We were HOPING to experience all of these great versions of bruschetta on various decks and patios at each of the venues, but it was cold, and rainy, and REALLY much more like early March or November outside, so had to be content with indoor accomodations.
At our first stop, we determined what our criteria would be. We decided to base our decisions on the following:
- PRESENTATION
- TASTE
- UNIQUENESS (or best CLASSIC bruschetta)
So...here are the results, and commentary on each:
We started our adventure at The Muddy Pig (196 Dale Street North) in St. Paul.
This was a fun little bar, with great wine, and an excellent selection of regional and specialty beers (which are a MUST to accompany any bruschetta tasting)..
The menu describes their version of bruschetta as "Grilled French bread with tomato and basil, drizzled with a chive parsley oil". It was a VERY DECENT offering, and LOADED with lots of FABULOUS julienned basil, but the tomatoes were sliced (I have "tomato issues", so prefer diced). It was very flavorful, but lacked the garlic-y tang I was expecting.
SCORES (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being PERFECT):
PRESENTATION: 7
TASTE: 7
UNIQUENESS: 0 (it was CLASSIC bruschetta)
After The Muddy Pig, we headed further west, and stopped at Luci (470 Cleveland Avenue South), in St. Paul.
I would have to say that this was NOT my favorite stop of the evening. It started with the AWFUL mauve decor (also lacking any kind of wall hangings in our section, beside the mammoth cooling vents), and ended with a soggy, mushy bruschetta that reminded me of something my grandmother used to make using stewed tomatoes, cream, and torn pieces of white bread...ish).
Anyway...the menu describes their version of bruschetta as "grilled bread topped with garlic, fresh tomato, and basil". The garlic was LOVELY in this version, and the EDGES of the bruschetta (which weren't "sogged up" by the juice from the diced tomatoes, which REALLY should have been drained a bit more) were the right texture and consistency.
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SCORES (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being PERFECT):
PRESENTATION: 5
TASTE: 3 (would have been higher, if the bread wasn't soggy)
UNIQUENESS: 0 (it was CLASSIC bruschetta)
After Luci, we headed to Minneapolis and tried the bruschetta at Al Vento (5001 34th Avenue South) in Minneapolis. The place was packed, and they were holding open tables for people with reservations, so we sat at the LOVELY marble bar, and spent time chatting with the bartender, who was AWESOME (especially when he let us take advantage of the "happy hour" 1/2 price bottle of wine deal, even though happy hour had ended 15 minutes before we got there)! He even gave us each a "gratis" class of his home made version of limoncello...which was FABULOUS!
I really liked the ambiance of this place, and the service was AMAZING! This was the first place on our tour that I actually thought about coming back to for dinner and drinks some night.
They offered a variety of bruschetta including:
- Cici beans and balsimic glaze
- Burrata cheese and mustard greens
- Eggplant caponata
- Tomato and basil
SCORES (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being PERFECT):
PRESENTATION: 8
TASTE:
- cici beans/balsamic 9
- cheese/mustard greens 3 (I don't like mustard greens)
- eggpant 9
- tomato/basil 2 (not much flavor)
Our next stop was Perrons Sul Lago (16154 Main Ave SE) in Prior Lake. Although there was a distinctive "fishy smell" when we walked in (which must have been the special that night), I really liked this place as well. Our server was FABULOUS (who DOESN'T enjoy a server who doesn't want to see a man drink a limoncello by himself, so gets one from the bar to drink with him!!??).
This was another restaurant in which the menu looked DELIGHTFUL, and we decided we needed to revisit for dinner.
Perrons offered two different types of bruschetta:
- Roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sautéed sweet onions, fresh basil, parmigiano and balsamic reduction.
- Sauteed wild mushrooms, white truffle oil, parmigiano and balsamic reduction.
SCORES (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being PERFECT):
PRESENTATION: 4
TASTE: 7
UNIQUENESS:
- mushroom/truffle oil: 7
- tomato/mozzarella: 0 (CLASSIC)
We tried to "down size", and only get a small serving, but it was already made, and plated (gorgeously!), so instead we each tried it, then passed it around the dining room for others to try...which was a HOOT!
We liked this place so much, that we decided this would be the FIRST of the places we'd visited to which we would return. From the cozy atmosphere, to the uber-friendly staff (mostly members of the owners family), to the singer/keyboardist NOT playing jazz (on this night it was mostly Elton John and Billy Joel songs), this place was DELIGHTFUL.
There is no listing on the menu for their bruschetta, but it was the CLASSIC version.
SCORES (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being PERFECT):
PRESENTATION: 10
TASTE: 9
UNIQUENESS: 0 (CLASSIC)
Even though I think my favorite bruschetta, for taste and uniqueness, was the cici beans/balsamic mix at Al Vento, I have to say the OVERALL WINNER (factoring in ambiance, presentation, and flavor, not uniqueness...since CLASSIC bruschetta is rated as a "0") was...Chateau Lamothe! The fact that the chef made some for a special event, and saved some JUST FOR US (when it wasn't even on the menu) CERTAINLY pushed the odds in her favor.
Even though I will probably NEVER eat bruschetta again, it was a DELIGHTFUL evening with good friends, good food, and (mostly!) good restaurants/bars! We've already started discussing our NEXT food tour, but, after "burning out" on bruschetta, think we might just have dinner and dessert on our next adventure!!!
1 comment:
Tomatoes are icky. :P
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