Rinata - Italian for really good!

Katie and I decided that we need to have more nights out with her brother Chris and his wife Laura. So we planned a date night at Rinata in Uptown. This quaint Italian restaurant offers a 4 course meal on Sundays for just $20! We thought this would be a great place to go for the food and the price.

We arrived just in time for our reservation and we were quickly seated at a nice high top table. The rich dark wood and the strangely familiar low lighting provided a pleasant atmosphere. I noted that the small scarf-like fabric hanging around each light was very similar to a place we had been to called Al Vento. They too had a date night meal, 3 courses for $20. When I asked our waiter about the lights and Al Vento he confirmed that they share ownership and that the owner’s mother had made all the light covers.

The date night menu offered plenty of tasty options and with 4 courses to pick it took some time to figure out what we all wanted. In the mean time Chris ordered a bottle of wine for the table. Every day from 4:30-6:00 PM they offer half price bottles of wine. Chris ordered Citra Trebbiano D’Abruzzo, a white wine that everyone seemed to enjoy.

When it was finally time to order Katie and I both ordered the bruschetta. It had duck on it and was very good! Next I got a Caesar salad which was pretty basic but still very good, which is saying something because I’m not huge into salads. Katie got an arugula salad with blood red oranges. It looked weird to me but Katie liked it.

Moving on, Katie and I picked the mushroom stuffed ravioli. We loved it! Very full of flavor, just amazing!

For dessert I got Vanilla ice cream and Katie got pistachio ice cream while Chris and Laura got tiramisu. The ice cream was so sweet and soft. It was a very good end to an absolutely delicious dinner.

I have to admit I can’t wait to go back to Rinata. It was amazingly great food at a good price. Definitely worth checking out!

Things to know before you go.

Parking –While you can certainly don’t have to pay to park…finding parking is a different story. Very busy area.

Prices – We did the date night deal which I recommend. Going to run you about $50 for a nice night out.

Reservations – Recommend them especially on date night.

Beautiful Night at Biaggi's

To celebrate my new employment Katie and I decided to finally go to Biaggi’s. It is an Italian restaurant located at the Arbor Lakes shopping center in Maple Grove.

We had once spontaneously attempted to go before only to be shot down by a multiple hour wait.

This time we came prepared with a reservation and were seated almost immediately.

The design and layout was bold and wide open but the low lights gave it a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

The service was very good. From drink refills and menu knowledge to the speed of the cooks the whole night felt very “us” oriented.

For starters they brought some bread and served it with olive oil which is pretty standard. The twist was that on the oil they sprinkled some parmesan cheese and added a pinch of black pepper. All of this was available on the table for our own refillable liking.

The basket of bread itself was good with a few types of bread. Our favorite was the big soft pieces that were seasoned on top. The seasoning was almost too strong but tasted delicious when dipped in the oil. The rest of the bread was ok but not nearly as soft or seasoned.

For an appetizer we ordered the bruschetta which is a standard of ours and we like to see who has the best. Usually we are disappointed or find it to be only so-so compared to our favorite bruschetta at the Chianti Grill. We are pleased to say we now have a very close 2nd. The bruschetta at Biaggi’s was fantastic! It came on a plate of 6 “mini” pieces and each was loaded with the tomatoey topping goodness and a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese. Very good!

For the main course Katie ordered the Ziti Al Forno and I chose the Farfalle Alfredo. Both were excellent and the portions were generous. Mine was a more standard pasta with a rich and creamy alfredo sauce mixed with chicken and ham. It also had peas and sun dried tomatoes. The tomatoes we OK but I was hoping for better.

Katie’s Ziti was also very good but has a lobster cream sauce base and was baked. The sauce had lots of flavor and the baked cheeses tasted really good.

Despite all the food we had eaten we decided since it was a celebration to get dessert. The decision was not easy as many of the dessert sounded fantastic. We decided to go with the Warm Apple Crostata, essentially apple pie ala mode.

Its flakey crust and warm center did not disappoint. The warm caramel was delicious and the cool vanilla ice cream was sweet. The whole thing was so scrumptious we had no trouble finishing it.

All in all it was an exceptionally enjoyable night out. The prices are on par with an Olive Garden type restaurant but with more charm, better food and atmosphere. We are happy we finally tried it and are excited for when we can celebrate there next.

Things to know Before You Go

Parking – There is ample parking space due to its mall location. However, it is located next to many other places and another busy restaurant so finding a space on a busy Friday night may still be a challenge.

Prices – The price is not cheap but I also did not find it shockingly high. For a full dinner with some drinks expect the $60 range for 2 people.

Reservations – It is recommended on those busy weekend nights. I would do it regardless just to be safe.

Im on a boat!

The cold weather and ridiculous amounts of snow have really made this winter feel long and painful. Once the holidays are over there is not much to look forward to until spring. So how do you break up those winter blues? Fly south for the winter of course!

While most of us are not in position to “winter” somewhere warm it doesn’t mean we can’t take a week away from the bitter cold and feel some warm sand between our toes.

Weeklong vacations tend to need some time to plan around work and all that but if you can go on short notice many places are offering a lot of deals to escape this winter weather.

We had been thinking of a winter getaway for a while and wanted it to be in the mid January to February range. That way there is something to look forward to after the holidays and kind of breaks up the middle of winter.

We decided on a cruise because they are relatively inexpensive for what you get and you get to visit several different places.

I checked many different sites for the best deals until I found one for $299 per person for a 7 day cruise! That is close to the lowest I’ve seen for a week long cruise that far out from the sailing date. So we decided to book.

The cruise line was one I had never heard of before, MSC, which stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company. While they have been in the shipping business for 40 years only in the past 15 years have they been doing cruises. They are an Italian based cruise line and do many cruises in other parts of the world. They have many new ships are currently the fourth largest cruise line in the world.

I have sailed the western Caribbean many times on a variety of cruise lines so I was excited to be sailing to the eastern side on a new ship. Our ports of call were St Thomas and St Martin of the Virgin Islands and Nassau in the Bahamas.

Our ship, the MSC Poesia, was built in 2008 and accommodates 3000+ travelers along with the crew. Size wise it is very comparable to most modern fleet ships of today. Another unique feature is that nearly all the rooms are balcony, with over 800 balconies and less than 400 interior or ocean view rooms. This worked out well because we paid for interior but got bumped to balcony for free! I have never had a balcony and I have to say it really makes the cruise more enjoyable and relaxing.



Even though our cruise didn’t embark till Sunday evening we decided to fly down on Saturday. This way if our flight got delayed or something we would have time to still make it down and not miss the boat. Also why not spend an extra day in the warm weather?

We flew into West Palm Beach because it was cheaper than Ft Lauderdale. We got a one day rental car and spent the evening at the Holiday Inn by the airport. It was nice to go a day early because you don’t have to rush and we had all day Sunday to go down to the ship. So we stopped at the beach on the way down.



We embarked out of Port Everglades, FL. Our first two days were at sea on our way to the Virgin Islands.

If you have never been on a cruise before there are a few basics you should know.

Room - Most cruise rooms are rather small as it is not intended to be where you spend much of your time. Although with our balcony and the mayhem of people on the top decks trying to sunbathe we spent a good portion of our time in our room.

Food – There will be a near unlimited amount of food accessible at almost all hours of the day or night. A buffet of some type will offer alternatives to more formal dining and room service can usually be ordered 24 hours a day. More and more cruises are moving away from the conventional dining rooms and switching to “restaurants” you can go to.

While most food is included some things may be extra. Drinks other than coffee, juice water, and milk will cost you. Also our cruise offered two alternative dining restaurants that offered more specialty food for a fee.
The food on our cruise was not bad. It was a good mix of things but I was never blown away by anything. It is fun to try new things and good to have a hearty breakfast each morning.

Also note that seating is assigned and you may be seated with other people unless your group is big enough to fill a table. There are often dress codes for each evening with some being quite fancy for the more elegant dinners. Some ships are stricter about this than others but it’s a good idea to pack some dress clothes.

Entertainment – The ship will offer a variety of things to do especially for days at sea, everything from movies on a jumbotron to dance lessons and bingo. Every evening there was a formal show. Most cruises do a magician or comedian but since ours was an Italian cruise the variety of languages made for more of a visual show than speaking. They were a little weird for my tastes but the acrobats and knife throwing guy were pretty entertaining.

Ports – Unless it’s some sort of weird water lovers cruise the boat is going to stop at some touristy ports throughout the week. You can do anything from shop to sightsee or just lay on a beach. Most cruise companies will offer excursions. While they tend to be on the spendy side they are also pretty reliable and run in time with the ships time at the port. If you book one separately from the ships or just from someone when you get off the boat you need to be sure it will be done in time to get back on the boat.

We decided to just explore on our own. That meant a lot of walking and bus and taxi trips but still had a lot of fun and at a fraction of the cost most people spent.

St Thomas

The Virgin Islands are known for their beaches and if you go make sure you spend time at the beach. We were not impressed with St Thomas shopping or buildings but their beaches were beautiful. Tip – while the most famous beaches are usually the nicest they are also the most crowded. Considering that we decided to go to a lesser known beach on the close side of the island. It was still very pretty and we had the beach nearly all to ourselves all day!



Ps there is a bus sort of service that runs along the main stretch of the front of the island that is only $1 a person.

St Martin

This port was far cleaner looking and the shopping area actually seemed nice. They also had several nice beaches not too far from the port. Our real goal of the day was to see the planes landing over Maho beach. It is a famous spot to see planes because the runway is right next to the beach and the planes come in just over your head.

Taxi rides and tours were all quite expensive but we figured it’s next to the airport so a bus must go there. We were directed by a local who was very friendly where to wait for a bus and got a ride over to the beach for only $2 a person. Despite it being such a small island the traffic was pretty crazy and it took nearly 45 minutes to get to the beach.

The beach was busy but did not disappoint. The planes landing right over head was quite an experience and as an added bonus the waves were very big which I took advantage of for some serious body surfing! All in all St Martin was my favorite port of call.




Nassau, Bahamas

After another day at sea with some rough waters that actually canceled the evenings show we arrived the next morning in Nassau. While the area looked pretty from the boat most of the close beaches were not very good. We walked a good ways to Paradise Island just on the other side of our port. The beach there was nice but was very busy. The waves were ok but the water was cold and so was the air. The day was very cloudy and windy and just wasn’t that warm. We didn’t say long and went back to the boat.

The next morning our ship arrived back at port and we had to be out of our room by 7:30 AM which was kind of a buzz kill after week of sleeping in and relaxing. We got breakfast and disembarked and went to our car rental company.

Our flight didn’t go out until later that evening so we got the rental car are spent some more time by the beach. We drove around through some very rich areas with gigantic houses. It was a relaxing afternoon and we even stopped at this really good burger joint called cheeburger cheeburger before we went back to the airport.



The trip was a welcome relief from the brutal winter we’ve had in the Twin Cities.

Some good sites to check for finding great deals

Travelzoo.com – some of the best deals you will ever see for all types of vacations
Cruise.com
Vacationstogo.com
Lastminutetravel.com –cheap hotels
Orbitz.com – great way to check and compare airline tickets

My Thoughts On That British Wizard Movie

DISCLAIMER – I’m guessing if you are reading this you’ve either seen the movie or don’t plan on seeing it. If either of these is not the case and you don’t want anything ruined for you don’t read as there will be spoilers. You’ve been warned.

Apparently this whole Harry Potter thing is a pretty big deal, so big that the last movie is in two parts. Does Hollywood know no limits on money making? So after watching it I thought I would give my take of this whole thing.

It should be noted that I don’t consider myself a fan. I’ve never read the books. I have seen all the movies but not in order or with the most excitement. For the most part I’ve found them to be ok. Not amazing but not making me mad which I’m cool with.

I went into this movie expecting more than the previous films. This is the grand finale, think fireworks. The end should be better than the rest of the show. Also the actors are more than likely at their prime in this role considering their time devoted to these characters coupled with the expected maturation of their acting skills. On this note I can’t say I was disappointed.

This half of the final book was greatly driven by the predicaments of the main characters. Gone is the Gandolf like mentor and the familiar halls of Hogwarts. They are on the run…or rather the sit. Much of the middle of the movie is spent sitting around doing not much. I do have to say that considering this fact they did a great job of making you feel on edge. Since I don’t know the end of the book I was not sure of the events that were going to happen unlike many of the people who were watching.

You truly get the feel of people on the run. They are alone, afraid and outnumbered. They don’t know who they can trust and their world is crashing down around them. It’s a frightful time for them and in the entirety of this movie signs of hope seem to be dimming.

It’s a dark movie. Not what you would expect from kids movies but they have shifted that way since a few books back and the whole series is based around the murder of Harry’s parents so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.

Still…
I found this movie to be a little too much on the dark side. Sure there is some humor and the story is good but the evil is strongly portrayed. At one point early on a women who has been kidnapped and hurt is being held by the bad guys as they chat about stuff. She begs for her life and help from a former coworker only to be silenced permanently and then immediately fed to a giant snake. Now I understand the point here is to show pure evil at its best and I can’t say it the worst thing I’ve ever seen but still in the context of the children’s book movie I was a bit taken back.

To go along with this its seems like they are killing off people left and right throughout the movie and it’s hard to know who is going to make it through to the end. Again these are all valid story techniques just not what I’d expect from this series.

As for the plot…I felt like the story was understandable and well delivered. It is the set up for the ultimate showdown that is about to come. Visuals were impressive as always and it had enough dashes of humor to keep from being down right depressing.

Some people complained it was hard to follow but I didn’t have any trouble understanding the basic premise of what they were trying to accomplish. I needed to be reminded of some names, places and people but it was still understandable to me.

Would I recommend it? If you have not seen the previous films or read the books I would stay away. It won’t really make a whole lot of sense and nobody likes the person in the theater who is clueless. If you are savvy to the story line I’d recommend going.

Interested to see how the whole thing wraps up next July

Chow down at Fogo de Chao

Before I begin I need to give full disclosure. I am not nor have I ever been a steak lover. In fact, due to poor cooking of steak throughout my childhood (sorry mom) I have had a disdain for steak my entire life.

Now let’s talk about Fogo. It is a Brazilian steakhouse with meat served the “gaucho” way. Gaucho is essentially a Brazilian cowboy. If you are unfamiliar with this style its worth checking out. Similar to the show put on at a hibachi style Japanese steakhouse Fogo’s food delivery is an experience all its own.
So the basic concept is that of a buffet, unlimited food. Only we’re talking high quality food and lots of it. Starting with a ritzy feeling salad bar to the endless supply of 15 different types of meat this is one dinning event that’s sure to leave you stuffed.

The meal, which is identical for lunch and dinner, includes the salad bar and endless meat service. A trip to the salad bar reveals a finely laid out selection of aged cheeses and succulent slices of meat. Everything is fresh and the vegetable variety for salad making is wonderful.

With all this said I don’t recommend wasting much of your stomach space on the salad bar. You’re paying for the meat and a salad is just going to fill you up on the cheap. If for some reason you’d rather just eat at the salad bar you can purchase it alone for a lesser amount.

Once you’ve satisfied your veggie cravings it’s time to let loose the carnivore in you.

Here’s how it works. The wait staff works as a team so any and all people working can and most likely will serve you. The chefs are also servers in a way as they bring you the meat on a skewer right to your table from the kitchen. It’s all controlled by this little coaster they give you. Flip it to the green side when you’re ready for meat and when you can’t fight them off any more flip it to red and they’ll leave you in peace. When the card is on green these chefs will literally come from every direction offering whichever of the 15 meat choices they have on their skewers. Like what they’re offering? Have as much as you would like. If you don’t you can just say no. sometimes they will ask if there is a particular cut you’re looking for and they will have it sent over on the quick.

To go along with this fantastic meat bonanza you will also be treated to “limitless service of traditional Brazilian side dishes, including: pão de queijo (warm cheese bread), crispy hot polenta, garlic mashed potatoes and caramelized bananas.” The bread is kind of a popover with a cheesy inside, hard to explain but I liked it. The mashed potatoes were good but nothing amazing. I tried the banana…it was different. I’m sure it’s a taste, texture, flavor some people like it just isn’t my thing. The polenta reminded me of a cornbread type thing but with a more unique flavor. All were good and all were refilled at an alarming rate.

The craziest and maybe the most impressive thing about dinning at Fogo is the service. Traditionally you would expect your glass to be refilled when it’s empty or soon to be. Not here. I couldn’t get my glass past halfway gone before it was being topped off, and those who know how fast I drink water should be in pure amazement at this. Everything else is treated in the same manner. Three polenta came on a dish. My wife and I grabbed one and put it on our plate. Moments later with one still on the plate they took it away and replaced it with a new set of three. Likewise with the potatoes, took a few spoonfuls and bam taken away and a new one is sitting there. Clean plates were also swapped out in just as efficient a manner.
It was this bizarrely fantastic service that makes it an experience worth trying, amazing meat selection aside.

But how about that meat? Well I personally could not get enough of the filet mingon. It was so soft and juicy that it literally melted in my mouth. There was also a garlic beef that was packed with flavor. I also could not pass up on juicy season chicken wrapped in bacon! Most every cut was the best I’ve tried. Even your run of the mill sausage was bursting with strong flavor. The one piece I didn’t like was the filet mingon wrapped in bacon. It just seemed to be a cooked poorly or just tasted less juicy.

Overall it is a pretty awesome time. The food is spectacular and the service is beyond marvelous. They had a vast selection of wines and offered several other drinks from Brazil.

As far as cost goes I would recommend going during the day for lunch time. The price is significantly cheaper, $26.50 compared to $46.50 for dinner. Sure it may not be as romantic and for most people will be more difficult to find the time during the day to go but it’s the same food and service for 20 bucks less.
I would definitely go back but it won’t be for some time. While I feel I got my money’s worth it is still an expensive time out for two people. Still I am recommending everyone try it at least once…even if you don’t care for steak.

Things to know Before You Go

Parking – While there are endless options downtown for parking most will cost you a decent amount. Also if you go during lunch daytime parking is harder to find. I took the light rail. It was cheaper than parking.

Prices – If you can make lunch work still expect to $80 or more for two people if you get something to drink and tip well. If you go for dinner $100+ are bare minimum.

Reservations – Always recommended. Even for lunch the place fills up fast.

Hot Night Out

Looking for a night out that wasn't too spendy but not too familiar led us to Flame restaurant in Rosedale mall. We walked in early on a Saturday night and got seated immediately. The atmosphere of the place was very fun and unique. The layout offered a solid mixture of tables and booths along with a bar area that was nicely sized for the restaurant. We were seated at a booth, which we prefer. These booths in particular were great because they had high backs and sides. In a full restaurant we felt quite secluded.

Our server was fun and outgoing and didn't mind getting to know us, without being bothersome of course. He told us what they are known for and what he recommends. Which was helpful because there menu is pretty typical Fridays/Applebees style but with a few exceptions that highlight their specialty. The Flame is known for cooking with fire and that’s what they specialize in.

We decided to start with an appetizer of Steak with a Gouda fondue. Now I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of steak thanks to my mother’s cooking but my wife likes it so we tried steak instead of chicken. The steak was amazing! Literally the best I've ever had and the cheese to dip it in was also incredible. It also came with bread and green apples for dipping. The bread was good and there was plenty of cheese for all the food for dipping.

For a main course I decided on a BBQ burger and fries and my wife got a roast beef and garlic mashed potatoes. The fries were great. Well seasoned so ketchup was not even needed. My burger was nothing special, a little over cooked but maybe that’s the flame cooking taste I’m not used to. My wife liked the potatoes but felt the roast beef was a bit too tough and not quiet juicy for her liking.

For the most part it was a great night out. Not too expensive for the food and atmosphere and that appetizer was amazing, will definitely be back for that. Also they run a promotion with the AMC Theater in the mall for $5 movie vouchers good any time if you purchase at least $15 not including tax and tip. We decided to get some since we were spending around $30 anyway and a weekend ticket to the movies is getting to be about $25 for two people.

In the end I would recommend trying it out. It is a fun environment with decent prices. The staff was great and the food was too. Plus it’s in the mall so it’s in a great place to either see a movie or walk the shops.

Things To know Before You Go
Parking - Tons of free parking in the mall area but can get very full on weekend nights.
Prices - For a whole meal for two and drinks expect to pay around $50 total
Reservations - A good idea for larger groups

Fondue is fun to do!

On this particular night the answer to "What to do?" was a fun and gooey trip to The Melting Pot.
Located in downtown Minneapolis next to the Foshay tower, The Melting Pot is a fun destination in the heart of the city. This was our first time at The Melting Pot and at any fondue based restaurant for that matter.

Not really knowing what to expect we sat down and gave a look at the menu. Our waitress was very helpful in explaining how things worked and what was included in each of the meal options.
The menu was loaded with choices and one could easily experience entirely different flavors upon each visit. We decided to start with some cheese fondue to begin the meal and chose a Mexican style mixture.

The tables are equipped with a built in stove top. This is pretty cool but makes for holding hand over the table a bit tough.

Our waitress mixed the flavorful concoction in our pot in the table and once it was ready we had a variety of things to dip in the cheesy fondue. We had our choice of apples and crackers as well as tortilla chips and bread for dipping. The apples were and interesting choice but my favorite was the bread. Soft warm bread covered in gooey goodness made for a tasty appetizer.

The main course was a bit of a surprise for me. You begin by selecting from a number of broths that you will be cooking your food in. That’s right, YOU do the cooking. After you pick the broth you get a plate full of raw meats of your choosing. I picked something of a variety platter that included chicken, shrimp, steak and sausage. Our waitress mixed in some vegetables and gave us some recommended cooking times and we started to cook.

The food was good and the cooking experience was unique. The poking, dipping and going after floating vegetables is far from the ordianry. It is a fun time filled with cooking and picking what to eat next and the time your food is cooking is great for conversation.

At last came dessert. We were so excited. My wife and I are not big fans of regular chocolate. However...we absolutely love white chocolate. They only have one white chocolate dessert but it looked so good! The White Chocolate Apple Cobbler is basically white chocolate melted with sweet apples and streusel toppings. The dessert is accompanied by a tray full of delicious sugary snacks and fruits for dipping. The items for dipping are refillable, which we took advantage of.

The dinner was over and we were stuffed. There was so much variety and food. My favorite was the dessert. My wife and I could not get enough and dipped till the pot was clean.

Overall we had a good time. The wait staff was excellent. They attended to our needs, answered our questions, kept my water glass full and most importantly left us alone to enjoy our evening when they did not need to be at the table. The evening was pretty expensive between parking and the meal but well worth it. If we go back I think it would be just for cheese and dessert. Not to knock the main course but for the price I would rather enjoy the melty fondue goodness of cheese and chocolate.

Another thing to note is that it is very oriented to large groups and can be very fun with all the dipping and pots to choose from. An evening for two is just fine but a group outing allows for more possibilities and interaction.

Things To know Before You Go
Parking - There are endless options for parking downtown. Most will run you about $5. There is a lot across the street
Prices - For a whole meal for two and drinks expect to pay over $100
Reservations - Highly Recommended even during the week