Thank goodness... we still have Cecil's in the Twin Cities!!!…read more The mood, the relaxed comfortable and kind staff who do not rush you to sit rush you to order. Instead EVERYONE is 100 % natural welcoming laid back and genuine in wanting to see you content and pleased. Nothing is ever pushed onto you. The quality of the pastrami, its seasoning, the textures and bright flavors of the breads and bagels the nova the chopped liver the extra creamy marinated Cole slaw and perfect half sour pickles ( wISH they had bialys!). All perfect. All old world. Our favorite very old deli in West Palm Beach was sold 1.5 years ago and gone gone gone are the DELIGHTFUL happy charming old staff and the perfect old world flavors, cooking. In Sarasota where we just lived the last 5 years, a new deli closed after just 2 years, and there is nothing left. We've been visiting family in Sarasota every year for 40 years. Gone too in the Twin Ciries is the ownership by brothers Scot and Stu of Hopkin's beloved Crossroads Deli just last year. The new owners, a corporation owning 6-8 other restaurants have CHANGED almost all the recipes for breads, cakes , wonderous cookies and 80 % of all pastries! No more butter, no more fine ingredients and no more of their once " Grossinger's taste/quality" STELLAR seeded rye bread! They even eliminated the lemon flavoring. In their incomparable lemon coconut cake! Their stuffed cabbage is one of their only true deli dishes left. Sandwiches are half their original size...... heart breaking after going there 3-4 times a week for 25 years........ Cecil's of course had to cut back on the $$ use of butter in their pastries. But they have WORKED VERY HARD to still retain their wonderous long long ago heart warming flavors. ALL their sandwiches are AUTHENTIC. Old world New York City flavors! Made with care and love. My husband loves their beautiful generous Nova salmon platte. Noshing away happily! I love their pastrami Rachel's with plentiful half sour pickles lots of Russian dressing and creamy Cole slaw. Mmmmmm. I hope and pray Cecil's owner refrains for a long long time from selling his rare business. We must support Cecil's too.... Or lose it with all the others, and lose part of our joy and heart. Thank you Cecil's .....

Trying to avoid a chain restaurant, and craving a deli experience, this was such a wonderful visit…read morein Saint Paul. Thanks to the staff at Patina for the recommendation! Old school all the way. There's a restaurant in the back, and a full-scale deli counter in the front. It is such a good stop. They have their own private parking lot too. Wood paneling, and a bunch of local reviews all over the walls. Clean, normal sound. Simple, with excellent customer service, and a huge menu that will have something that you like. Packed the midweek afternoon we visited, and we did not wait for a table. Loved my bowl of Matzo Soup, superb broth and the Matzo was delicious. Enjoyed my BLT on whole wheat and the homemade potato salad was amazing! Had a cherry cobbler for dessert that was incredible. Restaurant has been open for over 70 years, and I met the owner/manager, Cecil, afterward, and he just oozes customer service being a priority. It's a must-visit place.

This place does remind you that quality is worth the price. The Shepard's Pie is LEGIT! Yes, it's…read morea bit on the pricy side, but that's because they use a blend of beef and lamb, which is the traditional recipe. It's very rich, though, so you get a lot of flavor in a little bit, so it does last. My real find, though, was this Pork Tamale Handpie thing. I wish I could remember the name. The pork was flavorful and highly spiced, the dough flaky, and I don't know how they got the masa in there, but I could taste and feel it (you know that mouthfeel). It was buttery, flaky, crispy, spicy, meaty, and sweet all at the same time and I am positively obsessed. I was so glad to have decided to pick that one up. The store was lovely and the gentleman behind the counter was fantastic - friendly, knowledgeable, and personable. I will absolutely be back.

We've visited the St Paul Meat Shop on a few other occasions. Not only have we enjoyed each item we…read morehave tried, we have been able to find some items or cuts that other butcher shops don't have available. St Paul Meat Shop markets themselves as St Paul's only whole animal butcher shop. One of our favorite items is the pastrami. Their pastrami is amazing! Made and smoked in house. It is sliced thin and makes a great sandwich. They also have turkey which I believe is cooked sous vide. Our last visit we picked up some skirt steak and their juicy lucy burgers. As we were checking out, there was one condiment that we forgot and it didn't appear that they had that. The very nice gentleman was able to locate some for us and helped us out. Quality and service has always been top notch.

I got the Thunderbird chicken sandwich. The meat was well cooked,and the pickles were excellent. It…read morewas under seasoned. I would go back again cuz I'm

Really amazing food!…read more I would not expect this level of food from a food truck. I just got done with a 100 mile bike ride and ordered one of everything they had. Nothing disappointed. When I find them again I will do the same thing. Great sandwiches and fries and amazing flavors you don't find anywhere else. You need to try the apple and cheese sandwich!

We randomly stopped in after a visit to the cemetery. A very small space where you normally order…read morefrom a kiosk (not my favorite). Chef Pedro took our order (bonus points) and we had a lovely conversation about New Orleans. The menu here has a lot of New Orleans food intertwined. Based on where Pedro previously worked in New Orleans, he has an outstanding culinary background. I was going to order the Muffaletta, which can be served hot or cold, but they were out. When I heard why, I was impressed. In New Orleans, the gold standard of bread is Leidenheimer. Minnesota doesn't have the same bread (Trung Nam Bakery is the closest substitute). Pedro uses Leidenheimer for his Muffalettas. Pedro also makes his own olive salad. I am looking forward to trying a Muffaletta. My husband ordered the Zambon Dip and really enjoyed it. I had the Herb Brooks Focaccia. It was great. Big portions. What is really funny is I knew the North Stars as I worked at the Met Center. Fun memorabilia too. On street parking and some tables outside. What we used to call a neighborhood joint. Stop in and say hi to Pedro. Now I just wish he would make Gumbo with some okra and filé.

North Star Deli is, well, a fan of the North Stars. I wanted to ask what they thought of the Wild…read morebut I'll save it for another visit. I wasn't super hungry so I decided to get a bowl of wild rice soup. The sandwiches looked like the thing to get so maybe another visit when I'm more hungry. The soup was good. I ate it on the sidewalk patio. Not a lot of cars passing by so it was nice. There is so much North Star memorabilia in this super small space. I love that a 9-in tv was playing a video of caddy shack. I feel like I stepped back in time. Oh yeah, and Norm Sucks.

Delicious! We came on a hot summer weekday and the patio was busy! Luckily for me there were…read moreseveral tables inside and I was able to easily grab a spot for two. Ordering is easily done on a kiosk and we waited about 15 minutes for our food. The focaccia was very good, you could definitely taste the olive oil, but for me I didnt mind. The bread was both fluffy and had the right amount of crispiness as well. Would come again!

I recently tried "due" after driving past it for years. My first visit was pleasant…read more Today it went to a whole new level. After a latte and beet salad, I was hungering for some carbohydrates. I ordered a round of focaccia. The counter person offered to cut it for me, but I demurred. I expected to tear off a sample and take the rest of the 8" round with me. About the only other times I have had focaccia, it needed some butter, so I asked for a small scoop (melon ball size) of lemon butter. It was fantastic! I haven't gorged on a baked product like this in a very long time. The bread was light, chewy and so flavorful. The bright lemon butter could not be wasted. Despite the fantastic flavors, I still dabbed butter on pieces I tore off. There was nothing left to take home. I will be back for sure!

Hmmm so this place is interesting. Kind of a tasting experience, small portions but many options…read moreand a bit pricey. The service is okay, nothing exceptional though. The ambiance is lively but also a spot to enjoy and maybe lock in. My group of 3 was sat at this circular table, it didn't really accommodate space and our food, but luckily I was the only one with food. The coffee kind of sucks, lots of milk and not warm enough. It tastes like it should cost what it did, and my parents were upset with it. They didn't finish theirs and they're the kind of people to order multiple, so that speaks for itself. The food was okay but I don't quite understand the vibe of this place yet. It's a mix of a bakery but with food, so I can't tell if I should come hungry or plan on grabbing a bite.

Love this place for their variety of options. Every time I go I get the french fries because they…read moreare SO GOOD! Also got the Mac and cheese this time which I liked but didn't love. Love the space though, lots of natural light and plenty of seating. There's a nice bar top seating tucked in the corner that is perfect for a work from home coffee break. Parking is tricky, we parked a couple blocks over and walked but they do have a parking lot which is nice!

What a great find! We were shopping at the pet store & I saw the Ironranger across the street &…read moreassuming that meant pasty's we went over to have lunch. We split the pasty & also a salad w/mixed greens, goat cheese, candied walnuts & the best pickled beets I've ever had. The pasty was very, very good but that salad was incredible. Loved it!

We had a big group on a hot summer evening. Since their patio was nicely shady we selected to sit…read moreoutside. The server did a great job handling the 10 of us. We started with some drinks. The Pimms Cup was good but the Rum punch was just OK. The menu had many tempting choices. We got some apps - the cheese curds were very good. The fried pickles were not my favorite. I ordered their porketta sandwich with bourbon sauce and it was excellent. It was not a traditional preparation but an even better version. Very juicy - I loved it. My wife got the pepparoni flatbread which was good but nothing special. Overall the group was very satisfied with our experience.

Very good pizza and subs. Service was excellent. Place is small and can get busy so plan ahead. We…read moredidn't have a wait but if you do it's worth the wait.

We love this neighborhood pizza place. It's the perfect date spot neighborhood. The garlic cheese…read moredonuts are to die, for they are so good. The cheese pull on their pizzas is amazing. We love the thick crust and the high quality ingredients. The inside is family friendly and relaxed. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. The vibe of this place is very welcoming. They have a nice selection of beer.