Embracing my Swedish/ Norwegian side checking out the lovely town ofLindström today. Well known as…read morethe town with the teapot water tower just north of Forest Lake. Along with a tasty lunch in Chisago. @thenorthernlaketavern wrapped up our visit with a tasty lunch. We enjoyed the chicken and garlic flatbread, and a mushroom Swiss burger with tots. Uffdah what a fun day! Hoping everyone can find some Hygge in your days.

Food was not great and the service was terrible. We waited 2 hours for our food and then they…read morescrewed up an order. A few of the servers were not very friendly. We will find another place next time.

Always in search of a nice speakeasy experience, we came across Anoka Hardware Store while in…read moreMinneapolis before heading off to visit friends. It was a bit of a trek through rush-hour traffic from our hotel but so completely worth the trip. Discretely located through a door marked only by a red light above it we were warmly greeted by gentleman behind the hardware counter. We were prepared to answer with the password to let us in but for some reason it wasn't asked. No big deal. You are then sent through a door into the beautifully dimly-lit space of the speakeasy. There is plenty of seating, with small tables and some booths. We were shown to our table and greeted by one of the great, friendly hostesses. Drinks are ordered directly at the bar with one of the attendants. You immediately pay for your order which will then be brought to your table. Different but really a nice idea. The music was also nicely unique, with a mix of oldies from the 50's and 60's. An old black and white James Cagney movie played silently on one wall. In terms of the cocktails I have to say these are some of the most delicious and finely crafted drinks I've enjoyed. I began with the Start Your Engine, a delicious gin-based drink. My wife had an absolutely fantastic smoked Old Fashioned, smoked in a large box for a minute or two. Wow! Probably the best we've ever tasted. My second drink was another gin cocktail, the Last Word, which I'd been wanting to try for some time. A fine gin supported by green Chartreuse and lime, this was simply sublime. Highly recommended. The bar and menu is quite varied and extensive, so you're sure to find something to your liking. The space has a great vibe and mellow ambiance. Sufficiently dark, cozy and very nicely and eclectically decorated. Service was outstanding and informative. Reservations are recommended. Like many such places you are "limited" to 90-minute timeframes, which sometimes seems like not enough but ultimately works quite well. The quality of the cocktails, space and service all make for a really enjoyable time. Well worth many visits.

Such a fun vibe! My husband and I finally got a date night, and we decided to try it out. There's a…read morered light over the door in the alley, and that's where you enter. We didn't have a reservation (and we would highly recommend that you make one before going), but we were lucky enough to get the two seats at the end of the bar. Beautifully crafted cocktails with high-quality ingredients, really friendly floor manager, awesome ambience and decor. I can't wait to go back!

Stopped in for fried chicken lunch at the Stone Inn on a Wednesday. Had a long drive afterwards so…read moreskipped the beers on tap. Fried chicken was excellent. Good enough so that I changed dinner plans and skipped a favorite restaurant so I could eat my chicken leftovers for dinner instead. Off my beaten path but if even sort of in the neighborhood will return.

The only redeeming quality was the sweet server we had which we will give them 1 star. We left…read morehungry. I ordered ribeye with double the veggies for the side and received rib eye thinner than a deck of cards and a large portion of brocolli that had been steamed with mold on the tips and part of the top of the stalks. Server offered a replacement or side to take home. I respectfully declined. The management took $4 off the check. Would have been nice to have my 2 root beers comped instead. Oh, well! Also, the decor is Interesting. However, for an indoor venue, flies were EVERYWHERE! We were swatting them the entire meal. Do yourselves a favor and skip this joint.

Wonderful, intimate spot in Minneapolis. On our last night before returning home, Flora Room seemed…read moreas if it would fit the bill for our cocktail fix. Relatively easy to find, though you do have to hunt a little bit, Flora Room sits behind a nondescript metal door leading down a short hallway to the entrance. Take a long moment to allow your eyes to adjust if you're coming before sunset; this space is DARK. It's also perfect. Once your "night vision" kicks in you're surrounded by a nice bar, numerous bistro-style tables and booths. Candles adorn the tables creating a nice, cozy place to settle in for drinks. Once seated in comfortable chairs at a table, we were quickly greeted and provided with menus. The cocktail selection is relatively "small" but really nicely varied. Prices seemed a tad steep but frankly, given the quality of the drinks I'd say quite worth it. I started out with the Evita, a nice flavorful gin-base cocktail topped with a nice egg white foam. Very tasty. My wife opted for the Tapaculo, with gin, mezcal, pineapple, banana and bitters over ice. Also quite good. There are also bites available from the associated restaurant I can't recall the name of mine but I can say it was delicious. Bread-like bites with a really tasty dipping sauce. To close out the visit I selected Palo, a smoked aged rum cocktail that was really nice and rich. My wife chose the Nahualito with rum, walnut, amontillado and white chocolate. All should be on your radar. Flora Room really fit the bill for a nice, intimate speakeasy-style spot to spend time. Dark and cozy. Savory cocktails and friendly service will stand out and make you want to return. I know we'll seek it out if we return to Minneapolis again. I hope so.

Wow, this place was cool!…read more The entry is pretty hidden and parking requires a bit of work unless you do valet. We went on a Saturday night, so we had to wait a bit in order to be seated. However, it was worth the wait for us. There is a dark moody vibe and while my group went in for drinks, there are also options for food. The place itself is pretty loud - both with music and talking, so maybe not the best location for a first date. The drinks are expensive, but the experience was worthwhile for us. I enjoyed the meditteránea. I'll very likely be back! What a neat spot.

I'd seen rave reviews about this place, so we decided to go here to celebrate a personal…read moreaccomplishment last weekend! It's a really cozy moody interior, with *no big lights* aka great low lighting and comfy seating options. When we went, there were just a few other parties there so pretty quiet. I liked that we had a whole corner to ourselves with a sectional couch of sorts and some chairs. They close at 10pm on a Friday night, which felt absurdly early for a cocktail bar. But, we were able to order and drink one drink during the ~45 minutes we had. They closed up shop promptly at 10pm. They had a classics and a "rumors" section of the menu. I didn't think the signature drinks were overly unique, with classics like Paper Plane making that menu side. I had a pomegranate mojito which was good! Consensus was that the cocktails were good not exceptional, especially for the $16-17 price point. We ordered churros for the table which were a table favorite! I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again, but we enjoyed our time and could see this being a good option if you lived in the neighborhood and don't mind the early close hours.

The interior of this place is incredible, such a cute spot with moody lighting, intimate seating,…read moreand vibey music. It's a great place for drinks and appetizers. The drinks were good, and they also have a solid selection of beer on tap. The food portion are a bit small imo but I will say the Mac and cheese was pretty darn tasty!

Stopped in for a beverage... was greeted warmly and offered a table in the dining room or bar-side…read more I enjoy hijacking the TouchTunes so opted for the bar. Nice ambiance and good beer selection. Beer was cold and tasted as it should. Added steak bites and was pleasantly surprised. Tender, cooked perfectly -garnished with two sauces and onion strings. Will definitely return- menu selections are fantastic.

Reuben was overcooked. Corned beef was shredded and more resembled crispified leftovers more fit…read morefor hash than a sandwich. Fries were fine for what they are. Kid ordered the Cajun pasta. It's not a large portion for 24 bucks. And while the server didn't think it was overly spicy, it was more like hot Cheetos. Hot for the sake of hot and definitely not good for some tastes. One more chicken pasta, a side salad, and soup....add four drinks and the total came to $120 after the requisite credit card fee. After all this.....it's taken me 5 years of living in the are to try this place. It's gonna be another 5 years to try it again.

Through word of mouth, found this intimate gem that offers a dining experience once a month at…read moretheir establishment. The chef and bartender design and develop new and fresh ideas for the menu each month. The Prime Rib sandwich was a sell out hit. The wild mushroom flatbread was tasty and a nice crispy crust. The craft cocktail concoctions were especially enjoyable. Loved the Christmas Cookie cocktail with the sugar cookies dessert option. Will definitely be going back on another month.

Outstanding Restaurant!!!…read more Stonehouse Catering offers a "First Friday" where every first Friday of each month they have food and drinks. If you haven't been to a first Friday you are missing out! The food is to die for! I have to say my prime rib sandwich was one of the best I've ever had. What really pulled this dish together was the au jus sauce. The ahi tuna had a rich mix of textures and flavors. I had the maple old fashioned and the blend was delicious. The crème brûlée was amazing! A great treat to the end of our night. Would highly recommend! We will definitely come back to First Fridays at Stonehouse, and I would highly recommend this place to others!

Expect the unexpected. I was skeptical of the high reviews,…read morebut something about them made me want to try it. I was definitely not disappointed. The burgers are as good as everyone says. The bartender (Ashley) was awesome and a sweetheart. She was quite busy with the volleyball teams outside, but she juggled everything very well, First and foremost, it looks like a sports bar. Don't be put off by that, or an almost full parking lot. There is table service inside and there may be folks on the deck or playing sports outside. I didn't have a chance to try anything else but the pizzas look fantastic and quite a few were ordered by regulars, so they must be good. If you're in the area, I highly recommend this place!

Placed out in the country side, road house style environment. Offering outdoor seating, &…read morevolleyball courts. The waitress we had was very nice! After a rather long day of volleyball competitions my back was killing me, and mentioned needing to find a chair with some support, (she giggled) and said "she knows what I mean", as she was a volleyball girl herself. Ordered a sun tea, which they didn't really have but she had an idea, turned out to be the best iced tea I've had in a while.

Very good food, and a cool atmosphere. Service was also very…read moregood. We sat up at the bar and had the Bluefin tuna, pork belly rice bowl, and the Parmesan truffle fries. And for desert we had the Beignet croissant. And margaritas.

Stillwater Proper was really good! We stopped on a Friday…read moreafternoon for lunch and were seated right away. Our waiter was amazing! Super knowledgeable of the menu and drink list. I chose the walleye entree, my daughter had a burger, fries and Brussel sprouts. I wasn't that thrilled with the walleye but everything else was good. The restaurant itself was very clean and it was easy to find parking nearby. If it the area, I would definitely come by again.

Such clever recipes! Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Delicious drinks. Nice space. Plenty of off…read morestreet parking.

The pizzas are GOOD and cheesy! The drinks are also very good and come out quick! It gets busy so…read moremake a reservation if you want to sit down, plus they have a lot of events and great ambiance!