was very fresh and two refills came without a question.  Dessert... 5..5 
Nothing special about it, just... good.

I've dined on the 2nd floor (noisy) and this time on the main floor (noisy). Sat in a wood booth along the wall and it was lit well. Not romantic at all but you work with what you got :)  

Parking can be found on the street if your lucky. They have valet and do not validate, but we paid 8. for an enclosed ramp across the street, (which is nice in the winter months).

All in all I give it an 8 as a dining experience. It's the only place I know like that where you can dress up or be totally casual and feel good.   We got out of there with our groupon under $150 with 20% on the total bill, not the groupon. Bill was $180 with the extra wine.

If you eat early, it's always nice to walk around the blocks there near the lake and see the shops. There are 4 outdoors clothing shops on one street and Android and Apple stores. There is live music within walking and the community there is pretty safe.

I can take this place once a year just for the lobster bake alone and now with a sushi bar and oyster bar there, I'll be back to just try that in the summer when you can sit on the roof top and dig the vibe.

Reservations welcome and (i think) needed.  Tennessee Williams and Richard Burton could come here and feel very welcome yelling Stella.... more lobster..  As for my bride and I, we like to dress up and dine. 
We give it two smiles and thank you for the plastic lobster bibs. We got home without a spot of butter.

Bathrooms were clean as well... which is nice.

2nd Street Bistro (review)

As we prepare to make our way to the farmers market this morning in the rain, I'm reminded of past restaurants that pride themselves on local sourcing only.  Our dinner last night at Brasserie Zentral was 17 tasting courses between us and 11 wines. I'm still taking notes this morning on this amazing Euro Southern Germany driven joint that is better than any high end joint in Germany I ever dined in when living there. And that includes the 4star ParkHotel on 21 WiesenhuttenPlatz where I entertained.  Sry for getting side tracked already. You know the deal, you remember a food, you salivate and then you rabbit trail:)

2nd street bistro..  Livingston MT.

I left Minneapolis for a fundraiser on a private ranch in Aug.  I had timed it so that I could drive all night and day and land in Livingston at dinner time to spend the night alone at a table near the kitchen. If you're like me, you love watching chef's work. Being self taught at everything in life, I learn by watching and asking questions. And now a days, google, YouTube and siri are the state of the art universities for the mind for in inquisitive. 

Owner Chef Brian is a tornado of food passion. He walked me through the kitchen at closing and showed me his hand printed (ridiculous handwriting) work sheets for his staff for the next day. At least 3 pages of perfect notes for what he had assembled for the next evenings menus based upon his gut. A twinkle and a smile in his eyes as he proudly said "14 years on the line" and I still love this every day.

Ok, he's as bad as us songwriters and artists. We can hate it at the end of the day sometimes but we always come back.

Now, going backwards, I'm writing this months after my dinner. So I roll into Livingston and get my little table next to the kitchen. Chef smiles and says hello.  #1. Owners or even more, owner/chefs that take a moment to acknowledge you during the evening are making their food that much better in your mind..

So I start with a CA Chardonnay with cold beet soup that used red beets and then golden beets in the center with (what i remember) a swirl of creme fraiche infused with some hard spice. Amazing. The red beets had that big bold clean crisp bite and the golden beets in the middle had a silky, creaminess that was sublime with the drizzle.  The homemade bread from their bakery with EVOO and balsamic made it even better.
I'm guessing the restaurant only seats 60 to 75 with a small Euro bar in one end making all kinds of cool elixirs so getting seated during the power rush can mean waiting with a cocktail or two. 

Chef is also a Sommelier, so it's nice to see his view of wines as paired to the menus he creates. I think as well that the business from June to Oct. is pretty tourist driven so I'd expect more CA, WA wines that he'd probably desire.

Next I had to try the Crab Cake Salad with a Sav. Blanc. Nicely dressed and the cakes were rolled and done perfectly. Crisp outside and firm and moist (not) mushy on the inside. Candied walnuts and mixed greens were nice with it,  instead of the two crab cakes on a plate with a creme fraiche squirt

I am a fish freak and was planning on having the halibut for entre',  but then out of nowhere a plate of seared rare Duck breast on mash with crackling arrives and the server says " chef would like you to try this".   

Ok, screw the halibut, I'm in, just bring me your best glass of Pinot or Burgundy by the glass.

Now the mashed were plain and I might have wanted cream or chives, or rosemary garlic under that duck but I'll admit, having them just be "mash" , made me focus on every crunch and soft center of that breast with the Burgundy. Yup I'm smiling, thinking about it again.  Duck can be messed up and greasy and, and, and, but doing it great and pan spooning the skin to crisp it worth the time.  So then how do you finish up a nice experience like this?  A big cup of French Roast,  a cordial of Pernod and Creme Brulee'.  Nice vanilla bean seeds, fresh berries, good thick custard consistency and you just close your eyes and alternate bites with either coffee, or a hint of Pernod.

Looking around that night, it was a lot of couples and traveling foursomes. As an entertainer, i so wanted Chanson' in the corner. Love songs being sung and played from a piano. Giving up 6 to 8 seats (10%)  is probably out of the question but I'll still lobby that it would take it over the edge there.

Now when out west, you can hit the Ted Turner buffalo houses (I've done it many times) and you can hit some cook Asian  or TexMex kinda vibes, but you don't see a place like 2nd street to often, prepared with the passion of one guy.  Certainly, if he goes "IT" goes, but as the owner/chef, I'm guessing when he's done he'll just sell it to the Hotel (my fav.) Murray next store and start something new.

And if this is not enough for you for one food post, I"ll tell you that my favorite breakfast place in Montana is the NovaCafe' in Bozeman. Their logo is two sunny side eggs with bacon x'd across it like a pirate flag. Perfect! It's on my MacbookPro case.. With that said, i've now spent more mornings in Livingston having breakfast at Gil's Goods, around the corner from 2SB and attached to Murray Bar and the world famous "Dan Baily's Fly Shop" where I dream of going as a youngster.

I leave you with my fav. breakfast from Gills... It's self service, all local, all fresh baked. (the creamy grits are stupid good) and the coffee? well I order the Tiffany Americano.  She runs all this for the chef and she is a goddess married to Adonis and a new little one coming out of the oven soon.  

If driving from coast to coast or doing the Yellowstone trip or BigSky Bridger ski deals, take 30min from the airport in Bozeman and spend a night at 2SB. You can always walk around the corner after dinner and ho-down in the bar with some alternative folk/rock/country/bluegrass and a local MT beer:)

Bona Freekin Petit