Yes, our ‘C’ Restaurant was supposed to be Corner Table in Minneapolis! We had to make a last minute change due to 3 of our members work schedules. So we quickly settled on the conveniently located Crave in St. Louis Park. This suburban hot-spot boasts a something for everyone menu of upscale but accessible American cuisine filled with pastas, salads, steak, pizza, and sushi. They have a full and bustling bar complete with their own signature amber beer as well as our local favorite, Surly. Add to that a full wine list that spans the globe and you will find the perfect counterpart to your meal.
As has become our tradition, we started with a few appetizers. The Gingered Beef Egg Rolls were filled with the Soba noodles, beef, and cilantro and served with a delicious sweet but spicy Thai chili dipping sauce. The egg roll wraps were not greasy as is sometimes typical, and the sauce was such a great addition with it’s sweet start but spicy and bold finish. The Baked Crab & Artichoke dip had an earthy, seafood flavor with a splendid blend of lump crab, tiger shrimp, and fresh herbs served with focaccia bread. It was a far removed from the greasy, runny mess we have grown accustom to eating.We ordered two pasta selections from the menu. The first of which was
the Baked Truffle Macaroni with pancetta and gruyere, and topped with bacon and a delightful bread crumb crunch. This would be for those ready to graduate from the days of college mac and cheese. The second pasta dish was the Roasted Chicken & Penne with roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, goat cheese, and organic basil. The olives and goat cheese combined in a nice traditional Mediterranean/Greek flavor.
If sushi is your thing, Crave has many fabulous options and combinations. Being a lover of spicy food (and sushi), I ordered the Mexican Roll. It freshly combined tuna, escoler, jalapeno, cilantro, spicy mayo, with a soy citrus sauce. Though it wasn’t as spicy as I expected it did have a bit of a bite that was counteracted well by the cool cilantro and citrus flavors. I, of course, added wasabii for an extra zing! Scrumptious!Though the Margarita Pizza didn’t make me break into song about the moon hitting your eyes like a big pizza pie, it was quite good. And, if a classic pizza that is your comfort food this one is for you. It’s light focaccia crust was deliciously topped with basil oil, oven dried tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella.
Another classic menu item was the Pork Tenderloin. It was topped with baked apple quarters, which complemented the pork very nicely but was no different then a Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house. The best part of this dish was the side of balsamic spinach.
The sesame crusted Grilled Ahi Tuna with wasabi oil and sake-soy reduction was quite fabulous on it’s own, but was overpowered by the gingered red and green bell peppers. The Tuna stake was quite large and would have been perfect for sharing.
The most impressive thing about Crave is the décor. The interior is beautifully decorated with a warm color palette of ruddy, coppery hues. Beautiful chandeliers hang from the ceiling and an impressive, glass walled wine room is in the center of the restaurant. The service was timely and polite. Overall the food at Crave was very good but not quite on the same level as our other two destinations. Though the prices were high for such a restaurant the portions left you feeling quite full. If going to Crave I would recommend visiting during happy hour since they have quite a few good specials during that time, especially on sushi.
Other recommendations from our club that start with a ‘C’:
Café Twenty-eight – Comfort food with a focus on organic, local, and sustainable agriculture.
Cheeky Monkey Deli- Fabulous sandwiches (cold, hot, or pressed), salads, soups, and daily meat and
cheese board selections.
Chino Latino – A twin cities must visit! Great food and a fabulously fun atmosphere!
Common Roots Café – A short menu of salads, soups, and sandwiches made with local ingredients.
Cossetta’s – Cafeteria style pizza, pastas, and salads, plus a full Italian market.
Crescent Moon Bakery & Restaurant – Gyros, shish kebab, and a must try Afghani pizza!
Next month’s destination – The Duplex in Uptown
Bon Appitte
