shmapples

I’ve been going to Willow Gate in Roseville for Chinese food since my dad started eating there 10 years ago. Dan recently took over the restaurant and made lots of changes including the outside entrance (he built a “great wall” when you walk up to the restaurant), the tiling and most importantly, the food! The best part about Willow Gate aside from the friendly and speedy service is the cheap prices. You can go in for lunch and get an entire meal: soup, egg roll or cream cheese puffs, rice and the entree all for under five bucks. Seriously, my family has been eating here for as long as I can remember and Dan knows all of our life stories for us kids now in college. If you’re looking for really good Chinese food and maybe even some shopping (it’s located right near the Rosedale Mall) then you should check out Willow Gate! Try the sesame chicken (which their famous for) or my personal favorite is the garlic chicken. I’d say one of the only downfalls is that during the lunch hour on weekdays you have to be ready for crowds of people. Oh, and they are usually closed during the Chinese New Year, so don’t make the mistake of driving there without being aware of that!

When my family first moved to the Stillwater area my parents couldn’t get enough of Joseph’s. I’d say the food is satisfying if you’re looking for that “home cooked” better than Denny’s kind of restaurant. Since it is local, the place gets a lot of regulars and the weekend breakfast hour is packed with seniors. The prices are definitely reasonable and the service is friendly. I’d probably say the best part about the place are their desserts. They occasionally hold pie contests and they’ll use the winner’s recipe to add to their dessert menu. If you’re looking for a good place to go with the family, Joseph’s is a good choice. But, don’t think twice about going here on a first date. I don’t think it would be the right kind of setting for a romantic night out on the town.

The Mad Capper is the best place to grab a bite or a beer past 6:00pm in downtown Stillwater when everything else closes up. The saloon and eatery is dark with a bar and comfortable seating around the restaurant. Attentive and friendly service, but not necessarily a family joint. If you find yourself out and about with friends in the Stillwater area instead of going to Applebees or Denny’s I’d recommend trying out The Mad Capper for some hot, pub style food. They’re surely reasonably priced and you can get a sandwich or burger for around eight bucks. The biggest problem for me with going to the Mad Capper is once you leave there’s not much else to do in the area if you’re going at night. If you go for lunch or earlier in the evening you can hit up the shops in the area or even get icecream later on around the corner. I like going to the Mad Capper in the summertime because the river walk is only a couple blocks away after stuffing your face with some tasty pub style grub.

Chino Latino is an unbelievably fun and exciting restaurant to hit up for a night out on the town. It’s fairly pricy, but if you’re looking for somewhere uptown on Hennepin to go with friends or for a special event the food and drinks here are unreal. I’d say the only downfall is trying to find parking in the area, so be careful if you’re in a large group driving separately. The entrance doesn’t advertise the name and the wait can sometimes be fairly long on a weekend night, but really, it’s well-worth the wait. The atmosphere of the entire restaurant is unlike anything else in the Twin Cities and everyone should go there at least once to see what it’s like. The food is delicious (a little pricey and gourmet style, but still filling). Their food has always been fresh and they use hot and spicy ingredients, so make sure you can handle the heat they dish out! Chino also has the option of ordering larger dishes to share around the table, so you get a little taste of everything. The portions are plenty and the hardest part is just deciding what to get because everything is really good.

Deep in the heart of uptown, this BBQ pit will surely fill you up and make you want more, but you’ll have to stop from the pain. Fun atmosphere with loud music and tasty food. Probably the closest BBQ you’ll get to the real thing you’ll find down south, Famous Dave’s is worth the trip if you’re heading to the area, but if you go on a weekend night be prepared to search for parking or ready to pay in the lot located near by. It’s located in a decent sized shopping center, so as usual on most nights in uptown the traffic can be horrendous. There are other locations, but I think this one is the best of them. The Famous Dave’s in Woodbury isn’t quite the same as far as ambiance goes, so I’d make the trip into the city for some wet ribs and corn bread muffins. Decently priced and could be a good place for a date.