The Chowhound Gestapo

Sorry I will not be posting a pic for this post. The pic I would like to post would offend many people. Sorry but I have to rant about one of my former favorite websites...Chowhound. I found that their forum was a good place to find really good restaurants in the Twin Cities as their are alot of knowledgable foodies posting. This all ended when a poster from New York who has a far too lofty view of himself as a critic came onto the forum and started taking jabs at members questioning their knowledge of good cuisine. I find his elitist attitude that only New York has worthwhile destinations both rude and arrogant. Whenever myself or other posters would call him out...posts would be deleted as breaking Chowhound's rule of insisting to review the restaurant not the reviewer. Chowhound... Please practice your own doctrine. I understand deletion of inappropriate posts but deletion of well thought appropriate discussions between adults? This is pure censorship. They pay for the bandwith so they can make the rules...I'm just sad as they had so much potential. I will take my posts to The Heavy Table The owner and editor James Norton does not censor even if comments are against his views. Last time I checked America was free. I just hope Heavy Table implements a forum in the future.

Dong Yang Pancake House

Every time I go to Dong Yang I have to order the seafood pancake. Chock full of octopus, squid, and shrimp...I dare anyone to eat the whole thing. This dish is an incredible deal. I also love their banchan. I love Korean food, I just wish there were as many Korean restaurants as Chinese in the Twin Cities.

Izzy's ice cream at Macy's

I love Izzy's salted caramel ice cream. I'm willing to drive over 30 miles from my home in the western suburbs to pick up a quart. Recently I discovered that Macy's carries Izzy's ice cream in their food court in downtown Minneapolis. Since I work downtown I was excited to discover a source so convenient...but to my disappointment they didn't carry my favorite flavor. I got in touch with the owner of Izzy's, Jeff Sommers, who told me that Macy's orders based on color to catch shoppers eyes. I encourage anyone reading this blog who likes good ice cream to voice their opinion at Macy's and request your favorite flavor...especially if it is salted caramel.

Quang's Sea Bass Soup...My Death Row Meal

Death Row meal. A game that chef's play. Anthony Bourdain's is Bone Marrow Parsley Salad in London, mine is Sea Bass Soup in Minneapolis. I've had alot of great single dishes lately. The Charcuterie plate at Craftsman, Pozole at Chaska My Love, Pork Candy at Subo. While these dishes and many others I've had in the Twin Cities lately have been great, nothing can compare to the sea bass soup at Quang's. I have probably had this dish around 25 times in the last couple of years and that is saying a lot considering I live around 30 miles away. The broth has a diverse array of flavors and the sea bass melts in your mouth with a rich buttery note. I have never been dissapointed with this entree and I am amazed that a restaurant can serve a good portion of sea bass and a couple of shrimp for under $10. This dish is a steal. Please note they only serve this special on Fri-Sun.

Quang

Tian Jin

I am sad to report that the owner of Tian Jin has sold the restaraunt to a friend of his at the beginning of this year. Ryan and his wife Yin brought authentic Sichuan and Manadarin cuisine to the exurbs of Chanhassen. While Ryan's enthusiasm for authentic fare will be missed I am hopeful that Tian Jin will remain one of the Twin Cities best Chinese restaurants. The head chef who headed up Crystal Palace, a four star restaurant, in Tian Jin, China is staying. The new owners have also added to the wait staff which was always one of the problems at Tian Jin, the bad service always compromised the cooking. One of the new owners is from Shanghai and hinted that we may finally have good Shanghai soup dumplings in Minneapolis. On my last visit under new management I ordered the double cooked pork intestine which is pictured above. This dish really defines why Tian Jin is special. Think about it...Intestines. What could be more nasty. But in the hands of a skilled chef he has created a dish that is delicious. A dish that tastes like slow cooked pork belly that is all the rage these days. To make good Offal (Stomach, Intestines, Kidney's, etc..) is a thing of beauty. Anyone can cook a tenderloin or a filet Mignon but a truly good chef can work magic with the parts that only a peasent would eat. Below is a review that Jeremy Iggers (Former food critic for the Strib) did after I let him know that there was actually authentic Chinese in the Suburbs.

Tian Jin

Pho Tau Bay

I love Vietnamese food. Luckily I don't live too far from one of the Mecca's of Viet cuisine...Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. You can't throw a bahn mi on this street without hitting a Vietnamese restaurant. One of my favorites sits on the end of Nicollet, Pho Tau Bay. They make what I believe to be the best Bun (vermicelli salad) in Minneapolis. Bun cha gio thit nuong (Egg roll and pork vermicelli salad- #42) really stands out. Made up of perfectly cooked vermicelli noodles and strikingly fresh lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumbers, mint, cilantro, and pickled carrots. With pork, egg rolls, and a handful of peanuts added it creates a symphony of vibrant flavors that defines Viet cuisine. The egg rolls are crisp and the pork has a charred flavor that balances the sweet. Don't forget to add some of the sweet fish sauce as it brings everything together.

Attention Dumb Polack's

For all the Pole's living in the western suburbs getting lost trying to find Kramarczuk's in Nordeast...I have a tip. Check out Paradise Market in Hopkins. The market is full of European goods and has a large selection of Polish sausages. It looks like a lot of their stuff is coming from Chicago like the krupniok pictured. Krupniok is basically a Polish blood sausage. I also picked up some Cabanos or Kabanos, which is a garlicky smoked sausage great to snack on and I didn't have to wait for the In Laws to bring some in from Chicago. I doubt many people read this blog in the first place, but if you are Polish or a Polack sympathizer and take offense to the title of my post... Lighten up. My Grandmother who was born in Poland would have laughed.

Paradise Market