This morning I went over to the Eden Prairie Lifetime Fitness and enjoyed a little breakfast at the club's restaurant, The Herb Box, while my kids ran around in the daycare. Yes, it was solo. And nice to be alone with my thoughts. I'm not sure if you can dine at this restaurant without being a member (it would be strange if you couldn't), but the couple times I've been here things have been tasty.
APPEARANCE: Very hip, contemporary. Sleek lines. Lots of seating. Linen napkins. Pretty centerpieces. Even though this is at a health club, I would certainly consider holding a nice event here.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: The couple of times I have eaten here I've been disappointed in customer service. Our first visit we had screaming kids and I asked for a piece of banana bread immediately to tide them over, as well as ordering a kids meal to start. It took as long to get the banana bread as it did the grilled cheese. After seven minutes of a thrashing baby, J went to inquire about the bread and they said "we are making it". Today, the server was friendly, but I think he was new: he didn't bring a spoon or sweetener/sugar with my coffee, I had to request refills, and my food clearly had been sitting under a warmer for several minutes.
FOOD: All in all, really good! Our first experience was lunch and it was AMAZING. My breakfast of poached eggs, bacon and toast was tasty, despite sitting under the warmers.
KID FRIENDLY: They have a nice kids menu and high chairs, but doesn't really cater to kids otherwise. Our first experience is telling, since our server didn't seem to understand the need to get something immediately in our children's tummies (then commented about how her son loves french fries - you'd think she'd get it).
PRICE: Not the most expensive, but not the cheapest. My breakfast was $12, with coffee. The kids menu is a bit pricey. But for once in awhile, not too terrible.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Visit. If you can look past the service, the food is pretty good. And if you belong to Lifetime, certainly nice to drop the kids off to play and have a quiet meal for a change.
The Herb Box is located in the Eden Prairie Lifetime Fitness on Prairie Center Drive.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
santorini
This post is SUPER delayed because we dined at Santorini a month or so a go. But it's worth a review.
Santorini is a local establishment in Eden Prairie. I haven't had lunch or dinner there, yet (I totally intend on it), but we paid a visit on a Sunday for what we thought would be lunch and were faced with a HUGE and I mean HUGE brunch buffet.
APPEARANCE: Very nice! They had a nice bar area, as well as nice dining areas. Certainly not the establishment that you might go to everyday, especially with kids. Linen table cloths and napkins. The servers are in button downs. Very upscale, Greek decor.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: When we arrived it was VERY busy and we did not have a reservation. But they made a good effort to seat us fairly quickly. Unfortunately, our young server didn't offer much service. We had to ask how the whole buffet situation worked... In his description he said it included coffee, but never offered us coffee. And he didn't really revisit our table after bringing the water and greeting us, except to drop a check. Perhaps a different experience in a regular dining situation.
FOOD: Massive buffet! They had everything, from egg items, to greek dishes, to a salad and fruit bar, to an ice cream sundae bar, to a chocolate fountain. Really, something for everyone. And it was pretty good, as far as buffet food went. I'll admit, I think made to order is much better, but this was certainly good. I can't say my kids did very well eating, which is strange for them. But at least we weren't charged for them and they enjoyed the fruit.
KID FRIENDLY: They had high chairs, and kid cups. But otherwise, I don't see me taking the girls there for a casual lunch or dinner. They are just too little for such a nice place on a regular basis. Plus it was a buffet and if I was alone I wouldn't have been able to manage it.
PRICE: Expensive! Our bill for two buffet's and an apple juice was near $50. I don't know what their regular menu looks like, but the buffet was certainly expensive (and honestly, I expected it).
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Absolutely visit! Personally, I may stay away from the brunch (but I tend to stay away from buffets), but I think it's worth dining otherwise.
Santorini is located at 13000 Technology Drive in Eden Prairie.
Santorini is a local establishment in Eden Prairie. I haven't had lunch or dinner there, yet (I totally intend on it), but we paid a visit on a Sunday for what we thought would be lunch and were faced with a HUGE and I mean HUGE brunch buffet.
APPEARANCE: Very nice! They had a nice bar area, as well as nice dining areas. Certainly not the establishment that you might go to everyday, especially with kids. Linen table cloths and napkins. The servers are in button downs. Very upscale, Greek decor.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: When we arrived it was VERY busy and we did not have a reservation. But they made a good effort to seat us fairly quickly. Unfortunately, our young server didn't offer much service. We had to ask how the whole buffet situation worked... In his description he said it included coffee, but never offered us coffee. And he didn't really revisit our table after bringing the water and greeting us, except to drop a check. Perhaps a different experience in a regular dining situation.
FOOD: Massive buffet! They had everything, from egg items, to greek dishes, to a salad and fruit bar, to an ice cream sundae bar, to a chocolate fountain. Really, something for everyone. And it was pretty good, as far as buffet food went. I'll admit, I think made to order is much better, but this was certainly good. I can't say my kids did very well eating, which is strange for them. But at least we weren't charged for them and they enjoyed the fruit.
KID FRIENDLY: They had high chairs, and kid cups. But otherwise, I don't see me taking the girls there for a casual lunch or dinner. They are just too little for such a nice place on a regular basis. Plus it was a buffet and if I was alone I wouldn't have been able to manage it.
PRICE: Expensive! Our bill for two buffet's and an apple juice was near $50. I don't know what their regular menu looks like, but the buffet was certainly expensive (and honestly, I expected it).
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Absolutely visit! Personally, I may stay away from the brunch (but I tend to stay away from buffets), but I think it's worth dining otherwise.
Santorini is located at 13000 Technology Drive in Eden Prairie.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
baker's square
So, OK, I know this is a chain that is been around FOREVER! I remember going here as a kid and probably haven't been to one since then. But we have one here in Minnesota, so the little ladies and I headed there so I could walk down memory lane. And I was pleasantly surprised...
APPEARANCE: It's an updated Baker's Square, Coco's, Perkins look. Booths, some tables, bakery, cashier etc. But they had a touch of shabby chic here and there. Very clean, lots of seating.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: We were immediately sat and greeted by a food server, who was super great with the kids. I asked her to bring out a muffin STAT because we were bordering on a meltdown, and she had it at our table before she could even get drinks.
FOOD: About what I remember. Just classic American stuff. The blueberry muffin my children devoured in 30 seconds flat was warm and YUMMY! I ordered the Egg White and Veggie Scramble, which was delish (but the potatoes were a little hard). I didn't order a coffee, but did get a Diet Coke (shame on me) that came in this really great, big, full glass, which I loved. I ordered the girlies a children's breakfast which they put away pretty quick (I think they are growing).
KID FRIENDLY: YES YES YES! That was the best part! The food didn't put me over the moon, but I will go there because it was easy with the kids. They have kid cups. Crayons and coloring menus. And our server seemed to understand what it is to dine with kids. We did have to pay the cashier, which was a bit of a juggle with two little ones (much easier if they take it at the table), but I was able to use my debit card and the machine asked me what percentage of a tip I wanted to leave and did the calculation for me, which made it easier.
PRICE: It's no MacDonald's with price, but certainly not expensive. We ordered a kids meal (about $3.50), two drinks and my meal and spent $14.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: I think it's a good staple. I wouldn't make a special trip there, but if you have one in your neighborhood, go!
Baker's Square is located across the country. We visited the Eden Prairie location at 928 Prairie Center Drive.
APPEARANCE: It's an updated Baker's Square, Coco's, Perkins look. Booths, some tables, bakery, cashier etc. But they had a touch of shabby chic here and there. Very clean, lots of seating.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: We were immediately sat and greeted by a food server, who was super great with the kids. I asked her to bring out a muffin STAT because we were bordering on a meltdown, and she had it at our table before she could even get drinks.
FOOD: About what I remember. Just classic American stuff. The blueberry muffin my children devoured in 30 seconds flat was warm and YUMMY! I ordered the Egg White and Veggie Scramble, which was delish (but the potatoes were a little hard). I didn't order a coffee, but did get a Diet Coke (shame on me) that came in this really great, big, full glass, which I loved. I ordered the girlies a children's breakfast which they put away pretty quick (I think they are growing).
KID FRIENDLY: YES YES YES! That was the best part! The food didn't put me over the moon, but I will go there because it was easy with the kids. They have kid cups. Crayons and coloring menus. And our server seemed to understand what it is to dine with kids. We did have to pay the cashier, which was a bit of a juggle with two little ones (much easier if they take it at the table), but I was able to use my debit card and the machine asked me what percentage of a tip I wanted to leave and did the calculation for me, which made it easier.
PRICE: It's no MacDonald's with price, but certainly not expensive. We ordered a kids meal (about $3.50), two drinks and my meal and spent $14.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: I think it's a good staple. I wouldn't make a special trip there, but if you have one in your neighborhood, go!
Baker's Square is located across the country. We visited the Eden Prairie location at 928 Prairie Center Drive.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
sunsets of wayzata
This past Sunday the girls, Jonathan and I ventured a short jaunt over to Downtown Wayzata for brunch and decided to go to the locally famous Sunsets. They feature a brunch buffet that is massive! And tons to choose from.
APPEARANCE: Classic. Cloth napkins. Cozy. Fine dining. View of beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Yet, something old feeling about it.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Generally good. The hostess was stumped when we came in as we didn't have a reservation and it took her several minutes (ok, maybe four or so) to figure out where to seat us, which that is an eternity when you are holding a baby and have a hungry, anxious toddler to contend with. They sat people who walked in behind us, which makes matters a little more frustrating. BUT, we did end up with a table by the lake, but were told we had to be out of there in an hour.
FOOD: Pretty good! LOTS of choices to please everyone and even a prepare to order station. The offered breakfast and lunch options, so we ate well. The coffee was lacking and for as fine of an establishment as this seemed, I was surprised to be served the shelf-stable creamer cups instead of real cream (I have a thing about these).
KID FRIENDLY: They had high chairs and kid cups, but no coloring/entertainment gimicky things. If I were there on my own, I would have had to leave as I could not have managed a buffet on my own, and there were no menu options at that time.
PRICE: The cost for the adult buffets were $15.95, but we were not charged for the kids. A little pricey and I never seem to do a buffet justice.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Visit, but I certainly enjoyed the regular dining experience there in the past rather than the buffet. And maybe without the kids.
Sunsets of Wayzata is located at 700 East Lake, Wayzata MN
APPEARANCE: Classic. Cloth napkins. Cozy. Fine dining. View of beautiful Lake Minnetonka. Yet, something old feeling about it.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Generally good. The hostess was stumped when we came in as we didn't have a reservation and it took her several minutes (ok, maybe four or so) to figure out where to seat us, which that is an eternity when you are holding a baby and have a hungry, anxious toddler to contend with. They sat people who walked in behind us, which makes matters a little more frustrating. BUT, we did end up with a table by the lake, but were told we had to be out of there in an hour.
FOOD: Pretty good! LOTS of choices to please everyone and even a prepare to order station. The offered breakfast and lunch options, so we ate well. The coffee was lacking and for as fine of an establishment as this seemed, I was surprised to be served the shelf-stable creamer cups instead of real cream (I have a thing about these).
KID FRIENDLY: They had high chairs and kid cups, but no coloring/entertainment gimicky things. If I were there on my own, I would have had to leave as I could not have managed a buffet on my own, and there were no menu options at that time.
PRICE: The cost for the adult buffets were $15.95, but we were not charged for the kids. A little pricey and I never seem to do a buffet justice.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Visit, but I certainly enjoyed the regular dining experience there in the past rather than the buffet. And maybe without the kids.
Sunsets of Wayzata is located at 700 East Lake, Wayzata MN
Sunday, April 3, 2011
birchwood cafe
This morning the girls and I ventured out to the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. A neighborhood known for it's environmentally friendly efforts and we found a cafe specializing in "good real food," so I was very excited to try this place out.
We arrived right when they opened their doors at 9 a.m., which I am glad we did because the place filled up quickly. And I quickly learned why!
APPEARANCE: Clean, chalkboard style restaurant - you order at the counter and then they bring your food. There was a certain "crunch" about this place, as you are encouraged to compost and recycle. The highchair I pulled was a little grubby, but that tends to be standard in most restaurants.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: They were implementing a new system today, so there was a little confusion going on, but everyone was very friendly. I was a little disappointed when they handed me a cup of hot coffee, a muffin on a plate and a table number while my left arm was holding Hayden (who doesn't walk much yet). I would have taken up an offer to get these items, particularly the hot coffee to the table, but I did manage to do it on my own.
FOOD: DELISH! Hadley scarfed her whole plate of cage free scrambled eggs, who grain toast and fruit. Usually Hayden consumes the whole plate, Hadley wasn't willing to share. I ordered the Brunch Scrambler that had a feta type cheese, black beans and peppers in it. Plus it was served with whole grain toast, fruit and rosemary potatoes (which I don't often pass up). But I do need to mention that the decaf wasn't too hot and I found a lemon seed in it, which grossed me out a bit.
KID FRIENDLY: They have high chairs and a small kid menu, so it certainly was by those standards. They didn't offer coloring sheets, but the food was delivered quickly and I didn't feel we needed them.
PRICE: On the more pricey side, at least the kids menu. $6 for an egg, a little fruit, toast and juice. My scrambler was $10 and came with twice the amount of food.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Absolutely, VISIT! I plan on going back there for lunch sometime and Hadley has already requested to go back.
Birchwood Cafe is located at 3311 E. 25th Street in Minneapolis.
We arrived right when they opened their doors at 9 a.m., which I am glad we did because the place filled up quickly. And I quickly learned why!
APPEARANCE: Clean, chalkboard style restaurant - you order at the counter and then they bring your food. There was a certain "crunch" about this place, as you are encouraged to compost and recycle. The highchair I pulled was a little grubby, but that tends to be standard in most restaurants.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: They were implementing a new system today, so there was a little confusion going on, but everyone was very friendly. I was a little disappointed when they handed me a cup of hot coffee, a muffin on a plate and a table number while my left arm was holding Hayden (who doesn't walk much yet). I would have taken up an offer to get these items, particularly the hot coffee to the table, but I did manage to do it on my own.
FOOD: DELISH! Hadley scarfed her whole plate of cage free scrambled eggs, who grain toast and fruit. Usually Hayden consumes the whole plate, Hadley wasn't willing to share. I ordered the Brunch Scrambler that had a feta type cheese, black beans and peppers in it. Plus it was served with whole grain toast, fruit and rosemary potatoes (which I don't often pass up). But I do need to mention that the decaf wasn't too hot and I found a lemon seed in it, which grossed me out a bit.
KID FRIENDLY: They have high chairs and a small kid menu, so it certainly was by those standards. They didn't offer coloring sheets, but the food was delivered quickly and I didn't feel we needed them.
PRICE: On the more pricey side, at least the kids menu. $6 for an egg, a little fruit, toast and juice. My scrambler was $10 and came with twice the amount of food.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Absolutely, VISIT! I plan on going back there for lunch sometime and Hadley has already requested to go back.
Birchwood Cafe is located at 3311 E. 25th Street in Minneapolis.
original pancake house
So this review is long overdue... From Sunday March 20th. And it's a review of an old standby of ours. The Original Pancake House. We frequented the Original Pancake House when we lived in California and we now frequent it here in Minnesota. On this particular Saturday, Hadley and I went out on our own, so it was a lovely experience.
APPEARANCE: Homey and clean. I've never had a gripe about this place. I feel like I can always go there and count on it.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Generally friendly and welcoming. Again, I've never had a complaint.
FOOD: HUGE portions and certainly worth sharing, especially with people with little tummies. I ordered the diced ham and egg scramble and it probably could have fed our whole family. Food always seems fresh.
KID FRIENDLY: While some locations do not offer a kid menu, the portions are so large I would recommend sharing. They have nice clean high chairs, and coloring sheets to entertain.
PRICE: I'd say it's mid-range... Not the cheapest place I've ever dined, but not the most expensive.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Absolutely visit! And make it a regular place.
There are many Original Pancake Houses nationwide. We dined at the Wayzata location.
APPEARANCE: Homey and clean. I've never had a gripe about this place. I feel like I can always go there and count on it.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Generally friendly and welcoming. Again, I've never had a complaint.
FOOD: HUGE portions and certainly worth sharing, especially with people with little tummies. I ordered the diced ham and egg scramble and it probably could have fed our whole family. Food always seems fresh.
KID FRIENDLY: While some locations do not offer a kid menu, the portions are so large I would recommend sharing. They have nice clean high chairs, and coloring sheets to entertain.
PRICE: I'd say it's mid-range... Not the cheapest place I've ever dined, but not the most expensive.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Absolutely visit! And make it a regular place.
There are many Original Pancake Houses nationwide. We dined at the Wayzata location.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
good day cafe
This week's Sunday breakfast was at Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley, MN, just off 394 before Downtown Minneapolis. It was ranked #2 on Yelp for locations near where we live and I can certainly see why!
APPEARANCE: Felt like a big country kitchen. Vinyl table cloths. Lots of booths and tables. Fun wall decor. Just overall cozy and inviting. If I didn't have two restless kids with me I could have sat for a long time.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Fantastic! When we arrived, I was sure we'd be waiting for a table, but we were sat immediately. Then promptly greeted by our friendly server with glasses of water (she even put the kids in plastic cups with lids). If we had to leave quickly, we certainly could've done that as they were prompt.
FOOD: We ordered the Crab Benny, a French Benet and a side of scrambled eggs (for the kids). But I have to mention, the coffee was lacking :(. But the food made up for it.
The Crab Benny was amazing and rich. The crab was real and the poached eggs were cooked to perfection. The dish came with a side of GDC potatoes that were delish, too. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
The French Benet was amazing too! The perfect size to share with the kids to give them a taste, but not tank them up on sweet.
KID FRIENDLY: Absolutely! Thought they didn't have a kids menu, they had lots of affordable sides to make do and the food server was quick to anticipate the needs of kids. They have high chairs (albeit another broken one) and bendy straws, and if you recall from my last post these are key! Plus, they gave us several pieces of blank paper and a big mason jar full of crayons. I didn't even need to pull out my bag of goodies.
PRICE: Not the cheapest place, but not the most expensive either. The Crab Benny was $12.95, the side of eggs was $2.95 and the French Benet was $1.95. With beverages, our bill was $24.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Hands down, VISIT! This place was awesome and I can not wait to go back. They also have a "Bad Day Bar" that is open later in the evening (which I would love to pay a visit sometime when I'm kid free).
Good Day Cafe is located at 5410 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley, MN.
APPEARANCE: Felt like a big country kitchen. Vinyl table cloths. Lots of booths and tables. Fun wall decor. Just overall cozy and inviting. If I didn't have two restless kids with me I could have sat for a long time.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Fantastic! When we arrived, I was sure we'd be waiting for a table, but we were sat immediately. Then promptly greeted by our friendly server with glasses of water (she even put the kids in plastic cups with lids). If we had to leave quickly, we certainly could've done that as they were prompt.
FOOD: We ordered the Crab Benny, a French Benet and a side of scrambled eggs (for the kids). But I have to mention, the coffee was lacking :(. But the food made up for it.
The Crab Benny was amazing and rich. The crab was real and the poached eggs were cooked to perfection. The dish came with a side of GDC potatoes that were delish, too. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
The French Benet was amazing too! The perfect size to share with the kids to give them a taste, but not tank them up on sweet.
KID FRIENDLY: Absolutely! Thought they didn't have a kids menu, they had lots of affordable sides to make do and the food server was quick to anticipate the needs of kids. They have high chairs (albeit another broken one) and bendy straws, and if you recall from my last post these are key! Plus, they gave us several pieces of blank paper and a big mason jar full of crayons. I didn't even need to pull out my bag of goodies.
PRICE: Not the cheapest place, but not the most expensive either. The Crab Benny was $12.95, the side of eggs was $2.95 and the French Benet was $1.95. With beverages, our bill was $24.
VISIT OR STAY AWAY: Hands down, VISIT! This place was awesome and I can not wait to go back. They also have a "Bad Day Bar" that is open later in the evening (which I would love to pay a visit sometime when I'm kid free).
Good Day Cafe is located at 5410 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley, MN.
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