First time here for dinner in years and it didn't disappoint. Cocktails before dinner were served…read moreby a friendly bartender. The Zinfandel was tasty and the agave old fashioned was delicious. The restaurant was quite busy and we were seated in a timely manner and our server was helpful and attentive. We each tried a different dish which consisted of the walleye, pork chop, seafood spaghetti and swordfish. Each were very good but the swordfish was a bit dry. Dessert was carrot cake and cheesecake. Both delicious!

Great service! Cozy ambiance! Big portions! The…read morecheeseburger was cooked medium rare, just how I Ordered it. The fried calamari was not chewy at all which is typically what I experience. Loved it!

My wife and I had never been to--or even heard of--Baldamar, so when our friends invited us to…read moreRestaurant Week there, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to give it a try. From the hostess who graciously held the doors open for us in the 95° heat to our incredible server, David, everything was outstanding. We started with cocktails. I had what may have been the best bourbon Old Fashioned I've ever tasted, and my wife enjoyed a wonderfully refreshing cocktail (whose name I, unfortunately, can't remember). We began our meal with the roasted Brussels sprouts. Normally, I'm not much of a Brussels sprouts fan, but I happily cleaned the plate. My wife and I shared the 12-ounce filet mignon, cooked medium rare, and it was absolute perfection. Chef's kiss. David recommended a bottle of wine to pair with our steak. It wasn't inexpensive, but it was worth every penny. But wait... there's more. As incredible as that wine was with the filet, it somehow paired even better (yes, I know that sounds impossible) with the slice of heaven they call chocolate cake. I'm sure it has a much fancier name on the menu, but "slice of heaven" seems more accurate. If you've read my other reviews, you know I have a tendency toward hyperbole. If there were ever a time to lean into it, this is it. THIS MEAL WAS FANTASTIC. THE AMBIANCE WAS PERFECT. THE FOOD WAS EXCEPTIONAL. AND THE COMPANY WAS DIVINE. We will absolutely be back--and when we do, we'll be asking for a table in David's section. (He works Tuesday through Friday.)

Stopped into Baldamar and had a great experience sitting at the bar. Ashley took such attentive…read morecare of me from the moment I arrived and was incredibly welcoming throughout my visit. I started with the tequila and mezcal Old Fashioned, and it was fantastic. It was well-balanced, beautifully presented, and garnished perfectly. The food was equally impressive. The wings were delicious--crispy, well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly. My only small note would be that the celery was a little limp. The Caesar salad has officially been added to my regular rotation. The jammy egg was cooked perfectly with a rich, yolky center that was still easy to slice. The Parmesan crisps were thoughtfully sized, adding great texture without being so large they scraped the roof of your mouth. The salad was evenly dressed, making every bite flavorful. Overall, excellent food, outstanding cocktails, and warm, attentive service. I'll definitely be back.

Well back from an another wonderful evening at the Stockyards Tavern & Chophouse !…read moreCan't say enough about this place it's truly wonderful place for a night out . This is the 7th time we've been there and I've had something different off the menu . The staff is great very friendly and courteous and does a great job making you feel welcome . Shout out to Jackie our server and the rest of the staff for doing such a great job . This is a place you can feel at home and have a great meal . I can truly say you won't be disappointed .

Tried out Stockyards Tavern on a Friday so of course I had to try the Haddock fish fry! It was very…read moregood and good news is if you don't make it before it ends they do have a cod option on their menu. We were pleased with our deep fried pickles app, husband enjoyed his Rueben and I was very happy with the Midnight Cowboy cocktail (New amsterdam vodka, owen's nitro espresso mix & trader vic's chocolate liqueur). Parking was easy, we got in without a reservation and service was great. I'd day atmosphere wise I'd consider this an upscale sports bar.

Jax Cafe is a must if you're in the NE Minneapolis area! We came as part of a big group and they…read moreaccommodated us perfectly! Do yourself a favor and start with one of their popovers; easily one of the best baked goods I've had in a long time. They serve it with a whipped honey butter and it's absolutely to die for. I also ordered their Polish breakfast (scrambled eggs, Polish sausage, and a few pierogi) and I was very impressed. Everything was delicious and perfectly balanced in flavor. The food isn't the only thing to enjoy about Jax, their covered patio is absolutely gorgeous. They have a big garden with lovely flowers and little paths throughout. Truly beautiful. We will be back!

Jax is objectively a good restaurant, but not the restaurant for me…read more Went to Jax last week for the first time in probably 20 years. It used to be where we would celebrate my Grandpa's birthday. Have a lot of good memories of playing out back on the patio. This time we went for happy hour and just grabbed a few drinks and apps. As a vegetarian, Jax isn't an ideal place for me--mostly meat options, and PRICEY meat options at that. The pretzel bites were good though and my meat eating family all very much enjoyed the food! For a drink I got the Transfusion. Normally I am NOT a fan of grape flavor, but this was subtle and natural enough that I really enjoyed the drink! Jax is great for a celebration or a fancy date night, but not great for your pocket or for vegetarians.

Chianti Grill is a "go to" for date night. The Chicken Parmesan is out of this world...but I want…read moreto tell you about our anniversary dinner. My wife got the Chicken Parm...I decided to splurge and got the Blackened Ribeye with bleu cheese...to say it was amazing is to do disservice to word amazing. This was the most tender, tasty steak I have ever had. I would highly recommend this dish. We have never had a bad experience here, the waitstaff is attentive and friendly...and don't forget the focaccia bread with oil and balsamic vinegar wow!!!!

First time in this restaurant. We were told it was a 45 minute wait and my first thought was, wow,…read morei can probably go down the road to the Garden that grows olives and get in right away. That's decent food. We went shopping across the road and I think within 15 minutes got a text our table was ready. So that was a pleasant surprise. The ambience was great. This is a clean classy place. It looked expensive but I was.... I mean my WIFE was all in and Happy Wife, Happy Life so yeah..... we're going for it. Service was well.... it was over the top. The wait staff and others all chipped in to watch the tables. Different people filled our water, brought us more bread, brought out food out when it was ready, picked up our dishes. It was a TEAM effort and it showed. Service was outstanding. My wife ordered the Salmon Sofia. Not sure what that is exactly and I don't care. It's salmon. To me, it's gonna taste bad no matter how great you prepare it but she said she loved it and would definitely get it again. I had the Italian Pasta if I remember correctly. Slightly spicy cajun pasta with sausage, chicken, shrimp, peppers and onions. It was amazing! There was quite a bit of it in the bowl. My wife says, "Wow, that's a lot. You'll have some to take home!" But I'm no quitter. If the food is good, i'm finishing it. And i'm happy to report that i did finish it. It was really good. I did not however get to try the mountain sized carrot cake. I really wanted some of that but I was too full. Oh, the bread. The bread was not warm and it was different than what i thought, but by the time i finished my 7th piece, I really liked it. All in all this was a very nice meal, perfect for a date night.

My lovely bride and I celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary at the Lexington on a recent Friday…read moreevening. The meal was delicious, service was top notch and we definitely be back sooner than the 50 year gap since our last visit (when we're HS seniors). We completely enjoyed the lobster/cauliflower/gouda melt appetizer- in fact this might have been the star of our meal. Moving on we shared a wedge salad that was fresh and delicious. For our main course we shared Steak Diane and asparagus. The combo of the steak with the creamy sauce over a bed of mushrooms was superb. Our meal closed with an ice cream sundae for our anniversary treat and we also shared the grasshopper pie. We loved the pie! The side serving of asparagus was much more than we needed - I might skip that choice for the next dining occasion. If you are a fan of the traditional feel of a supper club, this is the place for you. You will be treated well and made to feel special. The serving staff move in and around quietly and do everything you expect from a 5-star supper club. The warm moist towel at the end of the meal was a touch of gratitude that we appreciated. Our reservations were at 5:15 and I think arriving early helped our overall experience. We really appreciated the kitchen team for splitting the portions - it helps us share the meal so we can try more options without overeating. The staff was gracious and we received a complimentary photo celebrating our anniversary. There were so many little touches that made this a memorable celebration.

Enjoyed a warm spring evening on the rooftop of the Lexington (recently named in the top three…read morerooftops of the Twin Cities in Msp Magazine!). We were warmly greeted by the host who sat us right away in a sunny spot. Our server was wonderful. I ordered a drink that ended up not being up to par, and he kindly offered to switch it to something else with grace and class, without making me feel badly for asking this. This goes to show the caliber of this long standing institution. Customers are treated well and are respected here. Our snacks from the menu were delicious and perfectly sized. The shrimp cocktail was made well. The lamb meatballs were flavorful and hearty. My Hemingway Daquiri was refreshing without being too liquor forward. Love all the Luxardo drinks on the menu! We will definitely be back!

Me and my wife are originally from white bear lake, born and raised there. A year ago we moved to…read moresouth florida, but we come back to white bear lake once a year to visit our kids and celebrate our anniversary with them. It's been a tradition we look forward to. Every year we argue where we should go, but we always end up at Rudy's because we love it there. My wife loves the rudytinis as well as my daughters. So it's no competition. We flew in last week and all came to Rudy's to celebrate our 50th anniversary. It was extremely busy and we were skeptical if we chose the right place, but we were greeted well and shown to our table quickly. Right after we sat down we were greeted promptly by our favorite server Justin, the guy I wrote my last review of. We knew we were in great hands! Not only did he remember us he knew what we ordered last time and that was about 2 years ago. Impressive! He took care of us so well we were all blown away!!!! I can never find this kind of service in Florida. He made the evening so special and exquisite that I can not explain in words. Rudytinis, old fashioneds, medallions, and my wife's favorite the coconut ship were unbelievable! I had the prime rib and oh my god it was so juicy. Like on my last review, myself, and my whole family has never had a server that has shown us this much love and compassion as Justin! The timing and knowledge of every detail of the food and pairings is top tier!!! The experience of celebrating our anniversary at Rudy's along with Justin's service definitely makes us consider moving back from Florida. Thank you Rudy's and thank you Justin for doing what you guys do best. 5 stars! We recommend this restaurant to everyone down in south Florida when traveling to Minnesota for whatever reason.

Dinner on the rooftop this week. Two of our salads had "grilled" chicken that was the consistency…read moreof hard croutons and was not edible. This was brought to our servers attention and she said "sorry." No drink refills. Not sure what happened here, as I've been to Rudy's several times in the past. If you're reading reviews to decide where to go, skip Rudy's. I will be skipping it from now on.

We had an early Thanksgiving meal at Jensen's Food & Cocktails at the bar, and it was absolutely…read moremouthwateringly delicious. Everything was full of flavor, perfectly prepared, and tasted like the kind of meal you keep thinking about after you leave. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the whole experience was fantastic. Definitely a place worth going back to.

We go here for our anniversary dinner. We are always greeted very warmly, have napkins and other…read morehappy anniversary items at our table and a complimentary dessert. The drinks, the food, the service is excellent. So many great reasons to dine at this fabulous restaurant.

Lela was the next stop on my restaurant adventures, and this ended up being my first stop that…read morewasn't quite my jam. There were still some things we really enjoyed, though, and I'm glad we gave it a try. We started with the French Onion Soup, which was one of my favorite parts of the meal. I loved that they used croutons instead of one giant piece of bread. Much easier to eat--no fighting with a giant bread raft to get to my soup! The flavor was really nice too. I had the Bolognese Pappardelle, which was good, and my partner really enjoyed his Hanger Steak. He also tried the Garlic Herb Mushrooms, but those weren't really his thing. I ordered the N.A. Lela Punch, and that one surprised me. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it grew on me as I drank it. Apparently we just needed a little time to get acquainted. Dessert was an adventure. I decided to try the White Chocolate Panna Cotta because I'd never had panna cotta before. It was beautifully plated, but this is also how I learned panna cotta has a Jell-O-like texture... and I do not like Jell-O. That's definitely a me problem rather than a criticism of how it was prepared. At least I can officially say I've tried panna cotta! I ended up trying the Crème Brûlée as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't my favorite either. I usually love crème brûlée, but I prefer the custard very smooth and creamy, and this one was thicker than I personally like. My partner had the Chocolate Molten Cake and thought it was okay, but it wasn't a favorite for him either. Overall, Lela had some definite highlights--the French Onion Soup, Bolognese Pappardelle, and Hanger Steak especially--but we also had a few misses. I can understand why other people really enjoy it; it just wasn't quite the restaurant for us. And hey, every restaurant adventure can't end with a new favorite. That's half the fun of trying them all!

For a hotel restaurant, we were very pleasantly surprised at how nice the place was. We had one…read moredinner and two breakfasts while there. All were very good, tasty, and satisfying. Avacado toast was exceptional. Berry bowls were fresh and nice. Wild rice chicken cream soup was quite nice. Will certainly go again next time we stay at the Sheraton.

A staple to Saint Paul. Think of it as your classic WI supper club, yet a million times better…read morebecause it's Minnesota - duh. Bennett's has it all. Soups, salads, burgers, steaks, appetizers, pastas, and the timeless entrees that come with either a soup or salad. In addition, there are layers and layers of martini flavors, mojitos, and even a small mocktail section. The website is robust allowing guests to make reservations in advance along with ordering takeout. Dining in, expect a darker atmosphere due to the supper club vibe. Personally, I like sitting outside in the summer months. The front patio is lovely and it's fun to see the hustle and movement of West 7th. There's also some magnificent hanging flower baskets too. I made a 6:45 pm reservation for a Tuesday and was able to adjust my indoor spot to an outdoor one when I arrived. The service is top notch as staff caters to the customers. I started off with a NA blackberry mojito along with the spinach and artichoke dip which was served with mini toast slices and super fresh and creamy. It was delicious. For my entre, I opted for the meatloaf dinner which came with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetable and then my choice of soup or salad. I got the house salad with french and blue on the side. The portion was large so I was able to take some home. My server was lovely and attentive. He helped me when I couldn't decide between items and had the perfect balance of checking in and allowing me to do my own thing. My only hardship with Bennett's is that they charge a 3% fee if you pay with plastic which 99% of the world does today. It would be nice if the credit card fee could be removed. Outside of that, lovely all around!!

Not an elegant steakhouse but good food w/ a sports bar atmosphere. Attentive, friendly wait staff…read more The diverse martinis (I think he said 31!) are interesting, tasty & pack a punch! There are table out in front for al fresco dining in nice weather.