My friends are the best! Thanks Dana for guest blogging.

Two New Restaurants in Two Nights

One of my favorite things to do is explore our city through food. Born and raised in Minneapolis and yet there are always more restaurants for me to try. Well this weekend, I crossed two more restaurants off my list and I was truly impressed and excited to tell friends about them and go back for more…

Broders Cucina Italiana

http://www.broders.com/cucina-italiana/index.html

Friday night after watching the Royal Wedding, Alison, Erica, Amy and I jumped in the car to see where we would end up. Some of us were hoping to try Broders Pasta Bar for the first time, but the wait was too long for our hunger level, so we ventured across the street to check it out. What a good decision that we stuck with one of the Broders options!

The Cucina Italiana had all sorts of gourmet Italian food on the shelves and you could even buy fresh pasta. We walked over to the food and stared up at the menu on the wall for a few minutes contemplating our orders. Everything looked/sounded so good! I went with the chicken parmigiana (with pomodoro and provolone cheese) served with penne pasta. They were out of the breaded chicken, so it was prepared with grilled chicken instead of breaded. I decided that next time I might ask for the grilled chicken again, since it had so much flavor. The sauce tasted very authentic and it was a perfect size portion. I loved that they had all sorts of Italian fixings (oregano, fresh cracked pepper, balsamic vinegar, etc.).

We even got to choose a free dessert since they ran out of the breaded chicken. Things were working out well for us! I wanted to order the pistachio cheesecake since I hadn’t seen that anywhere else. It was a nice presentation and I liked how they sprinkled pistachio nuts on the top. It was a perfect way to end our meal. Despite the fact that you go up to the counter to order at Broders Cucina Italiana, the quality of the food was impressive. I can only imagine what’s waiting for me across the street!

Curry ‘n’ Noodles

http://www.currynnoodles.com/

Saturday night I went with Amy and our friend Abby to this cute little restaurant called Curry ‘n’ Noodles, located on Mainstreet in Hopkins. They serve authentic Indian food and it comes out surprisingly fast. We were all eager to share a few dishes, so we asked for the waiter’s recommendations.

Here is what we ordered:
Aloo Tikki – aka Indian potato pancakes
Paneer Tikka w/ veggies- Paneer is an Indian cheese and I kept mistaking it for tofu because of the same texture.
Garlic Naan – so much better than plain naan
Chicken Tikka Masala
Blazing Haaka Noodles w/ chicken
* All served with jasmine rice

The food was truly amazing. I rarely have the chance to eat Indian food, but when I do, I really enjoy it. I especially like the two sauces that came out with the food: one had a mint/spice flavor and the other was sweet. The restaurant was filled with people of all ages. At one point during dinner, I looked over at the table next to us and the father was holding a long noodle up in the air for his daughter to put her mouth to. In most restaurants it would seem like he had poor manners, but at Curry ‘n’ Noodles, it just worked. It was very sweet.

The wait staff at Curry ‘n’ Noodles (not to be mistaken with Korean Noodles when said out loud) were all very friendly and attentive. They made it a pleasant dining experience and it was nice to find a place with delicious food and still make it to a movie down the street at the Hopkins Mann with a few minutes to spare.

All in all, the weekend was nice and relaxing and I enjoyed trying two new dining hot spots around town. I am energized when I discover a new restaurant and it always seems there is more to do, see, and eat in Minneapolis/St. Paul! This city might never get old… and I love it!