Back in November 2017, I wrote about three places located along E. Lake Street in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis that we really like.
We still like these places and would like to add two more to our growing list of favorites:
Peppers & Fries
Pictured above is a big old feast we enjoyed at Peppers & Fries.
On Fridays after work, we like to grab dinner out. Jake’s brothers live nearby and came over one Friday evening. Our go-to places nearby serving good burgers (Stewart’s & Groveland Tap) were booked with hours-long waits. We headed towards East Lake Street and veered into Peppers & Fries.
Sidenote: I love the cheeseburger at Stewart’s. Jake loves their newish Patty Melt, declaring it the BEST patty melt he has ever eaten.
There are televisions playing sports games, but not an irritating amount like at BWW.
The menu reads like my treat food fantasy; Burgers, burritos, nachos, hot dog baskets, hand-breaded chicken fingers, house-battered mini corn dogs, fried Ellsworth cheese curds. . .
What makes Peppers and Fries memorable is the quality of food.
Usually, composed nachos annoy me. I don’t mind sifting through a messy pile of saucy chips. But these are excellent. The chips so big they’re more like small tostadas. These are topped with tinga chicken, cheese, sour cream, refried beans, homemade salsa, fresh jalapeño, sour cream and guac.
My hot dog basket scratched my Chicago dog itch, but the burgers stood out. The patties were juicy and still rosy inside. I felt some entrée jealousy after trying the Bangkok Burger (cream cheese, Asian garlic sauce, sriracha coleslaw, cilantro and fresh jalapeño). It wasn’t what I consider spicy, but had a great flavor. If you need your burger cooked well-done, you may need to specify this here.
The fries are crisp and fresh-cut too. And the ranch is homemade! Fun, homemade sports bar food is the theme.
The name is dreamy like the colorful umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. You will find good Japanese food lovingly prepared here. In addition to sushi, the menu offers a variety of hot and cold dishes like rice bowls, soba, ramen, tempura, and soup.
I tried the Japanese pickle plate above, sushi, an udon tofu bowl, and Saikoro-donburi -the spicy raw fish bowl below. Midori’s food makes me feel very nurtured from the inside out.
Something to keep in mind is that the restaurant is smaller. If you show up without a reservation on a Saturday evening, you may have a wait. The owners prepare each dish with care. Come when you are ready to enjoy a laid back meal, not a hurried one.
As far as beverages go, we’ve enjoyed hot cups of loose-leaf tea in glass mugs and sake spritzers. The ginger-sake spritzer had a pleasant ginger bite and the plum wine cooler’s flavor reminded me of almond extract. It might sound weird, but was actually very good.
So there you have it. Two family owned restaurants along East Lake Street that we really like that prepares homemade food with thought. Both offer happy hours and daily specials.
The Places:
Peppers & Fries
3900 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 353-6730
Midori’s Floating World Cafe
3900 E Lake St
Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 721-3011
Great restaurants!