The selling of pizza is an ever growing and expanding business.  From frozen pizzas to take-n-bake pizzas. From large family sized pizzas to personal pizzas made to order just for you.  It’s a finished product that comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes and flavors.  You can be sure to find one that fits your taste and style.

The owners of Solos Pizza Cafe spent a long time trying to get the ingredients and taste of their pizza, just right.  In fact, they went through 42 different crusts to get their crust to have the right crispness and chew that they were looking for.  Talk about working hard to make their customers happy with their product!

It is a good quality pizza to eat.  The crust does have a good balance of being crispy,  but it also has a good amount of chew to it as well.  The pepperoni has good flavor to it, and the sauce also had a nice flavor to it.  Not watered down by any means, and bland just isn’t on their menu.  In addition to pizzas, they also have salads.  They currently don’t have a gluten free crust option, but they do have a crust that is under 500 calories if that interests you and your hunger.

They are a growing brand that currently has 3 locations in Minnesota, 1 in Eagan, 1 in Maple Grove and 1 in Plymouth.  The eating area in their Plymouth location is a bright and colorful space.  Very inviting to people in a hurry to just eat-n-go, or to those that aren’t in a rush and wish to enjoy their meal at a slower pace.

If you go with a group or a big appetite, be sure to try out their popular garlic bread puffs.  So when you’re looking for a quick and freshly made meal with a wait time of around 5 minutes, be sure to give Solos Pizza a try.

Be sure to learn more about Solos Pizza by checking out the video below!

I’ve  been producing YouTube videos for a few years now, and 2012 was another BIG YEAR. In addition to producing videos for the JMU612 MeetUp group which I’m a co-founder of, I also produced videos for my restaurant review series called “Land of 10,000 Eats“.  Additionally, in February of 2012, I launched a new video interview series called “Faces of MN“.  All of those videos, in addition to a few others, added up to a very productive and busy 2012 YouTube season.

So which videos of all of those videos made the Top 10 list for receiving the most views? Here’s the complete list.

10) Faces of MN – Rena Sarigianopoulos (Part 3)

9) Faces of MN – Natalie Kane (Part 2)

8) Faces of MN – Jen Sinkler (Part 1)

7) Faces of MN – Laura Schara (Part 1)

6) Faces of MN – Elizabeth Ries (Part 1)

5) Faces of MN – Cory Kampschroer & Jessica Miles  (Part 2)

4) Faces of MN – Rena Sarigianopoulos (Part 1)

3) Faces of MN – Rena Sarigianopoulos (Part 2)

2) Faces of MN – Cory Kampschroer & Jessica Miles (Part 1)

1) Faces of MN – Natalie Kane (Part 1)

Imagine walking into a restaurant space that’s had all of it’s walls stripped which are normally used to create sections of a restaurant. Seeing a raw cement floor that shows age and a history of the space, as well as being able to see most of the restaurant’s kitchen and what the chef along with his crew are doing from just about any seat in the house. Add to this, a balanced dose of the color red in the bar area, as well as one wall covered with red boards from an old barn to add some rustic flare and charm to the space. You get to eat in a space that has been stripped of all of the normal barriers of most restaurants, and instead eat in an open, airy and entertaining atmosphere that seats up to 300 people.

The food also has it’s own distinctive focus. While this space was formerly a Senser’s restaurant, Eat Shop – Kitchen & Bar is an updated space that is definitely not a chain restaurant.  It is a space designed to connect with the local area. Bringing local people, food and brews, into an open and upscale atmosphere.

Eat Shop would be a great place to meet for lunch with just one person or a large group of people for dinner.  A good place to just hangout and have a beer, and also really appreciate the food that you’re eating. The majority of the beers that they have on tap are local, with a few national brews and very limited international ones. Beer by the bottle or can is also an option.

Besides beer, they also have a lengthy list of white and red wines that you can get by the glass, as well as by the bottle. Including champagne and some specialty cocktails. A few scotchs and bourbon are available if you’re looking for some stronger spirits.

Do you want to know where your food is being cooked?  Do you want to see the process of prepping, cooking and plating your meal? You can do that here! The kitchen area was made open and exposed to the restaurant area, so you can enjoy a glass of wine, some good conversation and watch your lunch or dinner being made for you.  How’s that for a change of pace?

Chef Jeff Anderson uses his talents along with the vision of Michael Larson to come up with a great menu. For lunch they offer small plate options along with salads, sandwiches and a few larger meals for heartier and hungrier appetites.  For dinner they also offer small plate options with salads, but then they include some big entrees of birds, fish and meat.  Yes, you can get a sandwich for dinner too if you’d prefer that instead.

My meal at lunch was the turkey burger, and it was delicious! I chose not to have the sprouts on mine, but the burger was seasoned well and was juicy, NOT dry. The toppings of swiss cheese, pickles and avocado were all good. The bun was a story in of itself. It’s not a typical bun, it’s made, along with all of the other bread products in the restaurant, by Denny’s 5th Ave bakery. It added more flavor and quality to the burger.   The fries that came with the burger were also good. They were seasoned well,  and they came with a side order of homemade ketchup which incorporates smoked tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar and other selected spices to produce it. You’ll definitely want to try the ketchup when you go. I ended my meal by being both full and satisfied!

Do you want to learn more about the restaurant?  Get a grander feel for what Eat Shoplooks like?  Watch Chef Jeff Anderson cook a dish and hear owner Michael Larson share his thoughts on the restaurant? Then don’t miss this video!

Bar area

Primebar isn’t just another bar that has been added into the Minneapolis Uptown area bar scene. This isn’t a Friday’s, a Ruby Tuesdays or an Applebees.  Primebar is an upscale bar and eating establishment.

Primebar is not a stand alone location, it is a chain, with other locations in Chapel FL, Chicago IL and Dallas TX.  Even though it’s a “chain”, it is going to focus on being “local”. One was it’s doing this is by it’s beer selection of beers. They have a selection of over 60 beers, so your sure to find one that matches your unique palate.

The Minneapolis location is in the former Il Gatto space in Calhoun Square.  It has great wall of windows facing Lake Street, sure to be a great place to eat and people watch. Another seating area that it has is a more dimly lit and intimate eating area. Both areas surround a very large bar area in the center of space. You won’t see “Norm” chatting at the bar with Cliff Clavin here.

Besides the broad selection of beers, featuring local beers as well, they plan to feature local food also, with plans to feature some locally farmed grass-fed beef.  Executive Chef Sean Sherman has a great deal of experience opening restaurants.  Having lived and having been a cook in Minnesota for several years, he brought his cooking skills with him as he traveled to different areas of the world, assisting with various restaurants as they developed. His most recent stint was in Montana, opening a few restaurants there that focused on locally sourced foods.

As with any new restaurant, primebar will grow and develop to meet the needs and tastes of those that frequent it. The next time that you are in the Uptown are of Minneapolis, give it a try.

The “Knife and Fork Reuben”

There has been a growing expansion of Bistros in the Twin Cities. There’s also been large growth in the sandwich and frozen yogurt sectors.  One area though that has not been built up or seen any kind of growth really in the Twin Cities, is the genuine deli sector. In 2011, an addition was finally made, and it came in the form of the Rye Deli.

The Rye deli in in the uptown area of Minneapolis, near the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Franklin, at the address of 1930 Henneapin Ave.  It has a parking lot, which is pretty unusual for most uptown eateries, but it does help get some vehicles off of the street.

The Rye deli has the feel of walking into a well aged deli, smack dab in New York City.  The owner, David Weinstein, grew up on the East Coast, and went to law School in New Orleans. (To get more of David’s story, check out my interview with him from January of 2012.)  You can tell that he worked hard to come up with the right look and feel for his restaurant, as well as coming up with a menu that would reflect a genuine New York style deli.

Display case and sandwich making area.

The building that the deli is located in was formerly a restaurant, but when David took over the space, they made sure to open the space up more, get more light and decorate it in the appropriate deli style. There are darker cozy areas and then there are brighter areas near the windows, as well as an outdoor patio area for when the weather in neither too wet or too hot.

They open during the week at 11am to offer lunch and on the weekend, starting at 7am for brunch that is served until 2pm. They also offer a Happy Hour that runs from 2pm – 7pm and 10pm – 12am.  They cure and smoke their own meats, offer fresh bagels and made-from-scratch food. Doesn’t that sound like a place that you just want to try?

Looking for something unique and different in the Twin Cities? Give the Rye Deli a try.

The Midtown Global Market has a wide variety of tastes and flavors for those looking for something different from typical Midwestern fare. In the winter of 2011-2012, 2 people living in Los Angeles, thought that Minneapolis would be a good place for them to live and open a space to showcase their food creativity and talents. A change of lifestyle and pace that would suit them better than what they had been experiencing in California.  So Thomas and Kat opened The Left Handed Cook in May of 2012.

Thomas has a number of years of experience as a cook under his belt. This isn’t just two people that woke up and decided to open their own space to sell food. Thomas had worked primarily as a sushi chef in his career, but right before he and Kat moved to Minnesota,  he operated his own space that did very well in selling hamburgers at a beach location.

Now that Thomas and Kat are in Minnesota, they have had a great response to their food. Generally when a person opens a new business, they expect it to grow in popularity over time, but their business has had a response far greater than they expected out of the “gate”.   Not only has that brought them much joy and satisfaction, but they’ve also had to hire more staff to keep up with providing great service for their expanding popularity. A VERY good sign!

So what to try? Their menu is continuing to evolve and develop, based on their vision as well as the response from their customers. Many of which are repeat customers, which is also a good sign.  By far their most popular dish is their fried chicken.  Now this isn’t your father’s fried chicken, nor an original recipe that you may be accustomed to.  This is a 21 ingredient fried chicken with lots of flavor and some “kick” to it.  Sure to give your tastebuds a jolt of sensations.  So go and check out this new space, brought to all the way from California.

VIDEO: Get to know the owners of “The Left Handed Cook”.

On an overcast Tuesday afternoon, I had lunch at a new restaurant in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis called, Sparks. Sparks is owned by chef Johnathan Hunt, who also is connected to Al Vento near the Minnehaha Falls and and Rinata, located on Hennepin Ave in Uptown. Both of them are Italian restaurants, where Sparks is more Mediterranean styled. When you first get inside, you’ll notice that it seats about 30+ people, but has a very open and airy design, especially with the 2 roll-up doors on the South side of the building. Lots of sun and light fill the space, making it very inviting to guests. You kind of get a similar feeling like when you visit a chain or neighborhood coffee shop. It’s a space that you could easily spread out in and spend a good amount of time at.  People will really enjoy coming here again and again.

Since this was my first time here, I didn’t have a favorite or a go-to menu item to choose off of the menu, so I took my time perusing the menu to see what tickled my fancy. The menu had a good number of options, including a vegan / gluten-free section. After taking some time to make my selection, I decided to try one of the pizzas, the prosciutto and egg. I seem to be trying eggs on things that I hadn’t done so in the past, like on a burger and now on a pizza, and I really like what it adds in taste. I enjoyed it and for a lunch, it was plenty filling for my appetite. The fresh arugula on top of the pizza was good as well. I’ve now had pizza on 3 different occasions with arugula as one of my toppings, and I definitely think that I’ll continue to do so in the future.  The crust was done just right in their wood burning oven, which is really a centerpiece of the restaurant that you can’t miss when you enter Sparks.

Jonathan is running the open-air kitchen, and at lunchtime, he had one waitress taking care of the tables. She was very helpful and attentive in seeing if I had any questions about the menu and was satisfied with my meal, which I was.  Be sure to check out this gem when you’re in the area of Penn Ave and 394 in Minneapolis.

DISCLAIMER: Joel Carlson’s company, Sociability, handles the social media duties for Al Vento.