Best Restaurants for Local Ingredients in Highland Park

What can you say about a restaurant that really has nothing to be compared to? When you are rocking original, creative, Venezuelan cuisine, in Saint Paul, the comps are hard to come by… That said, this very-chef-based small cocina is pushing out creativity and quality that belongs in downtown Minneapolis next to the best of the best. This was a place I’d been promising myself a visit for about six months and finally got there. The menu is eclectic, inspired and wholly-original. Crasqui delivers and Ms. Ramirez is a true chef. Her vision of bringing the cuisine of Venezuela to has been realized and we are lucky that she decided to grace us with her art. The pulpo (octopus) appetizer is a great treatment and fun. If the idea of it throws you; just try it. The entrees, the Conejo (rabbit) and Lomito (tenderloin) were excellent to the point of licking the plates and demanding more. To add to drama, Soleil (Ms. Ramirez) has created a cocktail program that also delivers creativity, novelty and with a serious nod to the powers far-south of the border with citrus, liqueurs and exotics that are unique and well-crafted. Her wine list is also unique and exciting, featuring wines that are uniquely sourced and well-suited to the menu. Ms. Ramirez has relationships with the importers that provide unique bottles that are worth the trip. If you go: enjoy a few of the tapas and the secondi (shareables) knowing that the mains are just what they are. Mains are clean and unadorned with sides, and as such you either fill in with the before or add-on with sides for the entree. In other words; like the rest of the culinary world, you construct your evening and eats, you don’t get an entree with meat/veg/starch. So don’t expect that. In terms of postres (after dinner/dessert) the menu offers unique pieces as well. Lots of fruit-centric yums and as decadent as you like. A companion menu of bevvies for that is also presented including very nice Cherry Wine (think heavy tawny port)

Best Restaurant in the Twin Cities hands down no contest!

The FireLake Grill House offers a varied menu and I appreciate that the ingredients locally sourced. We enjoyed the short ribs, walleye and duck which were all fantastic! The only disappointment was that the popovers were overdone. The specialty cocktails and desserts were excellent! We enjoyed a lovely dinner in an elegant yet relaxed venue.

Scandinavian food may not be for everyone, but I loved our winter salad, gravlax, and potato rosti. My lamb dish was delicious with a lovely glass of pinot noir. The restaurant is roomy, but felt intimate and warm. And the acoustics are perfect - my wife and I could talk with each other without shouting. Our server, Bart, was gracious and welcoming.

We were hosting a small family gathering pre-Christmas show. Zelo was the perfect ‘appetizer’! It’s our favorite Minneapolis restaurant and never fails to impress. Food is delicious, ambience perfect and a special thank you to our server Erica who was the perfect mix of attentive without being intrusive.