Mim's Cafe---A Bargain in St Paul

My search for Middle Eastern food in St. Paul moves on to Mim's Cafe, 1435 Cleveland Ave N, which is just across from the University of MN St Paul campus. http://www.mims-cafe.net/

The three places I've visited so far pose parking problems.  Shish is on Grand by Macalester, Foxy Falafel is on Raymond, where onstreet parking is metered (though I parked on Territorial for free).  Mim's has nearby onstreet parking, but it is one hour, so a visit needs to be time-constrained.

The interior of the cafe is what I'd call functional and casual.  There are tables for four, one long table for eight, and a counter with several stools.  I think it is designed for parties who come in, get their food fast, eat, and go.

But to the degree anyone is like me, with the food outranking all other concerns, there is no objection. The menu (as seen at the link above) is brief, hits all the most popular Middle Eastern favorites, with some American and Mexican items thrown in for that person in the party who isn't into Middle Eastern.

One of the big talking points here is affordability.  You can tell their academic orientation in the simplicity and low price of the available items.  I think the food in the student union on Buford is probably only a little cheaper.  But I got a falafel platter, and it is emphatically one of the best vegan food options I can imagine.

I find it a totally worthwhile destination and recommend it to anyone who wants their vegan hit but cheap.

Peterson Machinery Redevelopment

The Longfellow Community Council had a public meeting concerning a proposal to develop 3815 Lake Street E and the rest of the block.  A former owner of Riverside Market is the proposed owner.  He plans to replicate a turn of the century general store, with a host of quaint touches.

The NDC meeting concerning the Peterson Machinery property brought out a roomful of people, where the parties at 3308 Lake brought out three neighbors. The effort on the latter meeting was giant compared to this meeting.  I guess that shows something.

While the discussion went on, I thought back to the extensive meetings over 4320 Lake Street before the enlarged Super America was built. We had many months of warnings on that, and active neighbors got concessions from the corporation on many areas.  Then there's Fattalone's Ace Hardware.  Were there a lot of meetings on that?  Gary Schiff was redistricted out of the area, and he was a prime mover with SA.  Maybe that means something.

There were a bunch of environmental questions raised. That also got me thinking about the Ace Hardware.  Did it install rain gardens?  West River Flats?  Forage? Blue Door?  Seems like I'm hearing issues on this grocery store not raised for any recent development proposal.  I don't think these issues are the best to raise when trying to fill empty commercial locations.  But maybe there is some sort of ulterior motive.

I did raise the question about the LCC environment committee. I now want to attend a couple of its meetings to see if the same people raise the questions there. The reason it matters is that the LCC Board has to rule on at least one of the decisions made tonight.

I'm a member of Seward Co-op.  Maybe I need to inquire what environmental steps it took when building the present property.  Despite being a member, I guess I'm in the dark about how much Franklin businesses care about rainwater.  By the way, an assertion was made that the storm sewers are already overtaxed. Having lived here since October 1993, I can remember exactly one case where that seemed to be true.  It required a 5 inch rainfall in less than a day.  Because of the exceptional nature of that rainfall, there has been no re-engineering of the system. So I'm not aware of the factual bases of the claim that the storm sewers can't handle the rainfall that is already falling on the Peterson Machinery site.  If that isn't creating flooded streets, the proposed grocery store  probably isn't going to exacerbate anything.

Stay tuned. I don't think the fat lady has sung yet.

Value on University Avenue

A lot of food writers wouldn't bother with buffet restaurants. They want to titillate thrill seekers. I have a different approach. I like to go to places under the food journalism radar. I like to check out places that yuppies hardly consider worth their time. These are the alternatives to the fast food industry, that provide meals ordinary people can afford, people with families. Families like the one I grew up in. My parents never thought of seeking the hottest new chef because, after all, my large family had serious bills in the offing. That had to take precedence.

That is prologue to my description of visiting University Buffet which sits at Marion Street and University Avenue in St. Paul. I'm on the Green Line grape vine, so I've heard plenty about it. I've now visited about a half dozen Green Line businesses. And found a few winners in the list.

I've been to a fair number of buffets. Most recently, I went to Roseville to visit Khan's Mongolian Barbecue. Before that have been places like Grand Buffet and Teppanyaki Buffet in South Minneapolis. So there's always an implicit comparison in my mind. One thing that always impresses me when I go to one of these buffets is the number of immigrant families that I see there. Obviously, it has to be a family treat. And an affordable one, unlike practically all other restaurants. The other, of course, is you have the opportunity to try all your favorite entrees, not pick one and omit the others.

University Buffet is not one of those “everything but the kitchen sink” places. It has a reasonable selection, but nothing overwhelming. But it has a more reasonable price than the average one. The price I paid was about what I paid for a single trip through the line at Khan's Mongolian Barbecue in Roseville, $9.41. It actually included, seemingly, unlimited beverages.

They served all the meats (not turkey) of an average restaurant: pork, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp. Plus a salad bar and fruit. The fried rice was sort of plain. But I did find things not seen before. Kim chee and Mongolian Beef. The things I would go back for anytime were the egg foo young, chicken with garlic sauce, and stuffed mushrooms. Egg foo young is such an Asian cliche you'd think no one could stand out, but I liked the way this place made it. The chicken was ground meatballs in a tasty sauce. The stuffed mushrooms were large caps with a cheesy filling. Beyond these, I also took a mouthful of Kim chee, just to see if my avoidance was valid. But I found the kim chee served was kind of nice. I also got some huge, sweet strawberries and some banana pieces in a red sauce.

So this is a buffet I can see making a regular stopping place. There are still things I didn't try, plus things I'd want to have again. The state government people are lucky to have this as handy as McDonald's. You could easily eat three meals on one tab.

A Roseville Eating Experience

I had this plan to have lunch with my wife at a favorite place for Valentine's Day. I feel like we don't do enough of this. Arrived at the day, and she physically felt unable to go. Big disappointment, but then I got the idea that I could get takeout and bring it to her. So that's what my plan was.

As it happened, my destination in all this was in Roseville, near Khan's Mongolian Barbecue. Used to love the place, but somehow all the gatherings we've had in years past ended up somewhere else. Now that I was going to that vicinity, here was my chance to revisit Khan's.

The physical place hasn't changed so that I can notice, but things weren't what I remembered. Probably my memory had drifted over the years into inaccuracy. The scheme at Khan's is the appearance of a salad bar. You take a bowl and fill it to heaping with whatever ingredients appeal to you, including Asian sauces. Then, you let their stir fry cooks cook the raw ingredients on this very large convex fry surface. They move it around with big stick, showering it with a special stir frying sauce. Seems amazing to see the little bowl of stuff become a plateful.

My choices were things like shrimp, beef, broccoli, onions, green peppers, perhaps one or two other things, plus some spicy sauce. Fried it looked pretty good. I took it to my table. While picking up this part of the meal, they had left a basket of fried wontons and a sauce to dip them in. Have no memory of ever having this side dish. It was new but also something that really appealed to me. In fact, the fried wontons totally blow away tortilla chips for me. I told the staff I wish I could find bags of them and a bottle of the sauce for at home.

I got the one trip deal, so I ate my choices and paid. For about $4 more, you can make unlimited trips, and that may be my choice next time. The mixture I got came out really tasty. It may seem different, but it made a meal that was pleasing overall. Next time it won't be so long between visits.

Khan's is just off County Road C in Roseville, not far from the Affinity Plus branch. You drive east on the country road to the green light that controls the service road, turn, and then follow it till you see the restaurant on your right. People should try it out. Roseville too has some nice choices like Khan's and also India Palace on Cleveland Avenue.

A Gem on Grand Ave, St Paul.

I was reading comments online in response to my post that I was looking for Mediterranean food in St Paul. I guess most people were as ignorant as I was since they were ticking off well-known names everwhere but St. Paul. I had to observe that I'm well aware that the Twin Cities is very rich with nice places that serve Mediterranean food. I'm especially focused on St. Paul where the surface appearance is that this food doesn't do well there. My search might reinforce that conclusion, but it would be premature to say so.

This is all preface to a visit I made to Shish Mediterranean Grill. It is at 1668 Grand Avenue, close to Macalester, a few doors east of the Ace Hardware. It belongs in the small cafe category (as opposed to places like Khan's Mongolian Barbecue or Olive Garden). The interior is nicely appointed, but not overdone as I felt Mai Village was. I'd say Emily's Lebanese Deli is an apt comparison in size and décor. Along one wall are a bunch of large photos of Jerusalem. The floor is finished wood. There is an order counter and a glass case mostly filled with sweet goodies.

You can see the full menu at http://www.shishongrand.com/ There was so much, it was a bit daunting to eliminate all the things I wanted but couldn't put on one order. I can remedy that as I make frequent trips back. I settled on spinach pie for an appetizer. And dark roast coffee and a garbanzo burger and salad for the entree. Sat down to look at the environment, drink my coffee, and watch one of the staff squeeze oranges with this manual device with a long handle for leverage. They brought my spinach pie right away. It was a saucer with three spinach pies and a couple of slices of feta. Now, my experience of spinach pie is mostly at Emily's where they are large and baked. These were appetizer size and fried. They were very hot and crispy. That was a change of pace, but I'll never abandon Emily's big pies. It is the filling, in the end, that makes spinach pie mandatory for me.

After I finished that, it was only a couple of minutes till the plate with the burger and salad came. The dressing was served on the side. Also there was a spoonful of tahini on the other side. The salad was fresh greens, red onions, chopped tomato and cubed cucumber. Such a nice combination. The burger was full of all kinds of flavors. I really want to find my own vegan burger to make at home from organic ingredients. And if it tasted like the Shish garbanzo burger, I could be pretty happy.

Shish is the kind of place I was looking for. But it really is designed for its location. It opens from 7am to 11pm 365 days a year. And you can get all this tasty stuff in a breakfast. I was kind of giddy when I discovered that. I've had “interesting” variations on the American breakfast. But I'd give any of it up for a Mediterranean breakfast. The guy behind the counter said his favorite was the Jerusalem breakfast. I made sure to look at the breakfast menu before I left. When I read the components, I had to agree it sounded better than perfect. Ground beef seasoned with Mediterranean spices, hummus, tabouli, falafel, feta, olives, pepperoncini, and pita bread. What a feast to wake up to!!!

So this place fully qualifies for my criteria of a hidden gem. Some people have indeed found it, but I don't think the mobs have overrun it yet. I don't want to be selfish, but I just hope it prospers without having lines out the door.

Minneapolis Vs. The Region

I've been in a dialogue via comment on TC Daily Planet.  In the Free Speech Zone was an article of 2012 restaurant openings.  What caught my eye was the exclusive focus on Minneapolis.  I posted a comment that Minneapolis was not some foodie island surrounded by wasteland.  The author challenged me to present a list. I listed a whole bunch of restaurants outside Fortress Minneapolis.  But I was reminded this was about NEW OPENINGS, and so sad that was restricted to Minneapolis where openings are a monopoly (OK, I'm setting up a straw man here, but the drift of the argument was that Minneapolis was the sole legitimate object of the article.

So, that got me to thinking and wanting to step away with the comments on comments responded to in further comments.  I don't scan the media for new restaurant openings.  It just isn't my thing.  I happen to think, after a solid 40 years on the Twin Cities scene, that anything "new" has to be in the area of nuance (or is it newance?).  From the time I arrived in town, we've always had a full range of good eating at all price points.  I think new proprietors are less filling yawning gaps, more fulfilling their personal dream by opening a food place with the hope of getting enough customers to survive.

Over the years, some legendary places have closed, but the food scene marched on.  Most of us haven't fretted about "something is missing".  However, as the concept of "foodie" has arisen, I perceive other things have arisen in course. One is a race to crown the best NEW eating place. The second is the keen desire by many to be able to say they've kept up with the latest.  It isn't so much foodie as faddie.  Maybe its that same state of mind that panics when the threat of losing the Twins or Vikings is raised.  We might become a minor league town.  To prevent that, we need to innovate nonstop.

That leads me to speculate about the contrast between a place like St. Paul where someone opens a restaurant like Sawatdee or Muffuletta, and it survives for decades.  Meanwhile, cross the river and you have churn, places opening and closing.  I can think of all kinds of spaces in Uptown that have had many names.  It makes me think of mayflies.  I also know restaurants like Harry Singh's Caribbean Restaurant that have popped around from space to space.  Almost like an itinerant peddler. Why does this phenomenon occur?

I have only hypotheses.  One is that the profit margin could be skinny in Minneapolis spaces so that only a few names can stand the ups and downs of business.  The second one is that Minneapolis has never been a neighborhood city like St. Paul.  Foodies/faddies in Minneapolis care less about the proximity of an eatery than the buzz about it.  Well, that's hard for a business to live on.  It is possible that expense and flighty customers are a double whammy.  The very fact of age and familiarity could count against a restaurant.  I once lived in Uptown.  There is not a single eating place left from my years of residence.  100 percent turnover.  And many addresses having gone through five different owners.  Young and single people live on novelty.  Truth is I did go to Bridgeman's and Embers to eat because they were right there.  Long replaced.

So, I think there's a back story to the many new openings in Minneapolis.  I can't believe that any proprietor, knowing the history, can hope to keep foodie attention for very long.

Danger On The Foodie Front

CNBC carries the following quote:


"Foodborne illnesses kill 3,000 Americans each year. Nearly 130,000 more are hospitalized. The aggregate cost of foodborne illnesses to the U.S. economy in 2011 was $77.7 billion. These are staggering numbers, and they're on the rise. The FDA had 37 recalls of fruits and vegetables in 2011, up from just two in 2005. Between 2006 and 2010 the rate of foodborne salmonella rose 10%.,"

Health authorities have sold the idea of unprocessed foods as a solution to health problems, but the quality of raw foods is very much in doubt recently.  Anyone who follows food recalls know it is no longer the corporate stores vs the holistic food movement.  Infected produce was sold throughout the European Union sourced back to an organic farm in Germany.  The same sorts of things are happening in the USA.

At some point, given positive support from political powers, we may get a hint what exactly is going wrong. I just read that a company named Sunland is restarting its production of roasted peanuts that were temporarily idled due to an explosion of salmonella in peanut products by a host of companies.  There were even lawsuits involved, and distribution in Canada. When I read the news item, my thought was "this is a roasted product. Shouldn't roasting affect the micro-organisms that were in the raw product?"  Which in my mind implies that somewhere between roasting and use, the product is getting infected again.  I'm cautiously hopeful investigators can zero in on the stage where the process was unclean. In the case of melons from a Colorado farm, it was found that an expanded operation removed a step of washing with antimicrobial solution that previously removed disease from the rinds.

Anyway, my personal safeguard is to steer away from raw products.  Long ago we learned to cook what we ate.  We thought we were in developed countries where raw meant safe.  Our experts are now backing off that assurance.  If you go out to eat, and you choose something raw, you need to be aware it isn't your parents' raw food.  We've pushed the system so far that the margin of safety has shrunk.