Restaurants... 🍽️

Look at our menu where everything is smothered in sauce because more is better!

The broizing of West 7th continues...

Yeah, just what we don't really need more of.

Waiting for Popeye's Chicken or an Olive Garden to take over McGovern's...

Well they are almost out of room in Dinkytown so

They need to do it somewhere else

Taking the family to the game on Friday and they want pizza on campus. Yes I know Campus Pizza is closed and it was the best ever. Also with Punch closed we are wondering where to go. Has any one been to Blaze Pizza?

I went to Blaze once. It was just ok. Nothing to write home about. It tries to be fast pizza kind of like Punch Pizza, but with normal toppings.

Pizza places surprisingly don't do well on college campuses (maybe dominoes?). Campus Pizza and Punch closed. Gumby's pizza in Madison closed years ago and it was very good. It's weird considering that demographic should eat a lot of pizza.

I think if I were to open a Pizza place on a college campus, I would make sure to have more than just pizza. If I want kids to come in multiple times per week, I have to offer more options. As much as I love pizza, I can't eat it 3-4 times per week. But I could go to a bar 3-4 times per week. If you could somehow have good bar food as well as a good pizza line up (with delivery).....money maker. You'd have to have cheap options for poor students as well as better options for game crowds.

Pizza, cheesesteak, burgers, subs, chicken sandwiches, a quality french fry and beer. Pizza buffet on non-game days....

Go to Wrecktangle Pizza at Malcolm Yards.

Wrecktangle Pizza or Surly Pizza

Jake's Stadium near the Mankato campus is still going. But it isn't the best pizza in the town. Right [mention]Viking[/mention]?

I was not very fond of blaze when I went there... the dough leaves a lot to be desired.

I like a good NY slice though.

https://frankandandrea.com/

Punch was super popular -- I think it was just a pandemic casualty as campus has been pretty quiet the last two years.

Mesa is still open in Dinkytown if easy slices is your thing.

We know the owner, Punch will reopen. Between campus closed down and losing staff they had to consolidate employees to the busiest locations. They can’t fire up the wood pizza oven if there’s not a pretty steady stream of customers.

Pagliai's is the best. There are others on this board who will say Jake's, but they're wrong.

Jake's is still pretty good though.

I agree. I'm not mad if the group wants Jake's and I end up there.

It’s hard for me to rank pizza… Its the one choice of food that is at several restaurants. The bigger question is, who has a bad pizza?!?!?!

The trash they sell at Mariucci that a surprising amount of people buy is borderline

Is it worst than $5 Pizza?!?!?!

Never tried it. I used to eat Little Caesars when I was broke and never really complained given the price. Now I'm kinda a food snob but still respect those that end up getting cheap za.

Btw… there is two styles of pizza. There is restaurant pizza and fast food pizza. Restaurant pizza tends to be pretty good. Fast food pizza is most of the time cheap garbage.

College was always Papa Murphy’s or Dominos. After college it was Little Caesars. I now “try” to avoid all those type of places.

Yup, to the question earlier about places not surviving on campus: At the U it was like 5.99 for a large one topping Domino's. So the choice was always domino's. Drunk at the end of the night? Mesa. Looking for lunch and it's just you? Mesa.

Nothing else was really in my pizza consideration set when I was there.

What you talking about?!

[mention]g-manpuck[/mention], Are you a Jake's guy?!?!?!

Russ Kendall's was outstanding, as usual, a few weeks ago. The smoked Lake Trout is sooooo good.

I like both places but I do prefer a thin crust pizza. I rarely eat Jake's my wife prefers Pagliai's so that is where we usually order from. Though we don't as much as we use to since they are closed on Sunday's now.

Russ Kendall's is on my list. Would've stopped in this past weekend if it wasn't for the Gophers game. My wife and I are staying at Cove Point in the spring for 3 days. So Knife River is a quick stop for an afternoon drive.

[mention]Don Adams Wheel of Justice[/mention] Have you ever been to Lou's Fish House in Two Harbor?

Russ Kendall's has been a favorite for my entire family for as long as I can remember.

We bought gas at the Holiday next door but I didn't pay attention to it. How does it compare to Russ Kendall's?

[mention]Don Adams Wheel of Justice[/mention], don't know. They are both on my bucket list. Just was wondering if one trumps the other.

[media] https://twitter.com/StarTribune/status/1455887049408516099 [/media]

I’ve only had Jets pizza as Detroit style and I really like it.

Evidently Lemongrass in Brooklyn Park is struggling and has dropped dining service and moved to take out only. I plan on putting them in a rotation for us to try and help out.

I'd heard some rumors they were focusing more time on Lat14. It's a little bit of a drive for us (and for you) to get there unless I'm coming from work but we may have to go grab takeout sometime from there again.

Sounds like it was staffing as the main issue. Take out only for the foreseeable future. I really liked that place so hope it makes it through

I pretty much stop going to Old Chicago from the start of Covid and because they closed the Apple Valley location. Though they got several new items on their menu and I told the wife we might pregame there before the Gophers/PSU game on Friday.

New starters:

Bruschetta

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Spinach Artichoke Dip

New Entrees:

Choppity Chop Salad

Magnificent Green Salad

Chicken Pesto Alfredo

Chicken Carbonara

Spaghetti

Bacon Chicken Mac

Ma’s Lasagna

Turkey Bacon Club

Meatball Sub

Went to Bourbon Butcher in Farmington last night. The BBQ and food was excellent. A little more spendy than I would think for a suburban place, but the whiskey and drink menu were out of this world. Hunrdres of whiskey types and some good flights.

Been there several times. Same owners have Whiskey Inferno (Savage) and Volstead's (Eagan). Both are very good as well!

They also own Tequila Butcher (Chanhassen).

Good to know. Will have to check the others out.

Sounds like a night out might be needed! Thanks for the info.

I haven't gone back to OC since they canned (not furloughed) all their employees due to the shutdown, then rehired at will. I won't be back. That was a crappy thing to do.

I went to Tequilla Butcher last year... Did absolutely nothing for me. Would have zero desire to go back.

I would say that was more CraftWorks not OC.

CraftWorks:

Logan's Roadhouse (Not in Minnesota)

Old Chicago (In Minnesota)

Gordon Biersch Brewery (Not in Minnesota)

Rock Bottom Brewery (In Minnesota)

Also, lots of businesses and places of employment did the same exact thing. I think we were all in some difficult and unknown times so I choose to give grace that things that happen locally possibly were misguided or came from corporate. There are always other sides to the story as well, but not going to a place just hurts the people that are currently working and speaking directly for the restaurant industry, they are struggling to find help.

Hospitals let people go too, hopefully you will still go to a hospital or clinic if you need them in the future.

Nothing wrong with sticking to your principles and not supporting shitty owners.

I have stuck to the businesses that tried to help their employees. No matter the industry, that much I have done

[media] https://twitter.com/KSTP/status/1461126274680819712 [/media]