George and the Dragon- Minneapolis, MN

After an outrageously long break from restaurant reviews I am back! Over the last few months I have checked out quite a few new restaurants but finally have the chance to review one of them for you. My friend Raya and I have gotten into checking out new restaurants when we get together which is great so I can share our experiences with you.

Tonight we went to George and the Dragon. The menu was appealing along with the location so we decided to give it a go. This restaurant’s sign is very inconspicuous so once you see Patina and the Malt Shop you are in the right place. We got to George and the Dragon around 5:15 which seemed to be the perfect time. Shortly after we arrived the restaurant was full and people were waiting, so head in early if you want a seat right away. There were a lot of children joining their parents for dinner so this place is great for customers of all ages. We did agree that the kid’s macaroni and cheese looked tasty! The restaurant was very nice, clean and simple. The area we were in had booths around the outside and a few tables in the middle. The floor, booths and bar were made of a medium wood color. The restaurant had a great feel.

Many of the items on the menu sounded incredible. We decided to share a few things so we could have a little variety. We started out with the pretzel bread appetizer. The pretzel bread here was much softer than the others I have had in the past. It was delicious and was served with homemade butter. We also got the Elizabeth salad which was our favorite. Raya pointed out that it had the perfect amount of dressing and I loved that it had the chunks of cheddar cheese. We also shared the cheddar & tomato toastie which was sort of like a panini. I picked off the tomato and we both took off some of the onion jam. All of the food was delicious. I hope to go back so I can try some of the items such as the cheddar & ale soup and the macaroni cheese.

Date of visit: Tuesday 5/29/2012- 5:15 pm First time there: Yes Total of bill before tip: $30.33 (sparkling wine, diet coke, pretzel bread, salad and toastie) Recommended: Yes Website: http://ganddpub.com/

Old School Supper Club- Ranchero Supper Club

We were long over due for a dinner date with Shane and Kristine so last night we made the trek down to Webster to go to the Ranchero Supper Club. Greg and I went here about 2 years ago for his birthday and both really enjoyed our food. We have been meaning to go back for a while so we figured it was about time we revisited. If you haven’t been to the Ranchero before the best way to describe it is “an Old School Supper Club”. The restaurant is about 38 years old and I really don’t think they have done a thing to it since they opened. If you read my blogs you know that is more than fine by me.

We were greeted by a waitress who brought us back to our table quicker than I have ever been escorted to a table before, it was comical. We were promptly greeted by a man who took our drink order then shortly after by our waitress. Kristine and I started off with iron butterflies, Greg got a Paulaner beer sampler and Shane had a soda in the cutest frosted glass ever. The one thing we noticed right away are the tiny glasses overall. Of course we had to take a picture to show their cuteness.


The entrees here come with a bread basket, a relish tray (sorry Ranchero, the one at Mancini’s is superior), soup or salad and a choice of potato. Shane ordered the NY strip, Kristine got a chicken sandwich, Greg choose the ribeye and of course I got the filet. The one thing that shocked me is that a 6 oz filet is only $13.50 here. Are you kidding me?? The same size at Outback is $18.99. I mean to get a whole meal with all of the sides for $13.50, what more could you ask for. Not only was it the perfect size and price, it was delicious! They put their “special sauce” on all of their steaks. Typically I don’t use any sauce on my steak but it definitely adds some flavor and it is fun to try it the way they prepare it. I chose the AuGratin potatoes and they were amazing. I would highly recommend them. They almost tasted like macaroni and cheese. Greg had the bread pudding for dessert and really liked that too. Overall everyone was very happy with their food.



Other than the location, there is absolutely no reason not to check this restaurant out. If you have a little extra time to drive a little further to go to dinner, I would highly recommend it. I was surprised how early it cleared out there. Then again we did have a late dinner. In addition to the typical pictures I have in my blogs I added a few extras just to show the charm of the Ranchero. Have you been to the Ranchero recently? Let us know what you thought!

Date of visit: Friday 1/13/2012- 7:45 pm
First time there: No
Total of bill before the tip: $65 (beer sampler, iron butterfly, captain diet, grasshopper, bread pudding, ribeye and a filet)
Recommended: Yes!
Website: http://rancherosupperclub.com/

Perron's Sul Lago- Prior Lake, MN

After hearing about Perron’s Sul Lago from an old co-worker a few years ago, this has been a restaurant I have been meaning to check out for a while. Then on Thanksgiving my cousin-in-law mentioned it and so I decided this would be the next restaurant we check out. Greg and I had a nice date night last night which began with Perron’s for dinner. We had a reservation for 7:30 but were ready to go early and figured we would have a drink at the bar if we could not get in early.

Perron’s Sul Lago is located in the main level of a building that is connected to condos or apartments. The sign was subtle and we wouldn’t have seen if it we weren’t looking for it. When we walked in the small bar was to the left and the dining room was to the right. We were seated in a cozy and small booth. The restaurant was decorated beautifully and is a perfect setting for a nice date or a work dinner. Perron’s is only open for dinner from what I gathered.

Greg and I split the side Caesar salad which consisted of about four bites each, it was very small. The dressing was different than any other Caesar I have had before. It was good though. For dinner I ordered cheese ravioli with meat sauce and Greg got the sausage and peppers pasta. Both of our meals were very good. I tried a couple of their feature martinis, thin mint and chocolate. They were both delicious. Greg had a couple of their bottled seasonal beers.

For some reason this restaurant’s website is not working. It is unfortunate since you are not able to look at the menu online at all. We really didn’t know exactly what to expect other than what I have heard from people I know, that it is sort of expensive and has really good food. If you read the reviews online this restaurant has been hyped up greatly. I thought our food was very good and I really enjoyed it but I am not sure if I enjoyed it as much as the people in the reviews. I would need try some of their other entrees such as the meats to get a better opinion overall.

This was a great restaurant for a date night and I would definitely go back again. The prices of the meat entrees were on the expensive side with the filet in the mid $30’s. If it wasn’t from hearing about this restaurant from people I know, I would not have known it existed and I have never seen it advertised. I hope they get their website up and running so people can learn more about the restaurant before they visit. I apologize for not taking any pictures of this restaurant. The outside didn’t warrant any pictures, I only saw the sign when we drove by and then I forgot about it when the food came :)


Date of visit: Friday 12/2/2011- 6:45 pm
First time here: Yes
Total of bill before tip: $81.03 (2 martinis, 1 Captain, 3 beers, ravioli and sausage and peppers pasta)
Recommended: Yes

Kami Japanese Steakhouse- Apple Valley, MN

A few months ago I purchased a Groupon coupon for Kami Japanese Steakhouse. My Groupon was about to expire so my husband and I figured we better get over there so another coupon didn’t go to waste.

Kami is located on the first floor of a little strip mall/office building. It was a little quiet since everything else was closed due to the fact it was a Sunday night. We were greeted by the host who asked if we would like to do the all you can eat sushi and steak or if we would like to do the hibachi grill. We were both a little tired since we had a wedding the day before and didn’t necessarily feel like being entertained by a hibachi chef if we didn’t have to be, so we figured we should check and see if we could eat the hibachi food without sitting at the hibachi grill. Due to a policy change this wasn’t an option any longer. We knew this may be the case so we were just fine with it.

The host informed us that we would be sat in approximately 15 minutes. It seemed as though this restaurant waits until the hibachi table is full before seating instead of having a partial table, which makes sense to me. We took a seat in the lobby which was in the same room as the bar and waited for them to bring us back.

The hibachi grill area seemed pretty much like all of the others except here they had 4 grills (two clusters) in one room. The group we were sat next to was sort of quiet so that paired with the closed off room was a little awkward at first. Our server was very friendly and made sure to check and see if we had any coupons and I think the majority of the couples at our table did.

I ordered an amaretto sour and Greg ordered a Japanese beer, Kirin. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of my whole meal since I pretty much just ate everything as it was cooked and placed in front of me. The dinners here included soup, a salad (a little smaller than I am used to seeing), noodles, shrimp, vegetables and rice (or the option to upgrade to fried rice). For dinner I chose the filet and Greg got the filet and chicken combo. We both upgraded to fried rice. Our hibachi chef was great. He did the typical hibachi tricks but also threw one in that I hadn’t seen before, throwing the fried rice bowl around including behind him. It was impressive.


The food here had a little more flavor than the other hibachi restaurants I have been to recently. We were both really pleased with our meals. I had a little food left over for lunch the next day but of course it wasn’t nearly as good the second day. As we all know, hibachi restaurants are expensive but you do get a lot of food for your money so it sort of balances out. The prices seemed to be right in line with Osaka’s and other comparable restaurants. I would definitely recommend dining at Kami Japanese Steakhouse. I think the quality and flavor were great and it is nice having another hibachi restaurant in the suburbs.

Date of visit: Sunday 11/13/2011- 6:30 pm
First time here: Yes
Total of bill before tip: $74.22- $40 coupon = $34.22 (amaretto sour, beer, Filet Mignon & Chicken, Filet Mignon and 2 fried rice upgrades.
Recommended: Yes
http://kamifinedine.com/index.html

Burger Jones- Burnsville, MN

First off I would like to apologize for slacking with my reviews. Between switching jobs, working more nights and having a few busy weekends there was obviously quite a break there. Hopefully I can get back on track and keep the reviews coming.

Two friends and I went to the Burger Jones in Burnsville. Neither of my friends had been there before and have been wanting to check it out. We felt like sticking close to home so this was the perfect spot for us to visit.

The burgers and sandwiches do not come with a side at Burger Jones so we started out with the Tri-Fry Tasting Platter which includes French fries, sweet potato fries and parmesan waffle fries. This came with three dipping sauces of our choice so we decided on the chipotle aioli, smoky bbq and avocado mayo. Our favorite was the chipotle aioli which reminded us of seasoned sour cream. We didn’t really care for the regular French fries so if you order a side of fries with your meal I would suggest one of the other two options (our favorite was the waffle fries).

Tammy ordered the mushroom swiss burger and Carrie got the turkey club burger. They both really liked their burgers and seemed impressed with Burger Jones overall. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger. The burger was in line with what I have experienced in the past, pretty good. My only complaint about the burger was the bun itself. I feel it could have been fresher. The top of the bun seemed sort of dry and hard. Other than that it was a decent burger. I still feel the burgers from Five Guys and the Savage Legion are better and are significantly cheaper.

One negative thing I have heard about Burger Jones is that the prices are pretty high especially considering the burgers do not come with a side. For example, my bacon cheeseburger was $9.99. When we have gone in the past there were usually a couple drinks on the tab which definitely hiked our totals up. Skipping the cocktails this time definitely helped.

Overall I think Burger Jones is a fun place to go to dinner every once in a while. Obviously I wouldn’t want to go often because there are a lot of other places where you can get a much better value.

Date of visit: Saturday 11/5/2011- 7:00 pm
First time here: No
Total of bill before tip: Approximately $46.00
Recommended: Yes
http://burgerjones.com/index.php

Sorry for the poor picture quality once again, I had to use my phone camera.

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

Every few months my old Lifetime co-workers and I get together with our spouses and we rotate which couple plans the get together. It was our turn this time and after Greg and I went to Mancini’s Char House & Lounge about a month ago and fell in love with it, we figured it would be a great place to get together.

Turns out the night we went was abnormally busy and even though this restaurant is HUGE we still had to wait about a hour and a half. We just hung out in the lounge, had a few drinks and caught up with each other. They play live music Wednesdays through Saturdays too so you can either enjoy the music before dinner if you eat late like we did or check out the lounge afterwards and could even do some dancing if you are up for it. Mancini’s décor makes you feel like you are stepping back in time. I love restaurants with character so I think this is awesome.

At Mancini’s they give you a relish tray and the pickles, tomatoes and peppers that are on there are extra delicious. I don’t like to eat tomatoes straight up but compromised by trying one on a piece of bread out of the bread basket. It was yummy! We were obviously pretty hungry by the time we got sat since it was after 8:30 so we inhaled the relish tray, bread and our salads. The guys even got creative and dipped their bread in the juices left on the relish tray, don’t ask…

Our table ordered two 12 oz. filet mignons, two 8 oz. filet mignons, the beef kabob and a NY Strip. I had one of the smaller filets. It is the same thing I got last time and it was delicious once again. They butterfly it there (without asking) and it is cooked exactly as I like (I order it medium). This is my favorite filet to date. Everyone else that had the filets really liked them also. My husband had the kabobs and enjoyed them overall but had one piece that was a little tough. He had enough leftover to make a steak omelet the next day. Brian ordered the NY strip and liked that also, this is one of their signature items. I had the vegetables with mine and those were great too!


Last time we were at Mancini’s one of the owners came around to see how everything was. He did this again which I think is really impressive. I love when managers are involved and want to ensure everyone is enjoying their meal. Thumbs up on that one!

After we were done eating Rachel mentioned I should have taken a picture of the relish tray but needless to say, ours was devoured so… a few of them had their eyes on the table next to us that had just left and went over to bogart their leftover relish tray. Not only did we take a picture of it but my husband figured he may as well take some of those delicious tomatoes for his omelet also and of course emptied the rest of our bread basket into his to go container. Jacking the other table’s relish tray was pretty funny and was a good way to end the evening (notice there are no pickles left).

Overall I think Mancini’s is amazing and is a great value for your money. With your steak you get the relish tray, the bread basket, a salad and a potato or vegetables. I would highly recommend anyone and everyone I know to check it out. Dinner and some live music would make for a fun date night or get together with friends. If you have been to Mancini’s but it has been a while, I would encourage you to go back. If you check it out make sure to add your comments below.

Date of visit: Wednesday 10/15/2011- 7:30 pm
First time here: No
Total of bill before tip: $55.81 (Beef Kabob, Small Filet, Coke, Captain)
Recommended: Yes
Website: http://mancinis.com/index.html

Tilia- Minneapolis, MN

My friend Raya and I were planning a double date and she suggested we check out Tilia. I read some of the online reviews and was very eager to try this restaurant. The first thing I noticed was it was a little hard to find due to the fact there is not a sign for the building. There is simply a window decal which makes it hard to spot while driving by. The restaurant is on the small side and does not take reservations so it fills up quickly. I was early and was able to get a great table for us.

They have a great beer list which allows people to sample some new, fun beers. I originally wanted a glass of wine but couldn’t rationalize paying $10 for a glass of wine when the wine I buy in the store is less than that for a whole bottle. I decided to go with a diet coke. I ended up ordering a glass of $4 wine after Raya ordered one and I tried a sip since I wasn’t sure what kind it was, turned out it was pretty good.

We started out with the grilled bread with prosciutto & fresh mozzarella appetizer. I loved it. It was so delicious. I could have eaten 2 orders of it myself. The menu here is on the smaller side so I had my dinner narrowed down to two pastas and ended up choosing the small size of the tagliatelle pasta. It was… okay. I really didn’t feel there was anything special about it. Plus there were additional items in there that were not mentioned on the menu and I really had no idea what they were. Raya got the squash caramelle pasta and I liked hers a lot more. We should have switched since afterwards we realized we liked each other’s better than our own. Oh well! The boys got the reuben and the fish taco torta. The guys seemed to be happy with their meals. I also stole a few of our friend’s French fries and they were pretty good however they were less than impressed with the fry sauce that came with it. It didn’t have much flavor at all.


Overall this restaurant was cute, the waitresses were friendly and we had a great experience. I just left feeling a little under impressed with my meal but it could have been that I just ordered the wrong thing. I would definitely go back if someone suggested it and would just be sure to order something different.

Date of visit: Wednesday 10/5/2011- 6:00 pm
First time here: Yes
Total of bill before tip: $50 (2 beers, soda, glass of wine, appetizer, fish torta and small pasta)
Recommended: Yes
Website: http://tiliampls.com/