Great Taste

Best egg foo yung in Roch? Best steak just about anywhere?

Great Taste has enjoyed egg foo yung since before many readers of this blog were born. Of EFY consumed in Rochester, Great Taste likes China Star's best.

Note: EFY was ordered from CS's 1st Avenue location.

Other restaurant notes:

Michaels still keeps us satisfied with perfect steaks, prime rib, wedge salad, etc. In fact, for taste and precise preparation of steaks Michael's can go up against any steak house in the country. (Indeed Great Taste prefers Michaels steaks to those at Morton's, Manny's, and several other "big name" steak houses.) Also--unlike most fine dining options in Rochester--you can hear what your dining partner is saying, even on a Friday night.   

Jasper's Alsatian Bistro seems to be overlooked on many "best lists" and that's a mistake. Great Taste always starts a meal with house-made chicken liver pate....Jewish deli-restaurants aside, where else in the Midwest can one order this on a regular basis?   

Sontes continues to impress under Chef Bryce. This chic tapas restaurant also deserves more local acclaim than it seems to get. 

 

Legendary Rochester watering holes

Readers continue to serve up the names of favorite Rochester bars and clubs that may or may not still exist -- some very familiar names on this list:

Here are more bars for your list, if you haven't already received them:

Bandanas - Rec Lanes
Billiard Room - 206 4th St SE
Brathaus - 921 5th St NW
Carl's Place - 1021 4th St SE
Commercial Bar - 2 N Broadway
Crazy Horse Lounge - 1406 2nd St SW
DeFosse Tavern - 306 12th St SE
Dutch's Place - 1021 4th St SE
Ed's Attic - 530 11th Ave NW (reincarnation of Edwardos)
Golden Garter Tavern - 1829 Hwy 52 N
Guadalcanal - 6 N Broadway
Happy Times Club - 322 S Broadway
Henry Wellington - 216 1st Ave SW
John Barleycorne Beef-N-Booze - 2780 S Broadway
Long Branch Saloon - 104 E Center St
Melody Bar - 6 N Broadway
Mr T's - 6 N Broadway
O'Malley's Grill & Sports Bar - 812 S Broadway
Rascal's Tavern - 8 S Broadway
Shorty's Bar - 111 E Center St
Spats Restaurant & Lounge - Apache Mall
Sportsman's Bar - 119 N Broadway
Stag Grill & Billiards - 324 S Broadway
Stitches - 416 S Broadway
Vesey's Tavern - 607 N Broadway
Waters Bar & Grill - 11 2nd St SW
Wright Stuff - Airport

Mike S

Is free spaghetti for a year worth a marriage proposal?

You have to give Fazoli's points for trying with this new promotion:

Pop the Question at Fazoli’s Valentine’s Day
Receive Free Spaghetti for a Year and a Partner for Life
 
LEXINGTON, KY, February 9, 2012 — There’s nothing more romantic than getting engaged over an Italian dinner.  Unless, of course, the Italian dinner engagement occurs on Valentine’s Day, which is extra special.  And this Valentine’s Day, if you get engaged at a participating Fazoli’s restaurant, you’ll not only get a partner for life, you’ll both receive free spaghetti for a year.
 
Fazoli’s is offering any couple that gets engaged in the restaurant on Tuesday, February 14 two certificates for a year’s worth of free spaghetti.  The offer is good at any participating Fazoli’s restaurant.  Whoever is planning to pop the question simply needs to let the restaurant manager know in advance, not after the fact.  It’s a great way to celebrate a very special occasion.  And because Fazoli’s entrees are so economically priced, there will be extra money toward that bigger diamond ring.
 
Future brides will also like the fact that Fazoli’s is featuring 500 Calorie or Less entrees.  They include Chicken Mushroom Alfredo Bake, Three Cheese Baked Ravioli, Chicken Penne & Peppers, and Cherry Almond Chicken Chopped Salad.  Other new items at participating locations include Tuscan Chicken Flatbread Pizza and Chicken Broccoli Florentine Flatbread Pizza.  These dishes are the ideal choice before wedding dress fittings.
 
Cathy Hull, Fazoli’s Chief Marketing Officer, hopes many couples take Fazoli’s up on its offer this Valentine’s Day.  “A romantic dinner doesn’t have to cost a lot,” said Hull.  “Fazoli’s is not only a favorite destination for families, it’s also a popular place for college students, some of whom had their first dates at the restaurant.  It seems fitting then that they get engaged at Fazoli’s on Valentine’s Day.”
 
About Fazoli’s
An American family favorite for more than 20 years, Fazoli’s is a leading, next generation QSR.  With an all new premium menu featuring freshly prepared Italian entrees, Submarinos® sandwiches and salads, a contemporary new restaurant design and fresh leadership, Fazoli’s is well positioned for growth.  Already America’s largest Italian quick service chain, Fazoli’s is expanding in select markets throughout the country.  Founded in Lexington, Ky. in 1989, Sun Capital Partners acquired Fazoli’s in 2006.

Bon appetit!

Or more correctly, boneless appetit!

Press Release shared with area media:

EVENT:  Lutefisk Eating Contest, part of the Warmup To The Polar Bear Plunge, benefitting Special Olympics
WHERE:  Whistle Binkies On The Lake, 247 Woodlake Drive SE, Rochester, MN
WHEN: Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.

DETAILS:
An extremely visual event that is held annually and benefits a wonderful statewide organization!

Lutefisk Eating Contest entrants will have 10 minutes to eat as much lutefisk, meatballs, mashed potatoes, and rutabagas as possible. One half of entry fee is used as prize money awarded to top competitor, and one half of the entry fees goes to Special Olympics as part of the Polar Bear Plunge total donation.

Watering holes in Rochester

The Answer Man asked me to stitch together the list of Rochester bars that he's been assembling in his column for the past week. (Thanks to Portland Monthly magazine for the atmospheric pic above.)

Here's the initial list -- again, Rochester bars from the Elvis era through the Clinton-Lewinsky era, with some that are still going strong:

Aquarius, Alibi Inn, At the Hop, B.J. Snaps, Bacchus, Baihly's Pub, The Bank Saloon, Barrel Inn, Beltline Tavern, Blueberry Hill, Bob's Club 2, Brass Lantern, Brother's, Brown Derby, Bruiser's Pub/Karl Kasulke's, C.J.'s, Chanticleer Lounge, Char's Country Palace, Chicks, Club 11, Clubhaus Brew Pub, Coconut Joe's, Cowtown, Depot House, Dooley's, Eagles Club, East Side Inn, Edwardo's, Esteban's, Fabe's, Fergies, Goose Stop, Greenhouse, Ground Round, Gullivers, Happy Warrior, Harry's Bar, Heidelburg, Hemisphere Room, Hollywood, Howard Johnson's, In Cahoots, Jim & Joe's, J.J.'s Sports Bar, Kathy's Pub, King's Crossing, The Keg, Labor Club, Lantern Lounge, Louie's Bar, Max's, McCormick's, McMurphy's, Michaels Lounge, Moose Lodge, Mr. Bowser's, Le Bistro, Mugzee's, Murph's, Newt's, Normandy, North Star Bar, On Broadway, Office Bar, Outrigger, Owl Inn, Pappageorge, Peanuts, Peking Lounge, Pfaff's Pla-Mor, Playpen, Point After, Popeye's, The Pub, Queen City, Raspberry Browns, Rendezvous, Riptide, RochesCheer Country Pub, Rookie's, Rosie's, Roxy, Schooner's, Shenanigan's, Smiling Moose, Spur & Saddle Room, 63 Club, Spa Tavern, Sports Page, Tap Room (Rec Lanes), Tinkler's, Top Hat (Town House), Top of the Rock, Valencia, VFW North, VFW South, Viking Lounge, Whaler, Willows, Wooden Nickel.

And readers have chipped in the following:

The Penthouse, atop the Kahler; O'Malley's, where Brothers Bar & Grill is now; Rascal's, on the same block as CJ's; Happy Times, which later became the Wood Box Bar, next door to Louise's Bar; the Green Lantern; the Red Rooster; the Guadalcanal; Someplace Else; the Gardens.

"An old-timer wanted me to let you know there was one that was missed," says reader J. Kelly. "It was the Mogen Bar, located near John Kruesel's (antique shop) and the old City Hall. We've really had a good time remembering many of them."

A caller named Gerald S. listed several others: The Circus Bar on Broadway; Eddie Webster's, also on Broadway; Jerry's, where the U S Bank drive-up is now located; Darst Bar, near the old Eagles Club; and Shea's Bar, near Gillespie Sporting Goods on north Broadway.

Al Horstmann says he and friends came up with these: Hooligans, Golden George's, the Elbow Room (Tropic Bowl) and the Elks and Legion clubs.

And Paul Booth adds these: Perrods (after Le Bistro's), Otto's (after Hollywood) and Ultra Lounge (after RochesCheers).

Keep this going -- we'll make this the comprehensive catalog of places where everyone knew your name, back in the day.