Had a fun time last Sunday at King’s Wine Bar‘s open house – got to meet their new chef, Andrew Kraft and sample some of the new dishes on their menu.
Last year, when Kraft was working at tony Manhattan restaurants, he told a reporter that his ambition was to move back to his native Minnesota “help mold the food scene there. ” To judge by the tastes he and his staff dished up for the spillover crowd who showed up for the event, he’s off to a good start. Some of the old King’s Wine Bar favorites are still on the menu – like the deviled eggs, tater tots and roasted chicken with German potato salad, but some of the new additions take the menu in a more adventuresome direction – like the fish tacos with spicy lime aioli, , swordfish with wild rice tabouli, and a very refreshing tomato melon salad with cucumber, basil, ricotta and white balsamic vinegar. Everybody seems to be serving steamed mussels these days, but Kraft’s preparation, with roasted corn, tarragon and smoked paprika is one of the most interesting and tasty I have had in recent memory.
On Tuesday nights, King’s offers a four-course date night tasting menu for $45. Check their Facebook page for details.
Chino Latino‘s newest Reel Deal is a sushi sampler – white tiger roll, mango shrimp caterpillar roll, wasabi tuna drano balls, and chipotle salmon roll ($29), plus two mojitos and two movie tickets for the Lagoon or Uptown theaters, all for $40. Available Sunday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to close. The mojitos were a little sweet for my taste, but it’s still a pretty good deal. (2916 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis).
I have got to get to Chimborazo more often. Between visits, I tend to forget just how good this little Ecuadorian gem in northeast Minneapolis really is. One reminder was this caldo de bolas de verde – a green plantain dumpling filled with meat and vegetables in an intensely flavorful peanut broth ($5/$9). Shown here is the small portion, so the larger serving is probably an ample main dish. Other highlights included the encocado of shrimp in a rich coconut sauce ($12), and the homemade passionfruit ice cream.
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