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!

We ended up at Jax Café for a last minute dinner, and I'm so glad we did! The staff was incredibly…read moreaccommodating and wonderful to work with. They were able to seat our party of eight even without a reservation, which was impressive on such short notice. Once they found out we were celebrating a birthday, they went above and beyond by creating custom matchbooks that said "Happy Birthday" along with the birthday guest's name. It was such a thoughtful, personal touch that made the celebration even more special. The food was outstanding. We ordered a little bit of everything, and every dish was delicious, but a few really stood out. The oysters on the half shell were incredibly fresh. The slow roasted prime rib with au jus and creamy horseradish was tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. My favorite was the famous Smothered Ribeye, served over crispy hash browns and topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions, grilled asparagus, and béarnaise sauce. The portion was huge, and I was happy to have leftovers the next day! From the exceptional service to the memorable dining experience and amazing food, Jax Café exceeded our expectations. If you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or any special occasion, I highly recommend it!

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.

The Lexington is always an exceptional evening out. Take the whole experience in the different…read morerooms, bars, live music by showing up early for your reservation. Last night we skiped the front bar and headed back to the Williamsburg room- it's awesome! Andrew was behind the bar entertaining everyone with great cocktails and menu recommendation's. We almost chose to eat at the bar because of him! When we got to our table, we were welcomed by Bonnie. She made sure our evening was special (birthday celebration) and walked us through the menu. Must haves lobster cauliflower and cheese appetizer- WOW

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!

Went for lunch. Wasn't busy and was relaxing. Our waitress was very friendly and took our orders. I…read morehad ordered the soup and salad combo and my husband ordered the full wedge salad. When I ordered she asked me if I wanted a cup or bowl of soup and a half or whole order of my salad. I didn't question this but thought it would be a half seeing I wanted the combo. Our food was delicious. When we got the bill my husband paid it. I asked him what my meal costed. She had charged us separate for the salad and the soup vs the combo meal. Difference of $6. We didn't say anything as we had to get going. Food was good, but maybe she was new and needed to be trained better.

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.

Still one of my fav neighborhood restaurants. To be honest, it's the fresh popovers that I look…read moreforward to most when we come here. Service 5/5 Food 4/5 Ambiance 4/5 old school and masculine decor Popovers 5/5 - perfection Twin Filet Medallions 4/5 - good quality filet mignon, wrapped in bacon Shrimp Pasta 4/5 super creamy with a hint of black pepper spice to make it interesting. Walleye Filet 4/5 - flaky and delicate

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.

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!