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Dogwood Coffee Bar

This is my mug, not theirs

Dogwood Coffee Bar is exceptional coffee in search of a better coffee shop. It's gourmet coffee that is well worth the gourmet price, but I'll probably only get it when I'm taking my coffee to go.

Dogwood Coffee was already a well established and well respected locally owned coffee roaster, but the location in Calhoun Square in Uptown, Minneapolis is their first stand alone coffee bar. They serve single-cup brewed coffee from their own locally roasted beans, which means that every cup you get is made just for you while you watch and hasn't been sitting in a pot for who knows how long. The end result is a delicious, fresh-as-can-be cup of coffee, of course, but it's also a lot of fun to watch the process. Dogwood is sort of like the Benihana of coffee, and it's worth checking out for the show as much as the cup of coffee you get at the end of the performance. Lots of coffee shops brew by the cup using the same tools as Dogwood, of course, but the open layout of this place makes the baristas' efforts almost impossible not to watch, and they are all very friendly and open to questions and comments about anything coffee-related. This is very cool, but do take note that it'll take around five minutes or so to get a single cup of coffee, so this isn't the kind of place to stop into on your way to work.

However, it's also not really the kind of place to stop and chill with a cup of coffee either, which is a shame because drinking a great cup of coffee is almost like a religious ritual, and when it all works out right, it's something to be savored. Dogwood is just... uncomfortable, and I mean that literally. There were two plush chairs, only one of which was taken when I went the other day but they were both pushed so close together that had I sat in the free one my legs would've become entwined with those of the other gentlemen. And, no, I couldn't move the chair, because the layout is long and narrow leaving zero space for anything to be nudged even an inch. There's also a bar by the window with a bunch of stools, and I have sat their before but this time I had my laptop and was going to do some work, so I wanted a chair. I opted to sit at one of the four or so tables with actual chairs around them, but immediately regretted this decision since the chair was hard and incredibly unforgiving on my bottom. Also, the legs of the chair were too narrow and jutted forward to far, so it was almost impossible to find a comfortable place to put my legs.

Making my coffee

When I looked around for a power outlet, I found only one, but it was already in use. One of the sockets was taken up by the laptop of the guy who was already taking up the comfy chair spot, and the other was taken up by a lamp. Now, I'm not one of those self-entitled snobs that thinks every coffee shop needs to have enough outlets to supply every customer's electronic devices (laptop, phone charger, heating pad, vibrator, or whatever you're bringing to a coffee shop), but it does seem like a smart decision to have more than one, single power socket available at any given time. I'm not saying that only one socket is a deal-breaker, but it's something the owners should probably look into if they want to cultivate returning customers, or if they just want to please people who review coffee shops on their blogs.

Oh, and just to be clear, the chair thing kind of is a deal breaker.

This used to be a Starbucks

The bar itself is quite lovely, however, with a lovely design and a very open, airy feel, even though the space is actually quite narrow and confining. Dogwood is located in the front of Calhoun Square that, perhaps ironically, used to be a Starbucks years and years and years ago. If you remember that Starbucks, this place has the same basic shape and dimensions, only they seem to have knocked some walls down so it feels more open, and there are lots of windows looking out on Hennepin Avenue that should make for great people watching during the summer.

They offer pastries from Rustica Bakery, but I didn't get anything so I won't comment on the taste, freshness, or selection. I have been to Rustica, however, and can comment that the stuff I've gotten there is usually overcooked and so flakey more of the pasty gets on my shirt than in my mouth, but lots of people rave about them.

Dogwood Coffee Shop is definitely a great idea for a coffee shop (a hand-crafted coffee bar run and serviced by a local coffee roaster), but there is still much to be desired from their execution. If this place was more comfortable (meaning chairs that don't actually hurt to sit on) and offered a couple more outlets, I'd probably come here a few times a week. On the other hand, it's probably a good thing that this place is kind of awkward because I definitely can't afford a $4 cup of coffee more than a few times a month, but you'll notice that I never once complained about the price because the flavor, taste, and freshness are well worth what their asking, and maybe even worth more.

I say... check it out. It's good coffee, and there are plenty of chairs and couches in and around the rest of Calhoun Square to chill on.

Ice Ride

I saw this odd site outside of Calhoun Square on the corning of Hennepin and Lake. I'm assuming it's a promotional ad for the Nice Ride bikes that are available to rent during the summer here in the Twin Cities. Anyway, I just thought it was pretty cool. And, yes, that's a real bike encased in real ice.

Cheapo

Uptown Location on Fremont between Lake and Lagoon

I probably go to Cheapo way too much. I'm the current Foursquare Mayor of Cheapo, and I've only been checking in on Foursquare for a little over a month. It helps that I live so close that it's only a five minute walk from my apartment, but the real draw is in the name: There's a lot of cheap stuff here, and you've gotta go often to find the best deals. And if that means I have to go four or five times a week, so be it.

Cheapo is a small, independently owned chain of stores that sells music and movies, both new and used. I think there's either three or four locations in and around the Twin Cities, but I'm not really sure since their garish website is kind of hard to read and even harder to navigate. The stores themselves are also garish, but at least they are organized well and make browsing easy. I've only been to the Uptown store, but it's basically just a giant room the size of an airplane hanger with row after row of CDs, DVDs, records, and even VHS tapes as far as they eye can see. Maybe they even have laserdiscs, but I wouldn't know since I've never owned a laserdisc player so I've never looked.

When I go, the first place I head is the section for their recently arrived inventory of used DVDs, which are sorted by the day they arrived. So if it's Monday, I head to the section labelled "Monday" and then work my way backword, usually a day or two until I reach the point in the week when I last came. Since the refresh these sections daily (multiple times a day, actually), I go often because the great stuff will sell out quickly, so you've got to get their at just the right time to find the great deals. That's how I got the Godfather trilogy for ten bucks. That's how I got all six Star Wars films on Blu Ray for about 40 bucks. That's how I got the entire Rush Hour series on DVD for five dollars. Ok... so maybe not everything I buy is great, but when you go you can get what you want. Do you unnderstan' the words that are comin' outta my mouf?!

And just to be clear, I only shop there for used stuff, since their new movies and CDs are way overpriced. As much as I want to support local businesses, when a new movie or CD comes out, I'll probably buy it at Target, since something that they sell for ten or twenty bucks will be twenty or thirty bucks at at Cheapo. But if you don't mind used stuff -- and why wouldn't you? Who are you, the King of England? -- Cheapo has the best selection in town.

There's even a huge section of stuff that is "$4.95 or Less," which mostly contains stuff that no normal person would want to buy, but luckily for me I'm not normal. A little while ago I managed to find the entire Matrix trilogy for about two bucks each. There's always something in this section that's worth picking up for a few bucks, as long as you're willing to pick through dozens of copies of Spider-Man 3, Superman Returns, and various movies you've never heard with pictures of actors like Michael Biehn and Jeff Fahey on the cover.

I'm not at the point where I'm on a first name basis with all the employees, but that's only because I'm antisocial and they're all a bunch of hipsters who seem too cool to chat with that geeky guy who comes in, like, every freakin' day. That's not an insult to them by the way. If I were them I probably wouldn't want to talk to me either. Actually, one of the reasons I feel comfortable returning way too often (and I've been known to go twice in one day) is because they don't try to chat with me. If I'm buying the Rush Hour trilogy on DVD, I don't really want to have a conversation about it. I appreciate the fact that these people allow me to live in my shame without any kind of commentary or judgment.

So that's Cheapo. Check it out if you love music and movies and hate spending a lot of money, just be sure to say hi to me when you stop in.

Happy Hour: Common Roots

Went to Happy Hour this evening at Common Roots Cafe, a great place to get a locally brewed beer and some great, fresh appetizers and entrees with food supplied from local farmers.

Today I got a new beer called Camo from Lucid Brewing, a place that I was told was a new brewer based in Minnetonka. I actually first tried this a couple days ago, but came back again for more because I thought it was fantastic.

Here's the description from their website:

Description: Our version of Imperial Pale Ale is as drinkable as beers with half its alcohol prowess.  Be careful because at 9% alcohol, this beer will sneak up on you fast!

Lucid CAMO use a combination of the citrus, floral, and pine characteristic from Cascade, Amarillo, Summit, and Centennial hops give this beer a floral hop nose and significant hop flavor. We kept this one as pale as possible and let the hops carry the weight without losing balance. This beer finishes dry and clean creating a refreshing, and very drinkable beer.

Food Pairings:  The intense citrus hop flavor goes great with smoked meats, and spicy dishes.  Pair with a strong blue and cheddar cheeses for appetizers or desserts.

Anyway, I don't know about all that. I just thought it was a really good beer that was crisp with just the right amount of bitterness. Also, it definitely has a high alcohol content because I just had a couple before I felt... happy, if you know what I'm saying. These things will get you drunk.

I paired my beer with their Soft Pretzels, that came as advertised. They were soft, hot, and served alongside a cup of some kind of cheese sauce. They weren't huge, but of a pretty good size and came in a pair.

The Donut Cooperative

(This restaurant has closed)

 This place was ok.

The Donut Cooperative is some kind of cooperatively owned bakery where the employees all own a stake in the company, and everything is made daily from locally sourced ingredients. I love their politics, respect their business ethics, and always want to support small businesses that support their communities, but I'm sorry to say that their donuts were kind of mediocre.

Now, I say that in the sense that all donuts are good and none are bad, by virtue of the fact that they are donuts. I'll happily accept a donut from a grocery store or Super America, even if it had fallen on the floor. But while all donuts are eatable and enjoyable, not all donuts are created equal, and these were nothing special. In fact... they were kind of forgettable.

I got a "Strawberry Preserve" donut that I assumed was a jelly donut, but it was actually just a cake donut with strawberry preserves stuffed into the hole. When I picked it up, almost all of the preserves fell through the hole onto my plate. I managed to pick up most of the preserves by dipping, but I was still annoyed that the filling wasn't actually inside the donut. And then I bit into it, and it was pretty try and tasteless.

My friend Sarah got a Maple Walnut donut, and it was the same dry, bland cake donut, only covered with some maple frosting and crushed walnuts. It was a little better than mine, but it still wasn't that good. But, again, we ate them both because they're donuts.

I also got a chocolate chip cookie, which was the best part of the meal, but still not altogether fantastic. It was ok. 

We also both got coffee that was pretty good, and sat in the cafe which was cozy and cute and bright.

I had heard great things about this place, and came away unimpressed. This was Sarah's second visit, and she had actually taken some convincing to come with me because she had been unimpressed on her previous visit as well. We both agreed that her original impression was right, and that we never needed to go there again.

I got Dogged

Last night my sister and I went to the Uptown Bulldog, and since I have a blog, I'm going to complain about the lousy service because I'm still mad about it.

We arrived at 6:30pm, which was a little late to enjoy the happy hour since it ends at 7:00, but hey... a half hour is better than nothing. I figured I could get in at least a couple beers at the discount before the regular pricing kicked in. That was the plan, anyway, which was made mostly impossible due to the slow, lackluster service.

At first, out waitress was a fine if not all together wonderful server. She was polite and arrived only a few minutes after we sat down, answering whatever questions we had and then went off to get our drinks. She came back with the drinks after a few more minutes and then took our dinner order. And then we never saw her again until around 7:00pm. I was hoping to get a last call or at least flag her down so I could get my empty beer replaced before happy hour ended, but that didn't happen. When she finally came over, I asked her very politely if I could still get a beer at the happy hour price.

"Happy hour was over a while ago," she said, which was odd, because that was an extreme exaggeration. I said I knew that, but was hoping I could still get one at the happy hour price since we never got a last call.

"I don't do last call," she said coldly. "We don't do that here."

I just stared at her, actually shocked not only by what she was saying, but that I could tell that my simple question would generate that kind of attitude. How about something like, "I'm sorry, but I'm not able to do that"? That would have been a satisfactory answer. But to act as though I was a jerk simply for asking pissed me off.

"I have 7:01," I said, showing her my watch, which meant that when she actually came over to our table, it was no more than a minute after happy hour, but possibly not even that long.

She just looked at me and then said something along the lines of, "Look, if you really need it, I''ll give you a dollar if you order another beer, ok?!"

I said I'd take it, and she walked away in a huff. It was just... strange, and while I'll admit that my request was kind of bold (even though I was right, and I actually went out of my way to be polite and not rag on her for being a poor server), her response was ridiculous, and made all the worse by the fact that she made an effort to ignore me for the rest of the night, only looking at and talking to my sister when she'd come back over. At one point we were both done with our meals, with our empty baskets pushed away from us toward the center of the table, and then she came over and took only my sister's tray, asked her how it was, and then left without looking at me or taking my tray as well.

And then when the bill came, there was no dollar included nor any kind of discount. She did come over as we were looking at the bill and said, in the same cold tone she had used on my all evnenign, "I know I said I'd give you a dollar, and you can have it if you want. I don't want to be some kind of jerk."

Too late, I thought, but what I said aloud was to keep her dollar. So... that's the Bulldog. Good burgers, lots of beers on tap, awful service. I don't think I need to go back there.

B Spot

This might be of interest only to my faithful readers who live in Cleveland, Ohio. I don't live in Cleveland, but my mother does, and when I visited her over this past weekend we went to B Spot, a new burger joint owned by celebrity chef Michael Symon. Symon is a Cleveland native, an Iron Chef, and now world famous chef and restaurateur. I've always liked the guy as a TV personality, and now I can say I like him as a creator of restaurants as well. Damn good burger, even if some things about his restaurant were a little less than perfect.

To begin with, it's one of those restaurants with lots of rules. Anybody who knows me should be well aware that I love rules and always do my best to abide by them, but I also never hesitate to complain about rules that make no sense and serve no purpose. Not allowing reservations is one of those restaurant rules that I find annoying, doubly so when the establishment is like the B Spot and offers nowhere to congregate comfortably while you spend your inevitable wait for your table. Also, they won't seat you until your entire party is there -- which is absolutely logical and reasonable and more than fine, except for when they went ahead and sat us before our fourth party member arrived, and then complained about how we were given a table even though our party wasn't complete.

This is Michael Symon, not me.

We attempted to order appetizers, but were told that the restaurant served no appetizers, just sides, and that all the stuff on the menu that looked like appetizers (like salads, chicken wings, etc) came along with the food. It is the policy of the restaurant that all menu items arrive at the same time. Huh? Who would want chicken wings, a salad, and a burger to arrive in front of them at once? That makes no sense. So we waited to order food until our fourth party member arrived, which clearly annoyed our server, even though it had taken him about ten or fifteen minutes before he even came over to say hello. It's not like we slowed them down, since the service was just slow in general.

However, once the food came, the awkward service and silly rules were forgotten because I proceeded to eat the best burger I've ever had in my life. No joke. I got the Lola, which came topped with bacon, onions, and a fried egg. It was divine. My mother got the Plain Jane, which is just as it sounds, but the couple bites I had showed off how amazing the actual burger was. The meat was fresh and perfectly cooked. Also, I ordered mine rare while she ordered hers medium rare, and mine came rare and hers came medium rare. This may seem like a silly thing to point out, but as a burger lover, I'm always disappointed by how rarely my burgers are actually cooked correctly to order. The guy's at B Spot are doing it right.

So while the ambiance is a little off, the service was a little wacky, and the rules were a little obtuse, B Spot delivered where it mattered: By serving just about the best burgers you'll ever eat. If I lived in Cleveland, I would be there all the time, but I'd get there early and go with my entire party in the same car.

Twin Cities Teppanyaki Round-Up

Teppanyaki: Or, as it's known in America, one of those restaurants where they cook at your table. It's good food, usually in plentiful portions and in multiple courses, accompanied by a show put on by your chef. I love Teppanyaki stlyle cuisine and have been going to such restaurants since I was a kid. I've had a chance to try a few places in the Twin Cities and figured I'd give my opinions on each and rank them accordingly.

I'm sure there are several more restaurants in the Twin Cities that offer Teppanyaki style cooking at your table, but I'm going to be talking about just three: Benihana, Ichiban, and Sushi Tango. I'll take into account flavor, ambiance, entertainment value, and whatever else either enthralled me or annoyed me about each place.

Benihana
Benihana might be my all time favorite restaurant, but that has more to do with simple nostalgia than anything else. I've been going there almost every year for my birthday since before I can even remember, but at least for two decades or so (with just a few exceptions here and there, when I was in college or live in a place where there was no Benihana, heave forbid.) It has become something of a Pfeffer tradition, and it is pretty much the place that popularized this style of cuisine in America. They were the first and the best, and that's what makes them great... but it's also what makes them some what lacking as of late. The first gets to pioneer and dominate, but in their attempt to spread and stay on top for so long, certain sacrifices have to be made and things become stale and generic. But I'll never stop going there and I'll never stop loving it.

To begin with, the food is just fantastic with layers upon layers of incredibly flavor... much of which comes from the copious amounts of butter and soy sauce. If you're on a diet, you might want to avoid Benihana, since there's nothing you can eat that isn't smothered with butter. Even the shrimp or scallops or other such item that sounds healthy by itself is going to be served coated in butter and dripping with soy sauce. And then, of course, you have to dip it in either of the two sauces that come with each plate. Every diner gets a cup of ginger sauce and some kind of mayo sauce, both of which are amazing. My mother and my sister always request two ginger sauces and no mayo, but I get both and dip indiscriminately in either, often mixing them together for a taste sensation that must be experienced to be understood. By the time the chef is done, I usually have to ask for a few refills for my sauce cups.

But my favorite part of the meal is the salad, which is topped with an amazing ginger dressing that is the best thing I've ever tasted in my entire life. I love this dressing and so does everybody else who's ever tried it. It's simply phenomenal. I also love the soup, the incredible chicken fried rice, shrimp, steak, vegetables, and everything else they give you.

So I can understand when people complain about the food being heavy. I can understand when people say that they feel full and sick to their stomach after eating a heaping portion of Benihana's food. But I can't understand when people say they don't want to go there since that's the point. I wouldn't go to Benihana every day, but two or three times a year it's an absolute treat. And, ok, I would go every night if I could, but I would go broke. It's kind of expensive. And I guess I would die of diabetes too or have a heart attack, but I'd go out with a smile on my face.

The service can range from terrible to kind of not bad. The wait staff always seems like they are in a hurry, and that's probably because every location has about 800 tables spread over the course of a building the size of a football field. The chefs also tend to range in quality, but none of them have been all that exceptional over the course of my last few visits. Once you've been to Benihana, you've seen the entire shtick and heard all of the jokes. I definitely love the shtick and enjoy hearing the same jokes and seeing the same tricks every time, but at this point it's because of nostalgia and not because the chefs are all that entertaining. Most are actually poor performers lacking much charisma who seem like they are bored to be there, which isn't surprising because they must do the same patter dozens of times a night five or six nights a week. Also, and I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but I can't remember the last time I've seen an Asian chef at a Benihana. They are all Hispanic, which is fine -- more than fine! -- but it does seem odd when they say things like "domo arigato" and "sayonara."
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Ichiban
I would be tempted to describe Ichiban as a poor man's Benihana, but it might actually be more expensive. But in terms of flavor and entertainment value, Ichiban just doesn't come close. It's just like Benihana, but not as good. It's sort of like the Bizarro Benihana.

Benihana starts their meal with one of the best salads you'll ever have, while Ichiban gives you some kind of weird cucumber salad that I just didn't like. Benihana gives you a succulent, delicious shrimp appetizer, while Ichiban gives you chicken livers mixed with mushrooms. The chicken livers are doused with butter and soy sauce so the first bite makes them seem edible, but after two or three, I felt like I was going to be sick. They just didn't taste right, with an odd, sandy texture that just put me off. And the rest of the food was just bland, but at least it wasn't as bad as the chicken livers and salad. The food at Ichiban isn't bad (except for the livers), but it just isn't worth the exorbitant price.

The chefs might have a little more personality than Benihana's, however, even though they perform mostly the same tricks and tell the same jokes. But at least they smile once or twice and attempt to make some kind of connection with the diners. Also, the service from the wait stuff is way better. And while every Benihana looks like a giant, unfinished basement, the ambiance and decor at Ichiban is actually quite stunning and very cool. This is a great looking restaurant that has a lot of charm. It's just not that good.
Overall Rating: 2 out of 5

Sushi Tango
I've already raved about Sushi Tango's sushi section (you can read my review here), but they also have a few teppanyaki tables tucked way in the back of the restaurant, almost as an afterthought. But trust me... the food is so good they should think about changing their name to Teppanyaki Tango. I've been to Tango many times, but I have only had their Teppanyaki once and it was a fantastic experience.

Sushi has the luxury of not being a chain (although there are two of them) so they don't have to mass produce their cuisine or brand of service. This independence showed in both the quality of their food and in the service provided by our chef. The chef was named Chan and he was clever and charming and engaging and made me enjoy the show provided with my teppanyaki meal in a way that I haven't experienced since I went to Benihana as a child. He did a bunch of tricks and that are typical for this kind of thing, but he did them with such charm and wit that it seemed like he was making them up as he went along, and he actually engaged us all in conversation. Most important of all, he performed and cooked for us with with exuberance and glee that it seemed like he was having as much fun as we were.

And the food was delicious. I ordered the tuna steak seared rare, and it melted in my mouth even before I took a bite. It was just awesome. My girlfriend Shannon ordered filet mignon, which was tender and flavorful and much better than Benihana's (sorry!!). My sister Tanya got lobster tail, which was every bit as good as you'd expect. But I think the tuna was the best, and that's notable because I don't think either other place offers it on their menu.

The dipping sauces were similar to Benihana's, but not quite as flavorful in my opinion. The fried rice was fantastic and maybe better than Benihana's (it was certainly lighter and less filling), but it didn't have chicken. And while the salad was very good, it wasn't as legendary as Benihana's. Tango's food and service was so good, it almost made me forget Benihana... almost. Both Shannon and Tanya agreed that it was better and they mocked me for still preferring Benihana. What can I say? Nostalgia is a powerful thing. But all in all, the level of service was the best and the quality of the ingredients was outstanding. It's also the most reasonably priced.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Conclusion:
It breaks down like this: Ichiban kind of sucked, Tango was the best, but I'm still going to spend every birthday at Benihana. I prefer their salad dressing and fried rice, love them for their nostalgia, and have a membership in their "Chef's Table" club that gets me a free meal in the month of my birthday. I love Benihana, but I'd still recommend Tango as the best place in the Twin Cities to get some great teppanyaki.

Me and Shannon