Our dining-out adventures have been casual and close-to-home, lately.
Between the snow and polar vortez cold snap, we haven’t wanted to drive very far. Never in my life have I felt -26 (and worse). Walking the 2.5 blocks to the bus was unbearable. I thought my legs were going to give out and collapse after running one block. The house cracked, but our boiler held up. Every potty break for our dog went something like that Bird Box conversation where Sandra Bullock was yelling at her kids.
“UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU ALLOWED TO TAKE OFF YOUR BOOTS. . . YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING I SAY OR WE WILL NOT MAKE IT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND.”
We’ve gotten together with family for various occasions and visited our favorites like Stewart’s for patty melts and Himalayan on Lake Street for our typical order of garlic naan, fried okra and potatoes, chicken tikka masala and palek paneer, all spicy.
Find yourself a good bar close enough to tromp through the snow to.
Here are a couple of new things we tried in St. Paul:
My First Jucy Lucy from the Blue Door Pub
There’s so much debate about Jucy Lucys. Once I wrote about where I stand on the topic.
Out-of-towners always seem to focus on Matt’s and 5-8 Club. Locals often mention The Nook and Blue Door Pub, of which there are now four locations. The original Blue Door is located near our neighborhood. Stuffed Burgers/Jucy Lucys are called Blucy’s . It’s really tiny. I remember trying to visit a long time ago on a nice evening and the wait was impossible. With four locations, I’m sure it’s easier to dine-in somewhere.
We easily found a table on a very cold night, having left work at four p.m, though the small bar was full.
The vibe is of a cozy neighborhood bar. Jake ordered a blue cheese-stuffed burger while I chose the kitchen sink one; pulled pork, havarti, pepperjack, mango salsa, and ghost pepper garlic aioli? Sure, why not.I especially liked the freshness of the mango salsa.
Each component of my burger tasted like it was prepared with care, as were the blue cheese and ranch dressings. And the crisp-skinned wings were some of the best we can recall enjoying lately .
Hand-cut fries or tots cost an extra $3.
Do I feel bad writing a post about my favorite Jucy Lucy without trying The Blue Door Pub’s? No. I think the Nook’s still my favorite, but Blue Door is another good option.
Ichiddo Ramen, Highland Park location in St. Paul
“Is it possible that I don’t actually like ramen or have I just not had good ramen?” I found myself wondering recently.
Because I didn’t love the two bowls of ramen I’ve tried in the Twin Cities, I haven’t sought out the new ramen restaurants. One tasted of too much sesame oil. The other’s broth was viscously porky – I think this is ideal for some, but it just wasn’t my thing.
This weekend we sought dinner after an afternoon of mall walking with a million other stir-crazy Minnesotans. Jake suggested ramen. At 3:30 p.m. our options were limited. We visited the new Highland Park location of Ichiddo Ramen (a MN-based ramen chain). It’s so new that a white “Now Open” sign adorns the storefront.
There is very limited parking on this block – if you aren’t lucky enough to nab one the spots out front, park around the corner along Highland Parkway.
The music this afternoon was slightly intense. You might feel soothed or stressed while eating ramen and listening to Calum Scott’s “Dancing On My Own” cover (tbh my ideal Friday night). This was followed by another Calum Scott song followed by a soaring country song.
The fried jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and fake crab were not spicy but tasted delightful.
Jake ordered the Niku Soba Ramen (tonkatsu broth, thinly sliced pork belly, onions). I chose the Teriyaki Ton Ramen pictured above (miso broth, teriyaki pork, black fungus mushrooms, corn, hot pepper and spicy sauce).
Both bowls struck a pleasant sweet and savory balance. The sweetness in my bowl came from the teriyaki pork. In Jake’s, the sweetness came from the onions. Next time I’d request more of the spicy elements. Each type of noodle retained some chew. Like I said, I’m not a ramen expert but we really liked these bowls and would order them again. The bowls aren’t small but they’re smaller than a typical bowl of pho. Our bowls cost between $13-14.
If you can arrive between 3-5 M-F, there’s a happy hour with discounted drinks and appetizers.
I would be very curious to know your thoughts on ramen in the Twin Cities. The ramen place I want to try next is Ramen Kazama.
The Places:
Blue Door Pub
1811 Selby Ave
St Paul, MN 55104
(651) 493-1865
Ichiddo Ramen Highland Park
2073 Ford Pkwy
St Paul, MN 55116
651) 315-8888
I think the only blue door that’s somewhat easy to eat at is Lyn lake…which is hard to park at. Basically I just always assume I’m going to wait 30+ minutes if I’m trying to eat anywhere near dinner time.
The Real Person!
I haven’t even seen this one yet – that area is a nightmare to park. But good to know! There are some other places I wanted to visit around Lyn Lake too
Have you tried Tori Ramen? It’s insanely tiny, and it’s not a place to linger over your food (because it’s tiny and they need to turn over their tables), but the ramen is suuuper good. I usually get the Bali Bali.
The Real Person!
I haven’t yet – I think there’s one in St. Paul. We will have to visit. Thanks!
I absolutely love the ramen at Moto-i in Uptown! I’ve had a few of their ramen bowls and they’re always delicious. There’s even a vegetarian one with a mushroom based broth that was super good! As a plus, they have sake flights, great cocktails, and sometimes very fancy (and delicious) desserts. Plus live music at the upstairs bar some nights.
The Real Person!
Thanks for the rec – we’ve never been there before. It sounds wonderful