Heavenly food mash-up: Parka Restaurant

The teams from three of my favorite local spots; Victory 44 (gastropub reimagined), Rustica Bakery (astoundingly good bakery in the French and Italian traditions), and Dogwood Coffee (my favorite latte in the Cities), put their heads together and made Parka Restaurant in the off-the-beaten path Longfellow neighborhood in Minneapolis.

This place opened in January this year to rave reviews. I had been waiting patiently to find the time and reason to get up there, and finally, for Mother’s Day earlier this month, I found both. So our family and my mom and dad headed there for dinner together. They even have a great kids menu which my daughters enjoyed (buttered noodles and the mini pizza).

What about us grown-ups? We had some amazing food. Many dishes had little twists on traditional Minnesotan “comfort foods” like ham and pickle tots, more like little croquettes delicate and light, not at all heavy like some fried foods. Or the fried cheese curds, rivaled the ones from the Mouse Trap at the Minnesota State Fair – and that is saying something! But, with the foodie adds of pickled apple and a tart apple butter and chives, set off the salty, melty cheese perfectly.

I had the poached salmon, served mussels and shiitake, with a briny and delicate mussel broth poured over it, with a fragrant green garlic and cilantro garnish. It was light and exactly the right dish to have after the fried food starters. I definitely recommend the dish to anyone else who goes, it was perfectly in balance and there wasn’t a thing I’d change.

{clockwise from upper left: fried chicken with carrots & peas, cool artwork above our table, poached salmon with broth, blueberry pretzel dessert, and cheese curds}

My second favorite dish was dessert, the blueberry pretzel…not a pretzel at all, but an interesting combination of roasted blueberries with tangy chevre, sweet vanilla cream, and salty/sweet pretzel brittle.

In short, I definitely need to find more reasons to visit Parka. The menu is compact but every dish the six of us tried was a hit, at once familiar and novel, and every bite a delight!

Finally made it to World Street Kitchen

The food truck phenomenon made its way to the Twin Cities several years ago, and one of the first to charge forward to feed the hungry masses was Chef Sameh Wadi of Saffron Restaurant and Lounge, with his food truck World Street Kitchen.

Working out in the ‘burbs, I’d only ever eaten at the WSK truck once. To be honest, I wasn’t in love with the dish I tried – the Korean “BBQ” Beef Short Ribs Yum Yum Rice Bowl. Too similar for my tastes to a traditional Korean Bi Bim Bap without delivering on the awesome load of veggies and Korean spicy gochujang sauce. Instead, the rice bowl was doused in the WSK “secret sauce”, for which I didn’t care much.  Maybe this is why I hadn’t rushed out to the WSK restaurant that opened in Uptown last fall. But, hearing so many good things about the place, curiosity got the better of me. Besides, there are so many other dishes to try!

{the Korean Yum Yum Rice bowl, left me cold, but hubs loved it!}

The restaurant has a great vibe: casual, fresh, and vibrant. We got there early, just around 6pm, to eat before going to a movie. Lucky we did, because we walked right up to the counter to order and beat the long line that formed just after.

This time around I ordered the Red Curry Chicken Bangkok Burrito. It’s a tortilla filled with fried rice, chicken curry, basil and cilantro. It was awesome, and huge! The seasoning was just right, the rice had a subtle sweetness to it balanced by the fresh herbs. The side pickle plate we ordered was perfect with it, and it left me wishing they made jars to take home. Dear husby ordered the Korean Yum Yum bowl despite my opinions, because he doesn’t like Bi Bim Bap as much as me, and was curious about their sauce (he loves to “drown his food”). Well, it just goes to show, to each his own, because he loved it!

Sadly, I left no room for dessert. WSK is known to have some amazing soft serve ice cream and a chocolate chip marshmallow sea salt cookie to rival all other cookies. Since we all know I have a huge sweet tooth, I’d best head back soon and save room…I’ll be bringing the kiddos next time, I know they’d love it!

Dreams come true at Luxury Garage Sale

On our mother-daughter Chicago trip we wanted to find some new places to shop beyond the usual Michigan Avenue fare. My sister researched online and found this, from Racked: The 38 Essential Shopping Experiences in Chicago, Winter 2013.  The store that caught her eye was Luxury Garage Sale in the Old Town neighborhood. The boutique opened just last year, and sounded like a blend between a designer outlet store and a high-end consignment store.  We knew we had to make a stop.

When we walked into the store, it was a small, intimate, little jewel box. The interior design and merchandising looked straight off the floor of a shop like DVF or Christian Louboutin. A glamorous, feminine wallpaper, gleaming mirrors, and fixtures all added to the elegance of the beautiful clothing and accessories. But most of all, the warm and welcoming staff made a big impression. One of the sales managers, Lauren, approached us immediately and was very helpful, but also let us browse at a leisurely pace.

We learned from Lauren that about one-third of their stuff was overstock from other stores and designers so was never worn and still had tags. The rest was consignment, but some of that may never have been worn, or was worn minimally – and you could tell. The clothes were absolutely impeccable. We couldn’t believe the pristine condition of the clothes, bags, and accessories. The owner of the store said they really try to reserve the most special and best quality pieces for the physical shop, and put anything less (though still good condition) on their website and ebay page to sell there.

I started out at a rack of dozens of beautiful blazers (I have a total weakness for blazers and jackets, owning no fewer than 15, I’m pretty sure). A bunch of them were brand new with tags still on them!

An hour later, we’d tried on Dior dresses, Stella McCartney gowns, Lanvin jackets, and vintage furs and jewelry. I was in heaven! Luxury Garage Sale had rock bottom prices on top-end designer goods. They also told me they give their consignors a top-of-the-market 65% cut of the sale price of their items. Makes me think I should have a closer look at what I could purge from my closet!

After much deliberation, and almost caving in and buying a gorgeous black Dior cocktail dress that I definitely didn’t need, I settled on two pieces. The first is a super sharp, modern cut black lapel-less blazer from Stella McCartney, new with tags for just $450. If you think that is expensive (I know it still is) just consider the original price of $1795. No, I didn’t forget a decimal. And no, I would never actually pay anything close to that for a blazer. BUT, the chance to snap one up at that price – did I mention it fit like a glove? Mom and sis agreed, I had to get it. I am sure it will be a staple in my work wardrobe for years to come.

The second piece was a fun silk chiffon tank from Parker, outfitted in delicate graphite and pewter tone bugle beads, sequins, etc. Perfect with jeans or black pants for a night out, alone or with a jacket draped over it.

And though I liked tons of other things, I reminded myself we were just getting started and the Stella jacket was already a splurge. I showed some discipline in the face of tons of temptation! (Did I mention the Miu Miu bag for under $700?) It’s a good thing I did, because then we walked a few doors down to Handle With Care and I tried on another blazer, this one silk, and in a shocking hot pink, by Parker.

I’ve been stalking the LGS website since returning home, because you never know what new items will come in, and now that I’ve discovered this gem there is no way I’ll wait ’til I return to Chicago to shop it again!

Lots of gab & grub in Chicago

Last weekend my mom, sister, and I embarked on our first trip together in years. Between our busy schedules, my sister and me having babies alternating years, and our own separate travel schedules, we let the planning fall to the wayside. But this year, I starting plotting in February and made it happen! We planned to relax and spend time together, eat at some new places, and shop. I’ll save the shopping notes for another day, because there is plenty to write about on the food first!

We arrived just in time to settle into the Hotel Palomar before dinner. The location (just off Michigan Avenue near the Nordstrom), rooms, and service were great, especially for the price (I do love those Kimpton hotels)! After freshening up we headed out to dinner at the much acclaimed balena. The setting was a cavernous, almost industrial loft with 30-foot ceilings and beautiful sphere lights hanging from wooden rafters. The restaurant is known for its inspired Italian.

We started with a super yummy burrata – a fresh mozzarella cheese with a luscious, slightly runny inside, to scoop up with our little toast points. And a flavorful cured ham plate, somewhat like speck and prosciutto.

{Burrata and cured hams, yum!}

For my main I had the char, which was a tiny whole fish, thankfully de-boned and open. For sides we had baked polenta and the charred raddichio. The first courses were perfection, if not truly “inspired”, as both have become somewhat common at rustic Italian spots. My entree was delicious, but on the small side which I think the server would’ve mentioned (along with the fact that it would be served whole, also not made clear on the menu). The only real miss was the radicchio, it wasn’t charred enough or seasoned enough to lose the bitter crunch, so none of us liked it too much. Overall, a good meal, but I think I would’ve been more impressed by it had I not read all the hype, because I think I’ve been spoiled by eating at too many other excellent restaurants in that town to be impressed by balena.

The real find was the brunch the following day at Rick Bayless’ XOCO. The quaint little spot is little sister to Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, both outstanding landmark restaurants in Chicago. XOCO is a quick-serve small corner shop specializing in Mexican street food like empanadas, churros, and tortas. For brunch we had freshly made churros, decadently rich Aztec hot chocolate, and a mean huevos rancheros.

{Seriously, looking at this huevos rancheros makes my mouth water!!}

Everything tasted amazing. Like my sister, I think this spot’s now on my must-do brunch list for Chicago. A short list that also includes Balsan in the Waldorf (had brunch there on my last visit), Deleece on Southport, and The Bongo Room, especially for those who have a morning sweet tooth.

For dinner on night two, we went to Michelin-starred Boka in Lincoln Park.

{Foie gras to start, of course! The anise and rhubarb were great pairings.}

We all three actually wanted the same entree — rarely happens, but when it’s halibut, well, who could blame us — especially with all the eating we’d been doing, I think the “lighter” option sounded appealing. It was excellent, seasoned and cooked perfectly, accompanied by these amazing little bundles of asparagus wrapped in a crispy skin of some kind. A fitting spring meal, despite the barely spring temps both in Chicago and back home in Minneapolis.

But the Pavlova for dessert might have been my favorite! A fitting choice since my sister is the one who first introduced me to the Australian specialty years ago when I visited while she was living in Sydney. This Pavlova was deconstructed, with three little meringues amidst a rhubarb and St. Germain consomme, elderflower yogurt, and gelee pearls. The whole thing was such a balance of sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy – not to mention light and refreshing. The perfect end to a great meal. Definitely comparable in my mind to other Michelin 1-star restaurants like Blackbird and moto.

If you can even believe it, we were still able to eat the next morning. So off we went for our final meal in Chicago: brunch at Perennial Virant in Lincoln Park. Though my food wasn’t that photogenic, it was, more importantly – hearty and tasty! I had a great spicy bloody mary, followed by a homemade fresh pistachio with lemon curd doughnut, and then biscuits and gravy. I am a sucker for biscuits and gravy, and though I’ve suffered a lot of bad ones (that I ordered in hopes of the fluffy, creamy, savory delight) I’m happy to say these were not one of those. They were exactly as they should be. And our trip was exactly as I’d hoped too — a great time to connect and have long talks (over lots, and lots, of food).

Mixing business with pleasure in New York

Food-wise that is! As I mentioned earlier, I had a quick business trip to New York this week to meet with a few people, including these guys, can you guess tell where it was?

But before that, I had a delicious dinner with my team, at this well-reviewed spot near where we were staying:

The Dutch, which I’d heard was a good place for foodie groups, was a hit. It had a great neighborhood vibe and an interesting enough, but not polarizing, menu. The hits were the lobster cocktail and razor clams for appetizers (but be forewarned, the portions are small, so better order 2!), and the super flavorful spinach side dish. For mains, I had the duck with polenta, currants, and foie gras, and it could not have been richer or more delicious. The duck was cooked perfectly!

And then, of course, I made time before the morning meeting to stop by a neighborhood patisserie, Dominique Ansel. It opened in 2012 by the chef of the same name, who recently received a James Beard nomination …(also formerly the Executive Pasty Chef of Daniel, under Daniel Boulud). The place has a great vibe and was hopping both mornings that we stopped in for our goodies and lattes. The DKA (short for Dominique’s Kouign Amann – or “butter cake”) was a little puff of heaven. It was so tender and flaky, with just the right amount of carmelized, crunchy crust surrounding the moist and butter-soaked inner pastry dough.

{Decisions, decisions…butter cake day one and the Nutella milk bread next}

These treats were some consolation when I realized there would be no time to stop by the Christian Louboutin store that we had passed the night before on the way home from dinner. Ah, well, can’t win ‘em all.

Frequent flyer

Many moons ago I traveled all the time for work. I was a consultant and away from my home in Chicago Monday through Thursday most weeks. It was fun at first, but definitely got tiring and a little less glamorous as time wore on.

More than 10 years later, I’m grateful that my current job rarely takes me away from the office, let alone Minneapolis. This is key to keeping all the proverbial balls in the air with our family. My work is busy enough as it is, my husband travels weekly and we’re juggling two kids’ busy schedules plus our own. BUT…sometimes wanderlust sets in. So I planned a fun girls weekend with my mom and sister in April, just a quick jaunt to Chicago to hang out together.

No sooner had I booked our tickets than I had not one, but TWO business trips pop up on my calendar between then and the Chicago trip. Really? What are the odds? Well, fortunately, thanks to some help from my mom (who lives in town) and hubs (who switched around his travel) I was able to swing it.

Just returned today from a two-day trip to Seattle. I.love.that.city. So beautiful, especially for someone coming from a still-snow-covered Minnesota, to see the green, smell the ocean, and take in the mountain views, ahhh.

{just look at the blooms at the stalls in Pike Place!}

I hadn’t been to Seattle in over seven years, so took advantage of the few hours of downtime to run around and explore. Here’s a few notes on what I found (mostly food!):

First stop was Cupcake Royale, a cuter than a button shop downtown on Pine, near Pike Place Market. The toasted coconut lime was awesome – delightfully citrusy and rich with coconut.  Only wish it hadn’t been chilly and rainy because the ice cream selection looked ahhh-some – flavors like Whiskey Maple Bacon Crack (bacon brittle!), Blueberry Lavender, and Red Velvet (cream cheese, buttermilk ice cream).

Then, wandered next door to the Chocolate Box, where I selected from a well-edited assortment of truffles and chocolates from local chocolatiers.

I’m a sucker for salted caramels, and really liked the ones from Theo. And the honeycomb exotic chocolate bar from Chuao, a California company, is possibly my new favorite luxury chocolate bar. The crunchy bits of caramelized honey floating in the dark chocolate was perfection!

I did actually eat meals too, not just treats. We had two fun team dinners – I’m lucky I work with such good eggs, one of whom is a fellow foodie and found two great spots: The Steelhead Diner and Purple Cafe & Wine Bar.  I was in luck, because halibut season had just started in the pac northwest and was a daily special at both spots. Loved the fresh fish and poutine at Steelhead, and the honey-glazed Brussels sprouts and cardamom-chevre ice cream with strawberry compote at Purple. Seattle, you don’t disappoint.

Now to recover, because in about a week it’s off to New York, Chicago, and later, drum roll please… Korea summer of 2013!  But that story’s for another day.

Detoxed and loving it!

I just concluded my first juice cleanse this week, using a 3-day plan from The Juice Works here in the Twin Cities. It actually turned into almost a four day cleanse because I felt so good yesterday and this morning that I didn’t want to start transitioning!

Waking up to clearer skin, a flatter belly, and a feeling of overall lightness and energy was really rewarding. Just a week ago my skin felt dehydrated and dull, I felt bloated and flabby, and had that sort of numb, zombie-like sense about what I was putting into my body (which was anything and everything, as you can see here). The detox made me way more aware of how my body felt and clearly highlighted times of the day when I am prone to eat mindlessly.

My co-workers were very curious about the whole thing, and they were shocked that I was not feeling starved or horrible. Yes, on Day 2 I did get an annoying headache by the afternoon, but it wasn’t awful. I actually went to my tennis drill and played for 90 minutes with no lack of energy! I was afraid I might be light-headed, as I can be playing on an empty stomach. But, I think that is because normally I’m “crashing”, coming down from caffeine and carbs, whereas this time I was not.

I will definitely do this again, and strongly recommend trying this if you’re the least bit curious. Even if some argue the benefits are imagined, you’ll never know unless you try it.  And, there is a huge rush knowing that you set a goal, and pushed through the temptations and headaches to reach it (when they busted out the chips and cookies at work Wednesday I thought I was a goner!). It gives me hope that I can retain a few healthier eating habits out of this experiment. For one, I’m going to limit my coffee and Diet Coke intake. I used to drink both almost daily. Think of the $$ I’ll save too!

To celebrate my successful detox I decided to try out Tao Natural Foods Cafe for lunch with my 4-year-old. In Uptown, Minneapolis, it’s a cozy and friendly spot with lots of tasty vegan, gluten-free, and whole food options. Plus, a juice bar, so I could get my fix of green juice. YES, you heard it, I actually got another green juice (kale, cucumber, celery, and parsley), to help with the transition.

{Juice Bar at Tao Natural Foods}

{A yummy Moroccan soup with chick peas, kale, and squash}

{And avocado, black bean, and tomato brown rice bowl – delish!}

The food was tasty and I felt healthier just eating it, and full. We actually ended up taking home a lot because I was instructed not to eat too much solid food or grains first day off the cleanse.

P.S. Parents, my daughter had the kids menu veggie brown rice bowl, and actually LOVED it, ate the cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. She thought the soup was a little spicy (it wasn’t, but she’s 4) so I scooped out the chick peas and she gobbled them up – that was the first time she ever had them and said she liked them a lot. Maybe there’s hope for her yet!

Feeling good – Day 1 on my juice cleanse

I’m nearing the end of Day 1 of my 3-day juice cleanse. The 18 bottles of juices arrived this morning, delivered to my doorstep at 9 a.m. by The Juice Works as previously arranged when I ordered.  There were three types of juice bottles:

Green – kale, romaine, spinach, celery, ginger, and lemon juice

Carrot – carrots & romaine

Beet – Beets, carrots, romaine, spinach, ginger, and lemon juice

Good thing I cleared room in the fridge!

{my “meals” for the next few days}

My first juice of the day was the green one, per their instructions, and I didn’t even need it ’til after 11 a.m.  I am not that used to eating breakfast normally, and I realized I wasn’t hungry (I was probably still full from dinner and snacks last night!)

But, things got tricky when we went to the Original Pancake House. Why, on God’s earth, would a person on a juice cleanse go to the Original Pancake House, home of the DUTCH BABY, most heavenly baked pancake ever??

Well, because my friend and I had planned a playdate for our 1st grade girls who were off school today, and then out for lunch.  I didn’t want to spoil the fun so I just brought my green juice. It was not a pancake. It was not bacon. And it was VERY strong and a little bitter, I wasn’t fully prepared for that (though maybe I should have been).  So, I sipped on my grassy-tasting drink while sitting across from this:

{my daughter’s chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream on top *sigh*}

Luckily, it got easier after that, because funny enough, I STILL wasn’t really hungry. Not in the true sense of stomach growling, light-headed, really need to eat. I just had an enormous craving for the taste of my favorite foods, which is totally different. And, when forced to wait it out, it did pass, which definitely felt like an accomplishment.

It also helped that I liked the other two juices much more, the carrot one and the beet. But, you must have 3 of the green’s a day, so I alternated the green in between.  I think if I lived alone doing this would be no big deal. What makes it hard for me is how desperately I wanted to take a nibble of the dinner I made for the kids, or the yogurt they had at snack, or even a bite of string cheese! Oh, and P.S., stay off Facebook and Pinterest when cleansing, all you see is a stream of tasty looking food pics (or maybe that’s just in my feeds).

But, along with my juices, throughout the day I had a few raw almonds, an avocado, and lots of water, plus a mug of green tea (permitted to aid in weaning from caffeine). I think this definitely helped, if not physically, then at least psychologically so I didn’t feel deprived and got to chew something.

The good news, I already feel less bloated and my energy level stayed pretty steady during the day, (though it was hard to wake up this morning without any coffee).  But, what I liked was not having the usual afternoon crash, from a latte or big starchy lunch. I know tomorrow could be more challenging, but I’m encouraged by my body’s initial response and determined to stick with it.

Deck the halls

My interior design project with our architects, Albertsson Hansen, was completed just in time for Christmas, woo hoo!  (see post-remodel but pre-decorating pics here) I decided we’d have to host a little holiday get together  - it would force me to get everything wrapped up, otherwise these things just drag on. There are so many beautiful options available, but at some point you just have to decide.

{family room, complete with wreath, stockings, garland, new rug & sofa!}

{so happy with the window treatments, new table & chairs, and side table}

{O Christmas Tree! The glass and silver ones are from CB2}

{only thing we did here was add the roman shades, Marimekko Kirsikka fabric}

Despite my new cook’s kitchen, we decided to treat our friends to food catered by a local food truck, Gastrotruck. They were great to work with and the food was outstanding! My personal favorite was the pork belly… mmm mmm good.

Top to bottom: crudites with garlic spinach dip, dates stuffed with blue cheese & crispy prosciutto, roasted potatoes with sour cream mousse, and Thai beef salad in a cucumber cup.

Wish I had a pic of the hot dishes, but I was too busy eating to grab one!  The Gastrotruck crew also served us chicken skewers with caramelized onions and blue cheese sauce, smoked pork belly mini slider with kimchee and ginger aioli, and beer braised brisket mini slider with horseradish sauce and arugula.

We definitely kicked off the season with eating, drinking, and yes, merriment. But before we can go for round two, I’ve got to finish menu planning for Christmas Day dinner (can’t outsource everything to food trucks!)  So, in case I don’t make it back to the blog before Christmas, enjoy the holiday season with your friends and family!

King of the hill, top of the heap

In my opinion, that’s what New York is, the city of cities. A place of wonder, inspiring kid-like awe in even the most jaded “grown-ups”.  Last weekend dear husby and I ventured there with our kids.  We were very lucky that even with the recent storm our hotels were ready and waiting, and our flights were on time and occurred without incident.  It was their first time in the city and we wanted to hit a few highlights without overwhelming them with touristy activities, more just taking in everything.

We used some hotel points to stay at the DoubleTree hotel in Times Square because of the convenient location and because we thought the girls would get a kick out of seeing the craziness of the lights, videos, and activity from our hotel room. And did they ever!  Of course, what impressed them most was our view of the M&M’s World store, which yes, we did have to visit.

The first stop after checking in to the hotel was lunch at má pêche, a momofuku restaurant in midtown. We’d been before to the momofuku noodle bar and loved it, so wanted to try this one and figured the girls might like the pork buns and duck ramen (and they did, as did we!) But I think the best dish we had was actually the chicken with grits – creative and an amazing combo of textures and savory deliciousness!

From there we walked up 5th Avenue towards Central Park and visited the FAO Schwarz, always a crowd pleaser. And after that, we crossed the street to The Plaza Hotel for afternoon tea in the Palm Court.

The girls have been reading the Eloise books and love to pretend play that they live at the top of the Plaza, raised by the helpful and adoring staff (somehow this is always who I have to be, art imitating life for sure, except that my work is unpaid and I do not wear a uniform!).  I thought the Eloise tea might be fun for the girls, and though it was, I don’t know that I’d recommend it.  For the cost, the food was good but not great, the Palm Court is very elegant, but the service was not really. So, if you’ve got a little one enthralled with Eloise, you might consider stopping at the Eloise at the Plaza shop instead, it’s in the lower level below the Plaza hotel, and has many great gifts related to the character and the stories.

The next day we saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, not to be missed! It was amazing. I mainly got the tickets because I thought the girls would like the show, but turns out, the show is great for EVERYONE. I actually think my husband and I were more impressed with the show than the kids, because we really appreciated the amazing sets, choreography, and of course, the Rockettes.  Would highly, highly recommend the show to anyone visiting while it’s running (most of November & December). 

{Huge chandelier in the lobby of Radio City Music Hall}

{The ladies doing their stuff. Wow.}

Post-show we walked over to Rockefeller Center to go up to the observation deck and see the view from the top of the world! Breathtaking.

Looking out at the city and my girls’ little faces peering out at it, I got excited just thinking of the future visits we will make and experiences we will have together. I love that they are little city girls. They walked through New York  unafraid, weaving through the people, looking up and around, and excited to try every new thing. People ask us why we travel so much with our girls, and I think this is why.

I dare you to watch this video and NOT want to get on a plane to visit New York. One of the greats on one of the greats!