Schneier on Security

Thirty thousand Somalis have come to live in the Minneapolis area in the past few years, so our hopes rose for some interesting restaurants serving Somali food. One such is Taleeh Restaurant. It’s the exact experience we craved: new immigrants cooking food like back home in a nothing of a restaurant, for really cheap.

It’s also the only restaurant we’ve ever eaten in that has separate dining rooms for men and women. When we walked in the first time, we caused a bit of consternation, but we were eventually seated in the women’s dining room. (Bruce discreetly sat facing the wall so as not to unduly upset anyone.) During that visit there were quite a few customers, but no other mixed-gender groups. On a subsequent visit, when Bruce went with a male friend, a single mixed group ate in the women’s dining room. It’s a custom utterly unlike anything we are used to, but we’ve learned it goes a long way to be respectful and considerate of a foreign culture…

Why is an Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities so empty for dinner? Is it the downtown St. Paul location? Is it the intimidating Italian language on the menu? Do people think they need a reservation? It certainly can’t be the wonderful food, the romantic atmosphere, or the friendly service. Frankly, we’re puzzled.

Trattoria da Vinci is in a cavernous space on the first floor of the Park Square Court office building. It’s sort of a faux post-World War I décor: exposed blonde brick walls, fake marble columns, replicas of Leonardo da Vinci ornithopters hanging from the ceiling, a large bar area in the corner. The lighting is subdued, and the candlelit tables are nicely set. There’s live music most nights. It’s too loud for us, but it fits the mood nicely…

Sri Lanka is a reincarnation of the old Sri Lanka Curry House. Many of us have strong memories of that old beat-up restaurant, which closed when Uptown’s rents took to the skies. This updated version is smaller and more refined: earth tones on the walls, indirect lighting, chunky square and triangular plates. And there’s no more of that old “nosebleed hot” food; this version is not as hot.

The best things on the menu are the appetizers. For the tastiest dinner, order them all to share, two dishes per person. You’ll get coriander mussels, fresh and tasty morsels stir-fried in a rich coriander and cilantro sauce. You’ll get chutney scallops. These come stir-fried with leeks, onions, spinach, and tomato chutney. They’re intense without being overpowering, sweet-and-spicy without being sickly. We love “sugar is a spice” cultures. The scallops came on a bed of red cabbage leaves, which we ate just to finish off the sauce. We suggest an order of rice to sop up every drop. You can also order squid in the same sauce; that’s appetizer number three…

The Nankin Chinese restaurant was a downtown Minneapolis landmark. The food wasn’t any good. Think boring American Chinese-like food: chow mein, fried rice, lo mein, egg foo yong…that sort of thing. Even the entrées pandered: sweet and sour chicken, beef with broccoli, BBQ duck, and that old vegetarian stand-by, Buddha’s Delight. It’s the sort of place where you got what we call “celery mush chow mein.”

A couple of years ago, the Nankin closed. According to Nankin’s attorney, the final slide was “the PR nightmare that ensued from a police raid.” It was a drug bust, and 19 people were arrested. The attorney hastened to point out that none of those 19 were Nankin employees or customers, which leaves us to wonder exactly what was going on there. Then they filed for bankruptcy, thereby avoiding a pending eviction notice, and that was that…

In Cuisine hasn’t really settled into its space on Grand Avenue, formerly occupied by Leeann Chin. You can feel its discomfort as soon as you walk in. Maybe it’s the bright lights behind the counter, or the out-of-place drinks cooler. But you’ll quickly forgive those little itches shortly after you walk in. It’s actually a pretty room. Notice the Asian accents throughout the room: a bonsai tree, a tabletop fountain, pretty lighting, art on the walls, paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Everything is freshly painted in vivid, pleasant tones. The table settings are pretty, and nicely arranged on a bamboo placement…

You want fast? We’ll show you fast. Run into Pho Tau Bay and grab one of those packets rolled in paper by the cashier. Ask to make sure it’s grilled pork. Pay your $2 and leave.

Oh boy, what you’ve got in your hands is a sandwich like you would never believe. It’s a bahn mi sandwich: grilled spiced pork, cold, served with scallions, cilantro, pickled carrots and cabbage, and hot peppers in a short baguette. Pick out the hot peppers if you need to, then start eating. Notice how the flavors are, at the same time, distinct and blended. This is the way food is supposed to taste. It’s the best fast-food sandwich in the Twin Cities, and a much better deal in every way than any fast food you’ve ever had. Eat slow; enjoy yourself…

We’ve been pining for a good Ethiopian restaurant since Odaa disappeared from the West Bank. The food there was consistently interesting and tasty, and we haven’t found another east African restaurant we like as well.

When we read about House of Lalibela, our hopes began to rise. We visited just days after opening. The staff was still training and the temporary menus had only a few choices.

Since then, the staff has become more experienced and the menu has grown. We’ve got a new favorite east African restaurant.

The location isn’t an asset. East Lake Street hasn’t been glamorous since they tore down the roller coaster around 1910. And the building doesn’t look like much: a free-standing one-story structure rising out of the concrete with a large parking lot around it. It looks more like an Embers than anything else. Which, as a matter of fact, it once was. Karen worked at that Embers back in the mid ’80s, as the bar-rush waitress. She knows more about that building than she cares to remember. And she was utterly stunned by the improvements inside…

There’s something to be said about a tabletop covered with delicious food. It’s even better when it costs less than $15 a person, including tax and tip. And if ordering random dishes off the enormous menu is a delight, then we’re willing to overlook the cramped tables and erratic service. And judging from the packed dining room and the long waits, lots of other people agree.

Shuang Cheng (it means “Twin Cities” in Mandarin) is our favorite Twin Cities Chinese restaurant, and that’s saying something. We’re blessed with some first-rate Chinese eateries: Village Wok, Red Pepper, Rainbow. But Shuang Cheng’s consistency keeps us coming back…

Zinc is a French brasserie, and specializes in French, mostly southern French, country cooking. Think mussels, salade niçoise, bouillabaisse, cassoulet, that sort of thing. We think the restaurant is beautiful and like being there. But the kitchen tries much too hard, and the results often fall short.

The decor is striking. The white tile walls are covered with mirrors and French food posters. A long, hand-carved dark wood bar flows down one entire side. The rest of the large room has some high-backed banquets and varying levels that make the place seem both cozy and cosmopolitan at the same time. Sometimes the effect can be disconcerting: One late-afternoon visit, we were sure the restaurant was empty. However, we could hear laughter coming from somewhere and we knew the waiter didn’t bring all those plates of food to an empty table…