Four Stars winners
Here are your Four Stars recommendations for best patio and decks -- with lots of other places mentioned in print today -- check it out.
I'm all set to do this one again next year -- I have four places in mind that could easily have been the top dogs this time around.
Kate & Gracie's
215 N. Main St., Alma, Wis.
(608) 685-4505
Don't get too distracted by the view outside the patio's picket fence —
that easily happens with the Mississippi River across the street,
logging trucks occasionally rumbling past and the Canadian Pacific
trains sounding their whistles.
The view inside the garden is just as distinctive, with amazing lilies,
birches, a vine-covered pergola and an artificial waterfall trickling
down the hillside into a pond. The menu is just as artfully put
together; in addition to grill food, chef Laurie has specials you don't
expect in a small town, such as gazpacho, pork medallions with sun-dried
tomatoes and prosciutto, and pasta tossed with artichokes, kalamata
olives and jalapenos, garnished with feta ($10). The latter would be
just right on a sizzling afternoon, with a cold glass of Stella Artois.
Though I was perfectly happy out in the garden and can definitely wait
for winter, I'll look forward to a winter night inside the restaurant,
which is a beautiful room with an open kitchen, big paintings, an ornate
bar and an excellent whiskey list — a welcome slice of Minneapolis
dropped onto main street Alma, and cheaper, too.
Riverside on the Root
109 Parkway Ave. S., Lanesboro
(507) 467-3663
Until recently, Riverside on the Root was maybe the only restaurant in
America that combined great food with canoe rentals. The Root River
Outfitters shop has moved a few doors to the north on Parkway, but that
informal, paddle-sport charm is still part of the restaurant, which is
celebrating its 10th year.
If you're looking for fine dining with a view, you can't beat the
covered deck, which looks out on the river and bike trail, though sun
worshippers will prefer the uncovered patio area.
Hot items on the deck this summer: The pork chasseur, a marinated
center-cut pork chop with wild mushroom sauce ($15.99) and the Greek
lamb burger, a lean, delicious option, with feta cheese and kalamata
olives, served on pita bread ($9.59).
If you're planning to linger with one of Riverside's excellent cocktails
(such as the pomegranate mojito, chock-full of mint), you'll find
plenty of imaginative appetizers, including the Drunken, Spicy Shameless
Shrimp, peel-and-eat and simmered in Cajun ale ($6.49 for a
quarter-pounder).
There's live music on weekends and again, a late night menu for the
after-theater crowd. Call for reservations if you want to assure a table
on weekend nights.
Chester's Kitchen & Bar
Shops at University Square, 111 S. Broadway, Rochester
(507) 424-1211
Call me a sucker for Chester's, I don't care — it clearly has some of
the best, most adventurous food in the city, a great vibe and a patio
with one of the best urban settings in Minnesota, the Peace Plaza.
The patio area is well-laid out, marked out with huge decorate pots; the
patio tables are deluxe and comfortable; the service is first-rate,
just like inside; there's live music on weekends; and now let's talk
about the food. How about the beef and blue fondue ($15), an ideal
late-evening dish outdoors: pieces of seared tenderloin, oven-roasted
tomatoes and sourdough bread to dip in creamy Amablu cheese. The
cranberry walnut greens ($7) are always among the top salads, and beyond
that are the fanciful burgers and more deluxe items such as
miso-crusted swordfish that make Chester's a downtown favorite.
Summer cocktail of choice: Only for Thursdays on First, Chester's has an
Arnold Palmer-like drink made with Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka and
lemonade, and then there's the Stoli Doli — if you go inside to the bar,
you'll see a big clear container stuffed with pineapple slices
marinating in Stolichnaya vodka. After about a week in the vodka, it's
all served up in martini glasses for $8 each.
There's simply no more pleasant place to be on a summer evening in Rochester.
Whistle Binkies on the Lake
247 Woodlake Drive, Rochester
(507) 424-1227
What's a Whistle Binkie? It's a jolly good time, for one thing,
especially on the Lake version's huge patio, which easily accommodates
about 200 people (and more can be squeezed in when the time is right).
There's a party tent at one end, which goes up on St. Patrick's Day and
only comes down when winter's around the corner; it's good for shade on a
hot day, for shelter when it drizzles and for bachelor and bachelorette
parties in between. Four nights a week, there's organized volleyball
and the rest of the week, it's disorganized, pickup volleyball, which is
more fun.
Then there's the lake — while it's not exactly Lake Minnetonka, it's
water, it's big enough to pick up cool breezes and it contributes
mightily to the breezy summer atmosphere.
The menu is big and friendly, with bar fare as well as some Old English
surprises. The half-pound buffalo style burger ($8.95) isn't too big for
most appetites and has that certain spicy Buffalo je ne sais croix.
Another popular option is the Santa Fe chicken salad, one of the newer
items on the list. Definitely plan on the grilled chicken quesadillas
($6.95), with pico, cheddar jack and sour cream, while you figure out
the entree.
There's gossip about a third Whistle Binkies a-coming — none too soon for devoted fans of the north and south pubs.
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