Star Tribune
Q: On a sunny summer day, what
could be finer than outdoor dining
at a sidewalk cafe?
A: A rooftop table - in the fresh air
but away from the noise, the
exhaust and the gawkers.
At least five Minneapolis locations
now offer rooftop tables, including
Joe's Garage, Brit's Pub, Backstage
at Bravo!, Annie's Parlor in
Dinkytown and Walker Art Center's
Gallery 8.
Gastronomically the pick of the pack
is Joe's Garage on Harmon Place,
facing Loring Park. The original
burger list has been pared to make
room for a few pastas and risottos,
as well as daily lunch and dinner
specials...
-- Jeremy Iggers |
USA TODAY
Though there's plenty of indoor
seating, the premier spot here is the
"lovely (and) spacious" rooftop deck,
overlooking the famed Basilica of
St. Mary. The eclecticmenu features
burgers including "a spicy Asian
pork (one) seasoned with ginger,
garlic, soy sauce and chili paste";
mashed potatoes, pastas and
risottos with "build-your-own"
toppings such as grilled chicken,
salmon or shrimp; and daily specials
such as "a grilled grouper over
basmati rice, topped with grilled
eggplant and a lively red and yellow
pepper salsa."
|
TC Taste
To some people, sprucing up a
burger means slapping on onions
or squirting on mustard. But Joe
Kaplan at Joe's Garage had
different ideas when he set out to
recreate this all-American food. In
this rendition, he doesn't even use
hamburger - he uses pork. "Grilled
burgers are the quintessential
American meal," says Kaplan.
"People make changes to pastas
and pizzas. So I thought why not
do it with burgers?"
Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, garlic
chili paste and fresh mint mix into
his Asian pork burger to give it a
zing of flavor. Then come the
toppings: a lusty roasted red pepper
sauce and Japanese coleslaw that
combines vegetables, peanuts, and
nutty soy vinaigrette. "It's East meets
West in a bun," says Kaplan. |
