Important announcement

This is an announcement to all our loyal followers that the DDC is having a meeting this evening. Please stay tuned for a restaurant review. It will be posted in the next 1-3 years.

Meeting #13

Bon Vie
518 Selby Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55102

Attendees: Jenny, Beth, Terri and honorable member Judy Hennen!!!

Restaurant description: Simple, inviting and warm, like being in a Parisian breakfast bistro. This restaurant opens in the morning and closes at 2:00 in the afternoon.

The meal: Jenny started with a cup of the Chicken Tortilla soup. Her meal was the Mexican omelette and Potatoes O'Brien; she drank a Diet Coke. Judy had the Quiche of the Day (Bacon, asparagus, tomato and swiss) with hashbrowns; she drank orange juice and an espresso. TJ has the Sonoma Benedict with tomato and avacado (TDF) and a side of hashbrowns; she drank coffee with her meal. Beth ate the Pumpkin Pancakes with walnut butter and syrup, along with apple smoked bacon and coffee.

Rating:
Atmosphere: 3.5
Taste: 4.5
Creativity: 4

Memorable moment of the day: Quote from our honorable member, Judy: "I LOVE people who LOVE food!" The other memorable moment was Beth being in the clean plate club for once, and Jenny NOT being in the clean plate club!

Terri's delicious breakfast. Mmm!

Outside the restaurant

Judy's quiche and hashbrowns

Welcome to the DDC, Judy!

Meeting #12

Luna Rosa Wine Bar

402 S. Main St.
Stillwater, MN 55082

Attendees: Beth, TJ, Jenny, Chris (honorary member) and Katie (honorary member)

Restaurant description: Intimate, rustic cave setting. Low lit, indigenous feel; felt like we were in Italy!

The meal: Terri has the Pasta of the Day (fettucine, shrimp, roasted red peppers, capers and calamata olives in an olive oil, garlic sauce with a touch of pomodoro. To drink...2 glasses of house riesling. Chris has the Chicken Marsala and a glass of the house zinfandel, and he also ate a lot off of Terri and Jenny's plates. Jenny ate the Penne Sicliona and two whiskey diets. Katie enjoyed the Chicken Cacciatore and drank a Limoncello mojito. Beth ate the Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken and Mark West Pinor Noir. We all shared desserts. The chef was running behind in making desserts, so our server brought us free limoncello shots. The desserts we ate were an Espresso Martini, Tiramisu, and Creme Brulee.

Rating:
Atmosphere: 5
Creativity: 4.5
Taste: 4.5

Memorable moments of the evening: 1. It was great having Katie and Chris in attendance. 2. Chris' comment, after hearing that our taste rating was a 4.5 and not higher: "4.5! Bullshit! I had three meals and they were all wonderful!" 3. Katie's comment, when asked to provide a quote summarizing her evening: "I can't come up with a quote under all this pressure." 4. Terri: "I look like a nun tonight, why did I wear a turtleneck?" 5. We were given a private cave tour at Joseph Wolf Brewery (connected to the restaurant) after dropping Rafaelle's name. It was awesome!

In the caves (notice NO ORBS in this shot :)

Chris' marsala!

Terri's Pasta

Jen and Chris

Meeting #11

Spill the Wine

(To be added at a later date)

Meeting #10

Mayslack's Bar
1428 4th Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Attendees: TJ, Beth, Jenny and Katie (special guest for the 2nd time!)

Restaurant description: This place is a total towny bar, well known in the neighborhood. Nothing fancy about it, some may even describe it as rough around the edges. It quickly became clear to us that this place is clearly about the food--specifically meat!

The meal: Beth had the Reuben with Tater Tots and a 22-ounce Grain Belt. Terri had the Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich with 'Slax' Fries, and two Amaretto Sours (delicious). Jenny had the "Original" (Roast Beef Sandwich) and two Whiskey Diets. Katie had the Grilled Avocado Chicken Sandwich with 'Slax' Fries and an Iced Tea. Terri and Jenny had the cornbread appetizer with a delicious honey butter (TDF).

The four of us also shared a Root Beer Float and slice of cheesecake drizzled with strawberry sauce.

Rating:
Atmosphere: 2
Taste: 4.5
Creativity: 3.5

Memorable moment(s) of the evening: While checking out the 'interesting' crowd, Jenny said, "We're gonna see a lot of Carhardts and Wranglers tonight!" Terri also commented "That guy has fish on his shirt."

Jenny and "Bill".

Meeting #9

Black Sheep Pizza
600 WASHINGTON AVE N
MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Attendees: Terri, Beth, Jenny, and for his first DDC experience, Chris Forrest.


Restaurant Description: Classic warehouse district vibe. Garden level, industrial feel. Refurbished building allows for open floorplan. Cozy booth with a few of the dough flippin chefs.


The meal: We each ordered a pizza with two different halves. There were some original combinations that we were nervous to try, but the waitress eased our minds and sold us on some of their creations. Chris had half Meatball, Ricotta & Garlic and half Fennel Sausage, Hot Salami, Onion & Cracked Green Olives. He also had a Surly beer. Jenny had half Fresh Tomato, Green Pepper & Kalamata Olives and half Fresh Tomato, Green Pepper & Kalamata Olives. Terri had half Fresh Tomato, Green Pepper & Kalamata Olives and half Cracked Pepper and Garlic. Beth had half Meatball, Ricotta & Garlic and half Chicken and Mushroom.






Rating:
Atmosphere: 3.0
Taste: 4.25
Creativity: 4.0


Memorable Moment: After Beth made some genius comment (no one can remember what it was so it must have been good) Jenny said, "And that's why you're president of the DDC!"

Meeting #8

Modern Cafe
337 13th Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Member pick: Beth
Attendees: Beth, Jenny, TJ

Restaurant description: Nestled in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis, a small but rare treasure in the chest of the DDC (quote from Beth). The Modern Cafe is a diner-style cafe with a genuine look, without trying too hard.

The meal: All three members had coffee (TJ: 6 cups, Beth: 3 cups, Jen: 1 cup). Terri had the Pampered Eggs (scrambled eggs with mushrooms, chives, and cream cheese (TFDF)). Also, a side of hashbrowns and wheat toast. Jenny had Scrambled Eggs (with spinach, tomato, and cheese), pancakes and wheat toast. Beth enjoyed a cheese omelet, crisp bacon, wheat toast and a pancake. Terri and Jenny ended the meal with a refreshing mimosa (TDF).

Rating
Taste: 4.75
Creativity: 4.5
Atmosphere: 4

Memorable moment: Funny coffee stories...Beth asked Terri if she'd like cream in her coffee. Terri said "Just a splash." Beth had barely poured a drop and Terri yelled "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Luckily there was hardly no one in the restaurant--or they'd all been looking at us. We also had a laugh when the waiter approached Jen and said, "Would you like coffee?" and Jenny quickly replied, "YES!" Guess we were all tired that morning. This was the first DDC meeting in months and it was certainly good to be back in action.

Meeting #7

Barbette
1600 W. Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Member pick: Beth
Attendees: Beth, Jenny, TJ

To be completed at a later date (when Beth finds the notes about this meeting).

Meeting #6

Girvan Grille
8700 Edinbrook Crossing, Brooklyn Park, MN
Member pick: Beth
Attendees: Beth, Terri, Jenny and our 1st ever guest, Katie, who was an honorary DDC member for the evening.

Restaurant Description: Contemporary, dimly lit golf pub with a scenic view, overlooking the championship golf course Edinburgh USA!

The meal: For an appetizer, we had the buffalo roll-ups with spicy chicken and crispy wontons on a bed of lettuce, with bleu cheese dressing on the side. For dinner, Beth had the reuben with french fries, a Summit Pale Ale and lemonade. Jenny had the Buffalo Burger with cheddar cheese and fries, and a Corona Light. Terri had the Diablo Chicken wrap that came with crispy chicken salsa, corn, cheese, dragon sauce and fries. She also had a glass of the Luccio pinot grigio. And Katie had the Spice & Smoke Burger with fresh mozzarella and fries, and an iced tea. For dessert, we shared the Seven Layer Chocolate Sin cake and the bread pudding.

Rating:
Taste: 3.75
Creativity: 3.25
Atmosphere: 3.5

Memorable moments: SPECIAL GUEST KATIE! And her response to the experience, "Definitely lived up to it's hype." The other memorable moment came when Jenny said to our waitress, all sassy, "Well you didn't suggest that, did you?", when the waitress told us--after we had eaten the cake--that she likes ice cream on it.

Meeting #5

POP!

2859 Johnson Street NE

Minneapolis, MN 55418

Member pick: TJ

Attendees: Beth, Jenny and Terri

Restaurant description: Bright colors, low light. A wonderful ambiance with pop art on the walls throughout the establishment.

The meal: We had pop fritters for an appetizer (shrimp with black bean fritters and chipotle sour cream and guacamole). Beth enjoyed an asado pulled pork sandwich with citrius bbq sauce and pop fritas and drank a furious beer (6.2 alcohol by volume). Jenny has the chicken sandwich that had jalapeno mayonnaise, guacamole and pepper jack cheese, with pop fritas and an O'Douls Amber (.5 alcohol by volume :) Terri ate the portabella mushroom sandwich (TFDF), with black bean hummus, roasted pepper and mixed greens. TJ also drank WoopWoop chardonnay (x2 but only charged for one!). For dessert, Beth had a root beer float with a root beer chaser and peppermint tea, Terri devoured a chocolate sundae, and Jenny had the butterscotch sundae with peanut brittle.

Memorable moment of the evening: We had a very animated waiter (lots of hand gesturing), a tea kettle top drop incident, and Terri leaving her napkin on top of a candle...it melted.

Meeting #4

Buona Sera! Winebar

11949 W. River Road
Champlin, MN 55316

Member pick: Beth
Attendees: Beth, Jenny and Terri

Restaurant description: Warm, intimate and cozy. A real family feel, as the owner and his daughters work in the restaurant.

The meal: We all had brushetta for an appetizer (TDF). Beth had grilled chicken breast with vegetables and french fries, and a glass of chardonnay. Jenny ate chicken capriese with capers, mushrooms and peppers. She drank an O'Douls Amber. Terri enjoyed the chicken marsala (TFDF) with vegetables and penne. We all had caesar salad with bread and a garlic shmear. For dessert we split tirimisu (TFDF).

Restaurant rating:
Taste: 4.75
Creativity of dish: 3.5
Atmosphere: 4.5

Memorable moment(s) of the evening: Jenny licking TJ's credit card right as it was being handed to our server because it had a little tirimisu on it (TJ had dropped it). We also met the restaurant owner and executive chef Raffaele, who made Beth and TJ a Peachcello. Raffaele also autographed our DDC journal, writing "Grazie piacere della conoscenza." No idea what that means, but we're pretty sure he said, "You are three hot mamas, come back anytime!"

Meeting #3

Kafe 421
421 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Member pick: Jenny
Attendees: Jenny, Beth and TJ

Restaurant description: Quaint, quiet and classy! A lovely cafe in Dinkytown Minneapolis.

The meal: Beth had tomato basil soup (TDF), a cheeseburger and fries, and South African white wine. Jenny and TJ shared a Greek salad. Jenny had a chicken pesto sandwich (TDF) and fries. Terri enjoyed a portabella sandwich, fries and South African white wine.

Restaurant rating:
Taste: 4.5
Creativity of dish: 3.75
Atmosphere: 4.5

Memorable moment(s) of the evening: Flashback!! Annie's Parlour malts!! We called Emily and Amy and sang Happy Birthday to Amy, as well as singing her THE SONG! And quote of the night: "You guys have to go in there, I could sit in there for hours!" -Jenny, upon returning from the restroom.

Meeting #2

Gardens de Salonica
19 Fifth Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Member pick: TJ
Attendees: Beth, Jenny and TJ

Restaurant description: Newly remodeled building (circa 1920) with a modern, albeit retro look and feel. Located in Northeast Mpls. This restaurant is Greek/Mediterranean and serves mainly organic, natural food.

The meal: We started with a bruschetta appetizer. Jenny had Greek lasagna with beef, cheese and noodles. She also enjoyed a salad with feta cheese and authentic Greek dressing. Beth and Terri shared a fish dish, that came with noodles and a Greek salad. Terri sipped on white wine. For dessert, Beth had bachlava and an espresso shot (Greek style!), Jen ate organic Greek ice cream, and TJ had chocolate cake.

Restaurant rating:
Taste: 3.75
Creativity of dish: 4
Atmosphere: 4

Memorable moment of the evening: Our hot waiter (approximate age: 25 years old...a little young, but whatever) remarked "Find a babysitter!" to us under his breath, as the couple next to us had a young, screaming child.

The DDC is born....

JP American Bistro
2937 Lyndale Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Member pick: BETH
Attendees: Beth and TJ

Restaurant description: Renovated warehouse that provides an elegent, yet cozy environment. Located just off of Lake Street in Uptown Minneapolis.

The meal: We started with an appetizer, which was a flaky pastry drizzled with honey and mango salsa. Delicious! For the main course, Beth had the flatbread margherita pizza and a glass of white wine. Terri had a tuna burger with sweet potato french fries and white wine.

Restaurant rating:
Taste: 3.5
Creativity of dish: 4
Atmosphere: 4

Memorable moment of the evening: First, while eating the appetizer, "The chef really took a risk with this one, and it paid off!" -TJ. Secondly, during this dinner the idea of the DDC was born!

Welcome to the DDC!

Yes, at long last the blog has arrived. I know many of you have heard of the wonderful dining club known as the DDC. Now we hope to share with you our dining experiences and reviews from around the twin cities area and beyond.

So how did this all begin? As you know Terri has joined us back in the Minneapolis area for a year long appointment while finishing her doctorate. After a dinner with her in a new joint, we decided to make this a social club with our good friend Jennifer Forrest. We laid out a plan for the club and came up with the name, Discovery Dining Club, or DDC for short.

Each month we choose a new location where none of us have been. We go for dinner and review the restaurant for atmosphere, taste of the food, and creativity of the dishes. It is a highly scientific rating scale of 1 for poor to 5 for great. We also have one moment from each meal that stands out above the rest that we will share with all of you.

Each month we will be adding the latest location for all of you to review. We have already visited a number of places that we will be adding in the next couple weeks for you to review.

If you have a place you want us to check out, drop us a comment. Want more details about a place we’ve been, let us know. We are here to help you experience some hidden treasures in dining. And eat some great food in the process. We also offer a guest seat at each meal so if you would like to join us, please let us know and we will discuss your attendance with the board of directors.

Check back soon….

Founding members and board of directors- Terri, Jenny and Beth